Share Tweet Share Email Like-for-like sales increased by 5.2% in the 13 weeks to 28 April 2024, compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date (YTD) like-for-like sales increased by 8.3%. Total sales increased by 3.3% in the quarter and by 6.5% YTD. The last week of the period last year included a bank holiday weekend, whereas this year the bank holiday was a week later. Excluding that week, like-for-like sales for the first 12 weeks of the period increased by 6.0%. The uplit is attributed to the younger generation are drinking Guinness while the older generation are driving coffee sales ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email Two talented rising hospitality stars are following in the footsteps of our sporting Olympic stars, as they prepare to represent the UK at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, known as the ‘skills Olympics’. Oska Ready, who studied at DN Colleges Group and now works for DN1 Delicatessen & Dining in Doncaster will represent the UK in Cooking. Ruby Pile, who completed a BTEC in Hospitality at Cardiff and Vale College and now works at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa near Bath will represent the UK in Restaurant Services. WorldSkills UK, a four nations partnership between education, indus ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email Sam Martin, CEO of Peckwater Brands, said: “The Bank of England is understandably unwilling to loosen its grip on inflation, particularly as concerns around rising food prices and wages remain. But if you want an example of just how blunt an instrument interest rates are in the fight against inflation, take a look at the hospitality sector, which finds itself battered from both sides. “Hospitality businesses are facing higher costs across the board – labour, ingredients, taxes, energy. In turn, they are forced to pass on price increases to customers in order to stay afl ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email The 2024 instalment of the Eurovision Song Contest could see more than £72 million spent in UK hospitality venues, according to a new survey* from music licensing company PPL PRS. The survey of 2,000 Brits revealed that two-thirds (67%) of us will be tuning in to the contest this year, nearly three-quarters (72%) of whom will be supporting the United Kingdom’s entry Olly Alexander, of Years & Years fame. More than one in 10 (11%) won’t be supporting any country but watching the show for enjoyment. Nearly one in 12 (7%) plan to go out for the evening to celebrate Eur ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email Licensees around the country have cause for celebration a little early as today, the government confirmed it will relax Licensing Laws for the semi-finals and final of the Euros for licensed premises to avoid repeating problems which surrounded Women’s World Cup 2023 final. The laws in question, the Licensing Act 2003, will be relaxed for matches involving England and Scotland for the semi-finals and finals of UEFA Euro 2024 which will be good news to thousands of publicans, hospitality managers and licensors around the country. Not forgetting the millions of fans who w ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email A team of six talented young chefs, including three debutants, will be representing Wales in a prestigious international culinary competition in the United Arab Emirates later this month. The Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) has been invited to compete against eight other countries in the Alen Thong Golden Coffee Pot Young Chef Challenge at The International Emirates Salon Culinaire, during Expoculinaire 2024 Sharjah from May 20-22. Flying the flag for Wales will be captain Calum Smith, 23, and Jordan Howorth, 25, sous chefs at Shrewsbury School, Shrewsbury, sous che ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email Pubs will be allowed to open longer if England or Scotland make it to the semi-finals of Euro 2024, the Government has said. Venues will be able to extend their opening hours to 1am, an extra two hours, on match days if ether or both teams progress to the final four of the tournament. In November 2023, the government launched a 12-week public consultation to propose pub licensing hours in England and Wales be extended to 1am if any of the UK nations remaining in the tournament reach the latter two rounds in Germany. As both England and Scotland have qualified for the to ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email A new report published today shows average beer production volumes amongst independent breweries have risen by 14% compared to 2023, returning to pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 4 years. Cask beer has also seen a big increase, with volumes up 10% year-on-year, according to the SIBA Independent Beer Report 2024. New surveying data of hundreds of independent craft breweries forms a key part of the findings in the SIBA Independent Beer Report 2024, which also features industry analysis and commentary, as well as specially commissioned consumer research via YouGov ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email Thornbridge Brewery have worked with Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) to save a Burton Union set and in doing so ensure that a vital part of British Brewing history remains operational. The Union System dates back to the 1800s and is a beautiful wood-barrel fermentation system that has been used continuously in the production of different beers over the decades. Thornbridge has stepped in to save one of the sets, not only for its historic importance, but also to utilise it in a modern way and continue to premiumise their cask beer range. Starting with a brew o ..read more

Share Tweet Share Email New First Minister should support and value hospitality and tourism as one of Scotland’s economic giants, UKHospitality Scotland has said. Leon Thompson, Executive Director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “I’d like to congratulate John Swinney on being appointed as First Minister and I look forward to working with him and his government. “I hope the First Minister takes advantage of this moment to start afresh with businesses, who feel they have not been listened to or properly valued in recent years. The Scottish Government has at its disposal a hospitality and touris ..read more