CLH Digital - Issue #57 by CLH News

Issue 57

Hospitality Venues Look Forward to Revenue Boost as Restrictions Ease www.CLHNews.co.uk

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With lockdown restrictions continuing to ease across the UK, the hospitality sector is set for a badly needed boost according to a report. The report carried out by the Centre of Retail Research on behalf of Vouchercodes.co.uk has forecast that an expected 104 million people will return to hospitality venues during the first week beginning May 17 with an anticipated 13.6 and customers likely to make a visit this coming Monday, with sales in the sector projected to see sales of up to £2.5 billion for the week.

This boost will, the report says, progressively increase from Monday, May 17, with Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22 being the busiest days with 16 million people and 18 million people respectively spending unexpected £815 million. Another study by bhe British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed that an estimated 45,000 pubs will reopen, serving approximately 3 million pints on Monday.

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Editor's Viewpoint

Issue 57

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL “Never make an excuse for going to the pub, save it for leaving.” I sometimes wonder whether the gods are conspiring against the hospitality sector!

TELEPHONE:

As we look forward to stage three of reopening this Monday, where we are “allowed” to drink inside (each time I read that back it sounds more ludicrous) we have had to endure of the most miserable wet and overcast weather.

01202 552333

FAX: 01202 552666 sales@catererlicensee.com

Yes, there was a surge in people eating and drinking out on April 12, but that dropped sharply according to research, from May 4 onwards. EDITOR

Peter Adams

I must confess I have found it difficult socialising outdoors in windswept Bournemouth! A meal at a restaurant left me chilled to the bones, and to be fair they had really gone that extra mile with wind breakers and heaters. Nevertheless it just was too windy to have an enjoyable

meal and drinks. That said, I suspect the public are really going to embrace indoor drinking on Monday. As our front page story reveals in the first week an estimated 104 million people will return to a hospitality venue spending as much as £2.5 billion. A few sunny days could add as much as 20% on top of that! A survey which I saw this week reveal that COVID cases plunged by 50 per cent in England despite lockdown easing and pubs reopening their doors on April 12. The React study, headed up by the team at Imperial College London found pubs and restaurants opening up on April 12 had not had an impact when they carried out their tests.

www.CLHNews.co.uk @CLHNews CLHNews

EDITOR that march back to profitability.

Peter Adams

There are already “mootings” in the media that the “Indian variant” should delay reopening.

SALES EXECUTIVES

I have just read two completely conflicting reports on this topic, both from “leading mainstream media outlets”. Both report comments by Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi. One stating “the Indian variant surge could delay June reopening”, and, referring to the exact same comments, a different report leads with “Minister says no delays to lockdown easing despite spread of Indian variant”. So, get the sector open! I have often said the reopening of hospitality is not just a boost for the hospitality sector it is a boost for the entire country, so let us cheer and raise a glass for Monday, and Boris I urge you do not listen to the naysayers, keep us on track for reopening in June 21!

Monday cannot come soon enough, nor for that matter can June the 21st. A story in this week’s issue has revealed that the average business has lost £15,600 whereas pub and restaurant owners have lost an average £40,000, with operators expecting losses to continue in the short-term post Covid.

Once again we have called on some of the industry’s leading lights to provide insight as we lead up to reopening, plus we are delighted to introduce some of the best products and services in the marketplace to help prepare for the grand reopening!

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PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Published Publishedbyby

Please do email us with any of your news and views we would be delighted to print them and I can only be contacted on edit@catererlicensee.com

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

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David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

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Confused? Me too!

As a long-standing critic of the entire lockdown, this comes as no surprise, and I very much hope puts to issue any consideration that the easing of lockdown completely on June 21 should be delayed.

The fantastic bonus of summer sport this is a real opportunity for the sector to begin

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

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Hospitality Venues Look Forward to Revenue Boost as Restrictions Ease Issue 57

(...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

From May 17 the long-awaited 3rd stage easing of lockdown will see:

As well as reduced footfall in city and town centres, those pubs who are reliant or standing and vertical drinking due to their small footprints will be particularly adversely affected by table service only due to their limited space. For this very reason, the BBPA has estimated that some 2,000 pubs, 5% of all the pubs in the UK, will still remain closed despite indoor reopening.

Rob Cameron, CEO of Barclaycard Payments, said: “As restrictions lift, it’s reassuring to see the highest level of SME optimism since the SME Barometer launched, with expectations of a long overdue boost for the hospitality and leisure sector. With the confidence to plan ahead, small businesses have turned their attention to bulking up their workforce, as well as investing in technology and marketing. We’re looking forward to seeing this confidence translate into sales, and we continue to support small businesses as they further increase their stronghold in the UK economy.” However, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is warning that pubs and other parts of the hospitality sector will still face heavy restrictions compared to normal. They will be required to ensure 1 metre plus social distancing is in place, operate by table service only and ensure that face masks are worn other than when sat at a table inside or if outdoors. The BBPA says that for these reasons, it estimates beer sales for Monday will be 65% - some 1.6 million

It says the countdown to freedom is now on to ensure normal service is resumed in Britain’s pubs, enabling people to visit the pub for that spontaneous pint, the family Sunday roast or drinks with colleagues and friends once more. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “After some questionable weather during the last week or so, we know Brits are looking forward to being back inside the pub once more. “Our pubs have been preparing for this Monday over the last couple of months. We expect 45,000 pubs to open across the UK and 3 million pints to be served on Monday alone. However, that is 1.6 million pints less than what they would have sold on a typical Monday before the pandemic. This is because 2,000 pubs will still remain closed and pubs that do open are limited in their sales by table service and no standing drinking. “This is by no means the end of the crisis for our sector. We need pubs fully reopened without any restrictions at all on June 21st if they are to survive and trade viably. “The countdown to freedom, and recovery, is on.”

• DISHWASHERS • GLASSWASHERS • REFRIGERATION

Barclaycard’s research goes on to say that over a quarter (29 per cent) of hospitality and leisure SMEs expect to see higher demand between now and 21st June, when most restrictions are expected to be lifted, compared to pre-covid. This is due to customers being less likely to go abroad (79 per cent), pent up demand after months of lockdown (66 per cent), and visits to hospitality venues to meet up with family and friends (65 per cent).

It is therefore urging the Government to commit to 21st June for the lifting of ALL restrictions, including removal of social distancing and allowing vertical drinking and bar service to resume.

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pints - lower than a normal Monday pre-pandemic. This is below the breakeven point for the majority of pubs, who cannot trade profitably whilst the current restrictions remain in place.

• Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants will be allowed to serve customers indoors • Indoor entertainment such as museums, cinemas and children's play areas can open • Theatres, concert halls, conference centres and sports stadiums can all reopen • Organised adult sports and exercise classes can restart indoors • Steam rooms and saunas may reopen • Hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen While the sector will still operate under restrictions, the good news is that there will NOT be a curfew when pubs open for indoor drinking, and there will be no "substantial" meal conditions, like the ones imposed in 2020. Research by Barclaycard payments has revealed that over half (51 per cent) of SMEs expect an increase in revenues from 17th May, adding that hospitality and leisure SMEs saw the number of payments processed up 105 per cent in the last week of April, compared to the first week, following outdoor hospitality venues opening from the 12th April, and predicts that a year from now the hospitality and leisure sector can expect a 42 per cent boost.

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TOASTERS • STAINLESS STEEL SINKS & TABLING

Digitalisation of the Customer Journey is Accelerating as Sector Gets Set for Indoor Reopening

CLH Digital

Issue 57

A new report released this week from KAM Media and Zonal focuses on the post-pandemic customer journey and examines the customer decision process from deciding whether to go out and researching a venue, through to ordering, paying, reviewing and choosing whether to return. Ahead of the indoor reopening of venues next week, feedback from 1,000 hospitality customers confirmed that the hospitality decisionmaking process is increasingly digitally driven, at virtually every customer touchpoint. The research identified increased competition from ‘in-home entertainment’ with a 167% increase in consumer spending on TV subscription services, such as Disney+ and a 143% increase in spend on video gaming meaning that hospitality must work even harder to ensure every interaction with their customers, at every stage in the customer journey is right. Customers now search digitally when deciding which venue to visit, with most people doing a ‘general internet search’ (38%) followed by the Google’s ‘Near Me’ search tool (25%) and then using hospitality review

websites/apps eg TripAdvisor (22%.) The report suggests this represents a huge opportunity for operators to either influence potential customers or risk losing them during the critical ‘research’ stage. Social media obviously plays a considerable role here too, but not surprisingly with huge generational swings. Gen Z and Millennials, in particular, are heavily reliant on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for ideas and inspiration on which venues to visit. The report confirms that brands and operators need to ensure they are targeting the right channels which fit with their strategy and target customer base, and not using a ‘one-sizefits-all’ approach. The research also highlights the growing need for a seamless reservation process; 1-in-6 customers say they are more likely to book when visiting pubs, bars and restaurants now compared to pre-pandemic times. Furthermore, 1-in-3 said ‘difficulty making a reservation was one of the key reasons they might decide to stay at home. Alison Vasey, Group Product Director at Zonal, said: “Having accepted the need for technology over the past 12 months, consumers now have a greater understanding of how it improves their experience and helps remove some of their typical frustrations when eating and drinking out. From an operators’ perspective this can only be positive, as maximising the power of tech helps free up staff to concentrate on those elements that help enhance the overall guest experience.” The role of digital when ordering has obviously grown too, with 42% saying a venue that offers mobile phone ordering and payment become more important to them over the last 12 months (65% for Millennials.) Yet almost half (47%) get frustrated when they are ‘forced’ to order via an order and pay app. The key, says KAM, is to give customers the

choice. Blake Gladman, Strategy and Insights Director at KAM Media said, “Whether customers use digital ordering options will depend on the occasion, how much time they have and who they are with – so it’s not a case of one or the other, otherwise we risk alienating them – and in some instances it could be the same customer from one day to the next. The research showed, for example, that those dining with kids were more likely to want to option of ordering digitally. It offers them a quick, hassle free option.” The research identifies a strong desire for digital menus to complement traditional physical menus - almost a quarter (23%) of customers prefer digital menus over any other type of menu. This rises to 36% for those dining with kids. Alison Vasey, Group Product Director at Zonal, added: “The use of digital order and payment solutions now has much longer-term appeal to both consumers and operators alike. What is clear is that customers are now looking for new features and more personalised approach. The full potential of digital payment solutions to create a frictionless guest experience is far from realised and it will only play an increasingly important role in the future.” The prevalence of smartphone usage and savviness also has a significant impact on whether a customer leaves a review. One third of customers are more likely to leave a review if they can do it on their smartphone, when it suits them. This is as high as 44% for those in the 25-34-year-old age bracket. The full research report from KAM Media and Zonal is available to download for free here: https://kam-media.co.uk/resources/

Pub Is The Hub: New Research Highlights The Social Value Publicans and Pubs Create By Providing Local Services grant of £3,000 from the Community Services Fund could potentially create over £27,000 in social value to a local area. The Community Services Fund, which was started in 2013, offers small grants to help pubs diversify and has already supported over 160 pubs to provide more than 30 different types of services including village stores, Post Offices, allotments, community cafés and libraries. Further projects are currently in the pipeline or awaiting funding provision. The 25 Covid response pub projects analysed in the evaluation included village stores, communitycafés and takeaways, food delivery services, IT and information hubs, a bakery, a workshop and community gardens. The evaluation analysed various outcomes such as the impact that the projects had on helping support older, disabled and vulnerable people and how publicans worked collectively with local organisations to help reduce isolation and tackle social needs. The social value that pubs and publicans created by providing local services during the first Covid-19 lockdown has been unveiled in a new report from Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services. The report called ‘The Social Value of Pubs and Publicans providing Services in their Communities’ has for the first time measured the social value impact of pub services. Social value looks at the broad effects that an organisation is achieving with its work and takes into account the wider social, economic and environmental wellbeing benefits that a service or project can bring to an area. Pubs and publicans ensured that essential services remained accessible to local residents at the heart of their communities during the Covid-19 lockdowns and they will be crucial in helping communities rebuild as the pub sector reopens. The evaluation undertaken by Cornwall Rural Community Charity, which is experienced in measuring social value, found that for every £1 spent on a project through the Pub is The Hub Community Services Fund, in the first lockdown, between £8.98 and £9.24 of social value was created. This illustrates that one suitable pub diversification project with a

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBS John Longden, chief executive of Pub is The Hub, said: “It proves how vital these services have been during the pandemic. Covid-19 has rein-

forced the importance of pubs and good publicans in helping local people. He added: “Publicans were often the first in their community to rise to the challenges and recognisethe issues local residents were facing. The important social impact of publicans’ responses to local needs has often been essential to get people through the pandemic. “As the market fully reopens publicans and pubs are going to be crucial in helping local areas rebuild as well as aiding Government priorities for economic recovery.” Cornwall Rural Community Charity, development and evaluation manager, Gemma Finnegan, who independently conducted the research, said: “We are very proud of this piece of work that has highlighted the important social value of pub services during the first lockdown. "This is the first time that social value methodology has been applied to pub diversification projects and the results have been really positive, demonstrating the wider role publicans and pubs play in their communities. “What is interesting is the major impact that Pub is The Hub projects have had in local areas and communities with only a small grant.”

43% Of Men Will Visit Pub Next Week Issue 57

Men and younger people will be leading the charge back to the pub as lockdown restrictions ease from Monday.

Over a third of respondents (36%) in a new survey say they will visit the pub next week, rising to 43% of men and 52% of all 18-34 year olds. Nearly half of men (46%) are planning to have at least three alcoholic drinks on their first visit inside a pub since December, according to the poll by AlcoSense breathalysers. This peaks at 62% for all 18-24 year olds, with the number of drinks falling the older people are. Half the respondents (49%) say they will definitely maintain social distancing, although a third (34%) admit they will try but might slip up after they’ve had a few drinks. Again, attitudes are more cautious in older age groups. Four in ten people aged 25-34 expect to have a hangover the day after their first evening back in the pub, yet

CLH Digital

36% are likely to drive the next morning.

Over a third of all respondents (36%) thought their ability to drive is impaired only if you are over the legal drink drive limit. “With just 10mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood (one eighth of the English limit), you are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than when sober – even if you don’t feel hung over,” comments Hunter Abbott, MD of AlcoSense. “It’s important to check yourself the morning after.” The survey found that 44% of people had been drinking more alcohol whilst stuck at home during lockdown. This rose to over half in the 18-44 age group. Around a quarter (26%) thought the Government was allowing indoor drinking too early, although half agreed the timing was right. Most of us will be drinking with a partner on that first visit back (mentioned by 52%), followed by a friend (32%).

75% Of Night-Time Venues Facing Bankruptcy Without Urgent Support Survey Reveals

Up to 75% of night-time venues are facing bankruptcy without a solution to the £2.5bn rent crisis, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned the government The trade body has written to Downing Street to demand ministers step in immediately to help alleviate the issue. The letter also includes results from a survey that showed the precarious situation for the night-time industry. Last week, 360 corporate and SME businesses were surveyed across the UK, revealing the scale of this crisis. The survey found: • 75% of commercial tenants will be forced to look at insolvency or restructuring if further support is not provided post the rent moratorium. • 80% of commercial tenants are still facing unproductive discussions with their landlords. • 93% of commercial tenants have encountered substantial job losses and 70% believe there will be further redundancies post-moratorium. • 92% of commercial tenants are in favour of an Australian Rent Model, featuring a shared burden between tenants and landlords.

The letter, in which the NTIA expressed frustration over “the shortterm reprieve” from evictions that is set to expire next month, stated: “Large swathes of the nightlife sector have been closed since March 2020 with no meaningful opportunity to open and trade. As a result, businesses have been unable to pay rental arrears, through no fault of their own, and have accrued considerable debts. While the government put in place a moratorium on evictions in March 2020, this is due to expire on 30 June, and the prospect of repaying these debts, for most in the sector, is largely unattainable. NTIA is now urging the Government to consider a ‘shared burden’ solution which would see tenants, landlords and Government contribute to rental arrears to avoid mass evictions and a race-to-the-bottom amongst prospective landlords for the leasing of premises. “Consideration must be given to a more robust code of conduct or adjudication process, which will require mandatory or legislative elements within it, to ensure that everyone comes to the table to resolve this appalling situation we find ourselves in.” they say.

Rekom UK chief executive Peter Marks said: “We have always recognised landlords are victims alongside us operators in the covid world, but to have full reparations even over time would shift all the cost on to beleaguered operators, many of whom would simply not survive, rendering any public money spent on support wasted.” Tokyo Industries chief executive Aaron Mellor added: “While, of course, we understand the public health reasons why, we cannot be expected to take the full rent burden alone while receiving no income. Mandatory 50% rent waivers for the affected period are needed. Codes of conduct do not work with institutional landlords.” Jeff Smith, Labour MP for Manchester Withington and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Night Time Economy, said: “The government needs to urgently consider potential solutions, such as a shared burden model and loans to enable longer-term debt restructuring. I would welcome the opportunity to work with the government towards a solution that helps steer these businesses out of the precarious position they find themselves in.”

How Technology Can Change the Hospitality Sector in The UK After Reopening 6

CLH Digital

Issue 57

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) tact-less payment technologies.

rants will now have to integrate them into their operational flow.

Technology again has brought in rapid changes in the sectors as many restaurants, pubs, and bars are switching and offering digital solutions. A McKinsey Global Survey of executives in 2020 has highlighted how the pandemic has accelerated the digitisation of all hospitality platforms by a minimum of three to four years, thereby bringing in changes in the business supply chain. The primary challenge for the owners is to adopt the right technologies and use them to communicate with their customers. The government is also working on initiatives for contactless dining, which at present is driving the market growth.

Besides, the restaurants can also take technological assistance to manage inventory and plan supply for their joints. Taking technical help will reduce human error, repetition, wastage and also over-ordering.

CONTACTLESS DINING One can describe contactless dining as a way to reduce customer physical contact at restaurants and bars. Many eating joints have opted for contactless options where they send the food menu on mobile phones of the customers. Customers scan the QR code provided by the restaurants and can order through them. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way the hospitality sector operates. One whole year the sector faced stiff challenges as most were forced to shut down their restaurants, pubs, and bars as part of the lockdown restrictions. Some restaurants/hotels scaled up and boosted the use of online order management, delivery technologies and digital loyalty platforms in a bid to survive the pandemic. Now with the opening of the hospitality sector after the restrictions are being relaxed post lockdown, restaurants, pubs, and bars are gearing up to revive their businesses with new hygiene and physical separation measures, contactless orders, and con-

TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS As restaurants didn’t have customers and visitors till now, delivery platforms were gaining popularity. Now, as the sector is gradually opening, the restaurants should adopt a thorough system to process delivery orders and manage delivery pickups. Also, to reduce the costs and dependency on manpower, technology excellence will be needed to manage orders and payments efficiently. Prominent delivery platforms, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Glovo, and Just Eat are known to apply user-friendly means. They provide a sales platform to restaurants and manage the delivery process. More and more restau-

Two Pubs Take Top Honours In Scheme Backed by MPs

Pubs in Basingstoke and Merseyside have been named joint winners of this year's Community Pub Hero Awards, organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and sponsored by Matthew Clark. The winning pubs are The Horse & Jockey in Melling, Merseyside and The Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke. Judges decided to make two top awards this year in recognition of the very different community support offered by the two pubs. Both pubs received a £500 donation from Matthew Clark to the charity of their choice, as well as a trophy, while winners and finalists received a certificate, to be presented by their MP.

Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: "These awards have been a great opportunity for MPs to celebrate how landladies and landlords in their constituencies have stepped up to the mark to support their community during the pandemic. Yet again we have seen that pubs are the antidote to isolation."

COMMUNITY PUB HERO AWARDS: THE WINNERS

PubAid co-founder Des O'Flanagan said: "Judging this year's awards has been a real challenge: we struggled to choose our 10 finalists from an incredibly strong field, and selecting a winner from that shortlist proved impossible! "We decided to give the top award to two pubs who took very different approaches to supporting their communities in lockdown: The Portsmouth Arms started a record-beating pub quiz that has raised more than £66,000 for charities, while The Horse & Jockey cooked and delivered 15,000 free hot meals and sent out 1,000 care packages. Faced with ‘comparing apples with pears', we voted to reward both!" The Community Pub Hero Awards attracted 115 entries, including 60 from MPs who nominated pubs in their constituencies. This is the third year for the competition, which was reshaped and renamed - it was formerly Charity Pub of the Year - to focus on pubs' support for their communities during lockdown, rather than traditional charity fundraising. Richard Hayhoe, Marketing Director, Matthew Clark said: "This year's awards have shone a light on the great support lent by so many pubs to their communities, despite frequently facing uncertain futures themselves. "Like everyone else in the hospitality industry, we're delighted that pubs have started to reopen. And it's been great to see that people have turned out in numbers to support the pubs that supported their communities during lockdown. Let's hope that one upside of the pandemic is that people now understand just how important the pub is to its community."

Talking about the adoption of new technology into the hospitality sector, Rupert Gutteridge, Chief Revenue Officer, pay platform Ordamo, said that the digital and contactless menus and payments are yet to gain popularity as the hospitality sector highly depends on interaction with the customers. The tech platform does not offer you that passion for communication. He added that most restaurant owners fear that full digitisation of the restaurants, pubs and bars will lead to loss of customers. But Covid-19 painted a different picture of social distancing and isolation, changing the basics of operations.

EYE ON FUTURE The benefits of ordering online are many. Restaurant owners should now chalk out a plan to picture a post-Covid world and see what all apps can support and complement their operations. Owners can take advantage of the apps or tools to manage customer reviews, delivery, and schemes like voucher distribution and loyalty points. As Gutteridge had mentioned that the hospitality sector, which was always depends on personal touch and communication, may change invariably with the introduction and adoption of contactless menu, payment, and ordering. That would mean the adoption of technology would make the sector less hospitable and warm.

The Portsmouth Arms, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke Licensee: Rich Curtis MP: Maria Miller Rich Curtis, GM at this Hall & Woodhouse pub, launched a virtual pub quiz on Facebook Live at the end of March 2020, as a way of bringing a pub experience to locked down customers in their homes. The response was enthusiastic and soon the quiz was running twice a day: a family-friendly one at 5.00 pm - staged with help from Rich's 9year-old son Oliver - and one for adults at 8.00. Participants could join for free, but were asked to make a donation to a charity, chosen by the pub and changing every week. Within a few weeks, the quizzes had raised more than £9,000 for charity and had more than 100,000 views, not just from the UK but globally. Every week, Rich came up with a new theme for the quiz to keep it fresh, and had a few star guests. In May, Rich broke the Guinness World Record for the world's longest quiz master session, achieving a 34-hour, 50-minute quiz which raised more than £21,000 for The Pink Place Cancer Charity in Basingstoke. In total, the Portsmouth Arms quizzes have raised more than £66,000 for charities. www.portsmoutharmshatchwarren.co.uk/

The Horse & Jockey, Melling, Merseyside

THE FINALISTS

Licensees: Adam & Suzanne Franklin

The 10 shortlisted pubs were:

MP: Bill Esterton Licensees Adam & Suzanne Franklin at The Horse & Jockey cooked and delivered a total of 15,000 free hot meals to vulnerable and shielding local residents, sent out 1,000 care packages, shopped for the community and collected and dropped off medication. They also ran a ‘listening ear' service, calling everyone on their hot meal service to check on them and offer a chat. In all of this, they were helped by a band of 50 volunteers, who came forward within hours of an appeal from Suzanne. After the end of the first lockdown, the pub created a permanent community kitchen to continue helping those in need. www.jockeymelling.com

· · · · · · · · ·

The Angel & Crown, Richmond The Bevy, Brighton The Bowgie Inn, Crantock near Newquay, Cornwall The Clifton Arms, Blackburn The Horse & Jockey, Melling, Merseyside The Mowden, Darlington The Portsmouth Arms, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke The Old Courts, Wigan The Orange Tree, Baldock, Hertfordshire The Portobello Inn, West Kingsdown, Kent

Hospitality Owners Feeling Both ‘Excited and Anxious’ About Reopening After Pandemic Losses Amount to Over £40,000 Issue 57

BUSINESSES AS A WHOLE

Pub and restaurant owners are both ‘excited and anxious’ about reopening their doors on Monday, welcoming some ‘normality’ but uncertain about the recovery from the pandemic.

Despite the difficulty, 89% of food and drink business owners overall plan to continue or restart their current business, and more than one in 10 (11%) started a new business in the last 12 months – showing the clear resilience of the hospitality industry.

In total, 68% of hospitality business owners have had to temporarily stop trading during the pandemic as a direct result of multiple lockdowns and restrictions. 45% have been earning less money, despite government grants, and only a quarter (27%) have been eligible for furlough.

Furthermore, the vaccine rollout has boosted confidence among many hospitality business owners. Three quarters (76%) say the rollout has made them more confident about the recovery of their business. Nearly two thirds (63%) also say the government’s roadmap out of lockdown has given them sufficient reassurance to plan the future of their business. Over a third (36%) remain optimistic about life after lockdown.

Covid has cost pub and restaurant owners £40,000 each on average in lost earnings, according to a study of businesses in the food and drink industry by small business insurer Simply Business. This is more than double the amount that the average small business has lost so far during Covid-19 (£15,673) – demonstrating the scale of the impact on an industry which has been particularly affected by the various lockdowns and restrictions of the past year.

Business owners have also utilised the time in lockdown to spend more time with family where they can (60%), rest (37%), focus on themselves (30%) and learn new skills (20%). Over one in 10 (11%) have been able to use the pandemic to adopt new technologies into their business.

What’s more, despite the reopening, owners expect losses to continue – with Covid-19 set to cost them £45,470 each in total on average. Simply Business spoke to four UK pub and restaurant owners who have experienced prolonged closures to customers to hear their views about reopening on Monday. Unsurprisingly, there are mixed feelings unease about how they will cope after such a long closure but excitement at getting their business back on track.

pandemic. We need time to get in full working mode again. But it is exciting that we finally get to open! I’m happy that I will see my staff, my customers. It is nice to start doing the thing that defines me. As a restaurant owner, I was in my establishment for 20 hours a day, 6 days a week, it is something that I give all my heart to!”

Emma Taylor, owner of Jack’s bar and grill in Stockport, “We are both excited and anxious to open on Monday. Unlike many others we’ve had no outdoor space so this is our first opening in months. I’m worried the public will expect our staff to be back to their old selves with full confidence straight away. Naturally, it will take a couple of days for us to iron out some cracks. But I can’t wait to welcome customers through the door! Not just for the cash flow, just for some normality.”

Ilja Abbattisa, owner of Taquero, a Mexican street food restaurant in Banbury, Oxfordshire, added: “I am nervous about reopening. We have plenty of customers wanting to come in but we are lacking decent staff to run the business. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to get good staff. Chefs are the most difficult to find.”

Dobrina Nikolova, owner of Dobby’s food, a Bulgarian restaurant in Chatham, Kent, added: “I know there will be a lot of interest from customers but I’m a bit nervous about it as I’ve stayed at home for so long. I believe we naturally got out of the routine we were used to before the

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Runa Ahmed, owner of Gulab Tandoori, an Indian restaurant in Pentonville, London, said: “We are very anxious about opening, we’ve made such huge losses over the last year and the uncertainty around recovery is worrying.”

SIGNS OF OPTIMISM IN HOSPITALITY

Alan Thomas, UK CEO at Simply Business comments: “Few have been hit harder than the hospitality industry in this last year, and the scale of the impact on small businesses and the self-employed is abundantly clear in our latest research. Covid-19 has cost pub, restaurant and cafe owners over £40,000 each on average, which is a huge collective loss to the economy. “More importantly beyond the economic hit, we should recognise that behind each of these small businesses is a small business owner – each with families, livelihoods, and dreams. The impact of the pandemic on so many of these individuals and their communities has been devastating, both financially and emotionally. “Against such a tough backdrop it's inspiring to see small business owners display such resilience – and this is especially true for the hospitality sector where 89% plan to continue or restart their current business. So as hospitality owners prepare to safely reopen their doors, there are reasons to be hopeful – as the country can enjoy a welldeserved meal or drink with friends and family.”

How to Stay Top of the Game:

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Issue 57

Heineken Shares Tips and Insights to Maximise Opportunity of ™ UEFA Euro 2020 Tournament This Summer As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport, Heineken® is offering tips and insights to help operators make the most of the tournament this summer From creating the perfect set-up, to enhancing the atmosphere and driving visibility, Heineken® has the know-how to help operators win big over the UEFA EURO 2020™ trading period Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on Matchpint and invested over £200k in pub gardens to help drive footfall before and during UEFA EURO 2020™ Aligning with the highly anticipated reopening of the on trade, UEFA EURO 2020™ is set to be one of the most important sporting events ever for driving footfall and revenue. Football tournaments attract millions of customers who are willing to trade up and spend more, so it’s key to make sure your outlet is a go-to for fans. As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport, Heineken® has the insights and advice to help you attract customers, increase dwell time and boost sales – ultimately delivering an unforgettable tournament experience. On top of over £2million worth of investment provided directly to pubs through its UEFA EURO 2020TM support packages, Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on MatchPint. Fans are encouraged to visit their local in the run up to the tournament for the chance to win over 100 pairs of match tickets. Heineken® is also supporting stockists with over £200k investment in pub gardens to maximise capacity and increase viewing areas.

CREATING THE PERFECT FORMATION Great atmosphere is a vital consideration for UEFA EURO 2020™ fans, so think about how you can enhance this in your venue and bring the tournament to life safely whilst delivering a great experience. Position screens in well-lit and open spaces, outside where possible, to maximise space and promote social distancing while ensuring all tables have a clear view of the game. Check your speakers and volume in advance to ensure fans can hear every moment of the action. Take advantage of tech innovations including Order & Pay services to manage table bookings, speed up service and even take pre-orders! We know that 77% of consumers don’t want to queue at the bar while enjoying sport, so this can help keep your customers satisfied and your table service system running smoothly. But don’t let tech do away with the social connections that your customers have missed – friendly greetings, good service and recommendations from staff truly make the on trade experience! To ensure that premiership service, focus on the pinch points. Is everyone fully trained on the till systems so they can easily process any out of stocks, new lines or kitchen notes? Just like a football team, it’s also useful to allocate specific roles to certain members – like glass collection or prompting repeat orders at table, particularly during the actual game itself which can avoid bottlenecks immediately before kick-off, at half time and at the final whistle. If your squad is well trained and ready, everyone wins.

ENHANCING THE ATMOSPHERE Decorate to create a buzz! Dress your venue with flags and team colours to set the mood and create a carnival atmosphere, switching it up from game to game so that customers feel part of the action. If you requested a UEFA EURO 2020™ visibility kit from Heineken®, put your posters up in hot spots like entrances / exits, toilets and in your outdoor space to drive footfall and spend, and encourage staff to get into the spirit by wearing the t-shirts and scarves while serving.

SCORING THE RIGHT FOOD AND DRINK OFFERING As 51% of customers want food before the game starts and 37% after the match finishes, offering food and drink deals such as simple ‘burger and drink’ promotions or package deals for larger groups, will help extend your trading period and increase spend per head. Refine your menu and encourage pre-ordering of food and drink packages for groups who reserve a table – this will aid your kitchen staff, as well as help manage stock orders. Don’t forget your match-day offers need to be easy to understand and quick to serve, as everything has to be geared to making the most of the big occasion. A whopping £4.7 billion worth of drinks were sold (the equivalent of 546 million pints of beer) over an 8week period during the World Cup in 2018, so delivering what your consumers are looking for is vital – and that’s beer! Bring in the key beer players, especially classic lager. Lager is the top choice for consumers during sporting events, with 87% of UEFA EURO 2020™ consumers finding the range of lager important. Heineken® is the number one beer associated with sport and Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™. Actively sought out by consumers to enjoy while watching the match, Heineken® lager over-indexes on social get-together occasions. What’s more, offering Heineken® on draught means more money through the till as it has the strongest value rate of sale as the sole stocked mainstream premium lager and can command the highest price per pint in the category. Heineken® appeals to the younger consumer willing to spend more money per pint, making it the best mainstream premium brand to back for this year’s tournament. Considering that 60% of British consumers are looking to “treat themselves” this summer, stocking Heineken®Served Extra Cold is perfect for those looking for that more premium experience, just the ticket for consumers trading up to celebrate the tournament. Its eye-catching dual iced fount increases visibility and helps boost revenue, with a rate of sale uplift of +24% versus the classic Heineken® fount. Don’t forget the moderators! With 50% of UK consumers now moderating their alcohol intake, Heineken 0.0 is the perfect alcohol-free option for UEFA EURO 2020™ fans who want to feel part of the occasion. Heineken 0.0 is the number one no and low alcohol brand and delivers twice the rate of sale than other packaged brands in this segment. Drink sales really ramp-up from around 1.5 hours before the match and are often five to six times higher than normal around kick-off. To help relieve pressure on staff, aim to create more serving spaces where possible, particularly outdoors. Make use of countertop draught systems such as BLADE or think about renting moveable SmartDispense™BarPro systems to help you serve more, great quality pints during the tournament. Whatever you do, it’s important to deliver a perfect serve, every time. A fresh, cold, perfectly poured pint is something that consumers can only get from their local and therefore plays a huge role enticing them back into the pub and shaping their sporting experience.

PROMOTING AN UNRIVALLED OFFERING AND KEY FIXTURES Once you’ve established a winning offering, don’t forget to shout about it! Considering 70% of consumers get their information on an outlet’s offerings through social media, promote the sporting events you’re showing well in advance on your website and social channels as well as on A-boards outside the pub, to drive footfall and sales. Social posts ahead of match days or events will remind people of your venue as a sports destination, helping encourage pre-booking and generating buzz. For best practice, it’s recommended that each specific sporting event gets 2+ posts in the lead up to match-days and that you state all the details clearly on the day of the game. Excite and tempt customers with videos of perfectly poured pints, outdoor space and the exhilaration of match day. Familiarise yourself with the fixtures and plan accordingly – while there’s no guarantee as to the home nations’ performance, let’s prepare to win!

Coeliac UK Poll Highlights Concerns When Eating Out Post Lockdown

treatment is a strict gluten free diet. People diagnosed with coeliac disease must maintain a strict gluten free diet for the rest of their lives to reduce the risk of very serious complications such as osteoporosis, infertility and although rare, small bowel cancer.

In a recent poll by Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease and those who need to live without gluten, over a third (36%) of people responding, said their biggest concern when eating at a friend or family’s house post lockdown, was about being an inconvenience1. Nearly half (48%) were most worried about being accidentally ‘glutened’. A term used by people diagnosed with coeliac disease when they eat food that contains, or is cross-contaminated with, gluten; a protein found in wheat, barley or rye. In another poll2 nearly 60% of people said they were less confident – compared to before the pandemic – in finding gluten free venues post lockdown. Coeliac UK, aims to #ShineALightOnCoeliac in a campaign running from 10-16 May 2021. The campaign is focussing on the needs of children and young people, by providing resources, tips, recipes and advice for people when they are eating away from home, which can be shared with those catering for them, and in addition the charity has launched a fundraising challenge to raise £50,000 to support children with coeliac disease in the future.

Hilary Croft, Coeliac UK CEO said: “Trusting other people to provide gluten free food can cause major feelings of anxiety and lead to people avoiding social events. The last thing anyone, let alone a young person needs now is more isolation. So we are aiming to shine a light on coeliac disease to make life better for everyone who needs to live gluten free.” Coeliac disease is not an allergy or an intolerance but an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system damages the lining of the gut when gluten is eaten. There is no cure and no medication; the only

“As more people venture back out to eat at their favourite restaurants, the poll results show a worrying majority who are now less confident about finding venues that offer safe gluten free food. Before the pandemic, social distancing and lockdowns there were venues across the UK, accredited by Coeliac UK, serving safe gluten free menu options. However, as we know the hospitality industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic, and we have unfortunately seen closures and suspensions of gluten free menus as the sector tried to survive and weather the storm.” “As lockdown eases, we are strongly supporting our accredited partners to help them continue to provide safe gluten free options. Over the coming weeks and months, we are preparing to shine a light on places you can visit again, confident in the knowledge of their commitment. And in the meantime, to assist the community when eating out, we have produced a handy pocket checklist of things to ask venues both before and when you visit them,” continued Ms Croft.

Spike in Pub Visits Didn’t Come on 12 April – It Waited for the Rain to Stop Issue 57

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English pubs may have re-opened for outdoor drinks on 12 April, but it was only when the rain eased the following week that we saw a spike in pub visits, according to research* revealed today.

12 April, which suggests that any increase due to the return of on-site diners was offset by fewer delivery drivers coming in to pick up delivery orders.

The number of people visiting pubs in England more than doubled from Friday 16 April to Thursday 22 April, from around 16% of the levels we saw in January 2020 to almost 35%. Meanwhile, the average amount of rain in the country was 139.5ml on the Friday and only 0.4ml that following Thursday.

Peter Backman comments: “Many people around the UK were looking forward to the easing of restrictions on pub visits on 12 April, but the data suggests that it took a week for the expected jump in visits to arrive. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it coincided with the arrival of better weather.

The data also shows that the main increase in pub visits came from low-income and middle-aged drinkers – the number of visits of both demographics at least tripled over that period.

“The lack of a notable spike in restaurant visits when they re-opened suggests that a lot of people physically went to the establishment rather than ordering a home delivery. Our data records visits from both diners and delivery drivers, so a jump in the first was seemingly met by a similar fall in the second.”

However, the numbers of both going to the pub dropped sharply from 4 May onwards, suggesting that after the initial excitement and flurry of activity from pubs re-opening, those groups are now waiting for the return of indoor seating on 17 May. The research was carried out by Huq Industries, an alternative data research business, with analysis developed by foodservice industry expert and consultant Peter Backman. It is released daily as the ‘Huq Index for Restaurants & Pubs’, with site-level footfall measured specifical-

ly across the UK hospitality industry. The research also found that the level of footfall to English restaurants stayed broadly stable both before and after outdoor dining returned on

The ‘Huq Index for Restaurants & Pubs’ is a daily count of unique panellists from Huq’s mobility data panel who are present across 28,286 UK foodservice outlets - among which 2,990 pubs, 19,799 quick-service (QSR) and 5,497 restaurants. The index shows the change between each daily value and the daily mean of January 2020. This index has been back tested against other relatable indices is reviewed quarterly.

UKHospitality Calls For Improved Capital Access For Businesses “Firstly, we need the government to deliver on its commitment to dropping Covid restrictions and measures on 21 June. But even then, many companies will be facing huge rent debts and other business costs, so access to capital through loans is critical to ensure they can get back on their feet again as soon as possible.

Pubs, where drinks sales were down by 33% across the week, continue to outperform restaurants (down 54%) and bars (down 59%), thanks to their greater availability of outdoor trading space.

“The revitalisation of hospitality will yield a substantial return on investment – in terms of economic growth, employment, levelling up, high street regeneration and government revenues. Brighter days are ahead but we urge the Chancellor to ensure that his welcome and substantial support for the sector doesn’t go to waste.”

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The hospitality sector stands ready to play its part in helping to power the recovery, cre-

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While government loan schemes have been received positively, UKH argued that there are “real concerns” in the sector about their rollout, with many operators reporting that banks are denying them access to critical funding.

Furthermore, the crucial Bank Holiday weekend was a washout for many operators, and drinks sales on Sunday (2 May) were down by 35% on the same Sunday in 2019. Worst hit of all was Bank Holiday Monday (3 May), when they dipped 66%. Wales bore the brunt of the weather, and takings were 85% down as a result.

The letter also highlights ongoing issues that sector businesses are experiencing when it comes to access to capital.

ate jobs and reinvigorate local communities, but that will only be possible if our businesses return to viability at the earliest opportunity.

R DISPO

In a letter to the chancellor, UKHospitality said that the hospitality sector would need additional support measures if there was any slip in the current timetable.

Hospitality business have lost two-thirds of trade in the 12 months to April, equating to a fall of £80b.

UKHospitality is calling on chancellor Rishi Sunak for further sector support by improving access to capital for businesses and sticking to the government’s roadmap of lifting restrictions after 21 June 2021.

Calorie Labelling On Menus To Be Introduced In Cafes, Restaurants And Takeaways Issue 57

Calories will be labelled on menus and food labels in out-of-home food businesses from April 2022, the government has announced. Regulations will be laid in parliament that will require large businesses with 250 or more employees in England, including cafes, restaurants and takeaways, to display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drink items that are prepared for customers. Calorie information will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, such as physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.

have on people’s health and health outcomes. It is estimated that overweight and obesity related conditions across the UK cost the NHS £6.1 billion each year. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity – and 1 in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese. Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill, said: “Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families, both in restaurants and at home. That is why we want to make sure everyone has access to accurate information about the food and drink we order.

The measures, which form part of the government’s wider strategy to tackle obesity, will help to ensure people are able to make more informed, healthier choices when it comes to eating food out or ordering takeaways.

“These measures form an important building block in our strategy to support and encourage people in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact that obesity can

By only requiring large businesses to label calories on menus, it will

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not impact small, independent businesses and will ensure those who might find the requirement more difficult are not impacted. The government will work with the food and drink sector and local authorities to ensure the regulations are implemented smoothly. In July 2020, the government published its consultation response on introducing mandatory calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector. The response supported out of home calorie labelling and the government confirmed it will legislate this as part of its strategy to empower people to lead healthier lives, with these regulations now being laid. In a Public Health England survey on calorie reduction, 79% of respondents said they think that menus should include the number of calories in food and drinks. The recently announced Office for Health Promotion will lead national efforts to improve and level up the health of the nation by tackling obesity, improving mental health and promoting physical activity.

The Northumberland Arms Wins Top Award from Tripadvisor A LEADING North East venue is celebrating being listed in the top 10 percent of hotels worldwide, ahead of reopening for overnight stays. The Northumberland Arms, at Felton, has been named a 2021 Travellers’ Choice Award Winner by the world’s largest travel platform, Tripadvisor. And the accolade could not have come at a better time, as the pub prepares to welcome customers back indoors from Monday. Presented to those which have stood out for their service, the award recognises venues which have “earned positive traveller reviews and ratings over the last year” and delivered “fantastic experiences to travellers around the globe.” Stuart Young of the Northumberland Pub Co, which operates The Northumberland Arms, is delighted to be recognised for their commitment to the guest experience. “Being named in the top 10 percent of hotels worldwide is a fantastic achievement and we are very grateful that our guests have reviewed us so highly on the platform,” he said.

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“This is an excellent testament to the hard work of our staff at the venue, who go above and beyond to ensure that our customer service is the best it can be. “We are all looking forward to reopening for indoor dining and overnight stays from Monday and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back inside the venue.” Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor, said: “I know the past year has been extremely challenging for tourism businesses. What has impressed me is how businesses adapted to these challenges, implementing new cleanliness measures, adding social distancing guidelines, and utilising technology to prioritise guest safety. “The Travellers’ Choice Awards highlight the places that are consistently excellent - delivering quality experiences time and time again even while navigating changing customer expectations and new ways of working. “Based on a full year of reviews from customers, this award speaks to the great service and experience you provided guests in the midst of a pandemic.”

We’re All Goin’ On A Summer Holiday 12

CLH Digital

Issue 57

By David Mohyuddin QC, Radcliffe Chambers (www.radcliffechambers.com) If going on holiday is a possibility for you, the relaxation to the pandemic restrictions due to take place on 17 May will be longed for and much anticipated. But what about the long-suffering hospitality businesses that have been closed or doing their best to trade in whatever way they could? With uncertainty around overseas holidays, an everygrowing number of us vaccinated and confidence improving, many are planning a staycation which, for those businesses, will bring a welcome uplift in activity. Whitbread, the owners of Premier Inn, suffered a £1b loss last year but are expecting booking numbers to strengthen with coastal locations full. A similar picture can be expected throughout the hospitality sector. So far, so positive. But some of those businesses will be facing financial uncertainty and will be carrying the burden of borrowing taken to survive lockdown. Staff will have been furloughed or worse. Supply chains will have been constricted and suppliers themselves could be facing their own problems. Balancing existing demands including COVID-debt with the need to gear up for the season ahead is an immediate and real challenge. That debt will need to be repaid and is likely to be a significant drain on

finances. Cashflow is tight – and getting tighter with increased staff and materials costs – but who wants to miss out on the opportunities to come? Vehicles for achieving new arrangements include company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and the recentlyavailable restructuring plans. Plans are not restricted to the likes of Virgin Active. Smaller businesses can also benefit from them and they can assist where there is an absence of consensus among the creditor body. They and CVAs can assist with managing leasehold and other ongoing commitments. Time to pay agreements with HMRC can also relieve pressure. And key commercial partners – who might themselves face challenges – might be willing to extend payment terms, hoping themselves to benefit from increased demand. All of these involve the admission of financial difficulty if not insolvency. But they are rescue or restructuring arrangements which are designed to assist in a return to profitability. Taking further borrowing is also a possibility – if there is a willing lender. But take care, because increasing borrowing where there is no prospect of repaying it is a recipe for personal liability. Whatever the situation and whatever the pressure and challenges, taking early advice is always beneficial. Happy Holidays!

The Source Trade Show Will Be One Of The First Trade Shows For A Year – And Help Stimulate South West Trade MD of show organisers Hale Events. “We are delighted that government regulations will allow this trade show to happen. All the measures are in place to make this a safe and enjoyable visit. Thousands of car parking spaces, all within 5minutes’ walk of the entrance, lots of space inside, wider aisles, grab and go catering, and new outside space make this a great venue and trade show to come to and reconnect with the market.”

The Source trade show has taken place in Westpoint, Exeter annually for more than 10 years, and will be one of the first trade shows for food and drink in 2021, when it takes place on Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th June. Attracting buyers from retail, hospitality, and catering, it showcases the best the South West region has to offer, from artisan food & drink to essential goods and services.

Mike continues “We know that suppliers, as well as everyone involved in food retail and hospitality, are looking forward to getting back together to network and find out what is new after a year of isolation. Source can help stimulate this sector, showcase innovation and provide a platform for producers”.

Although not open to the public, this trade show provides an important stimulus for the South West food and drink trade - offering buyers the chance to come and meet suppliers face to face for the first time in more than a year.

For more information about the show, to book a stand, or for trade buyers to register to attend, please call 01934 733433, follow the show on Twitter @sourcefooddrink, or visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk.

“For those buyers wishing to come and see new suppliers and get great ideas for their business, this event takes some beating!” says Mike Anderson,

The trade show that’s got the South West covered.

YO U R CO M F O R T A N D S A F E T Y • Park free of charge in easy walking distance of the entrance • Large show entrance to avoid queues • Wide aisles • Outside catering and features • Covid-19 measures in place

Presenting you with the latest food and drink products, services and ideas for your business.

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To get your hands on your free trade entry badge:

8 - 9 June 2021 Exeter thesourcetradeshow.co.uk t @ SourceFoodDrink

Register online or call 01934 733456. Stands are selling fast - to enquire call 01934 733433. These trade only shows are organised by Hale Events Limited. Telephone 01934 733433. www.hale-events.com

CLH Digital

Issue 57

15 of the UK’s Biggest Hospitality Employers Reveal Their Recruitment Concerns Ahead of Eagerly Anticipated Reopening 2022’ which aims to have 10,000 young people ready to join the sector by 2022.

UK hospitality charity Springboard has surveyed 15 of the UK’s biggest hospitality employers with a combined workforce of 103,500, to understand their recruitment concerns ahead of the reopening of indoor hospitality on Monday 17 May.

Commenting on the difficulty hospitality employers currently have filling jobs as the industry reopens, Chris Gamm, CEO of UK hospitality charity Springboard, said: “With the announcement that customers can return to indoor dining from 17th May, it’s important that

The results reveal that a massive skills gap lies at the heart of hospitality’s recruitment crisis, while some of the industry’s biggest players fear staff shortages may hamper their efforts to rebuild and recover from the pandemic.

hospitality leaders and business owners look beyond this moment. Our industry was facing a skills shortage pre-pandemic and COVID-19 has put even more strain on this problem. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics proves just how critical this period is in terms of securing the industry’s long-term recovery post-Covid. To put it into context, the sector is the worst hit in terms of job losses with 355,000 fewer employees in the period between March 2020 and March 2021, accounting for 43% of the national total.

Working in the hospitality industry requires a wide range of skills, from communication, customer service and cultural awareness, to multitasking, adaptability and attention to detail. However, whilst exploring the most important factors for recruiting talent, 80% of those surveyed said a lack of skilled candidates, specifically amongst young people, was a key concern. As a result, almost nine in ten employers (87%) are currently having to invest more time and money into retraining to ensure their current employees are well-prepared, after several months of furlough, to return to work with confidence. As well as a lack of emerging talent, one in three (33%) of the UK’s biggest hospitality employers warned that they don’t currently have enough staff to cope with the expected increase in demand over the next few weeks and months. Almost nine in ten (87%) said they were finding it difficult to recruit for kitchen and back of house roles, while one in three said there was a lack of supply for critical senior management positions. Some of the key findings from Springboard’s Hospitality Employer survey reveal that: 33% of employers don’t have enough staff to cope with the reopening of indoor hospitality 80% of employers surveyed said there is a lack of skilled talent coming into their business, specifically amongst young people 87% of employers surveyed said they are having to invest more time and

money into retraining as colleagues return to work from furlough The top five attributes hospitality employers look out for in young, upcoming talent, include: Strong communication skills Attention to detail Ability to use own initiative Customer service experience Flexibility and multitasking Springboard’s Hospitality Employer survey comes shortly after the charity saw a 400% increase in applications to the Kickstart scheme from hospitality employers[1], since the Prime Minister set out the lockdown ‘roadmap’ on 22 February. To help businesses tap into a hard-to-reach national and regional pool of skilled talent, the charity has launched a new initiative ‘Springboard

“However, I do believe that there’s an enormous amount of talent out there, which needs to be utilised by business owners and industry leaders, using this diverse pool of skills to secure the future of the hospitality sector and also inspire the next generation of hospitality leaders at such a crucial point in their careers. This is why, we, as a charity have launched a new initiative called ‘Springboard to 2022’, which aims to have 10,000 young people trained and ready for work by December 2022. Our training schemes offer young people the opportunity to develop skills across a wide range of job roles which are available in the industry, from the more typical front and back of house positions to opportunities across technology, finance, HR and marketing. “It’s an extraordinary challenging time for employers across hospitality not only in terms of recruitment, but concentrating on survival and rebuilding. Therefore, we want to give the industry space to focus on the current challenges through our new initiative Springboard to 2022 which will ensure there is a skilled and engaged talent pipeline ready for when the industry needs it most.”

City Centre Hotels Must ‘Pivot To Prosper’ says RSM City centre hotels must change their route to market to help secure a greater share of pent-up demand says RSM. The predicted sustained increase in consumer spending over the coming months will see country and coastal operators better placed to enjoy a staycation boom. But city centre hotels, who rely more on the corporate and foreign market will face bigger challenges, particularly with international tourism curtailed. With less options than their regional counterparts to help offset the many hurdles that face the sector, and with corporate bookings looking likely to stay muted during 2021, city hotels must update their offering and aim to broaden their appeal.

RSM’s call comes just days before hotels in the UK start welcoming guests back after existing lockdown restrictions end on 17 May. Chris Tate, partner and head of hotels and accommodation at RSM, comments: ‘City operators must pivot their approach to prosper in 2021. Subdued business travel, virtual corporate conferences and reduced inbound tourism will undoubtably impact city hotels. How they adapt to the new market dynamics will be key. ‘Whilst the sector has not seen the wave of corporate failures that many predicted last year, businesses will face many pressure points and so strong management will be needed first and foremost to steer a course through to better times.’ Summer 2020 offers a sign of similar challenges in 2021. Greater London saw the largest fall in room occupancy of any English region from 2019 to 2020, with just 20 per cent of rooms occupied in July 2020 compared with 90 per cent in July 2019. The challenges are many, including the gradual reduction in government support; departure of EU national workers; increases in national minimum wage and pension costs; supply and demand imbalances; and of course the continuing Covid-safe hygiene requirements. Chris Tate continues: ‘Local councils and consumer facing businesses

in cities will need to work together to boost domestic tourism. Short term initiatives backed up by longer terms plans to invest should give confidence and inspiration to hotels and other retail and consumer businesses. ‘With entrepreneurial spirit and fresh ideas cities can attract visitors once more. This release of pent up demand will also allow for competitive pricing, boosting average room rates for some operators. ‘Whilst operational challenges will be front of mind for the next few months, focus should also be given to the Chancellor’s recent budget and key measures which may bring significant cash savings to the sector. Hospitality grants will be easier for many hotel groups to access considering the change to State Aid Rules thresholds which increased from £3m to £10.9m. The extension to loss carry back from one year to a maximum of three years should also deliver direct benefits to the sector along with the new Super-Deduction relief which will give relief of 130 per cent of costs incurred on capital expenditure as well as 50 per cent first year relief on integral fixtures. ‘Use of the VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme and Time to Pay arrangements should also be maximised and negotiated so businesses agree repayment terms with HMRC.’

Tyrrells Serves Up Boost For Pubs with £40,000 Pub Garden Makeover Promotion KP Snacks, the no.1 supplier of Bagged Snacks in pubs and bars and its premium snack brand Tyrrells, are proud to support British pubs this summer with the launch of a brand new competition offering pubs the opportunity to win one of four £10,000 garden makeovers.

Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks adds: “As we look ahead to the summer and to restrictions lifting, there is a feeling of positivity and excitement among both pubs and pub-goers, with ‘starved’ consumers returning with a vengeance! We know that 52% of customers purchase snacks on impulse and we want to turn these impulse opportunities into incremental snack sales for pubs and bars. While snacks won’t replace meal occasions, they do offer pubs and bars the opportunity to trade up drinks-only visits, with pre-packaged snacks delivering a quick and safe solution for customers”.

The £40,000 pub garden makeover competition, which launches on 3 May, will see four lucky winners receive £5,000 worth of Tyrrells branded pub garden merchandise alongside a £5,000 garden makeover donation, to spend on whatever their garden needs most. With branded parasols, planters, blankets and bean bags up for grabs, the Tyrrells pub garden makeover merchandise will help any pub garden look more inspiring and inviting this summer. 10 cases of 40g Tyrrells Crisps for five runners up will also be available. Sarah Lawson, Marketing Manager at Tyrrells says: “It’s been a hugely challenging year for the whole country and particularly for pubs. At Tyrrells, we want to do our bit to help pubs get back on their feet and what better way to do this than celebrate the great British pub and beer garden. Pubs are at heart of the community which is something we’re really proud to support. “Tyrrells is a quintessentially British premium crisp brand that prides itself on producing the best quality premium hand cooked crisps on the market. With consumers choosing more premium snacks and trading up, we have the perfect brand to support British pubs on their journey to rebuilding and growing profitable sales”.

Tyrrells pride themselves on quality, English provenance and authentic ingredients attracting consumers all over the UK. The range also includes vegetable crisps alongside its most known Hand Cooked potato crisp range. With a £53.9m RSV, the brand is growing in value +10.1%[3] MAT in the UK. With an impressive 86 Great Taste Awards across the range, Tyrrells crisps are the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer or glass of wine when out relaxing, socialising and reacquainting with friends at the pub. Having an attractive outdoor seating area is one of the biggest draws for people as the weather gets warmer with research showing that over half of drinkers (55%) say the pub garden is their favourite place for a pint during the summer. Keeping this in mind and featuring the Tyrrells flagship tagline ‘Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty’, the initiative aims to support the On Trade Channel recover and drive sales by helping pubs maximise their outdoor spaces.

The competition is open for entry from Monday 3 May to Monday 14 June, with competition entry available at https://www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk/pubgarden To qualify, pubs need to purchase three cases of Tyrrells 40g crisps, available in Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar & Chive, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar and Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper or Tyrrells Veg Crisps via Tyrrells Court Farm on 01568 720244 or from their usual stockists.

WIN

a Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty pub garden makeover worth £10,000 when you stock up with our scrumptious Tyrrells Crisps*

Enter at tyrrellscrisps.co.uk/pubgarden Winning packs include Tyrrells branded garden accessories plus £5k cash. *

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Sales Down By a Quarter at Managed Restaurants and Pubs in April 16

CLH Digital

Issue 57

months is a reminder of just how hard the industry has been hit by lockdowns and restrictions. While consumers are eager to get back to hospitality, it is clearly going to be a long and uneven road to recovery, and the sector will need sustained support from government if it is to help reignite the UK economy over the rest of 2021.”

Managed pub and restaurant groups recorded a 26% drop in like-forlike sales in April compared to the same month in 2019, the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows. The figure covers three full weeks of outside-only service in England as well as briefer trading in Scotland and Wales, and represents a solid return to trading for the sector. Operators enjoyed the benefit of generally good weather and strong consumer confidence in the first fortnight of trading, though low temperatures and rain dampened sales towards the end of the month.

Mark Sheehan, managing director, Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “These like-for-likes are testimony to the creativity of hospitality. The imagination to create outside areas has been inspiring and plays to the strengths of the sector. The support of consumers across the country shows appreciation of the sector generally and operators individually. Undoubtedly there has been pent up demand and it will take some time for businesses to understand where trade levels really are.”

The Tracker shows pubs have outperformed restaurants since reopening, thanks in part to greater availability of outside space. Pubs’ April sales were 21% down on April 2019, compared to a 30% drop for restaurants. Bars were the weakest segment, with like-for-like sales down 39%. On a total sales basis, with the majority of sites still closed, groups saw a 60% drop in April 2021 from April 2019. Restaurants (down 51%) performed better than pubs (down 67%) on this measure, due to strong delivery and takeaway sales. The latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker also highlights the scale of damage to groups' sales since the start of the pandemic. Total sales over the last 12 months have been 56% lower than in the previous year. “Managed groups made the best they could of trading opportunities in

April, amid some tough restrictions and the vagaries of the British spring weather,” said Karl Chessell, business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM. “They have been very resourceful in their use of limited space, and for pubs in particular it has been a good springboard for a fuller reopening from 17 May. But the drop in sales of more than half over the last 12

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality, RSM, said: “Operators will be greatly encouraged by the response they have had to the reopening of their outdoor spaces and will now be turning their attention to welcoming back customers indoors from Monday. Many businesses remain in a financially precarious position and are unlikely to be back in profit before 21 June when all Covid-19 related restrictions are finally lifted. Despite these financial pressures, I’ve been amazed by the resourcefulness to seek out new revenue opportunities during lockdown. A whole business eco-system continues to be reliant on our support - from suppliers to operators and landlords - and I urge consumers to rediscover real hospitality in person at their local pubs and restaurants over the coming weeks.”

The Rt Hon Michael Gove Welcomes New Kickstart Employees to Windlesham Golf Club Falling within his constituency of Surrey Heath, the Rt Hon Michael Gove visited Windlesham Golf Club near Bagshot, Surrey, to welcome new Kickstart recruits – Harry and Nick. Some of the first employees taken on via the Government’s Kickstart Scheme that was introduced to the golf industry by Promote Golf and The LSS Group in January. The two new recruits join Course Manager Leigh Powell’s greenkeeping team on 6-month contracts with their salaries, up to 25 hours per week, fully funded by the Government. In addition, they will benefit from future employability support and education as part of the LSS Group Kickstart package. While speaking to Nick & Harry, Mr Gove was told that they had already been at the Golf Club for two weeks. Even though it meant early starts, both have settled into their routines and enjoy working on the Golf Course. Mr Gove said: "It was wonderful to meet Nick & Harry and to see first-hand the benefits that the Government's Kickstart Scheme is delivering. Their enthusiasm for their tasks shone through and it is great to see they are benefiting from the opportunity and the training”.

The Government funded Kickstart scheme is proving to be a great success in the hospitality & leisure sector. LSS Group are an approved Gateway for the Kickstart scheme and they secured the funding for the placements. Andy Merricks, CEO of LSS Group commented. “It was very much appreciated that Michael Gove took the time to come and welcome the new recruits to the Windlesham Golf Club. The Kickstart scheme is being warmly welcomed by the hospitality sector at a time when the industry needs all the help it can get. Giving youngsters an opportunity to experience working within the sector, providing extra help to welcome customers back and hopefully leading to owners and operators nurturing some much-needed home grown talent.” LSS Group have now secured over £7M of government funds and have set an ambitious target of £35m, the equivalent to 5,000 placements by the end of Q3 this year. Anyone who wishes to take advantage of this scheme is invited to contact LSS Group by visiting their website https://thelssgroup.co.uk/a-kickstart-gateway/ or email kickstart@thelssgroup.co.uk

Lawrence Kenwright’s Signature Living Recovery Plan “Within Weeks” Hotelier Lawrence Kenwright expects to lodge a recovery plan with his company’s administrators “within weeks”, as preparations for the big reopening of his venues from May 17th continue at pace. The founder of Signature Living Group has been working closely with his creditors to regain control of the property side of the business which went into administration in April 2020, shortly after the Coronavirus pandemic struck. The operational side of the business remains unaffected. Kenwright has been restructuring Signature Living under a company, UK Accommodation Group Ltd (UKAGL) with a new Board that includes representation from his unsecured creditors. The Board is chaired by Thomas Scullion, a chartered accountant. Also on the Board is long-term Signature Living investor, Mike Spink who has 35 years’ experience of Business and IT strategy and Des Lyons, founder and former owner of Air Action International one of the leading international courier, freight and logistics services suppliers. Following February’s announcement that more than 95 per cent of Signature Living’s largest group of unsecured creditors are backing efforts to bring the company out of administration, a further 98 per cent of the last remaining group of unsecured creditors are supporting the effort. Lawrence Kenwright said: “Having invited my investors into the business, the UKAGL board and I are working hard on pulling together a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with the backing of the vast majority of our investors and funders and I’m confident that we’ll submit that plan within weeks. “We are in regular contact with our funders who are very supportive. They know that this process cannot happen overnight. This is a long game which supports all secured and unsecured investors and they are prepared to stay the course. “I am grateful and highly appreciative of this huge level of support, not only in me, but also those who have ensured that the business has survived through the most torrid of trading conditions ever encountered in this sector. “Our hotels have been closed for the vast majority of the last 12 months which meant that it has been extremely difficult to gain new funding; after all who would fund any hotel when they are closed and causing values within the sector to plummet?” Thomas Scullion said: “As both the UKAGL board’s chairman and one of

Signature Living’s 433 retail investors, I can quite confidently state that the business is positioned to trade well and that reaching a robust resolution that suits everyone is growing. I am in regular contact with other investors and we are all helping to drive this effort forward, collaboratively. “We are also actively working with the administrators to return the business back into the hands of the owners and into the control of the new board. It is in the interests now of everyone for this to happen, especially the unsecured creditors who faced losing all, without the support of Lawrence Kenwright and the UKAGL Board’s efforts. “With new venues being completed and others close to the finish line and a new spirit of collaboration between funders and investors, Signature Living will be in a great position to capitalise on people’s desire to embrace restored freedom of movement and socialising, as hospitality opens up again shortly.” Since Covid restrictions eased from April 12th, Signature Living venues have been trading well under current guidelines. All the venues are now gearing up for receiving visitors in the second half of May. To date Signature Living has opened the garden areas at the Shankly Hotel, Rainhill Hall, Arthouse Hotel and Alma de Cuba and thousands of people have enjoyed their outside hospitality in the spell of recent fine weather. Lawrence Kenwright said: “Last year we realised quickly that tourism as we knew it was over for the foreseeable future and so we worked hard devising new offers to attract visitors from our own local areas. “When allowed we delivered three new events every week at our venues to encourage local guests to have fun in our hotels and stay the night and it was an initiative that was welcomed with open arms. “We have now adopted this model to ensure we stay relevant and give our customers what they want and gain that much needed revenue to stay afloat and in time grow again.” Despite the Covid pandemic, Lawrence Kenwright has opened two new hotels, The Dixie Dean in Liverpool, and Rainhill Hall in St Helens, while the Kingsway House residential development in Liverpool city centre is progressing well. Further, two floors, the bar and restaurant at the Shankly Hotel in Preston, the city’s former Post Office, which is currently being restored, are expected to open in August.

Getting Customers Back Through The Door 18

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your deals & banners to be attractive to the desired audience. Question 2 – WHAT IF WE OPEN AND NOBODY COME THROUGH THE DOORS? Karl: The main point here is to give notice, 'warm up' your customers, get them excited to come back and even offer some new deals. PVC Banners are ideal for doing this. Question 3 – WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PRICES, BUT WE’RE WORRIED THIS WILL PUT PEOPLE OFF? Karl: Price is always an important factor, but remember its not the only factor, if your staff are friendly, the environment is pleasant and your USP is matched to your audience you will easily be able to justify price increases.

HFE Signs are the UK’s preferred suppliers for Signs and PVC Banners - we contacted their MD Karl Hunter to see if he could help answer some common questions around re-opening.

Question 4 – WE’RE IN A BUSY TOWN, ALL THE OTHER PUBS ARE FIGHTING FOR TRADE AND PRICES ARE GETTING TOO CHEAP, ITS HARD TO MAKE ANYTHING NOWADAYS. Karl: You have to again think of your niche, a busy town will have lots of choices for the customers but likewise it has lots of customers too, don’t get drawn into the price. Essentially you are there to make a profit so offer something special to your customers. People are happy to pay more for something different - that may be nicer décor, relaxed environment, big TV’s, live sports, live music or barmaids in fancy dress! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, its not all about the price.

Question 1 – IF A PUB HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SO LONG AND BEEN UNABLE TO TRADE, HOW CAN THEY REGAIN THE CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE LOST TO SURROUNDING PUBS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR FACILITIES? Karl: With any marketing, psychology is key, you have to understand your market and analyse your competition. Who are your target audience, drinkers, families, couples or oap’s? With this information you tailor

Question 5 – WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE PEOPLE COME BACK? Karl: You can’t force people to come back and you can’t force people to spend money, people are there in the first place because you have appealed to them, you need to ask yourself what got them through the door in the first place and have you lived up to expectations? If the answer is yes, then they’ll come back. I would emphasise the importance

With so many pubs, hotels and restaurants being closed for so long, opening back up can be quite a daunting thought - several questions and concerns have been raised.

of staff impression, this includes smart appearance bubbly personality and friendliness – your pub is bricks and mortar, your staff are your business! Karl is the founder and owner of HFE Signs Ltd – HFE Signs have been printing PVC Banners since 1996 and have a dedicated online library for pubs and food. Currently HFE offer free UK delivery with any two banners and also a buy 2 get 3rd free (mixed designs). HFE also offer a free bespoke PVC Banner design service, no wonder people go to them! Visit www.hfe-signs.co.uk or see the advert on page 7.

Stonegate’s Female Mentoring Scheme Enters its Second Year potential to progress within the business. It sits alongside the front and back of house training pathways, Albert’s Theory of Progression (ATOP)and Albert’s Evolution, respectively, as well as the recently announced pathway for support staff, Albert’s Interesting Map to Success, each designed to equip colleagues with the tools required excel at Stonegate.

Stonegate Group’s Female Mentoring Scheme kicked off its second year this week, welcoming 30 women onto the programme, joining a further 16 who are continuing from the previous year. In its first year, the scheme saw 31 high performing women paired with senior executives and resulted in one mentee promoted to the Leadership Team and three General Managers promoted to Area Manager Designate after successfully completing Stonegate’s Aspirations course, part of the multi-award-winning Albert’s Theory of Progression. The scheme was originally introduced in 2019 after the company identified a lower representation of women in senior roles. As a result, Stonegate commissioned an external consultant to carry out research across the business in an effort to understand the cause. The study concluded that self-belief, confidence and leadership skills were the three main areas that women within the business felt they could improve on to achieve their goals. This ongoing initiative aims to address these areas through the mentor/mentee relationships built within the scheme.

Lee Woolley, Director of Learning & Organisation Development, said: “We’re delighted to welcome our next group of mentees onto the Female Mentoring Programme and equally delighted to welcome back so many from last year’s cycle. It is testament to the success of the programme, that not only can we boast four outstanding promotions as a result of the scheme, but that so many have taken such value from the last 12-months that they have chosen to continue.

The Female Mentoring Scheme reinforces Stonegate Group’s commitment to its ‘Bar to Boardroom’ ethos, ensuring all employees have the

“Due to its success, we hope to expand the programme over the coming months to offer its benefits to more women within the business and welcoming new mentees every six months. It’s a pleasure to work in a business where we can actively seek out ways to improve our employees’ professional experience and action them so positively.”

Investment and Innovation Needed To Capture A Bigger Share of £5bn Potential UK Moderate Drinkers Market Half of UK adults (49%) are either not drinking any alcohol or are planning to cut down soon - a potential market of 25 million people. Low and no alcohol accounts for 10% of Google searches of alcoholic drinks, but only 1% of sales. If annual sales matched interest this market would be worth nearly £5bn in the UK. 1 Key motivators for changing drinking habits are mental health (43%), physical health (38%) and weight loss (26%). Most moderate drinkers (88%) buy and drink alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks. Almost all of them (98%) purchase at least some low and no drinks. Nearly half (44%) of mindful drinkers show some brand loyalty moving from alcohol to low and no. More than one in ten (12%) have not yet found an alcohol-free version of an alcohol brand they like. Many former wine drinkers switch to alcohol-free beer - categories that are

slow to innovate lose drinkers as consumers cut down. Club Soda have launched a milestone research report, ‘How Brits are Embracing Mindful Drinking - Consumer Behaviours on Low and No Alcohol Drinks in the UK’, with proposals for how low and no alcohol brands can take advantage of a growing market, potentially worth £5bn in annual sales. The research draws together data collected from mindful drinkers over the past five years by Club Soda, along with new surveys and indepth interviews with consumers. The data in the report identifies what mindful drinkers are looking for, what low and no alcohol drinks they are buying, what alcoholic beverages and categories they switch from, and how they discover new drinks. Laura Willoughby MBE, Club Soda Founder, said: “We believe changing drinking habits starts with making better choices. Connecting people with the world of low and no alcohol drinks is an essential part of helping people create and sustain lasting change. The new wave of low and no alcohol drinks has a unique part to play in evolving our social culture and supporting people to meet their health ambitions. This research gives us key actions to turbocharge the growth of the sector. Even with modest growth, this market could reach £5bn in annual sales.” The research was supported by AB InBev through their 100+ Accelerator programme. Timiko Cranwell, Corporate Affairs Director from Budweiser Brewing Group, the UK arm of AB InBev said: “We are proud to support Club Soda to take their social mission global and

develop the tools to help more Brits become mindful drinkers. At Budweiser Brewing Group we have ambitious smart drinking goals; one of which is to support people to make responsible choices, through a growing portfolio of great tasting no and low-alcohol beers.”

OTHER KEY FINDINGS ON CONSUMER CHOICES: Wine is the most commonly searched for category of alcohol-free drink but many former wine drinkers switch to alcohol-free beer. Beer is the only category of drink that is more popular as a low and no product among mindful drinkers. The range of drink categories people drink reduces as people change their drinking habits. The average mindful drinker drinks or used to drink products from 3.8 alcoholic categories, but only an average of 2.5 low and no categories. After trying low and no drinks, 90% of people say they will definitely buy them. Most people (93%) buy low and no alcohol drinks from supermarkets, and nearly half from online shops (48%), followed by pubs (35%), restaurants (23%) and bars (20%). On-trade discovery is a unique opportunity when lockdown ends. For a full copy of the report and conclusions go to www.clubsoda.me/Research - the report is £100 for non members and free to Club Soda Guide members. There is a free summary.

24 Pints per Adult Required to Save the British Pub 20

CLH Digital

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Article supplied by www.companydebt.com

With the latest estimates suggesting that the UK’s food and beverage industry lost at least £25.66 billion due to COVID-19, we wondered how much every person in the UK would need to spend in order to reach pre-pandemic levels. In particular, we wondered how far that money would go in pubs, one of the most beleaguered sectors. We came up with a figure of 124 per pints per adult, based on a figure of 52 million adults in the UK. The following graphics lay out the basic duty of every British adult if we are to put the swing back into the British pub sector, of which more than 2500 have gone under during the last year. “Pubs will need additional financial support for years if they are to recover from this,” Dave Mountford, a publican and campaigner at the Forum for British Pubs, commented.

DRINK OUT TO HELP OUT Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s Chief Economist, recently said that the UK economy was like a ‘coiled spring’ waiting to release its pent up energy. While recessions in the past have meant most families have whittled down their bank accounts, the social distancing required by COVID has instead bought significant savings to many UK families since the start of lockdown. How much of this this money will be spent in pubs depends, in part, on whether all restrictions are finally lifted next month. Boris Johnson has hinted that June 21st could mark the final lifting of all social restrictions in the UK, cautioning that this decision would be prompted by ‘data not dates’.

DOWNLOAD THIS HANDY POSTER FOR YOUR LOCAL PUB Of course not everyone will feel up to the mighty challenge of 124 pints this summer, so we’ve compiled a few alternatives options below. Feel free to print this handy A4 poster for your local pub It explains that customers will need to drink: Download it at https://bit.ly/2Qgvo1n

Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King commented that a full easing of restrictions next month would be ‘absolutely critical’ if the pub industry’s fortunes were to be restored.

Hotel Sector Has Weathered The Pandemic Storm But Financing Tough As Lenders Become Cautious Hotels have weathered the pandemic storm well with support from lenders, with a bounce back of trade expected, although for some this may take three to four years to achieve. This was one of the key conclusions heard at a webinar on hotel financing held yesterday [11 May 2021] attended by over 400 senior industry executives organised by global hotel consultancy HVS, legal expert Bird & Bird, publishing group EP Business in Hospitality and restructuring advisory firm AlixPartners.

thing for borrowers, he said. A panel of experts acknowledged the difficulty in obtaining hotel finance, with only five traditional, or high street banks currently lending. Sarah Green of HotelFinance said that while debt funds were available to operators, they were more costly and not sustainable for long term financing. Traditional lenders were expected to return to the sector once values and cash flows return.

The webinar, moderated by Bird & Bird’s James Salford, kicked off by polling the audience, finding that most expected a 0.5% to 1% increase in debt pricing compared with pre-covid levels. Debt funds were anticipated to become the most active lenders in 2021/22 and most respondents expected resort hotels, aparthotels and limited service hotels to be able to raise debt finance more easily than other hotels. This positive outlook continued with AlixPartners’ Tom Paterson highlighting that the sector had avoided a flood of insolvencies and had, in the main, received support from incumbent lenders. However, the market was currently experiencing a hiatus for traditional lenders whose approach to lending was more cautious. While these lenders were expected to return once cash flows improved, financing was likely to become more diverse as credit funds and other alternative lenders tolerate a greater degree of risk, albeit at a higher cost to the borrower. Paterson offered a five-point advice plan to operators: refine your business plan; exhaust self-help measures to boost profitability and improve cash flow; determine your financing objectives; understand your financing options; and engage with the financing market. The growing diversity of lenders would be a positive

The audience heard finance experts from HVS Hodges Ward Elliott, Bank Leumi, HotelFinance, Edyn Group and KSL Capital Partners discuss whether covid has accelerated the move away from traditional banks towards alternative lenders, along with the future for ground rent structures, whether mezzanine lenders would bridge the gap as senior debt leverage decreases, and whether the cost of debt would inevitably rise. Borrowers were advised to have a solid business plan in place for the next two to three years and start the refinancing process now, although it was sometimes preferable to stick with your current lender, even at a higher price. “It’s costly and time consuming to change lender and new money is often more expensive – stick to the devil you know and anticipate refinancing again in a few years’ time instead,” concluded HVS’s Peter Szabo.

Beer & Coffee Co. Invests and Expands with Star Warwickshire pub operators Beer & Coffee Co. are opening their fourth leased pub with Star Pubs & Bars following a £160,000 refurbishment.

ble. The expanded drinks selection has a local flavour, too, with gins from The Cotswold Gin Distillery and beers from the North Cotswold Brewery. The Lazy Pug will also boast its own coffee bar. Called Procaffeinate - after Beer & Coffee Co.’s Leamington Spa coffee shop - it will serve barista-quality coffee from 9am as well as breakfasts and cakes.

The investment at The White Horse in Shipston on Stour has transformed it into a great quality, family-friendly local, complete with its own corner coffee bar and five en suite boutique letting rooms. The pub will join Beer & Coffee Co.’s pug brand and has been renamed The Lazy Pug to mark its new direction.

Says Matt Crowther, co-founder of Beer & Coffee Co.:“Leased pubs work best for us, as they’re the quickest way to expand. We’ve built up a loyal local following for Pug Pubs and, with four sites, we’ve now got a strong structure and team in place from which to grow further. We enjoy working with Star – they’re innovative, keen to invest and flexible about adapting to suit our business model.”

Beer & Coffee Co.’s other venues include The Black Pug in Warwick and The Fat Pug, The Royal Pug and Procaffeinate coffee shop in Leamington Spa. The company is now looking to expand further with Star Pubs & Bars, with a view to building a group of up to ten pug-branded pubs in the West Midlands. Like the other Pug Pubs, The Lazy Pug’s new design is cosy, warm and welcoming. The original timber floors have been stripped and exposed and wood paneling installed to reflect the pub’s original look. Eclectic upcycled furniture, quirky decorative features and comfy sofas add character.

A full kitchen refit is enabling The Lazy Pug to introduce all-day food. The menu will range from traditional pub favourites to gourmet burgers and stone-baked pizzas, using locally sourced produce whenever possi-

Comments Paul Linton, Star Pubs & Bars’ operations director for Warwickshire: “We’re delighted to have joined forces with Beer & Coffee Co. once again. They’re well known in the county for turning underperforming pubs into much loved neighbourhood locals. They’ve done a fantastic job once again -The Lazy Pug looks stunning. It’s a great addition to Shipston on Stour and will no doubt attract trade from Pug Pub fans as well as local residents and visitors to the region.”

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Re-Negotiating Your Commercial Lease 22

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Issue 57

By Amanda Hamilton, Chief Executive of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) - www.nationalparalegals.co.uk For most hospitality businesses the biggest expenditure is paying for commercial premises. Having, no doubt, suffered a very tough year, is there anything you can do to mitigate the financial burden of your lease? The answer is, yes! But of course there are no guarantees, as your landlord would have been going through similar circumstances, but a reasonable approach to any negotiation should prove fruitful for both parties. The first thing to do is to check your lease to see if there is any adverse clause in there that may prevent you negotiating. For example, a clause stating that ‘there shall be no rent negotiation after one year’ or ‘negotiation on rent will only be acceptable after three years’ etc. You should also check the length of any ‘notice’ period, e.g. the notice you need to give if you wish to leave. The last thing you want is to start negotiating and threaten to leave in a month and then realise that you are legally bound to give three or six months’ notice, or that there is a clause stating: ‘there will be no break clause in your lease for two years from the date the lease commences, or from the date your lease is renewed’. By understanding exactly what is in your lease you will find it easier to work with your landlord to find a mutually agreeable solution. If your landlord is approachable, then building a rapport with him/her helps you to understand the kind of person s/he is. Trust and honesty is key, and given the unprecedented circumstances, you may be able to

come to some agreement in spite of the clauses(s) in the lease. In any negotiation it’s imortant to understand the other party’s point of view and say so, or say something complimentary. For example, you could start off the negotiations by saying something along the lines of: ‘I know the last year has been difficult for us as I am sure it has been for you too…’ or ‘I really like these premises and I think you do a good job on every level. It ticks all the right boxes for the business...’ Then you could go on by saying… ‘... but I hope you can understand that in order for both our businesses to get back on our feet and up to full strength, we need to have a reasonable stepped approach to the payment of rent so that we can build up our business again. I would like to retain my lease with you, but I would appreciate a bit of leeway...’ This is the diplomatic approach, rather than demanding a reduction: ‘It’s unfair to expect me to pay the full rental after what’s happened. You should reduce the rent…’ It’s always best to start thinking in terms of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to stay in the premises then you can aim your negotiations in that direction rather than say to yourself, ‘I will only accept this amount of reduction’ or ‘I won’t accept that…’. Being too acerbic can have a really adverse effect. If you are too forthright, the other party will close ranks and not be willing to give an inch, as this could give the impression of a lack of integrity and being disingenuous. However, being too sweet and accommodating can also have the same effect, but not if it is perceived to be genuine. The right balance must be found. Both parties need to participate in the communications as it cannot be a one-sided conversation and listening is the most important skill you can have. Everyone knows from social interactions, that bulldozing through a conversation, being opinionated, demanding and manipulative,

will induce a reaction of: …’wow, I don’t like this person. I need to get away as quickly as possible – I’ll just go and get another drink…’ We have all been there! On the other hand, being in the company of someone that is listening to what you have to say, and nodding occasionally, validates what we are saying and is perceived well. At the end of the day, everyone has a different negotiating style. However, there are a few tips to hopefully get you to your win-win scenario: 1.Understand who you’re dealing with. The more you know your Landlord and the kind of person she/he is, the more you will know how to pitch what you want. 2.Know what you want to achieve. 3.Put yourself in the shoes of the other party and/or say something complimentary. 4.Don’t come on too strong or too sugary sweet. Integrity is the key. 5.Listening is the best skill. Once you have reached your goal, then ask a professional paralegal to assist you in drafting an agreement to reflect the negotiation you have reached. Paralegals charge a lot less than solicitors and can perform many of the same tasks, including drafting agreements or changes to your lease. If negotiations fail or things unfortunately turn unpleasant, then a paralegal may be able to help here too. Sometimes taking the emotion out of the negotiation and letting independent third parties continue the talks, can help bring things back to the real issue of the lease negotiation. Finally, if all negotiation fails and your landlord will not budge, then legally there is probably very little you can do. If there is a fixed rental period, then you could try again when this ends, or if the lease allows, you can give the required notice and look to relocate to premises with a lease that better suits you.

Heineken To Give Away Twelve Smartdispense Systems For Free TM

Launching this month, HEINEKEN is giving new and existing operators the chance to serve better and more sustainably, by winning with SmartDispenseTM. The giveaway will see 12 lucky operators win, over the next year, a site survey, three years’ worth of services, three years’ worth of line cleaning and other additional benefits.

SmartDispenseTM system type). Operators can reduce water, CO2, beer and cider wastage by at least 83.3%. As all good operators know, serving consistent great quality pints requires a lot of time and work behind the scenes. Additionally, maintaining and chilling draught beer and cider can be expensive and a contributor to a pub’s carbon footprint. With consumers increasingly looking to align with a generational desire for sustainability, the pioneering SmartDispense system uses energy-saving innovation like, green cooling technology to chill beer and cider more efficiently to around zero °C, whilst saving operators on their utility bills.

HEINEKEN SmartDispense is an award winning, industry-leading and sustainable business solution, connecting dispense technology with service and the insights that an operator needs to improve drinks quality, reduce waste and save time. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to provide customers with an unbeatable experience and great service and SmartDispense ensures a fresh, cold, perfectly poured pint, every time.

Commenting on the giveaway, Richard Stephens, Head of Technical Services at HEINEKEN UK explains: “It has been an unprecedented past twelve months for the on trade, but the resiliency we have seen from operators has been phenomenal. As hospitality approaches full reopening we thought there was no better time for operators to consider how they can be more sustainable with their draught system. With over 90% of on trade beer and cider sales coming from draught, your dispense system is the beating heart of your bar, so ensuring you have the latest and very best dispense system in place will give you that peace of mind. That’s why we wanted to give operators the chance to win one of 12 SmartDispense systems for their outlet.

SmartDispenseTM has revolutionised the way draught beer and cider is dispensed and served in pubs and bars. By extending line cleaning intervals to six or even twelve-weekly cycles (depending on

As a winner you can expect to benefit from the following: 1.A free site survey of your outlet by HEINEKEN SmartDispense technicians, to determine the right dispense system and brands for you.

2.Three years of services include a regular 24-point professional line cleaning service which delivers consistently great quality pints for your customers whilst reducing the environmental impact of water and gas waste. The service also saves you time and the cost of cleaning materials – For the average 10tap pub, this equates to about 1,500 pints of beer and cider, over 10,000 pints of water and over 156 line cleaning hours saved per year. 3.Access to the HEINEKEN Buying Club – a service providing access to leading tools, services and suppliers at discounted prices, including everything from utilities, waste disposal, catering equipment and marketing tools. This is worth on average £5,000 of savings per outlet, per year. 4.Free access to the Hello BEER app, a staff training programme covering everything from perfect pour training to cellar management – ensuring staff can deliver an excellent customer experience, every time. 5.Inclusion within HEINEKEN’s Green Pint campaign, a consumer awareness campaign to help you tell your customers about your SmartDispense system and more sustainable pint offering. Green Pint outlets will be featured on our pub finder map and consumers will be directed to their nearest venue. You can also raise awareness of your Green Pint status with our FREE window stickers and downloadable social media assets. For the chance to win one of 12 SmartDispense systems, operators simply need to complete a short form in the link below to be entered into a monthly draw for the next 12 months. https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/win-smart/. Terms and conditions apply.

Greene King Teams Showcase Their Talents As They Get Ready For Widespread Pub Reopenings Greene King has celebrated the hidden talents of its pub and brewery teams as part of a three-months-long project to keep people who were furloughed engaged and ready to reopen pubs across the UK from 17 May. In a virtual event on 5 May that was a culmination of months of planning and preparation, hundreds of talented Greene King entrants from across the country were whittled down to three category winners, with Megan Chambers and Nicola Myers from The Roebuck pub in Richmond crowned the overall winners in a live vote on the night and taking away the ultimate £5,000 prize. Almost 2,000 people were tuned in on the night for the event presented by TV and radio presenter Rezzy Ghadjar and Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie. Nick said afterwards: “This was an amazing night and I am just blown away by the length and breadth of talent that people in hospitality can demonstrate – not to mention their pets! From a juggling cocktail maker to a dog cleaning up the pub, the night had it all and more. “Huge congratulations to our overall winners Megan and Nicola, but

also to everyone who took part and made this such a special event. “With pubs closed for the majority of the past year there has been little to celebrate and we have worked hard to keep people’s spirits up even when things have been at their bleakest. “This was an amazing way to end what we hope is our final lockdown as we aim to get hundreds more pubs across the UK back open from 17 May.” With 99% of Greene King’s 40,000 workforce furloughed either parttime or full-time during the lockdowns, the team were on the lookout for ways to keep people engaged and excited ahead of pubs reopening. Planning for the talent contest began almost as soon as the Pride of the Greene King awards finished in January, which recognised those pubs and individuals who had gone above and beyond to support their communities throughout Covid-19. With the talent show having three categories of pets, variety and music for people to enter, 300 entries were viewed by the judging panels, made up of Greene King’s executive board.

A shortlist of finalists was then put to a vote via the Greene King employee app Kingdom in the lead-up to the awards, with the winner of each category winning a £1,000 prize. The three winners of each category were then announced on the night and then went head-to-head in a live vote with those watching able to vote for their favourite act. Before they were voted overall winners, Megan and Nicola had won the music category thanks to their duet performance covering the song Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy which saw them garner 38% of the vote in a very close final. Runner-up was pets category winner Rani Rodrigues and her talented dog Barney the cocker spaniel from the Spyglass & Kettle in Bournemouth with 32% of the vote and third with 30% of the vote was Lloyd Scarsbrook from Greene King’s Sunrise House support office, who won the variety category with his poem ‘Unleashed’ about the reopening of pubs. The event also raised funds on the night for Greene King’s charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support, with viewers able to donate by text.

Get accurate energy bills with smart meters Avoid estimates and only pay for what you use. Ask your energy

information you need to help reduce your consumption and

supplier if you are eligible for a smart meter.

therefore save money.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for

On top of that, smart meters can help save you time. They can

businesses across Great Britain. As firms begin opening up amid continuing restrictions, many are assessing their financial situation and focusing on how to operate in this difficult new trading environment. In these uncertain times, many businesses are looking for ways to save money and maintain a healthier bottom line. The good news is that getting a smart meter for your business is a small change that could make a big difference. Smart meters are a great way to gain more control and understand how much energy you’re using. Since energy is a key expense that businesses factor into their outgoings, identifying ways to reduce your consumption could help you save money. Smart meters are available for many businesses. Depending on your circumstances, your smart meter could come with an InHome Display (IHD), which will enable you to see up to date consumption in pounds and pence, making it easier to visualise how much energy you actually use. In fact, some business owners who have had one installed said it highlighted areas of spending they weren’t even aware of. This could give you the

automatically send meter readings to your supplier, so you no longer have to. That’s one less thing on your to-do list! Your energy supplier will be ready to fit your smart meter once your eligibility has been confirmed. They will arrange a date and time that is suitable for you and your business requirements. A trained installer will then call round to your premises and fit your smart meter, and after the installation process is complete, they can show you and your staff how it works and answer any questions you might have about it. Contact your energy supplier about eligibility for your business.

CLH Digital

Issue 57

Prioritise Allergen Labelling This Food Allergy Awareness Week, Asserts Bureau Veritas George continues: “As well as ensuring food labelling is compliant with the new regulations, employee training will form a large part of ensuring customer safety, particularly ahead of 1 October, where allergen information can still be delivered verbally. Following possibly a year out of work for many workers in the hospitality industry, it is vital that training is refreshed to ensure all staff members are provided with the resources they need to keep their customers safe.

This Food Allergy Awareness Week (10-16 May), leading testing, inspection, and certification authority Bureau Veritas is asking businesses to put the spotlight on allergen labelling and employee training to ensure safety of customers with food allergies. According to Allergy UK, 44% of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy, with the number of sufferers on the rise; and almost half of sufferers have more than one allergy1. The consequences of an allergic reaction can be severe too, including anaphylactic shock or even death – such as the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who passed away after suffering an allergic reaction to an undeclared ingredient in a baguette which was prepacked for direct sale.

“When the October changes come into effect, it will also be important for businesses to not only implement a robust plan but to communicate this throughout the business. Lack of communication could result in information being misunderstood or misinterpreted.” “Central to all of this will be management oversight at every stage in the process, ensuring effective transition to the new labelling format of communicating allergens. If in doubt, businesses can turn to a trusted third-party compliance partner, such as Bureau Veritas, which has extensive expertise and experience in supporting the food and hospitality industries.”

Thus, with new regulations coming into effect this year making allergen labelling compulsory on food that is pre-packed for direct sale, Bureau Veritas is encouraging food and hospitality businesses to use this awareness week to bring allergen labelling to the fore and set out a clear plan for the transition towards more transparent labelling aligned to ‘Natasha’s Law’. George Macfie, Food Technical Manager at Bureau Veritas, said: “With just a few months until changes to regulations come into effect, it’s vital that food and hospitality businesses have already, or at least have a plan to adjust to the new rules around food labelling. ‘Natasha’s Law’ will affect a number of businesses in the food service and retail industries, including cafes, fast food and takeaway outlets. “From 1 October this year, all food that is pre-packed for direct sale will need to have an individual label showing the name of the food item and a full ingredients list with the 14 legal allergens. At present, the allergen information for these products can be provided by any means. This includes being informed verbally by staff.

“Food Allergy Awareness Week is a strong reminder to all businesses of the importance of food allergies, and there is no better time to review your current working practices to ensure you are maintaining compliance when it comes to allergen management and preparing for ‘Natasha’s Law’”. Food Allergy Awareness Week is an initiative created by FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). The aim of the week is to raise awareness of different food allergies and improve public understanding of what can be a life-threatening condition. It calls on people to act and make an impact, on behalf of people around the world that suffer with food allergies.

As a leading health and safety firm, Bureau Veritas has supported a number of business to develop a greater understanding of rules around allergen labelling and assisting businesses to maintain compliance. It has recently developed a new training offering called ‘An Introduction to Allergens: Know your Allergens including ‘Natasha’s Law’’ - this course will allow duty holders to refresh their knowledge and increase their awareness of upcoming changes to allergen management. Bureau Veritas also recently held a webinar on Understanding Allergen Requirements: Preparing for Food Labelling Changes, which can be viewed here https://share.hsforms.com/1P1JFLgQdSGuWaxzdYcPKxw2z02a.

Nightcap Unveils Acquisition Of Adventure Bar Group Nightcap (AIM: NGHT.L), the hospitality group formed by investors Sarah Willingham and Michael Toxvaerd to back the UK bar and late-night sector, has secured its second acquisition after listing the business on Aim earlier this year, with an agreement to buy Adventure Bar Group – the premium operator of bars such as Bar Elba, Blame Gloria, Luna Springs and Tonight Josephine. The deal will see Nightcap work with Adventure Bar Group founders Thomas Kidd and Tobias Jackson, as together they seek to grow the nine-site business to up to 40 sites, in key cities across the UK.

Commenting, Thomas Kidd, CEO of Adventure Bar Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with Sarah, Michael, Toby (Rolph, Nightcap CFO) and the team at Nightcap. We have been looking at growth funding options for some time and this is the perfect outcome for us; the experience and knowledge of the senior Nightcap team will be a huge asset to the business as we look to scale and to share our brands like Tonight Josephine with more people around the UK.”

Commenting on the deal, Sarah Willingham, Chief Executive Officer of Nightcap, said: “We are thrilled to have secured our second acquisition and to have the opportunity to back such an exciting business and two very talented operators in Tom and Toby. They have built a great company and team, and have a very special business, and we’re really excited to be working with them. We look forward to supporting them as they continue to grow during a time where the opportunity to acquire first-class sites at attractive rates is unmatched by anything I have seen during my 25 years in hospitality. “For Nightcap this acquisition expands the opportunity to take on different types of properties, particularly with the Bar Elba and Luna Springs concepts trading as large outdoor venues, benefitting significantly when trade is restricted indoors and during the summer period. “In addition, this acquisition will provide Nightcap with opportunities for purchasing synergies across the enlarged group and allow us to benefit from bringing new areas of excellence onboard, and I could not be more delighted to welcome Adventure Bar Group to the Nightcap family.” Adventure Bar Group recently expanded out of its London heartland, opening a large outdoor bar, food and entertainment venue, Luna Springs, in Digbeth, Birmingham. It will open a second venue in Birmingham city centre – Tonight Josephine – later this month.

The acquisition of Adventure Bar Group is Nightcap’s second deal after buying The London Cocktail Club (LCC), the 10-strong cocktail bar business, in January 2021. The deal coincided with Nightcap’s listing on the Aim market at the beginning of 2021. Today’s acquisition comprises an initial consideration of £1.0 million payable in new Nightcap shares on completion and up to £1.5 million of deferred consideration (again, payable in new Nightcap shares), dependent upon the financial performance of Adventure Bar Group post acquisition. Nightcap will also be taking over Adventure Bar Group’s bank debt of £4.3m (of which a minimum of £1.3 million will be paid off on completion). As announced this morning Nightcap is also seeking to raise approximately £4m through the placing of new shares with investors to fund the UK roll out of the Tonight Josephine, Bar Elba and Luna Springs brands to expand Adventure Bar Group to up to 40 sites nationwide. With a background in the sector and strong track record as an investor, Willingham established Nightcap with Toxvaerd to help bar and late-night entrepreneurs and businesses recapitalise balance sheets, and to access growth funding as the UK hospitality and leisure sector emerges from the pandemic, and guests return to venues. She added: “Our mission and the reason for establishing Nightcap has not changed. We want to grow The London Cocktail Club and Adventure Bar Group, especially beyond London. Our immediate focus will be on supporting these businesses and helping them thrive. We will also look to find more great businesses with strong and motivated leadership teams, which we can help to release their growth potential.”

The Return of the Hospitality Industry Your FREE trading standards legislation guide The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought many challenges to the hospitality sector, with some businesses - particularly pubs and restaurants - forced to radically change the way they operate. Indeed, the hospitality sector’s economic output dropped as much as 92% (source UK Parliament) between February and April 2020 during the first lockdown; however, the sector bounced back when restrictions were relaxed last summer, giving hope of a similar recovery this year. Now one year on from the first national lockdown and with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown response, we look to exit the pandemic measures and return to some sense of normality. It is clear that the public will still hunger for their favourite restaurant or take a trip to the local pub that they’ve been missing for months. This gives the sector the potential for ample opportunities, recovery and even growth in 2021.

For a smooth return, business owners must get regulation right from the outset. Streamlining measures to secure consumer safety enables business owners to build their business without succumbing to regulatory hiccups. Fortunately, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), working in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), created Business Companion which offers free, impartial legal guidance for businesses, written by experts with years of experience. The Retail Guide Food and Drink annex brings together the tasks and measures that businesses will need to put into place prior to the return of the hospitality industry and beyond. Download your free copy at www.businesscompanion.info/focus/working-safely–a-retail-guide See the facing page for details.

CLH Digital

Issue 57

The COVID-19 Innovations Hospitality Wants To Keep Contactless payments, the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and online booking systems are the pandemic industry innovations the hospitality sector wants to keep going forward, according to research from Nespresso Professional. The research, which polled 1,000 individuals from across the hospitality industry, including 500 senior leaders, explores the ways businesses have adapted and innovated over the past 12 months, as well as priorities for the future as we emerge from the pandemic.

businesses have relied on in order to adapt, with 41% of respondents stating this technology. Touchless hand sanitiser (33%) was revealed as second and online booking systems (31%) was named in third place. A third (32%) of senior leaders also state that social media was a key driver for business adaptation because of the pandemic, helping consumers to connect online while hotels, restaurants and cafés haven’t always been open to visit in person. Of senior leaders surveyed, 27% of business owners say it has been the biggest saviour for their business this past year.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March last year, Nespresso Professional found that 90% of hospitality businesses have adapted in some form. Over half (54%) of those asked stated they wanted to keep contactless payments because it helps to run the business more efficiently, while one in four (42%) felt the technology was less stressful for employees.

Looking more broadly at the non-technological ways that the industry has pivoted their business, offering a takeaway service (41%), focusing more on outdoor space (36%) and introducing a new product or service (32%) were the top three ways businesses have adapted to survive during the pandemic.

ADAPTING TO CUSTOMER AND GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS KEY TO HOSPITALITY PIVOTS

Beth Langley, OOH Director at Nespresso Professional, commented on the research: “It’s been a hugely challenging year across the hospitality sector, yet the resilience, innovation and adaptability showcased has been incredible to see.

Eat Out to Help Out, the government scheme introduced last August to encourage diners back into restaurants, was identified as a crucial innovation over the last year. Three quarters (74%) of research respondents found that the scheme was very or somewhat effective in helping them to survive the pandemic.

“It’s clear that the digital aspects of hospitality are here to stay, with contactless payments, online bookings and social media all prominent features that have been adopted, expanded or delivered by business owners in the last 12 months.

the primary focus for the industry and at Nespresso we work to help businesses meet changing customer needs, with a focus on innovative and flexible solutions. For example, our new Nespresso Momento Touchless range delivers a quality coffee experience without needing to touch the machine, allowing for safer coffee moments and peace of mind.”

REASONS FOR ADOPTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES When looking at the reasons why businesses chose contactless payments, online booking services and touchless sanitiser, one fifth (20%) of senior leaders said this was because these were the most cost effective way to reassure customers, whereas another 21% felt these were the most effective way to reach new customers. Consumers are also at the heart of sustainability decisions for hospitality businesses too, with two thirds (67%) highlighting it will become even more of a priority over the next year and just under half (46%) of all individuals surveyed saying customer demand is a driver for sustainability initiatives in the future. Nespresso is currently working hard to ensure that every customer can enjoy a carbon neutral cup of coffee by the end of 2022. Exploring the practical elements used to entice customers, a quarter of those surveyed (24%) said they had added takeaway beverages to their menus, and a third (34%) had invested in better quality coffee to help entice new customers with an improved coffee offering.

Marston's Appoint Chief Executive Officer

Contactless payments also came out on top in terms of technologies

Following a thorough selection process, the Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Andrea as Chief Executive Officer of Marston’s PLC, with effect from 3rd October 2021. Andrew’s appointment follows Ralph Findlay’s decision announced earlier this year, notifying the Board of his intention to step down from the role of Chief Executive Officer at the end of the current financial

“The one constant that remains is that the customer continues to be

year ending 2nd October 2021. Ralph will remain in the role until that time in order to ensure an appropriate handover.

A new Chief Financial Officer will be appointed in due course and a further update provided as appropriate.

Andrew is currently the Group’s Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Development Officer. He has over 23 years’ experience within the pub and brewing industry and has served on Marston’s PLC Board since 2009. In addition to his financial credentials, Andrew has extensive commercial and operational expertise gained from within Marston’s, as well as outside the Group. In addition, Andrew is currently a Non-executive Director of Portmeirion Group PLC.

There are no other details that are required to be disclosed under Rule 9.6.13 of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

Andrew joined Marston’s in 2002. During this time, he has demonstrated that he has exceptional leadership qualities, as well as an excellent understanding of the Group’s operations. Andrew’s tenure with Marston’s has included a period in the role of Operations Director for Marston’s Pub Company during which time he pioneered the highly innovative franchise agreement which is now widely adopted across the pub industry. Most recently, he project managed the disposal of Marston’s Beer Company covering all aspects of that transaction, both financial and non financial, as well as co-ordinating the SA Brain operational agreement last year. The combination of these skillsets makes him uniquely well placed to lead Marston’s through the next stage of its development.

Andrew Andrea commented: “I am delighted to have been selected to lead Marston’s at such an exciting time as it embarks on the next phase in its history as a focussed pub operator. Despite the challenges of the last year, I am confident that we have a great team of energised and engaged people to deliver our vision, and I look forward to working with them and the Board to return the business to growth and optimise the future opportunities available to us.” William Rucker, Chairman of Marston’s PLC, commented: “Andrew was the strongest contender from a selection of extremely high calibre candidates under consideration and the unanimous choice of the Board for the role of Chief Executive Officer. He has clear drive, ambition and outstanding execution skills and these attributes, together with his deep knowledge of – and empathy for - the business, equip him well to lead Marston’s through the next stage of its development. The Board has every confidence in him and looks forward to continuing to work closely with him in future.”

Unilever Away From Home Helps The Sector Get Set For A Great British Summer

With 2021 set to be the year of the ‘Great British Summer Staycation’ there has never been a more critical moment for hospitality and leisure as it welcomes back customers after twelve months of uncertainty. To help all sectors, including the care sector, gear up for a summer of success, Unilever Away From Home has expanded its roster to include its winning ice cream range and the world’s no.1 hygiene brand, Lifebuoy, as safety remains top-of-mind. It will also be launching a raft of innovation from the likes of Knorr, whilst helping outlets tap into the growing plantbased trend. This summer, 49% of Brits expect to take the same or more breaks in the UK than previous years and many are keen to support local tourism and businesses that have been hard hit by a year of lockdown. With research predicting they will spend around £7.1bn – up 22% on 2019’s figure, it has never been more important to give consumers an experience they will remember – for all the right reasons. Housing some of the UK’s most recognisable and trusted brands, Unilever Away From Home is the partner of choice for those looking to get their business back into growth this summer.

HELPING THE SECTOR OPEN UP SAFELY

Safety remains a key concern for consumers with 57% saying cleanliness is an important factor for a good away from home experience. To tap into the growing need for trusted and safe solutions that reassure customers in a Covid world, Unilever has brought Lifebuoy, the world’s no.1 hygiene brand, into its Away From Home fold, helping customers feel safe and secure so they keep coming back for more.

GROWING WITH WALL’S AND THE PLANT-BASED REVOLUTION Unilever Away From Home will also bringing happiness to all as it adds its iconic ice cream portfolio to the offering. Summer is the peak season for impulse ice cream with 85% of sales happening between April and September. Providing a line-up which features 11 of the nation’s top 12 impulse ice cream brands, and with the predicted heat-wave on the horizon for a year of staycations, Unilever is on hand to help business bounce back stronger than ever. According to Kantar, 12.3 million people in the UK are actively reducing red meat consumption, so whether it’s a care home, pub or high-end restaurant, consumers now, more than ever, expect to see meat-free alternatives on the menu. With brands such as The Vegetarian Butcher, Knorr Professional and Hellmann’s with its award-winning Vegan Mayonnaise, Unilever Away From Home is making it easy for chefs to

make the switch to plant-based without sacrificing quality, taste or profit. Support is also offered through recipe and menu inspiration. Capitalising on its scale and reach, Unilever Away From Home brings knowledge paired with inspiration to help chefs get creative in the kitchen and deliver food experiences that can’t be matched at home. With world-famous brands, including Hellmann’s, Knorr and The Vegetarian Butcher delivering great taste and quality, the addition of our famous Wall’s ice cream brands and iconic hygiene brand, Lifebuoy, means Unilever Away From Home is the best-all round solution to help all sectors bounce back stronger and more profitably, for a summer that sizzles. Hazel Detsiny, VP of Food & Refreshment Away From Home at Unilever UK&I, says: “After a year of turmoil for the catering and hospitality industry, with out-of-home businesses having to quickly adapt to new protocols to keep their customers safe, followed by the uncertainty caused by lockdowns, we’ve all been looking forward to the sector opening up once more. As travel to foreign countries remains uncertain and with many holiday-makers hesitant to book trips abroad, we know businesses are looking for ways to maximise the UK tourist season. With our insight-led approach to help us spot trends, coupled with our famous brands for the best customer experiences, we’ve got everything covered to help businesses grow this summer.” Underpinning all of this is Unilever’s commitment to be a ‘force for good’ within the sector. With kitchens set to be busier than ever, the #FairKitchens campaign from Unilever strives to build a positive culture to help its people thrive.

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CLH Digital

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Issue 57

Enhance the Perception of Clean with a Venue That Smells Great the worst odours in a building, improving the air quality and freshness throughout premises brings many benefits. “Restaurant and pub managers should not overlook the power of scent in the workplace. Choosing the most appropriate fragrance to apply throughout a building can help create a happier and more relaxed experience for staff and guests, says Mark Wintle. “After all, shopping centres and high-end retailers have been using ambient scents to positively influence customer perceptions for years. P-Wave has worked with leading fragrance houses to develop a range of well-researched and consumer-tested popular fragrances. “As innovators in the air freshening industry, P-Wave understands that cleanliness and hygiene are the most important aspects of managing premises, but with the heightened awareness created by Covid-19, restaurant and pub managers need to action every option available to ensure safety and reassure employees and visitors,” says Mark.

WASHROOM FOCUS Now that there is a roadmap for coming out of lockdown, restaurant and pub managers need to ensure that premises are not only clean and safe, but also restore confidence for returning staff and diners. First impressions count, and can begin before people even see if a venue is clean. The sense of smell is the strongest of the five senses and one of the body’s front-line defence mechanisms, designed to set off alarm bells if a foul smell is detected. According to research, 75% of all emotions generated each day are due to smell, and we are therefore 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over anything we hear, see, or touch. A bad smell is a warning of a bad experience to come. “Many restaurants and pubs have been closed for months, and while they might have been cleaned, air quality will be poor, and with a reduced frequency of cleaning routines, they will not smell as fresh as they should,” says P-Wave® Sales and Marketing Manager Mark Wintle. “People’s trust in the cleanliness and safety of a venue can be negatively impacted if it smells bad, as they will wonder why, and suspect that it is not hygienic.” Foul smells in any building are typically caused by the presence of bacteria which has been left to grow through either inadequate or infrequent or cleaning procedures. While the washroom may be the cause of

In all premises, to feel safe, consumers need to see – and smell – that the washroom is immaculately clean, but poor plumbing or maintenance, or an inadequate cleaning regime can lead to unfortunate odours which are unlikely to receive 5-star reviews. However, in urinals it is the actual minute-by-minute usage that can cause the biggest problem. “We’ve been solving the most common hygiene issue in urinals for years, as randomly splashed urine causes a headache for cleaners, plus a bad smell and a reduction in hygiene standards. “But there’s something even more important at this unprecedented time. According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), Coronavirus can spread in an infected person's urine. This is called ‘viral shedding’, which means that if traces of contaminated urine become aerosolised and inhaled while using a urinal, the disease can infect others in the washroom1. That’s why P-Wave recently delivered a new angle on splash prevention, coupled with a major step forward in urinal deodorising technology with the launch of a new highly fragranced urinal screen.” To ensure washroom cleanliness and hygiene it is worth installing bioenzymatic cleaning solutions in cisterns. They release billions of beneficial bacterial to consume bio-materials that cause odours, keeping the bowl clean, blue and fresh, while also reducing water consumption by displacing water that would normally be present.

Toilet bowls should not be overlooked, and there are passive highly fragranced solutions which can be clipped over the outside of the toilet rim (under the seat) or hung anywhere.

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE AIR FRESHENERS Passive air fresheners are ideal for smaller areas where consistent fragrancing is important. From simple, highly fragranced units for installation in bins, the back of doors, under a desks or in washrooms, to more powerful units which can be placed near a door or any space with good air flow, the open-air design ensures maximum surface area exposure for effective and efficient fragrance release. Active air fresheners replace aerosols and are better for the environment. Systems are available to freshen small, medium and large spaces. Discrete wall or ceiling mounted systems can comprehensively freshen up to 16m3, and feature an intelligent fan which powers down when the lights go off to conserve the battery. For use in toilet cubicles, lifts, gyms and spas or even on a desk in an office, another motion-actvated solution delivers more targeted, clean and efficient air freshening in small spaces exactly when and where it’s needed, reducing fragrance overload, nasal fatigue, and aerosol residue. Also available are powerful, yet silent active fresheners which feature advanced micro-diffusion technology. Delivering coverage from 200m3 to 1200m3, one option features bluetooth control and advanced programming via smartphone or tablet, while the largest, features fully adjustable start/stop, diffusion and stand-by intervals as well as a weekend on/off function. “When specifying air freshening solutions, restaurant and pub managers also have the environment on mind and only choose and install products and consumables that are 100% recyclable,” says Mark. “As restaurants and pubs reopen, there’s no doubt that first impressions are hugely important and restore confidence. Owners and managers need to do all they can to ensure that staff and guests trust that premises are hygienic, safe and clean. Now is the time to address cleaning and maintenance issues, but also to ensure that premises smell clean and have a pleasant and inviting ambience.” For further information visit www.p-wave.co.uk 1 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf

Groundbreaking Health Technology Products Will Support Hospitality Reopening A UK business partnership is bringing health technology to the hospitality industry to support businesses as the easing of lockdown restrictions begin.

Technology proven to kill viruses and bacteria including Covid 19 at prices that don’t damage your profits

Scientists from Fujita Health University in Japan have confirmed that low concentrations of ozone gas can be used to neutralise coronavirus particles without causing harm to humans. According to the university research, low-level ozone gas in concentrations of 0.05 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) could be key to neutralising the spread of coronavirus in healthcare settings such as examination rooms and waiting areas. It also provides hospitality businesses with an alternative method to sterilise the air and surfaces in their premises and delivery vehicles without the use of chemicals.

products are also proven to be effective in:

• Killing 99.9% of harmful microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, mould and fungi by destroying their RNA and DNA structure • Eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those with adverse health effects Medklinn International, the health technology compa- • Neutralising allergenic organic compounds such as pet ny that has pioneered research and development into dander and the protein in the faeces of dust mites, which are often the cause of allergies negative ionisation and ozone in the sterilisation process, already provides air and surface sterilisation Medklinn UK will offer a range of air and surface solutions in ASIA, the USA, Canada, Australia and sterilisers designed for business use including: Germany. Now the business is set to launch in the UK. • Permanent units for spaces up to 1,000 sq ft such as Daniel Lu, chief technology and innovation officer hotel guest rooms, washrooms, offices and classrooms of Medklinn International, said: “We are looking for- • Permanent units for large spaces of 3,000 sq ft or ward to bringing our health technology to the UK. more such as hotel corridors, washrooms, restaurants, The announcement from the team at Fujita Health halls, offices, exhibition centres, supermarkets, food proUniversity in Japan further demonstrates that ozone cessing and manufacturing plants sterilisation technology is a viable alternative to the • Portable units for ad hoc treatments of indoor odours use of chemicals for disinfection.” recommended for hotel guest rooms, restaurants and facilities management Steve Jones, Brand Manager Medklinn UK, said: “We’re really excited to be launching Medklinn UK. It will also offer ozone water systems (for washOur products are already used by some of the lead- rooms, industrial kitchens, food processing factories) ing global brands in the hospitaland integrated sterilisation systems ity industry, including Hyatt, (for public washrooms, food proMandarin Oriental and cessing and F&B outlets and superSingapore’s Changi Airport. We markets). believe that they will be particuThe consumer range from larly useful as we make steps Medklinn will feature two products towards easing restrictions and - one suitable for the home and reopening the UK following the travel and one for use in vehicles. lockdowns over the past 12 For further information about months.” Medklinn UK please visit In addition to the latest breakuk.medklinn.com or contact through in neutralising coronmedklinn@tunnelight.net. avirus particles, Medklinn

Versa Air+Surface Sterilizer Effective against

Bacteria & viruses

VOCs & toxic gases

Bad smells

Cross infections

Allergens

Mould

Cost effective solutions for spaces 250sq ft - 3000sq ft and vehicles

www.uk.medklinn.com

Distributed by Tunnelight, Telford, UK | medklinn@tunnelight.net

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control Issue 57

The Hospitality Sector Needs To Heed New Cleaning Techniques With hotels, restaurants and cafés all due to reopen to the public, establishing a thorough cleaning regime is crucial for the safe return of guests. The HoReCa sector has seen one of the biggest upheavals in its practices since the pandemic began; closing its doors, furloughing staff and installing new safety equipment and ongoing cleaning procedures to kill all virus’ whilst providing a safe environment for both customers and staff. Cardiff-based Genesis Biosciences has developed a unique anti-microbial, surface sanitiser that is proven to be effective against Covid-19 and is free from any harmful chemicals. Genesis’ Sanitiser – part of its Evogen Professional range – delivers safe, high performance cleaning and dis-

infection of all types of hard surfaces. The utilisation of natural, biodegradable active ingredients offers an ecobenign alternative to many of the harsh chemicals commonly used for sanitisation. Genesis Biosciences is one of the few companies in the UK to have gone through rigorous external antiviral testing to validate its surface sanitiser’s effectiveness against all enveloped viruses, including COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. The sanitiser is available 1,000L IBC, 200L, 20L, 5L and 500ml concentrates offering a cost effective and environmentally responsible anti-viral solution for all applications. To find out more about the Evogen Professional cleaning range, or to purchase direct, visit www.evogenprofessional.com.

CLH Digital

Give Patrons Peace of Mind with an Air Purifier unprecedented time, and the results demonstrate a clear trend for increased confidence in hospitality venues such as hotels and restaurants with an air purifier. The results showed:

A new YouGov survey has revealed that customers would be more confident visiting hospitality venues that use air purifiers. Leading global air purifier experts Blueair, make units using unique HepaSilent technology that removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants It may be shocking to learn that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air . A new YouGov survey, commissioned by Swedish global air purification experts Blueair, has recently revealed the UK’s thoughts on visiting hospitality venues during this

• Two in five adults (41%) said they would be more likely to visit a restaurant with an air purifier installed. • 40% of people would be more likely to head to a café while 39% would stay in a hotel that offered purified air to its guests. • 36% are more likely toa visit to a pub if an air purifier is in use There’s no doubt that purifying indoor air will give consumers more confidence about heading out to their favourite hospitality venue. As well as removing bacteria and viruses , an air purifier can help with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Thanks to its HEPASilent™ technology, Blueair air purifiers remove at least 99.97% of dust and harmful particulate matter as small as 0.1 microns in size, to create a safer environment for all those visiting and working in the venue. Contact Blueair to discuss air purifiers for your hospitality venue: michael.westin@blueair.se

Please mention

when responding to adverts.

High performing air purifiers The Blueair Blue Pure 411 is the air purifier of choice for the Page 8 Hotel in London. It is a Which? Best Buy as well as Good Housekeeping Institute and Quiet Mark approved. With HEPASilent™ technology that removes at least 99.97% of all airborne particles as small as 0.1 micron in size, including pollen, smoke, dust, mould, spores, virus, bacteria, pet allergens and micro-plastics, alongside app connectivity, it couldn’t be easier to improve the air quality in your hospitality facility with Blueair. Asthma & Allergy Nordic certified. Learn more at www.blueair.com

✶ ★★★★★

Winner BEST CLEANING PRODUCT

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Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Issue 57

Clean Rooms and Fresh Laundry Are a Top Priority for Successful Hotels & Restaurants Clean rooms and fresh laundry are a top priority for successful hotels & restaurants. You’re in safe hands with MAG Laundry Equipment who are one the UK’s leading suppliers for commercial laundry machines. MAG supply commercial washing machines, tumble dryers and ironers to meet the budget & demands of any business however large or small. Their equipment is backed up with an excellent service by their nationwide fleet of engineers across the UK that can assist with maintenance, repairs, spare parts for all brands & models of laundry machines. MAG also offers free trails & demonstrations of their Super ActivO ozone generator which sanitises the air & surfaces of any indoor room in as quick as 15 minutes. This can remove the strongest of odours and eliminates 99% of bacteria & viruses including salmonella, e.coli, covid-19, mites and more. Efficient, reliable and professional, ask about MAG’s competitive purchase and pay monthly options. Call 01569 690802 today. Telephone: 01569 690802 Email: info@laundrymachines.co.uk Website: www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk

Restore Customer Confidence With Wizard’s Air Cleaning Technology Over the last year, the quality of the indoor air we breathe has become more important than ever. Wizard’s air purification devices are a state-of-the-art solution to air cleaning, offering reassurance and confidence to clients and staff within the hospitality sector. Protecting the air you breathe Wizard air cleaning technology provides hospitality venues with a cutting-edge solution to air cleaning, whilst suiting the needs of your business and clientele. Purifying and eliminating airborne contaminants, these cutting-edge devices help to destroy bacteria, viruses, odours and harmful pollutants in an indoor space, such as: • Bars • Restaurants • Hotels • Cafés

tilation that your business needs. Using class-leading UV-C lamp technology and hospital-grade HEPA-13 filtration to purify indoor air, Scarecrow detoxifies spaces of up to 500m2 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Designed with a forced ventilation programme that consistently circulates air, the Northern Fairy cleans the air in spaces of up to 40m2 using the same powerful UV-C lamp cleaning technology as Scarecrow.

Completely safe to use around clients and staff, and available in a variety of colours and sizes, the ultrasmart Scarecrow units let your customers know that you’re working to create a safer, cleaner environment for them to feel comfortable in. Find out more about Scarecrow.

The Northern Fairy can be stood or hung on the wall for ease of application and is available in five different colours.

OTHER DEVICES FROM THE WIZARD FAMILY Suitable for all your business cleaning requirements, we also stock alternative air and surface sanitising solutions from Wizard.

SCARECROW UV-C AIR PURIFICATION

AIR DECONTAMINATION FROM THE NORTHERN FAIRY We have smaller spaces covered with the Northern Fairy, the newest addition to the Wizard product range.

Purozo’s flagship device, Scarecrow, could be the costeffective answer to poor ven-

SANITISE SPACES WITH LION & TOTO High performance Ozone generators from Wizard work to sanitise surfaces and indoor air within spaces of up to 300m2. Fast and effective, the Toto and Lion reach and sanitise every nook and cranny of an area whilst simultaneously removing odours and surface stains. With a stunning design and build quality, Toto and Lion are both easy to use, either controlled manually or via the mobile app.

GET IN TOUCH For more information and a virtual device demonstration, get in touch with us on info@purozo.co.uk or give us a call on 01594 546250. See the advert on the facing page for more details.

Sundeala SD Safety Screens and Sundeala Safe Push Door Plates Sundeala have been manufacturing in the UK since 1898 and we are now proud to offer a wide range of products to help you create physical partitions and keep environments hygienic and safe. Our Sundeala FR Safe Push Door Plates are 100% coronavirus free in 5 minutes and are designed to be attached to doors with no-screw fixings making them easy to remove after use. Safe Push Door Plates require no cleaning and are fantastic for reducing the spread of viruses from high touch door surfaces. Available in 7 subtle shades, we can create bespoke sizes to fit any door and supply each pack of Door Plates with adhesive tabs to ensure easy installation. Our Sundeala SD Safety Screen is an environmentally friendly safety screen, perfect for encouraging social distancing in high foot fall environments to help prevent viral spread via droplets or aerosolisation. Sundeala SD Safety Screens are made from 100% recycled paper fibres and are highly porous as well as being extremely durable and robust. They are a practical, environmentally friendly way to assist with social distancing and can be pinned with

informational and/or decorative posters, signs and paper. Many products in our Covid Compliance range including Safe Push Door Panels and SD Safety Screens are made using our Sundeala FR Board. After undergoing ISO 17025 compliant laboratory testing we are delighted to reveal that our Sundeala FR Board (used extensively in circulation spaces, corridors and other high-footfall areas) is shown to be 100% safe from viral transmission from contact with the surface and 100% coronavirus free throughout after 5 minutes of infection, making it completely safe to touch, cut, sand and recycle. Sundeala FR Board is manufactured in the UK from UK waste materials. Sundeala notice boards protect the environment outside while improving the environment inside. For any more information or to find out how we can safeguard your spaces, contact our sales team on 01453 708689 / enquiries@sundeala.co.uk

CLH Digital

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control Evaness 100% Biodegradable Consumables Range

Issue 57

Consumable Supplies brand EVANESS is the only full range of biodegradable products for the catering industry, from various sizes and strengths of bin liners, to clingfilm and food/freezer bags. EVANESS is a derivative from the word ‘Evanesce” meaning to vanish and the technology used in the biodegradable range is scientifically proven to degrade the material if it gets into the open environment and then facilitate the secondary process of biodegradation, without causing micro-plastics. New recent additions to the product range include compostable bin liners which are manufactured to EN13432 certification for home and industrial composting, and the UK’s first ANTI-VIRAL Grip Seal bag, which although are non-biodegradable are specifically designed to combat the transmission of viruses and bacteria. The pandemic brought about many concerns over how to store and handle a range of items, which were handled by

many a person to avoid the transfer of viruses and bacteria. Consumable Supplies created a Grip Seal bag which incorporates an advanced British technology D2P by Symphony Environmental, which provides protection to the surface of the Grip Seal bag against microorganisms or viruses for the lifetime of the bag and offers a 99.9% Anti-Viral reduction after 1 hour of contact. Although the bag can be used for the storage and handling of any items you wish to protect, as the product is Food-Safe, it also offers its use to storing food. The initial bag size offered is 150mm x 200mm, so useful for smaller items and can form part of your existing health and hygiene protection routine. Consumable Supplies strives to offer unique quality environmentally friendlier products at reasonable prices with a great no-quibble customer service. Free delivery on any order. See the advert opposite or visit www.consumablesupplies.co.uk

Greener, Safer, Cheaper Food Waste Recycling ReFood is the European market leader in food waste recycling. We offer businesses of all sizes an alternative to sending unwanted food to landfill with our safe, secure, closed-loop, end-to-end solution. We improve companies’ green credentials, reduce their carbon footprint and lower their overall food waste disposal costs by up to 50%*. By combining the very best knowledge and technology with decades of experience in environmentally

sustainable practices, we deliver the ultimate recycling service to private and public sectors across the UK. And, our cutting-edge Anaerobic Digestion facilities create renewable energy as well as ReGrow, our nutrient-rich biofertiliser. See what we could save you at www.refood.co.uk or call 0800 011 3214. See the advert on page 10. *Figure based on April 2020 landfill rate vs. volume weight.

Why choose SANOZONE? ■ SanOzone generates Ozone and completes a deep and accurate sanitation cycle ■ Ozone sanitisation is cheaper and faster than alternatives like fogging ■ Swiftly cleans and sanitises rooms of all sizes, removing harmful microorganisms ■ Reaches every corner of location, acting more rapidly than other disinfecting agents ■ Machine generates ozone from the air, which decomposes to oxygen after use

SANOZONE CLEANS INDOOR SPACES OF ALL SIZES FOR COVID SAFETY Ozone sanitising is the most effective way to deep clean residential environments of all sizes and it is easier, quicker, and more cost-effective than manual cleaning or fogging. Once in position, an easy-to-use key-pad enables the operator to set the optimal ozone concentration for the size of the room. The system then automatically converts the ambient air into ozone that fills the room, sanitising floors, walls, ceilings, surfaces and equipment. The complete sanitisation of an average sized room will take approximately two hours. This includes the production of ozone, maintaining the required concentration for total cleaning and then returning the room to its usual habitation state. SanOZone is one of the most versatile and efficient sanitisation systems available to healthcare, commercial property owners and facilities management companies. It offers many benefits over manual cleaning and we believe that it is three times quicker and more efficient than alternatives like fogging.

THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SANOZONE ARE: • Highly efficient in the fight against Covid viruses • Effective against the majority of microorganisms tested • Requires only low volumes of ozone to kill bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses • A standalone system that eliminates the need for chemical substances • More cost-effective than traditional cleaning operations or materials • Automatic cleaning cycle; easy to move from room to room SanOZone units are fully mobile, easy to programme for hourly or daily cleaning and have acoustic and visual warning indicators for safe operation. As it creates its own ozone, no chemicals or additional cleaning products are required. There are no ongoing costs.

SanOZone Easybox systems are available from Barbel now, with prices starting from £1,750 ex VAT for the Easybox 5

For more information, contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net or visit the website at www.barbel.net

CLH Digital

Issue 57

Products and Services

Celebration Packaging Introduces New Range of Reusable, Microwavable Hinged-Lid Food Containers (deep) round container will soon be available. Custom shapes and sizes are also available, and the containers can also be embossed with branding, subject to tooling charges.

The new range is microwavable and the rectangular range features air vents in the sides and top lid to allow steam to escape when the food is being microwaved. To make the products reusable, they are top-rack dishwasher-safe, so can be used many times. Putting reuse at the front of ‘reduce; recycle; reuse’ “Over the few past years, the mantra for those paying attention to environmental sustainability has been: ‘reduce; recycle; reuse’, but least attention has usually been paid to the reuse aspect,” says Nick. “This new In response to customer demand, Celebration food-grade PP hinged-lid container range delivers on all Packaging is pleased to announce that is now able to three priorities as it significantly reduces the amount of offer customised reusable, microwavable hinged-lid food plastic used in busy kitchens, can be 100% recycled at containers for back of house / kitchen food prep applithe end of its life, and is reusable. cations. The reusable containers are made from virgin polypropylene (PP) and can be sent for recycling. “Switching to reusables in high-traffic kitchens significantly reduces the amount of plastic being used when “We have been offering tailor-made single-use foodreplacing single-use packaging,” says Nick. “We calculatservice packaging products to customers for decades,” ed that one customer who uses the rectangular product says Celebration Packaging Managing Director, Nick is saving in excess of 30,000 kgs of plastic per year by Burton. “Before lockdown, some of our major high switching from their previous single-use container to street foodservice customers were looking to move the new reusable product. The amount of plastic saved away for single-use disposable plastic packaging and find obviously depends on how many times the new reusable solutions. They approached Celebration reusable product is used before being sent for recycling, Packaging to discover what we could offer. but as the range is also manufactured here in the UK, “Trials have been successfully concluded with two switching to these products substantially reduces an major high street foodservice businesses and we are operator’s carbon footprint.” proud to now announce the launch of a reusable, Further increasing the versatility of the new PP microwavable range which would provide a solution for microwavable and reusable range, filled containers can pre-serve portion control in meal preparation.” also be placed in a freezer if required. The new products are made from high-clarity virgin “As problem solvers in foodservice packaging, PP, which allows users to easily identify contents, speedCelebration has been seeking more sustainable soluing up meal preparation and avoiding service errors. The tions since launching our EnviroWare® range over 13 packaging is easy to use, as it is delivered nested and years ago,” Nick concludes. “We are proud that this latstackable, enabling speed of service, and features easy est, proven innovation successfully adds value back-ofopening lid tabs and a hinged lid. house, while also enabling operators to improve their Perfect for portion control, both the rectangular and sustainability credentials.” round containers have 200ml capacity, and a 400ml For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3soolAH

JURA - Speciality Coffee

For lovers of speciality coffee, the updated WE8 automatic coffee machine is now even more perfect. The WE8 now prepares twelve different specialities at the touch of a button. It now offers macchiato, espresso doppio, special coffees and hot water for green tea at the touch of a button. The new fine foam frother is made from the highest quality materials and has a stunning look and feel. Specially designed for the preparation of speciality coffees with milk foam, it makes cappuccino and other beverages with the very best fine textured foam every time. Recommended maximum daily output 40 cups per day.

strate Swiss innovation and professionalism down to the very last detail. Anywhere where a capacity of up to 150 cups is the order of business, the machine impresses users with its quality, functionality and reliability. Coupled with top performance in every respect, this results in a high tech automatic coffee machine that is ideally tailored to the requirements of hotel breakfasts, restaurants, bars and seminar / conference venues. Recommended maximum daily output 150 cups per day.

Super Quick, Free Range, Super Easy Range Farm Liquid Egg products are ready to use, easy to handle, and provide convenience for those working in foodservice. All products are free range, 100% pasteurised and meet British Lion standards. Available in Whole Egg, Egg Whites and Yolks, with no product waste or mess - all your eggs in one carton! Range Farm Free Range Hens are free to roam and forage in the natural environment. Freshly laid, our eggs are processed at our state-ofthe-art facility in Wiltshire and dispatched to customers in our fleet of refrigerated vehicles ensuring they arrive perfect and ready to

use. Range Farm Liquid Egg is sourced from 100% UK based farms so quality and continuity of supply is guaranteed. We are also conscious of our environmental responsibilities so please be assured that our cartons are recyclable. We provide a range of sizes and packaging according to the needs of our customers, with all Range Farm Liquid Egg products available in pallecons, BIB and cartons. To start cooking with ease and find out how we can meet your requirements, call 01249 732221 or email Adrian.Blyth@stonegate.co.uk

The Infusion Solution Hospitality and catering companies looking to provide the most cost-effective service for tea and other infusions can try out the doublepatented TEAPY T-4-1 free. Check out TEAPY Ltd’s claims of at least 40% reduction in labour cost and 70% reduction in storage space by obtaining a free trial set from with guidance on how to compare with your existing service(s) for tagged or untagged bags or loose leaf tea, fruit, herbal or other infusions.

tions of a conventional teapot but with better, visible brew control, then flips and “docks” snugly to the mug as a disposal “tidy”. A complete TEAPY T-4-1 tea service with TEAPY, mug, teaspoon, milk jug and optional loose leaf infuser can be carried in one hand, or with more sets on a single tray, more safely, than any comparable service. Operators can build their own sets, by matching their own mugs and spoons to the right TEAPY.

With over 3 years proven performance and success in four industry awards, many have called it the biggest invention, or rather two inventions, since the tea bag.

It can also be used with hot chocolate (try mini-marshmallows served in the jug), mulled wine and coffee bags, for example from Taylor’s of York, in fact TEAPY T-4-1 is so good they patented it twice!

The TEAPY mug lid keeps the infusion hot, providing the brewing condi-

Visit www,teapy.co.uk or see the advert on page 5.

Anything’s Possible with Saniflo include grease traps and water salvage pumps.

Saniflo is one of the most widely recognised brands in the UK plumbing market thanks to its range of pumps, lifting stations and macerators that enable domestic and commercial customers to install bathroom, kitchen and washing facilities almost anywhere – particularly when gravity drainage is not an option. As well as models that are installed indoors to pump out waste, there is now a huge choice of models that can be sited outdoors and installed underground. These robust liftings stations pump black and grey waste from single buildings or multiple small buildings. Recent additions to the range

Saniflo’s sister company, Kinedo, manufactures shower products for domestic and commercial settings. The range includes integrated cubicles that feature internal and external panels and door, shower tray, shower valve and head in one easy to install package. A range of contemporary shower enclosures and premium shower trays complete the portfolio. The company has an unrivalled reputation for after sales service which is enhanced by its unique nationwide network of 100 service engineers supported by the technical support team based at Saniflo UK. Visit www.saniflo.co.uk for further information.

Helping Hotels and Restaurants to Bounce Back New Cuts to NEW YORK BAR Collection The GIGA X3c / X3 G2 allows JURA to impressively demon-

German glassware manufacturer Stölzle Lausitz has added two new design cuts to its cosmopolitaninspired New York Bar collection. The design language of the collection focuses on elegant understatement in combination with high-quality crystal glasses to create a sophisticated bar atmosphere reminiscent of New York

Photos WE8 in chrome, GIGA X3 in aluminium.

Visit uk.jura.com or email sales.uk@jura.com for further information or see the advert on page 3.

City’s buzzing nightlife. Drawing upon the skylines and bar culture of New York, the decorative ‘Manhattan’ cut picks up on the up-and-coming straight lines of the district of the same name, while ‘Club’, a diagonal cut, gives the glasses a stimulating dynamic. As with the design itself, the brand’s execution of the matt finish has been carefully executed and the lines of the straight ‘Manhattan’ cut and the diagonal ‘Club’ cut take the lead in the eye of those drinking from the glasses, while the clear crystal glass casually corresponds with the opaque cut. Depending on the beverage in the glass and the colour of the drink, the light is playfully refracted along the individual lines, creating a unique point of difference that the eye is naturally drawn to. Made from high-quality, scratch-proof glass and well-weighted for a comfortable hold, hosts are able to easily impress with the premium brilliance of the glass. www.stoelzle-lausitz.com or see the advert on page 5.

Aspenprint, a leading design and print agency for hotels and restaurants, has cleverly devised a whole range of branded social distancing items to help hotels to bounce back this year, at the same time as keeping staff and guests safe and compliant. The various new items include disposable menus, NeverTear indestructible menus / leaflets, door seals, cutlery sleeves, branded screens, face masks, hand sanitising stations and more. Combining clever marketing with creative design and strategic thinking will give your holiday-makers longlasting memories as well as staying socially distanced and safe. One of their latest products to take the hospitality

industry by storm is Aspenprint’s anti bacterial laminate which can be used on a range of printed materials including menus, signage, brochures and posters. It kills 99% of all germs which touch its surface with the specialist anti bacterial laminate coating. This laminate has been widely used by hotels and restaurants, as well as the NHS and schools due to its ability to protect the public. Aspenprint has also promoted the huge social media market for hotels by adding giant deckchairs to their extensive list of products to ensure 2021 is a success. Aspenprint are helping many hotels and holiday parks to ensure guests have a successful staycation this summer with a range of fun printed materials from signage to deckchairs, branded parasols, feather flags, banners and more. Visit Aspenprint’s website for more information www.aspenprint.com or call 01202 717418 to speak with one of the friendly team. See the advert on page 13.

Microwaves and Combis

High Speed Solutions 40 years, with Exclusive supply status on the Sharp and Maestrowave ranges. Sharp have a reputation for quality and reliability that is second to none. With models ranging from the everyday 1000W R21AT best-seller, to the high power R1900M work-horse used by many leading chain operators - there is a model for every user.

A microwave is a true kitchen essential and has a place in every kitchen. A microwave is traditionally seen as an enhancement to use alongside other items of prime cooking equipment, but their versatility is often underestimated and they can be of particular use where space or budgets are limited.

The Maestrowave high speed cooking range combines innovation with every day essentials - including the affordable yet durable MW10 and MW12, the innovative iWave® automated cooking solution – which uses barcodes to ensure consistent, error proof cooking – and the award winning Combi Chef 7, which combines traditional cooking methods with microwave speed to provide exceptional results. For all your microwave needs – contact the Microwave Masters at R H Hall on 01296 663400 or sales@rhhall.com

From the standard microwave used for fast reheating and regeneration – to combination microwaves for versatility and optimum results on a wide range of products – we have a solution for every operation. R H Hall have been dominating the microwave market for over

WINA Microwaves, The Answer To The Question

out dated incandescent bulbs still found in many commercial microwaves. Pat Bray, MD of Regale Microwaves is rightly proud of his companies latest product group. “We listened very closely to our customers and users to understand what was ( and what was not ) important to them”.

Regale Microwave announce it’s ‘Solution’ promotion, which starts in April. But if Regale has the solution, what’s the problem ? Many Microwaves have a cavity designed so a ½ Gastronorm dish can only just fit inside. However, with demand for the excellent Microsave® cavity liner growing daily, this creates a problem for the user. The ½ gastronorm dish cannot fit inside the Microsave on these ovens, so does the site protect their oven with a Microsave, or use a smaller dish to cook in? The solution is the exciting new range of WINIA heavy duty commercial microwaves. The 1500w & 1850w ovens comes complete with a Microsave cavity liner as standard and the larger cavity can easily accommodate either one ½ Gastronorm dish or two 1/3 Gastronorm dishes. The ovens also come with super bright LED interior lights, which are designed to last far longer than the

He continued “They want a well-built, high quality microwave they can rely on. The oven must also have a Microsave cavity liner to protect their investment. With the larger cavity, chefs can easily use either a ½ or 2 off 1/3 Gastronorm dishes, to give real versatility”.

SPECIAL OFFER There has never been a better time to look at the WINIA brand of Commercial Microwaves. Starting in April, Regale Microwave are giving 2 x 1/3 and 1 x ½ Polycarbonate 100mm gastronorm dishes worth over £15.00 with the first 100 pieces with either model WINIA KOM9F50 (1500w) or KOM9F85 (1850w). Visit www.regale.co.uk Email sales@regale.co.uk Telephone 01329 285518 SEE THE ADVERT ON PAGE 17.

Rational Wins Capital Equipment Supplier of the Year Award 2021 With a turnover of £400m representing seventy dealers, the ENSE Buying Consortium is one of the foodservice equipment industry’s biggest hitters – which is why its annual awards are highly regarded and eagerly contested. At ENSE’s recent Conference the consortium announced its 2021 awards – and Rational won the prestigious Capital Equipment Supplier of the Year. “We’re absolutely thrilled to pick up this award,” says Simon Lohse, managing director of Rational UK. “It’s especially important because it’s the dealers who vote for it – so to win it is a real boost for us.” Competition was tough in the Capital Equipment Supplier

award and Rational was up against six other top suppliers. “We work very closely with ENSE and its dealer network,” says Lohse. “Being a supplier partner to the Consortium is vital to the success of our strategic dealer development. Events like this Conference let us network with our ENSE dealer partners, building relationships and addressing issues. “The award underlines the close relationship we have with ENSE and its dealer members, and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for us!”

Issue 57

CLH Digital

Issue 57

Hospitality Technology

Business Development Through Integrated Technology and CRM By Henry Seddon, Managing Director Access Hospitality The advances in hospitality technology over the last year have been well documented, with delivery and takeaway, pre ordering, order and pay at table, and contactless payments being amongst the most utilised in response to controls placed on the sector. With so many solutions available, it’s worth highlighting a couple of areas that we expect will impact most significantly on an operators’ efficiency and revenue generation. Firstly, the importance of technology integration. As Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality acknowledged in an Access Hospitality webinar last year “I have never seen such a rapid rollout of technology; things that would normally take three to five years to get through. We have now got that seamless integration of technology and the acceleration towards a single portal for a customer. Where you want to use technology is in a smart way to allow your staff to be freed up to deliver better service. That's where technology comes into its own.”

gy, a second business area that shouldn’t be overlooked is customer relationship management (CRM). Customer expectations within hospitality venues remain high; in fact, they are likely to have risen in response to the post pandemic safety and cleaning measures that have been introduced, so the ability to track, manage and build relationships with customers remains vital. To ensure that we can provide the most comprehensive and responsive service, Access Hospitality recently acquired Acteol, the UK’s leading provider of CRM software and contracted marketing managed services to the hospitality, leisure, travel, and gaming sectors. Our belief is that by creating a single customer view where all data is in one place, de-duped and enriched, multi-channel marketing becomes more efficient and effective, with more meaningful connections, greater customer engagement and resulting sales. CRM tracks customer interactions, visit frequency, preferences and spend providing an accurate profile that they might not even recognise about themselves. Using the information available to tailor bespoke communications and offers deepens the affinity and loyalty from customers, increasing the likelihood of them returning to venue and redeeming any incentives provided.

Where information and data can be entered once and shared across multiple platforms, there is an obvious benefit in increasing efficiency but also reducing the potential for errors when keying in. Monitoring performance and development opportunities is also enhanced when key metrics are available in one view from a single sign-on and the volume of rich data for qualitative analysis is increased.

For any customer interaction measurement is priceless and, understanding what works and what doesn’t, enables you to focus your efforts in the most effective way possible and make data driven decisions. Analysis of results identifies the best channels for communication – which might include email, SMS, push notifications or direct mail – as well as conveying the best sentiments or promotions to generate a positive response.

With so much attention given to the operational benefits of technolo-

Predictions suggest that there may be fewer out of home hospitality

occasions taken over the next few months, but that customers will be looking for more premium experiences. The value of integrating a powerful CRM system into your technology management suite will give your hospitality operation a significant boost and offers a compelling argument for integration with other cost saving and revenue generating technology. See the advert below to find out more about how Access Hospitality can help your business.

Hospitality Technology

Issue 57

CLH Digital

Table Tap Offers Exceptional Customer Service and Social Distancing at Dusk with 28 tables, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and thanks to Table Tap, we’re able to be on top of our game.”

Top nouvelle restaurant and lounge, Dusk, Brentwood, has installed Table Tap, an innovative solution to help customers and waiting staff communicate from leading telecommunications company, Brentwood Communications.

Table Tap runs over a radio frequency and transmits a signal from a button placed on a table, which connects to a watch on a waiter’s wrist and can be set-up in just five minutes.

With a single tap on a button, customers can inform staff that a table is ready to order, pay the bill, or simply call for the waiter’s attention without leaving their seat.

James Miller, MD, Brentwood Communications, adds: “The idea for Table Tap came about after we installed similar technology into fitting rooms for Nike stores across Europe, which allowed people to alert staff it they wanted to swap items. We knew we could adapt this technology for the hospitality sector, which would be vital as premises re-open, helping customers to remain seated, stick to social distancing rules and still experience quality customer service.”

Sharif Uddin, Co-Owner, Dusk, says: “We have a large alfresco dining area and were concerned there may be crowding in bar areas, with customers ordering drinks or wanting to pay a bill. Thankfully, we decided to trial Table Tap to see if it could help customers socially distance and enable us to deliver excellent customer service.” He continued: “Table Tap has been great, it’s helped us keep customers in their seats, which is ideal for social distancing. We run a very fast-paced dining environment

Table Tap is available for free trials, visit www.brentwoodradios.co.uk/tabletap.

ConnectSmart from QSR ®

QSR Automations, the leading provider of kitchen automation, guest management, off-premise technology, and predictive analytics, announced the launch of the ConnectSmart Platform. This move strengthens and simplifies company and product offerings. • ConnectSmart Recipes (formerly TeamAssist), a kitchenintegrated recipe viewer By connecting the back end and integrating these solutions into one operational platform, operators can work with a solution that shares data from all its components and make holistic restaurant decisions in real-time. Flexible APIs and robust integrations allow operators to tailor the platform to their specific needs and focus on what’s most important — the guest experience.

The platform effectively combines QSR Automations’ software suite into a single platform: • ConnectSmart Kitchen, industry-leading kitchen display system • ConnectSmart Go, an off-premise order management system • ConnectSmart Host (formerly DineTime), a guest experience, reservation and table management solution • ConnectSmart Insights, a business intelligence tool • ConnectSmart ControlPoint, hardware management software

Restaurant owners and operators can learn more about the ConnectSmart Platform at www.qsrautomations.com

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CLH Digital

Issue 57

Hospitality Technology

Invest in the Right POS Solutions to Get You Through Reopening and Beyond The COVID-19 pandemic has seen hospitality ventures in particular desperately searching for simple solutions easy to implement with the impending time crunch to address a set of stringent guidelines introduced by the Government. Keen to abide by social distancing rules, business owners are looking for ways to give their customers the peace of mind to continue purchase from their stores in-person and out with many turning to new tech to keep their businesses afloat. Adopting a bespoke point-of-sale system (POS) is becoming an increasingly popular choice in light of their offering; features to boost performance through faster transactions, expansive data collection and live stock

count – an especially useful component to address and respond to unexpected spikes and drops in demand during an unpredictable climate. Opting for a click & collect service like Goodeats offered by Goodtill has been the perfect example of innovation in the hospitality industry as an answer to COVID-security and beyond with its pivoting feature enabling table ordering solutions when dining-in becomes an option once again. Today, a POS system integrated with a click & collect service has become an essential and is no longer limited to giant retailers but accessible to smaller ventures to help diversify revenue streams. Access to these kinds of value-add services promotes customer loyalty

Yoello - Mobile Order & Pay You Can Trust 2020 was a pivotal year for Cardiff based Fintech Yoello. Since launching their mobile order and pay solution in June, the company has gone from strength to strength growing rapidly whilst supporting thousands of hospitality businesses across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yoello aims to disrupt the current payment networks which are outdated and expensive. By processing payments themselves, utilising open banking regulations, they want to bring operators and customers closer together with cheaper and instantaneous transactions. The platform is currently focused on the hospitality industry, from small cafes and traditional pubs to luxury hotels and large theatres. Yoello’s mobile order and pay technology also has the capability to expand into sectors such as retail and tourism. The company’s aim is to improve efficiency, increase revenues and improve the customer expe-

rience through mobile technology, in particular in the current climate with businesses currently operating with reduced staff numbers and customer capacity. As we head towards a cashless society and a new technology led, post-Covid, future of service – Yoello’s tech will play a vital role for most businesses to survive. Yoello’s mobile ordering solution allows customers to access digital menus simply by scanning a QR code or typing in a URL using any smartphone or web device, without needing to download an app. Customers can access table service, click & collect and delivery services all through one platform. From a merchant’s point of view, it’s very easy to set up and manage contactless order and pay either alongside an existing system or through POS integration. Find out more visit www.yoello.com or speak to the sales team: sales@yoello.com / 07764 86 4840

even in trying times. Many of these systems were initially deemed as temporary solutions to stay in business during the COVID-crises, but the staggering uptake in interest and usage of POS solutions are altering the hospitality sector from the ground up. We now see such software playing a key role within the service industry, providing establishments a stronger offering over their competitors. Businesses that have acquired a click & collect service are well-placed to satisfy potential future restrictions when partnered with contactless payment and pickup alongside a dedicated POS software introducing affordable automation to business operations. See the advert on the facing page for details.

Hospitality and Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Harvey Morton, Digital Expert and founder of HarveyMorton.Digital (www.harveymorton.digital) No hospitality business would be without social media. It is a good time business, and showing people enjoying themselves is an excellent source of brand enhancement and marketing. The benefits of social media for hotels, restaurants, and other outlets, is significant, and most companies have an active presence on most sites. Yet, there is no denying the bad of social media and the downright ugly. A disgruntled employee could do more damage on social media in a moment of anger than any good done by consistent and regular updates by your marketing team. A simple comment about the poor hygiene standards in a kitchen could set a coffee shop back many months. Consequently, writing a social media policy for your employees is an essential tool for protecting your brand and all colleagues' best interests. While writing such a policy is akin to walking on eggshells, it is best to undertake this difficult task anyway.

WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY? A social media policy will lay out your organisation's expectations for employees use of social media platforms. The policy will need to respect the law above all else. The Human Rights Act 1998 allows your team the right to respect for private and family life, home, and correspondence. Basically, you must be careful when telling your team what to do when they are not at work. Equally, you need to be careful with how you choose to monitor social media activity. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 clarifies that you cannot monitor the posts without the staff member's permission. If that colleague accepts you as a friend or follower, this is explicit permission to view posts. Your social media policy should also make clear that these accounts are owned by individuals. This is vital. The ownership of the social media account makes the individual responsible for any fallout from inappropriate or even criminal content. As a compa-

ny, you want to be sure you are not seen as liable for this.

WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR POLICY Obviously, the number one goal of your policy is to protect your brand. Setting expectations for social media use reduces the chances for error and prevents confusion about what is and what isn't seen as professional to your company. There are positive aspects to this too. When your team post positive messages about your company, you are leveraging the potency of employee advocacy. Your business social media account might make it clear you are unique but imagine how much more powerful it sounds from someone who works for you.

WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE IN MY POLICY? Having a look at other companies' policies is a sound starting point. Often there is a request for transparency and disclosure. In other words, you ask your team to tell you when they are on social media. You might also ask that they act responsibly and professionally when posting. You should acknowledge that having fun and connecting is great; expressing concerns can negatively affect all. The skill in writing this policy is getting the tone right and seeking buy-in from the start. It will be worth the effort.

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

Drinks Dispense and Cellar Management Issue 57

CLH Digital

Clear Brew - Helping Hospitality To Get Back On Its Feet We reduce your wasted ullage, meaning you have more beer to sell at full retail price to increase your profits

NO CHEMICALS TO BUY & STORE We bring all cleaning equipment and chemicals with us so you don't need to buy or store them

THE PERFECT PINT We enable you to dispense the perfect pint to your customers time and time again, improving sales and yields

LOCALLY BASED TECHNICIANS

Book your FREE No Obligation cellar equipment check and Free Beer Line Clean

SAVE WATER, GAS & ELECTRICITY By only using a third of the water, no gas and no electricity our system doesn’t only reduce waste, it helps reduce your bills

REDUCE BEER WASTAGE

Our nationwide coverage means that will you be helping keep local people in work and in doing so keeping transport emissions down through reduced fuel miles

THE HIGHEST STANDARDS We build ongoing relationships with you to ensure you save money, reduce waste, mitigate risk and ultimately ensuring the beer you serve tastes as it should Call the Professionals 0800 7810 577 freeclean@clearbrew.co.uk

Cellartech Solutions

Cellartech Solutions Ltd have been supplying the independent pubs clubs and restaurants of the Midlands region since 2010.

We are a dedicated one stop shop for all bar and cellar needs, including cellar cooling systems and drinks dispense set ups. With the current lockdown coming to an end it is vital that your drinks dispense equipment is clean and sanitised and ready to serve your waiting customers. Cellartech Solutions can offer a one-off Deep Line Clean and Cellar Services to help with this.

Please contact our office on (01572) 739364 or email office@sallytechsolutions.com.

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

CLH Digital

Issue 57

Outdoor Spaces

Five Tips For Weather-Proofing Your Outside Venue As Lockdown Eases

By Sam Richards, Marketing Manager at Gazeboshop (www.gazeboshop.co.uk)

As lockdown rules ease across the UK, the hospitality industry has been reopening to host customers in their outdoor facilities. With this industry being hit harder than most during the pandemic, this announcement has given a new lease of hope to many venues who were struggling to survive. However, with restaurants, pubs and bars only permitted to serve and host customers in outdoor facilities, many have been dubious about how the British weather would impact footfall. To help the industry as they adapt to this ease in restrictions and keep their customers sheltered from April showers, Samantha Richards, Marketing Manager of Gazeboshop, will offer five practical suggestions for how the hospitality sector can keep going through any bad weather spell.

1. UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL REGULATIONS SET OUT BY YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT Creating an outdoor area which will protect customers from the weather but also fit in line with government regulations is a challenge for the hospitality industry. An outdoor space constitutes any area which is not indoors, including terraces, pavement spaces in front of venues (if permit permitted), and beer gardens. Businesses must ensure their outdoor space abides by their local regulations to avoid facing a fine or

being shut down through the month.

2. CARRY OUT A THOROUGH RISK ASSESSMENT OF THE OUTDOOR AREA If your business is not used to hosting a large number of customers outside, you will need to carry out a risk assessment when proofing your venue to ensure you have identified the potential risk of hosting dozens, if not hundreds of people in the same space. This risk assessment should include preparing for all weather conditions to ensure proper contingencies are in place for a sudden downpour in rain or storm.

3. INVEST IN COVERED SHELTER TO PROTECT GUESTS FROM THE RAIN The government has announced that businesses in the hospitality sector are permitted to erect marquees and gazebos without first needing to obtain planning permission. Whilst some have taken a chance with open-top gardens, hospitality owners may want to consider an outdoor shelter to ensure their guests won’t be put off when it starts to drizzle. To be considered an outdoor shelter, these structures can have a roof but must have at least 50% of their wall area open at all times whilst in use.

4. FIND A WAY TO KEEP THE WINTER CHILL AT BAY Customers attending an outdoor venue will most likely be wrapped up warm in preparation for a chilly evening, but finding ways to warm up your shelter will be greatly appreciated by any visitors. Investing in convection heaters which circulate warm air to heat up the surrounding area could be useful for a large space, as well as offering blankets on

chairs to guests who start to feel chilly as the evening cools down.

5. MANAGE BOOKINGS CAREFULLY IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS With the possibility of customers cancelling their bookings last minute if the weather turns, operators will need to manage bookings carefully to ensure too many tables do not go unused. Some venues have decided to request deposits from customers, others are waiving cancellation charges entirely, and some have scrapped their booking system entirely and are only offering walk-in tables. Each business will need to assess their customer base and system to decide on which approach to take this summer to ensure they can maximise their booking offering.

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

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

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

et as the continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job. We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand.

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

Herald Bolsters Eco-Friendly Range Having introduced a selection of 100 per cent compostable hot cups, with both double and ripple wall options, Herald is strengthening its commitment to providing its customers with a varied choice of premium, eco-friendly products this summer. The quality disposables supplier is offering a choice of greener products to meet the increased demand from the catering, pub, bar and food to go sectors, with outdoor events back on the agenda, post-Covid, and restaurants and cafes aiming to maximise their takeaway options. Recognising that many new customers are keen to provide fully sustainable and green products, Herald has prioritised providing an additional ripple wall option to its line of compostable hot cups, along with a selection of sizes. The sizes – 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz – acknowledge the needs of existing customers who may want to to make the switch to the 100 per cent compostable product by complementing the lids that Herald currently has available. Managing director of Herald, Yogesh Patel comments on the current market status as businesses shift to accommodate changing government guidelines: “The increase in takeaway demand for cafes, restaurants

and pubs means that the market has expanded for disposable cups and many of the new customers that we’re attracting are conscious of their own customers’ environmental considerations.” Other products in Herald’s eco range include a wider selection of single, double and triple wall cups and a choice of eco sip lids. For further information on Herald and its products, log on to www.heraldplastic.com or call 0208 507 7900 to order a copy of the new catalogue.

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 57

Bring In Much Needed Revenue with an Outdoor Menu This Summer With pub gardens and outdoor seating due to open from 12th April, having an outdoor menu offering will provide a much needed revenue boost for hospitality venues across the UK. We have a wide range of products that will help you create the perfect outdoor kitchen, in any outside space.

operator. Simply Stainless Tabling works alongside Crown Verity to create the perfect outdoor kitchen. Working with our fabrications division we can also offer you a bespoke stainless steel solution for any requirement. Hygiene and safety is still a huge consideration, our Mobile Hand Wash Station & Sanitiser Unit help you to provide hygiene facilities outside for all customers and staff to keep safe.

With the 'super deduction' tax allowance introduced in the 2021 budget, businesses can also reduce their tax bill by 25p for every £1 spent on new equipment purchases, so return on investment can be gained even faster!

R H Hall offer the full package... From site visit, design and quotation - to supply of the perfect outdoor kitchen!!!

Crown Verity Professional Barbecues offer a high quality, adaptable cooking solution, with a wide range of add-on accessories for a varied menu. From the compact MCB30 to the MCB72 'King of the Grill', there is a model for every

Contact our knowledgeable sales team on 01296 663400 or sales@rhhall.com to help you choose the perfect equipment for any operation!

Make the Most of Your Outdoor Areas with the Contract Furniture Group you to seize this opportunity to update, repair or replace décor ahead of reopening; and to support this they are looking at putting finance packages together to spread the investment.

Contract Furniture Group have worked hard over the last year to provide their customers with the same high quality service you’ve come to expect from them. Despite the frustration our whole industry is feeling at the moment, Contract Furniture Group encourage

If you do have any questions or queries about Contract Furniture Group's products or services, stock availability or lead times, terms or available finance options, please don’t hesitate to call. Most importantly, Contract Furniture Group say they hope you and your loved ones stay safe and well during these unprecedented times. For further information visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk

Making the most of your outdoor areas with Tempus solutions The Manhat Manhattan tan P Pergola ergola fr from om T Tempus empuss is a simple and cost effective effective w way ay of ex xtending the comf or t of your your indoor spaces int o yyour our outdoor patios extending comfort into patios..

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• A vailable with or without rretractable etractable sides ffor or wind shielding Available • Quic k and eas y tto o use louv ered rroof oof kkeeps eeps out the rrain ain and lets in the sunshine Quick easy louvered • Lighting and heating pac ks mak e the shelt ered spaces usab le all yyear ear rround ound – what ever the w eather packs make sheltered usable whatever weather • F ull ffitting itting ser vice a vailable thr ough pr oduct tr ained Contr act F urniture Gr oup inst allation tteam eam Full service available through product trained Contract Furniture Group installation A wide range of complementar y outdoor heating, lighting and fur niture is available to view on our website. complementary furniture

Never knowingly beaten on price! Contract tract House, Little T Tennis e ennis Str Street eet South, Nottingham NG2 4EU

0115 965 9030 info@contractfurniture.co.uk 0115 info@contractfurniturre.co.uk www .contractfurniture.co.uk www.contractfurniture.co.uk

FOLLOW FOLL OW W US

CLH Digital

Boost Your Restart Grant with Black Rock Grill's GET BACK TO BUSINESS 10% DISCOUNT Consumers are craving for Pub & Restaurant hospitality NOW! An overwhelming number of punters will be heading for the pub, restaurant & cafe experience to get their lives back to some kind of normal.

Will you be ready? Restart with the Black Rock Grill WOW factor ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Get ahead of your competition Serve customers within 5 mins of ordering Turn tables quickly Serve meals indoors & out Fewer staff needed to operate No meals returned Hygienic safe sizzling hot meals Rebound quickly and profitably Restart with something new and exciting for you and your guests

Hot stone cooking allows your customer to live dine at the table and cook their meal exactly how they like it, sizzling hot till the very last bite! It will create a great atmosphere within the restaurant and give you a USP for your business.

We are offering:

GET BACK TO BUSINESS 10% DISCOUNT on all Commercial Set-ups (Valid till 30th April '21, while stocks last)

Please give us a call or email to find out more information. We have lots of guidance on set-up size, menu ideas, and relaunch ideas

sales@blackrockgrill.com | 01256 359858 | www.blackrockgrill.com

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 57

CLH Digital

Discover How a Canopy Can Increase your Profits

Pubs, Restaurants and the Leisure Industry will have a golden opportunity to make the most of their gardens to increase Summer trade when lockdown is over.

day eating area”.

By installing a Zenith Canopy Structure, Licensees and owners will have the opportunity to re-appraise their business and re-market their outdoor facilities to encourage customers to use their establishments. Ian Manners of Zenith said “The benefits of canopy structures to Licensees is that they can be used all year round, by adding heating, lighting and sidewalls” The soft PVC walls slide like curtains, can be easily removed or be fixed in position. Alternatively, terrace screens can be fitted. Many of Zenith’s customers have opted to fund their canopy project by LEASE RENTAL. This is a financially efficient way of installing a canopy because it allows the Licensee/owner to budget on a monthly basis without a large capital outlay. After a 4- or 5year period the licensee will own it outright. It is also very tax efficient.

Simon Vale of Drayton Manor Theme Park purchased 165 square metres of Zenith’s canopies and said, “We received a very quick return on our investment and our customers are now able to benefit from an outdoor covered area in all weathers”.

Ian Manners went on to say, “for example, you can seat 50-60 customers under 2 x 5m x 5m (50m²) Airone Tipo 150 structures from as little as £315 (ex VAT) per month over a 5-year period. Essentially your customers are paying for the canopy as they use it”

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

James Bishop is the Proprietor of The Longcross Hotel in Trelights, near Port Isaac in Cornwall. James purchased three of Zenith’s Airone Tipo 150 canopies and installed glazed walls and doors.

Zenith’s canopies are available in a variety of modular, shapes, sizes and colours.

James said, “Since installation business has boomed and we now have an extra outdoor function room for up to 150 people when not being used as a day to

For further information contact Zenith Canopy Structures Limited, T: 0118 978 9072 E: info@zenithcsl.com or visit www.zenithcsl.com

Environmentally Sustainable, Ecodek Solid Decking Boards With its solid composition - intended to prevent water and moisture from rotting the decking from within - Ecodek is a long-lasting, ecologically sustainable solution that offers increased resistance to impact damage. Its solid structure gives it greater noise absorption properties, so it’s quieter underfoot; helping to reduce noise levels in dining environments.

With the increase in development of outdoor hospitality areas looking set to stay, more restaurants and bars than ever have been reviewing ways for customers to safely enjoy dining and drinking experiences out of doors, using environmentally sustainable, Ecodek solid decking boards. Whilst many hospitality premises have been closed during lockdown, and others open for the sale of take-away orders only, businesses have been using the period to research, consider and install suitable outdoor dining solutions that can accommodate premises’ customer capacity as regulations change and warmer months approach.

Safer and more hardwearing than a wooden outdoor floor surface, Ecodek is a sustainable and effective alternative to hollow boards. It is simple to install, manufactured in the UK and supported with a 25-year guarantee. Split and rot resistant, this hardwearing decking solution is ideally suited to commercial purposes and can be relied upon for customer comfort and safety in both wet and dry conditions. For further information about the Ecodek composite decking solution, including design ideas, environmental credentials, and recommended installation partners, visit ecodek.co.uk or speak to a product specialist on 01978 667840.

CLH Digital

Issue 57

Outdoor Spaces

LeisureBench Announce New Exciting Comprehensive Website

LeisureBench Limited, one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of high quality outdoor furniture, is proud to announce the launch of our new exciting comprehensive website.

Other products showcased on our new website include a new range of dining huts, ideal for outdoor dining whatever the weather. We can also supply and install quality awnings and sails.

All our range represents excellent value for money.

We also have an extensive choice of parasols and gazebos.

Among the new features installed, is the introduction of automatic bulk discounts off our list prices and stock availability is clearly shown. In these difficult times, there is also the facility to preorder any item, to secure the products you require. There are exciting new ranges for 2021 including 100% recycled plastic products including picnic tables, benches, planters and more.

Among our existing product ranges for this year, are wooden round and A Frame picnic tables, teak and pine benches, Rattan chairs, tables and sofas, outdoor dining sets, metal furniture, a full range of polypropylene chairs in many different colours and styles, and much more. Visit our new website, www.leisurebench.co.uk or email us on sales@leisurebench.co.uk. Telephone 01949 862920.

CambridgeStyle Canopies

CambridgeStyle Canopies have an enviable reputation in the hospitality sector for providing shade and shelter solutions for pubs, hotels and restaurants across the UK. We specialise in offering the right covering solutions to maximise your useable outdoor space with our range of made-to-measure aluminium outdoor canopy systems. Our product range includes:

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• Wall mounted non-fragile or glass roof canopies with up to 6m projection and unlimited length • Free standing canopies with up to 12m projection and unlimited length

• Solisysteme Bio Climatic Pergolas with the latest Somfy technology and up to 7.1m post span • Zip Screens and Sliding Glass doors • Heating and lighting upgrades for all canopy systems Contact us to discuss your needs and arrange a site survey so we can help identify the right solution for your business. We have all the necessary accreditations within the construction sector and provide a no quibble 10-year guarantee on all products to give you peace of mind. Together we can help get business going again! Emails office@cambridgestyle.org or visit www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk

Our product range includes:

• Wall mounted non-fragile or glass roof canopies with up to 6m projection and unlimited length • Free standing canopies with up to 12m projection and unlimited length • SoliSySteme Bio Climatic Pergolas with the latest Somfy technology and up to 7.1m post span • Zip Screens and Sliding Glass doors • Heating and lighting upgrades for all canopy systems

Contact us to discuss your needs and arrange a site survey so we can help identify the right solution for your business. We have all the necessary accreditations within the construction sector and provide a no quibble 10-year guarantee on all products to give you peace of mind. Together we can help get business going again!

CambridgeStyle Canopies Ltd 01353 699009 | office@cambridgestyle.org | www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk “WE’VE GOT IT COVERED - NOBODY DOES IT BETTER”

Previous Clients Include:

Outdoor Spaces

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Space-Ray - We Know Heat Space-Ray is an industry leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality infrared radiant and warm air heating systems. With electric heaters, radiant tube heaters and radiant ceramic plaque heaters we know we have the perfect heating solution for you. Our heaters are popular for large open areas and buildings such as patios, restaurants, outdoor and indoor bars, sports facilities etc. Space-Ray heaters can help to maximize the revenue potential of outside areas by providing targeted heat where you need it. Many of our heaters are IP55 rated to protect against the elements, making sure your heaters stay in top working condition no matter the weather conditions. We take pride in our entire family of commercial

heaters and our commitment to quality standards in the design, manufacture, and performance of Space-Ray products — heaters with low maintenance at a competitive price, and a proven record for long life. We have a dedicated and experienced external and internal sales team ready and willing to help satisfy your heating needs. Contact us now at info@spaceray.co.uk, www.spaceray.co.uk or 01473 830551

Enhance Your Customers' Experience with Ambimedia Ambimedia Ltd provide audiovisual solutions for a range of environments such as retail, leisure, education, corporate and hospitality venues. We provide a whole range of services from specification and design to installation and maintenance and we have our own, award winning digital signage and background music platforms. We are experts in digital signage and work closely with our clients to create a customer experience which exceeds their expectations, whilst offering a cost effective, user friendly service. In recent months, we have helped many businesses adapt to the changing requirements of the new regulations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a range of out-

door high-brightness, weatherproof TV’s which allow customers to watch TV even in bright sunlight, whilst also extending WIFI networks and installing outdoor sound systems to enhance the outdoor areas in anticipation of the summer season and upcoming sports events. In addition to this, we also provide hand sanitizer stations with a built in advertising display, allowing venues to inform, advertise and promote to a captive audience whilst keeping your staff and customers safe. Call us today to arrange a survey with one our technical experts and let us help you transform you venue. T: 01246 906958 E: info@ambimedia.org W: www.ambimedia.org

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Design and Refit Seating with Wider Appeal from ILF Chairs make your customers want to come back? Never fear, ILF Ltd. have the solution with a comprehensive selection of outdoor chairs and tables in many finishes and colours which we are able to supply quickly from either our UK location or our European location. We have selections of seating in aluminium, resin, plastic, polycarbonate, teak and imitation rattan plus, there are also tables and barstools for exterior use. Hospitality has now got the Green light last to reopen outdoors from the 12th April. Will you be ready and able to cope with the rush? Will your Café, Restaurant, bar have the right outdoor ambience and comfort to stand out from the rest and

Whatever your outdoor furniture needs might be we at ILF are here to help.

The CardsSafe system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab or trial a product or service. Staff can retain customers’ bank cards, store them securely in the CardsSafe unit while their customers enjoy the facilities. When they are ready to return the items or pay their bill, they hand back the key, and their card is returned by staff. CardsSafe is now used by over 5000 major brands in the UK. In the hospitality industries, Young’s pubs, Hilton Hotels, and many independent restaurants and bars. The system helps them to increase spend, prevent walkouts and fight credit card fraud. “Average spend is up and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.” Timothy, Bar Manager at Youngs. For bars and restaurants, the CardsSafe system also helps to eliminate walkouts. For businesses who retain

cards, the temptation for their customers is eliminated, saving the establishment hundreds of pounds per year. To increase spend, there is a solution. Phil Dixon, previous advisor to the BII, was adamant that “If you want to increase spend, you must retain cards.” A simple solution, and one that could be a quick and easy win. CardsSafe is affordable and pays for itself. Each unit, which contains ten card drawers, can be hired for just £9.99 per month. Each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and free replacement keys. Additional units can be added at any time. The question is, can you afford not to consider CardsSafe as a part of your business? “Turnover increased significantly after CardsSafe was installed, and the system easily pays for itself.” Siobhan, The Prodigal (Barracuda) Sign up to CardsSafe here https://cardssafe.com/account/create-account Or call 0845 500 1040

Why not contact us on 01293 783783 or send an email to:- terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

CardsSafe Pays for Itself!

Increase Awareness of Your Business With HFE Signs thinking that place should be full it has potential to be a little goldmine! The simple answer is awareness, I’m sure they do ok or they wouldn’t be there, but it was just by luck that we stopped, and we spent just over £50. How many others drove past? How many more £50 could they have taken that day?

Awareness is a vital essential for any product or service if its going to a success – You might have the best Chef with the best menu and keen prices but no customers or you might have average pub grub slightly overpriced and be rushed off your feet. The key to success is identifying you target market; do you have competition and what can you offer that they don’t? Once you’ve established your market how do you let them know. I recently walked into a pub after my daughter’s gymnastics competition, the carpark was empty, it was 4:30pm on a Sunday. I popped my head in and asked ‘are you doing food’ – the lady on the bar pointed to the carvery, I called in the rest of the family and we had a super meal, absolutely what we needed after a busy day. Obviously, we’ll go back, and we’ve also told a few people. So why was the carpark empty when the food was so good? The price was £8.95 for large and £6.95 for medium. There are a few pubs nearby but none of them have a carvery. I went away

A simple Carvery Banner on the fence would make every passing car aware of what’s on offer. Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants use Banners all the time for promoting offers and raising awareness. HFE Signs have a wide range of pre-designed food banners just for this purpose. HFE Signs have Carvery Banners, Steak Night, Quiz Night, Grill Night and hundreds more – Even if you’re just looking for ideas you should check out their library! HFE Signs have been designing and printing pub and food banners since 1996. A typical PVC Banner with eyelets 8ft x 3ft costs just £45+vat and if you order two, you get a 3rd FREE and also FREE UK Delivery! Check out HFE today at www.hfe-signs.co.uk

Design and Refit

Anything’s Possible with Saniflo include grease traps and water salvage pumps.

Engraved Table Numbers and QR Discs Facilitate Social Distancing as Pubs and Restaurants Re-Open The hospitality sector begins to re-open its doors after yet another long lockdown faced with the continued challenge to maintain social distancing. Government guidelines state pubs and restaurants should encourage the use of contactless ordering from table and should adjust their service approach to minimise staff contact with customers. Brunel has made a substantial investment in additional state of the art engraving equipment in order to produce individually etched table numbers and QR code discs which will provide clear markings and information for the public in order to satisfy the requirement for social distancing. The individually engraved table numbers and discs will enable customers to link to Apps or menus, reducing staff contact and eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus. “We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that

we can answer the increasing demand for our engraved products”, said Martyn Wright, managing director of Brunel Engraving and founder of the company. “Many pubs and restaurants have been undertaking major renovations during the lockdown period and we have assisted with their efforts to maintain social distancing by supplying table numbers, QR code discs, signage, PPE Visors and distancing floor stencils which will be used in the new public areas as businesses open their doors to the public once again.” Established over 30 years ago, Brunel Engraving is a pioneering engraving specialist which leads the way in technical innovation. The company has ISO9001 accreditation and its highly skilled team of professional engravers is trained to the highest standards in the UK. In addition to rotary engraving Brunel offers laser engraving, chemical etching, anodic print, dye sublimation print, flatbed UV print and wide format UV print. For further information please contact: 01275 871720 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

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Design and Refit Get Ready For Summer With Waterproof Furniture Finding hardworking and stylish outdoor furniture has never been more important for the hospitality industry as it gears up for summer 2021. However, even the best of Great British Summers will include downpours, so waterproof furniture is a must. Trent Furniture supply a wide variety of waterproof tables sealed to prevent swelling caused by rain. The stylish stainless steel Vista Table has plenty of room to accommodate groups and is perfectly complemented by the smaller Alma Round Aluminium Table. Or for a cool and contemporary look, why not opt for the new Cannes Outdoor Table constructed in aluminium with a black powder-coated finish?

The Cannes Outdoor Armchair and Cannes Outdoor Chair complement the Cannes table perfectly. Our Vista tables go with a wide variety of chairs but the water resistant Monaco Aluminium Stacking Chair is always a popular choice for sturdy style. Whichever look you go for, our Vista, Monaco and Cannes ranges are easy to stack and look just as good in indoor settings. To find out more about Trent Furniture’s great-value range of waterproof contract grade outdoor furniture, with prices starting from just £29.90 for the Monaco chair, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 2864 911.

Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating

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We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience. Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality.

Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size, then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the walls in a period setting. Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating. Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com Web www.simscf.com

WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN’T. SANIVITE ® + CAN.

Anything’s possible. Visit saniflo.co.uk to see how.

Design and Refit How Hotels Can Really Profit From Sustainability Hotels are continually fighting with their competition to offer the most affordable rates, the best amenities, and the most outstanding guest services — all while making a profit. Now more than ever green, or sustainable tourism is becoming a deciding factor when choosing a holiday. For the hotel industry this means achieving a sustainable business model that can offer considerable marketing advantage. But what if we took this activity and reclaimed valuable indoor space to provide for additional or larger rooms, or extend dining space? And what if you could also improve building services and reduce operational costs? From boutique to national chains,

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Adveco specialises in creating bespoke hot water and heating applications for the hotel industry that leverages all the advantages of renewable technologies, from air source heat pumps, and solar thermal to heat recovery. We can also smartly combine these with existing gasfired systems or new all electric appliances to drive sustainability and greater efficiency to support improved guest amenities while reducing both CO emissions and operational costs. This can all be brought together in prefabricated structures that relocate heating and hot water plant to ‘dead spaces’ such as yards, alleys and in particular roof tops to maximise space and profit. https://systems.adveco.co/

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier

We pride ourselves in providing the best quality items at great prices with fantastic customer service and can supply bespoke tailored made furniture such as booths, tables, seating or ‘off the peg’ items. Drakes Bar Furniture not only sell chairs, stools, tables we also design build and install all types of fixed seating, pews and booth seating for pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. When fitting out a premise the seating is almost paramount for a successful space. Fixed seating, booth seating or banquette seating as its also called can come in variety of colours, finishes, types and styles. Below are just a few examples showing what we have done in the past. With clever planning, seating generates

a great flow for customers and staff around a pub, restaurant, cafe or club. It can be used to divide areas, create new spaces in a room and offer intimacy allowing for the perfect social meet up. The beauty of bespoke fixed seating is that we can make the most of and take advantage of your space and features. We can come to your venue and measure up, give you advice and show you examples of our past work, finishes, types and styles. We have a wide range of Bar Furniture, including tables, stools, chairs, outdoor beer garden, fixed seating and banqueting furniture. If you require a bespoke quote either call us on 01422 839 690 or you can send us an email. See the advert below.

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Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers Celebrating 40 years of experience in the sale and manufacture of wooden trolleys for the catering trade, Euroservice trolley manufacturers have now acquired a worldwide reputation and still offer an extensive /comprehensive range of top quality wooden trol-

leys manufactured in the UK. Top quality is a priority in the production of all of our products and Euroservice are specialists in the manufacture of sturdy and beautiful looking trolleys which will grace any environment from the small privately owned restau-

Square One Interiors Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furniture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years. Having had a history in design and furniture design, an idea was born and he decided to run with it. He loved the idea of a rustic looking, industrial range which was also eco friendly and sustainable. He soon found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as well as several different wood finishes which would compliment

rant to the splendid 3 to 5 star hotels, resorts and Residential homes. Euroservice’s excellence in the manufacture of wooden trolleys is backed by a personal, efficient and friendly service second to none. We are always busy researching the needs of the market and launch new ranges according to market demands. Whatever your needs you can be assured that Euroservice can cater for them and we look forward to your call. Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com See the advert on page 2 for further information.

the overall design. Making furniture from scratch also had its benefits, as Jamie soon found that businesses would approach him with specific needs and requirements, meaning that he was able to provide a fully bespoke service, as well as offering design and advice.

Capricorn Contract Furnishings Capricorn Contract Furnishings are now firmly established as one of the country's largest stockist and supplier of quality contract furnishings to cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels. Capricorn are based in a 40, 000 square feet showroom and distribution warehouse on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon. From within the distribution area we are able to offer a next day delivery service on thousands of products including tables , chairs , stools

Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture companies and high street names. Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space! For more information visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk and lounge furniture. Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market. Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements. Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For more information or a Capricorn Contract Furnishings catalogue and price list contact Brian Pengelly on 01395 233 320, or visit www.ccf-ltd.uk.

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LSS and Kickstart Scheme Helping To Support Hospitality The LSS Group has become a Kickstart Gateway to help the hospitality sector place young people in jobs at a true zero net cost to employers. With over 30yrs experience in the Hospitality and Leisure sectors, LSS Group is aware that employing staff, in a cost-effective way, is an issue as the sector begins to open up. Potential employers will receive bespoke support from LSS Group to enable them to take part, and LSS Group will handle the application process and provide ongoing support. LSS Group provides comprehensive wrap-around support to the young people taking part throughout their six-month placement including mentoring, a dedicated placement manager, skills development, help with CV-building and job applications, and post-placement support towards future employment.

Andy Merricks, CEO of LSS Group said ”Covid-19 has had a profound impact on the Hospitality and Leisure sectors as well as employment and young people entering the labour market are among the worst affected. We are pleased to be able to support the sectors and believe that our experience will enable businesses to scale up recruitment in a manageable way as well as help young people to enter the industry and gain valuable experience and earnings. It also provides an opportunity to nurture some much needed ’home grown’ talent.” The process from application to interviewing potential placements can take around 6 weeks so now is a good time to contact LSS Group either by visiting their website – www.thelssgroup.co.uk or email kickstart@thelssgroup.co.uk

This will take the stress away from placement providers and allow them to focus on providing a high-quality work placement experience.

Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Much like the mythological bird, Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions was born from the ashes of an industry which has grown tired and disassociated from the people it is designed to protect. Phoenix is built to be different, our main focus is you. We have built our business with care at the core of everything we do. We strive to offer a quality personalised service which is tailored to each individual’s needs — we listen to you, get to know you and aim to support you every step of the way. Your business is in most cases the biggest risk and the biggest asset you will ever have

from the initial days of worrying about business levels and cash flow through to staff and HR issues and then back to business levels and cash flow, a revolving cycle. Within your business you will also have your trusted partners, your accountants and bankers, do you include your insurance broker? If not why not? Commercial insurance should not just be about the lowest possible price, it should be with someone you can work with and trust, someone flexible to the changes your business faces and someone who can advise you of which covers you may like to consider and not just the ones which you are legal required to have. Does your business description on your policy actually match your business, are your sums insured reviewed and adequate, do you have seasonal stock increases? Have you declared the accurate turnover and wageroll? We work with you to help you establish and maintain an insurance program which meets your needs and provides the best value for money. See the advert on the inside back cover or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

Debt Lawyer Urges Pub Owners To Make Repayment Plans With Landlords By Alan Hamblett, Director at Corclaim (www.corclaimdebt.co.uk) "I can't abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly don't want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again" – Boris Johnson, July 2020. In June 2020, when a second wave and a second lockdown were being talked about as an unlikely possibility, the government published a code of practice for commercial rent debt. This was designed to encourage landlords and tenants to work together after the first lockdown. By Christmas, Johnson assured us, everything would be back to normal.

pursue a previous tenant if the lease was assigned to the current tenant. A section 17 notice will have to be served within six months of the debt falling due. Where the tenant has sublet the premises, it is possible to serve notice on the subtenant requiring the rent to the paid direct to the superior landlord. Although forfeiture is not permitted on the basis of non-payment of rent, it may be permitted on the basis of other breaches of covenant. If in doubt, speak to your solicitor. The question, as always, is whether you want to maintain a long commercial relationship or whether your own immediate cash flow is the priority.

We are now emerging from a third lockdown resulting in the closure of most retail outlets, pubs and restaurants until at least April. The re-opening will this time, we are told, be “irreversible”. With rates rising again across Europe, it remains to be seen how the word “irreversible” will come to be re-defined in the coming months. In the meantime though, landlords and tenants have a £2bn mountain of debt to move and this is continuing to grow all the time. So, what does the Code say? How should responsible landlords and tenants work together? The foreword says that "Government has always been clear that tenants who are able to pay their rent in full should continue to do so, whilst those businesses that cannot pay in full should communicate with their landlord and pay what they can. Landlords should also provide support to businesses if they too are able to do so". Helpful? Landlords are property owners who have loans to service, investors to satisfy, properties to maintain and other overheads to meet. They may also be brewers who have beer to sell. Tenants are business owners who have customers to satisfy, staff to pay, Covid regulations to observe, suppliers and other overheads. And of course, both landlords and tenants are in business to make profit. Whilst, historically, there may have been an element of mistrust – especially in the pub sector – between landlords and tenants as to equality of bargaining power and fairness, it is essential for the survival of so many businesses that landlords and tenants should now work together. Tenants must explain what financial help they have obtained and what they have done with it. There are of course government grants available for exactly this purpose. Landlords should be willing to provide concessions where they "reasonably" can, taking into account their own financial commitments and all the information provided by the tenant, which should be treated sensitively and confidentially, about the financial impact of restricted trading. Landlords refusing concessions should explain openly to tenants why they are doing so. Concessions could, for example, involve a rent free period, deferral of rent, payment monthly rather than quarterly, or waiver of interest on late payment. Any variation to the lease should be confirmed by written memorandum - speak to your solicitor if in doubt. It should be confirmed in writing that any rent concessions will terminate automatically if any proposal for voluntary arrangement is put forward. The landlord's voting rights will then be by reference to the full amount and not the reduced amount. If reasonable arrangements cannot be agreed by the parties, then how can a rent debt be enforced? First, let's look at what a landlord cannot do. Forfeiture of commercial leases for non-payment of rent is still prohibited. This prohibition originally expired on 30th June 202 and has been extended every three months. It currently expires on 30th June 2021. No doubt it will be extended again. CRAR (Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery) is no longer available either unless the debt pre-dates Covid. Statutory demands and winding up petitions are prohibited unless it can be shown that the debt is not due to the effects of the virus on the debtor's financial position. It is still possible to issue debt proceedings against the tenant or any guarantor. Judgment can be enforced in the usual way. It may also be possible to

KICKSTART SCHEME HELPING TO SUPPORT HOSPITALITY Your Hospitality business can benefit from a FREE 6-month work placement from a 16-24yr old. Funding for each role covers: 100% of age-appropriate national minimum wage for 25 hours a week All associated employer national insurance contributions Employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions LSS Group will provide a ‘wrap around’ service, managing the whole process on your behalf

Go to

www.thelssgroup.co.uk/a-kickstart-gateway/ or call 0333 444 0630 for a ‘no obligation’ chat

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Capify - We’re Here To Support You For over 13 years, Capify has worked closely with the hospitality sector, providing them with much-needed funding when some of the more traditional routes for financing have been closed to them. Now is no different as we have a £50m fund to help your business recover as the economy begins to open up again.

If you'd like to find out how much finance you qualify for to help you continue your post-Covid recovery, click here - https://bit.ly/3aLzPsg. You'll be taken to Capify's website, where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes. You'll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments.

A Capify business loan is easy to apply for and can be approved and paid out in as little as 24 hours. Our business loan's flexibility means that you can use it for any business purpose, such as; • managing short-term cash flow issues • purchasing extra food and drink • making your premises Covid safe

• purchasing new catering equipment Capify's lending criteria will consider the challenges of the past year for each business. Our flexibility means we will try and look beyond your credit history when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth.

For those businesses not yet open, you can register your interest in the fund today. To find out more click here - https://bit.ly/3gVeFeO - or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.

• hiring additional staff

Roxburgh Milkins Help Healthy Weekly Figures Analysis & Reporting Service from David Hunter Fast Food Restaurant Chain Roxburgh Milkins are a business law firm with a personal approach. Recently they have aided Friska, a fresh food company: Company bio: Founded in Bristol but expanding nationally, Friska offers seasonal, ethically sourced fresh food to eat in, take away or for office catering. The company received £3m of investment in 2017 from YFM equity Partners to finance its planned roll out. Founders: With previous experience in food retail, economics and technology, Ed Brown and Griff Holland have been able to create an exceptional restaurant chain: great, healthy food backed up by impressive proprietary technology to run things efficiently and engage successfully with their customers. How Roxburgh Milkins helped: Roxburgh Milkins have worked with Ed and Griff since shortly after they founded Friska in 2009. Since then Roxburgh Milkins

have advised them through the various steps of their fund raising - initially funding from friends and family, then angel investment and most recently private equity. What they say about Roxburgh Milkins: "Working with the team at Roxburgh Milkins was an absolute blast; they also added a great deal of value throughout the whole fund-raising process. "They are commercially astute, professionally accomplished and extremely personable. "As a team they are straight forward to work with and pragmatic, which removes a lot of the tit-for-tat that is often associated with legal wrangling towards the end of the deal process." For further information visit www.roxburghmilkins.com

David Hunter has been in the business for over 30 years, and with his vast amount of experience has become an expert in ensuring that businesses reach their full financial potential.

For years he’s provided a bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service to a select few, and he has always provided with that, free-ofcharge weekly figures analysis and reporting … yes, weekly. David has now come up with a way of making his amazing Mentoring & Consultancy service more accessible to the wider market, and for a lower monthly fee. Instead of being charged for monthly consultancy, you can now access David’s knowledge and expertise via his already-established and very well-used weekly figures reporting system. He will send you weekly

reports on how your business is doing and will throw in FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE AT ALL, four half-day on site Mentoring & Consultancy visits per year (or two full days, depending on location). He will also always be at the end of a phone for you, or email, if you needed him, and he also has access to legal experts as well as a ‘’tried and trusted’’ Bowden Group Alliance colleague who can advise you … again FREE OF CHARGE … on how to save money on your utility bills. If you have a Pub, Restaurant or Hotel business which is facing financial or operational challenges … why not let David have a look, and help you maximise your full potential. There is no cost to David having a look at your figures, and letting you know what COULD be achieved. Call David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or on 01628 487613.