CLH Digital - Issue #337

THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR & LICENSED TRADE Issue 337

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Hospitality Pays Over 82p Tax For Every £1 Profit... Sector “Vastly Overtaxed” Say Critics

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• TOASTERS • STAINLESS STEEL SINKS & TABLING •

High street pubs, restaurants and shops are being squeezed by the heaviest tax burden on businesses in any major sector of the economy, according to new research. New analysis by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has highlighted the significant tax burden facing the UK’s hospitality and retail sectors, with businesses col-

lectively paying £62 billion in taxes during 2025/26 through business rates, employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs), VAT and other government taxes. The analysis found that hospitality businesses paid the equivalent of 82p in business taxes for every £1 of pre-tax profit, compared with 72p for the retail sector.

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Issue 337

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH News NO SURPRISE HERE: HOSPITALITY IS THE MOST HEAVILY TAXED SECTOR IN BRITAIN EDITOR

Peter Adams

If the latest figures on hospitality’s tax burden come as a surprise to anyone, it can only be those who have spent the last two years in a cave on the moon!

The analysis from the British Retail Consortium, backed by UKHospitality, found that for every £1 of pre-tax profit, hospitality businesses pay the equivalent of 82p in business taxes. Retail pays 72p. The average across the 11 main sectors of the economy is 50p, and banking sits at just 40.5p. Hospitality paid £22.9bn in 2025/26, and that burden has risen again this year. Everyone working in this trade has been saying exactly this, loudly and repeatedly, for a long time. It really is hard to understand how such a basic economic concept keeps eluding politicians. Tax a business to the point where there is little profit left and it will not invest, it will not hire, and eventually it will not survive. As the hospitality storm gathered over these past two years, and well before, reasoned voices from inside and outside the sector were raised. What was the response? Yet another tax given the green light: the so-called “tourist tax”. Just how many taxes can one industry stand?

failures in the Republic of Ireland’s hospitality sector have dropped by nearly a quarter this year, with the Government’s reduced VAT rate for food service seen as a possible factor. Who would have thought it? PwC Ireland’s latest insolvency barometer recorded 86 hospitality insolvencies in the nine months to the end of September. That is 23% fewer than in the same period of 2025, and well short of the roughly 35 a quarter the sector has averaged since the start of 2023. PwC described this as a sign of continued stabilisation and suggested the VAT cut may have helped. From 1 July, the rate on restaurant and catering services fell from 13.5% to 9%. I suspect you would be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees that lower taxes mean fewer insolvencies. The campaign for lower hospitality VAT here is in full swing. Last week, chef-patron Tommy Banks proposed a reduced 13% rate for hospitality businesses with annual turnover under £50m, arguing that a targeted cut would give the Chancellor a more defensible way to support the sector. It is a variation on the current campaign and will not be universally welcomed across the sector. Personally, I remain in favour of a blanket reduction for the entire industry. There is some good news too. Newcastle City Council (see page 11) has abolished its late night levy, under which venues open after midnight collectively paid more than £215,000 a year towards services supporting the night-time economy. There are arguments for and against such levies. In the 13 years since its introduction, businesses, each charged between £299 and £4,400 a year, paid almost £3.5m in total. But the council has clearly recognised that the economic landscape of 2026 is very different from that of 2013. It is refreshing to see a council prepared to acknowledge the difficulties operators face and ease the burden. The Chancellor should take note.

I note from our lead story that the Chancellor, John Healy, has called a meeting I would recommend readers sign up to our regular newsletter, which will deliver all with hospitality and retail leaders ahead of the Budget. Details are sparse at the moment, but we hope to bring you more in the coming week. Let’s hope it is a meet- the latest news directly to your inbox. ing that leads to action, not just a photo opportunity. You can sign up at www.catererlicensee.com/sign-up/ In the meantime, I would draw your attention to our story on page 9. Company I can always be contacted at edit@catererlicensee.com The Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News Group is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, 3 Carlton Mount, 2 Cranborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5BR. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.

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Issue 337

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Hospitality Pays Over 82p Tax For Every £1 Profit (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

Hospitality’s tax burden was £22.9 billion.

These are the highest rates for any sector, well above the 50p average effective tax rate of all eleven main sectors of the economy, including the 40.5p tax rate of the banking industry. Hospitality and retail’s effective tax rates rose further in 2026/27.

Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “This staggering data proves what we have long been saying: that hospitality is vastly overtaxed and has the highest tax burden in the economy.

High streets are among the places most vulnerable to rising business taxes. Shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés give town centres their life and provide local employment, yet these same businesses are, as the research reveals, carrying a heavy share of the business rates bill.

VACANT PROPERTIES Retail and hospitality together contribute roughly a third of all business rates collected in the UK, far more than their weight in the wider economy would suggest. One in seven high street properties now stands vacant. The April revaluation made matters worse, leaving many thousands of firms in physical premises with sharply higher rates bills. Both sectors have also felt the sting of higher employer National Insurance contributions, introduced in Rachel Reeves’s first Budget as chancellor in October 2024. Between them, retail and hospitality support close to five million jobs, however, the impact on jobs is already visible, over the past two years, retail has shed 122,000 roles and hospitality a further 93,000. Unlike manufacturing and construction, these sectors cannot lean on generous capital allowances or R&D tax relief to soften the blow.

£22.9 BN TAX BURDEN Ahead of the Budget, the BRC and UKHospitality are calling on the Chancellor to put local communities first and reduce the cost burden on these two sectors. This research includes independent economic analysis carried out by Flint Global, commissioned by the BRC, revealing the business tax burden facing retail, compared to other sectors in 2025-26.

“With more than 80% of every pound made going back to the Government, it is no surprise that our ability to create jobs, drive growth and regenerate the high street has been severely damaged. “If the Government wants to create jobs and drive growth in every postcode, it needs hospitality and the high street firing on all cylinders. “Hospitality’s tax burden needs to be dramatically reduced. We need an entire hospitality solution to business rates, which the Government can achieve by increasing the retail, hospitality and leisure discount and providing support to the businesses hardest hit by the 2026 revaluation, in line with the support given to pubs.”

‘REDUCE THE RATES BURDEN’ Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The Chancellor faces a choice: to continue to pile taxes onto our high streets and the millions of households that rely on them, or to give these businesses the breathing space needed to create jobs, deliver growth, and hold down prices. “Millions of people rely on retail jobs across the country, but the overwhelming tax burden puts those people at risk, with over 100,000 jobs lost in the last two years. “For every £1 of pre-tax profit made by retail, the equivalent of 72p is now paid in business taxes. This punishing tax burden has clear consequences: job losses, shuttered shops, and a missed opportunity to drive growth in every postcode. “For the benefit of high streets, young people and shoppers everywhere, the Chancellor should use the Budget to deliver a clear path to reducing the rates burden, now and in the future.”

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According to reports from Sky News chancellor John Healey is to meet retail, hospitality and leisure chiefs next Tuesday (October 13) morning, 15 days before his first big economic statement. The meeting is said to be convened to discuss 'the UK's retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, small businesses and the high street'. In his speech to the Labour Party conference earlier this month, the chancellor pledged to ease both the cost of living and the cost of doing business in this month's budget.

FOUR TASKS In September UKHospitality launched its Budget26 campaign, setting out four asks it wants chancellor John Healey to act on at the autumn Budget on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, warning that nearly 100,000 hospitality jobs have been lost across the sector in the past two years. Four measures to back hospitality growth 1. Cut VAT to 10% for hospitality - Bringing the UK closer to the tax treatment of hospitality across international competitors and giving businesses the headroom to invest, create jobs and keep prices down, with the reduced rate also covering paid visitor attractions. 2. Fix business rates for hospitality - Finish the job of repairing the damage caused by the 2026 revaluation, by increasing the RHL multiplier discount towards 20p, removing hospitality businesses from the surcharge on properties with a rateable value above £500,000, and providing a 20% discount for hotels and other businesses hardest hit by the 2026 revaluation – in line with the pub sector support. 3. Reduce employer NICs - Commit to increase the universal employer NIC Secondary Threshold to £10,000 by April 2029, reversing and expanding on the pre-2025 threshold and reducing the tax penalty on lower-paid, part-time and flexible employment. 4. Deliver devolution by replacing the holiday tax with a tourism bonus -Supporting destinations to invest in their visitor economies without imposing an additional tax on families and the businesses that accommodate them, through devolved funding linked to tourism growth.

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Issue 337

Pressure Comes With the Kitchen. Looking Out for Each Other Should Too Article supplied by World Association Of Chefs Societies - Worldchefs Ltd | www.worldchefs.org on another simple physical sensation. • Ask yourself, “Now what?” When something goes wrong, shift your attention to the next useful step instead of dwelling on the mistake. For more practical insights, tune in to When the Heat Is On: Mindfulness and Confidence with Melanie Underwood, an episode of World on a Plate exploring mindfulness, confidence and managing pressure in professional kitchens.

LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER STARTS WITH LISTENING Looking after our mental health isn’t only about recognising our own limits. It also means paying attention to the people we spend so much of our working lives alongside. A colleague who suddenly becomes quieter, seems constantly exhausted or struggles to concentrate may be going through a difficult time. We can’t know what’s happening based on these signs alone, but we can find an appropriate moment to check in. And, more importantly, listen to the answer. Active listening isn’t about immediately finding a solution. It’s about making space, avoiding quick judgements and taking what someone chooses to share seriously. As Kris Hall, Founder and CEO of The Burnt Chef Project, explains, human connection is a fundamental part of supporting mental health in hospitality. Chef, you know when a service is starting to go off the rails. But can you recognise when someone on your team is reaching their limit? 10 October marks World Mental Health Day, an opportunity to reflect on a familiar reality: professional kitchens are high-pressure environments where speed, precision and the ability to think on your feet are part of the job. But there’s a difference between rising to the challenges of a demanding service and accepting everything that happens in the heat of it as normal. In recent years, conversations around burnout, stress and mental health in hospitality have become more open. Yet awareness alone isn’t enough. It’s time to look more closely at the habits we’ve learned to accept, the tools that can help us through difficult moments, and how we look after the people working alongside us.

WHEN “THAT’S JUST THE JOB” GOES TOO FAR An occasional late finish might be unavoidable. But when overtime becomes the rule rather than the exception, that’s a different story. The same goes for consistently missed breaks, uneven workloads, or mistakes met with shouting and humiliation. At what point do we stop seeing these situations as problems and start calling them “just life in the kitchen”? This isn’t just a question of workplace culture. It has real consequences for whether people can see a future for themselves in the industry. In the 2026 report Should I Stay or Should I Go? Insights from a Global Survey on Chefs’ Intention to Leave, Bournemouth University and The Burnt Chef Project surveyed 460 chefs. Of those surveyed, 69% reported often or always thinking about leaving their jobs. And yet, many still love cooking, creating and working alongside their teams. What makes them question their future is often everything surrounding the job: unsustainable hours, understaffing, work-life conflict and harmful management practices. The problem isn’t necessarily that chefs have lost their passion for cooking. It’s the price some feel they have to pay to keep doing what they love. Changing that reality takes practical decisions: more sustainable schedules, breaks that are actually respected, fairer workloads and feedback that helps people improve without tearing them down. Building a positive kitchen culture doesn’t mean lowering expectations. It means creating the conditions for people to meet high standards without consistently sacrificing their wellbeing. Of course, even the best-run kitchens will have moments of intense pressure. And alongside the changes we need to make in our workplaces, there are personal skills worth developing too.

"What we really value, and in hospitality this is specifically true, is connection. In order for us to be able to feel like we’re seen and heard, we need to connect with another human being." — KRIS HALL, THE BURNT CHEF PROJECT A conversation is no substitute for professional support. But it can be the first step towards recognising when someone needs help.

And for those in leadership positions, listening brings another responsibility: taking concerns seriously and considering what can actually change in the way work is organised. This also connects with the World Health Organization’s theme for World Mental Health Day 2026, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”. People’s experiences should have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect their wellbeing. To explore the importance of connection and active listening, tune in to From Burnout to Breakthrough with The Burnt Chef Project CEO Kris Hall and discover the resources available through The Burnt Chef Project.

YOU FEED EVERYONE ELSE. DON’T FORGET YOURSELF. Here’s a paradox many hospitality professionals will recognise: we can spend an entire service preparing, tasting and perfecting food for others without finding a moment to sit down and eat ourselves. Between prep, service and clean-up, even our most basic needs can slip to the bottom of the list. Yet looking after our mental health also means paying attention to our physical wellbeing. It’s not about following the perfect diet or expecting good nutrition to solve mental health challenges on its own. It’s about recognising the importance of eating regularly, staying hydrated and having genuine opportunities to rest and recover. And here too, the responsibility shouldn’t fall entirely on individuals. Finding time for a proper break often depends on how work is organised and managed. In a profession dedicated to feeding others, it’s worth remembering that the people preparing the food need nourishment, care and support too.

THE STANDARD WE SET FOR EACH OTHER A successful service takes organisation, communication, attention to detail and teamwork. We consider these essential to delivering the quality our guests expect.

WHEN THE HEAT IS ON: FIND YOUR RESET

So why shouldn’t we place the same importance on how we look after the people who make that service possible?

During a busy service, it doesn’t take much for tensions to rise. A wrong order, a delayed preparation, an unexpected problem to solve while everything else keeps moving. In those moments, having a few tools to regain focus can make a difference.

Wellbeing shouldn’t become a priority only when someone reaches breaking point. It should have a place in everyday decisions, professional training, leadership and the way we work together.

TRY THIS: SMALL RESETS FOR BUSY KITCHENS • Box breathing: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, then pause for another four before repeating. • Physiological sigh: Take two consecutive inhales through your nose, followed by a slow, full exhale. • Physical grounding: Bring your attention back to your body for a moment. Notice your feet against the floor or focus

This World Mental Health Day, we can start by taking a closer look at what happens in our own kitchens: which habits need to change, which struggles we’ve learned to overlook, and how much room we give ourselves and others to ask for support. Because a kitchen doesn’t prove its excellence only through the quality of its food or its ability to handle a demanding service. It proves it in the way it treats the people who make it all happen. Pressure comes with the kitchen. Looking out for each other should too.

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Issue 337

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Drop the Pint Day Sees Venues Across the UK Offer Pints at Lower German Tax Rates

Pubs, bars and taprooms across the UK will be pouring pints at Germany’s lower tax rates today (Friday 9 October) as part of the Drop the Pint Day to highlight the potential benefits of a lower tax on pub beer ahead of the Budget later this month.

taps. The so called Draught Relief is currently set at a 13.9% reduced rate. Independent brewers believe that boosting this could create jobs, help grow the economy and give a boost to pubs and breweries across the UK.

The UK has one of the highest rates of tax on pub pints in Europe which is ten times as high as in Germany. Independent research revealed today finds that if the UK had a similar tax level as Germany it could create over 16,000 new jobs. The research by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) shows that it could see 119 million extra pints being poured and boost the economy by £663 million.

“When it comes to supporting breweries and beer, the Germans do it right. They understand the cultural importance and contribution they make to the local communities and therefore have a much lower rate of tax,” said Andy Slee, Chief Executive of the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) which is organising the campaign.

The Drop the Pint Day will see 65 venues across the UK reducing their prices on one cask or keg of beer to German tax levels on Friday only. This limited offer will be on a first come first served basis. It is in support of the Drop the Tap Tax campaign which asks beer drinkers to sign the petition and write to their MP ahead of the Budget on Wednesday 28 October when the Chancellor will make a decision on alcohol tax levels for next year. The Chancellor has the power to cut tax specifically on beer that is sold in pubs via the hand pulls and keg

“This is why pubs, bars and taprooms across the UK will be demonstrating what a lower tax on beer could do for us by pouring beer at German duty levels for the Drop the Pint Day. Getting the Chancellor to Drop the Tap Tax in his Budget would be a win-win for our community pubs, independent breweries and beer drinkers.” The campaign petition can be found at www.droptaptax.com and publicans, brewers and hospitality venues can download posters and share the petition on social media using the hashtag #DropTapTax. It runs up to the Autumn Budget which will be held on Wednesday 28 October 2026.

Wetherspoon Profits Fall Despite Sales Growth as Costs Continue to Weigh on Pubs J D Wetherspoon has reported a 28% fall in pre-tax profit for its latest financial year, despite a 5.2% increase in revenue and continued like-for-like sales growth across its pub estate. The pub operator reported revenue of £2.24bn for the 52 weeks to 26 July 2026, up from £2.13bn a year earlier, while like-for-like sales increased by 4.2%. However, profit before tax and separately disclosed items fell from £81.4m to £58.6m, with the company attributing the reduction primarily to higher operating costs. Operating profit before separately disclosed items fell 17.9% to £120.2m, compared with £146.4m in the previous financial year. The company’s operating margin declined from 6.88% to 5.37%. Wetherspoon said operating costs increased by 5.3%, including additional wage costs of £46m, repairs costs of £31m and business rates of £9m. The company’s financial results show that sales have continued to grow since the pandemic, with FY26 revenue 23% higher than in FY19. However, Wetherspoon said costs including energy, repairs and wages

have increased at a faster rate than sales over the same period.

same level.

Energy costs were 77.4% higher than in FY19, repairs were up 84.5% and wages had increased by 64.4%, while sales per pub were 36.6% above their pre-pandemic level.

It currently expects profit before tax and separately disclosed items for FY27 to be in line with market expectations, which the company puts at £74m.

The company said trading has started strongly in the new financial year.

Wetherspoon ended the financial year with 792 managed pubs, two fewer than the previous year and 87 fewer than in FY19.

Like-for-like sales increased by 8.6% during the nine weeks to 27 September 2026. Wetherspoon said the performance had been helped by unusually warm weather and increased investment in beer gardens and outdoor seating.

During the year, eight managed pubs opened while 15 properties were disposed of, including 10 trading pubs and five non-trading properties.

The company also reported that its like-for-like sales growth of 7.7% in August compared with industry growth of 0.8%, according to the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Wetherspoon said this represented the 48th consecutive month in which its like-for-like sales had outperformed the tracker. The operator cautioned, however, that some of the recent improvement was weather-related and therefore unlikely to be sustained at the

The company plans to open approximately 15 managed pubs during the current financial year, excluding franchises. Its franchised estate also continues to expand. Fifteen franchised pubs opened during FY26, taking the total to 23, with a further 15 to 20 franchise openings anticipated during the current financial year. Capital investment fell to £74.2m from £117m the previous year, although investment in new pubs and pub extensions increased to £28.7m from £24.1m.

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Issue 337

The Overnight Visitor Levy: What Hospitality Needs to Understand

By Arjun Kumar, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Taxd (www.taxd.co.uk)

GENUINELY UNEVEN NATIONAL PICTURE

on services. Both positions have merit, and the outcome will likely depend on how much consistency the government is willing to trade for Some regions have already signalled they will cap the levy at low single local control. figures, while others have said they will not apply it at all. That leaves near identical businesses a short distance apart facing very different cost 6. WHERE THE MONEY GOES WILL DECIDE bases, depending on which mayor covers their postcode. For operators HOW THE SECTOR RESPONDS near a regional boundary, this could shape where guests choose to book, Leaders have said revenue raised could be ring-fenced for tourismnot just how much they pay. related spending. If the funds are visibly reinvested into the infrastructure 3. COST OF LIVING PRESSURE LANDS ON that supports visitor numbers, such as attractions, transport, or event DOMESTIC TRAVELLERS TOO funding, the sector is more likely to accept the charge as a fair exchange. Because the levy is calculated on total spend and applies to British visi- If the money is absorbed into general local budgets with no visible return, resistance from operators is likely to grow. tors as well as international ones, its effect reaches beyond inbound tourism revenue. A family booking a weekend break within the UK faces the same charge as a visitor from overseas, at a time when many households are already weighing up whether a domestic trip is affordable.

PARTING THOUGHTS:

"Local authorities have a genuine funding need," says Kumar. "But a tax with no cap and no fixed formula adds pressure to a sector that has very 4. IT ADDS A NEW VARIABLE TO AN ALREADY little room left to carry it, and it is entry level jobs that are most STRETCHED SECTOR exposed if that pressure keeps building."

Regional mayors are set to gain the power to add a percentage charge, expected to reach up to 5%, on overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs, and Hospitality has absorbed a run of cost increases this year. Employer “Hospitality businesses need to be able to plan their costs, pricing and short-term lets. The charge applies to the full cost of the stay rather than National Insurance contributions rose as part of the wider 26 billion investment ahead of time. An uncapped local levy adds another variable a flat nightly fee, and covers British visitors alongside international ones. pound tax increase on employers, the minimum wage went up again, and that operators may have to factor into those decisions from one year to the next.“That comes on top of significant cost pressures already facing For a sector already managing several years of rising costs, the levy rais- business rates relief was cut. UK Hospitality has said 100,000 jobs have been lost from the industry since these changes began. A tax with no hotels, pubs and restaurants. For businesses operating on tight margins, es questions that go well beyond the headline rate. ceiling and no fixed formula adds a cost that cannot be forecast on top of the question isn't simply what the levy costs today, but what it could 1. IT BEHAVES UNLIKE ANY TAX THE SECTOR costs the sector has already had to absorb. mean for pricing, investment and hiring in the future.

CURRENTLY MANAGES

5. THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST A NATIONAL

“Hospitality has traditionally been an important first step into work for young people. When an operator is deciding whether to take on another employee, invest in the business or hold money back, uncertainty around future costs inevitably feeds into that calculation.

"An uncapped levy is different to VAT or business rates, since neither of CAP those changes without notice," says Arjun, "This levy moves at a mayor's A national cap would give operators a fixed figure to build into pricing, discretion, so two identical hotels in different cities could end up on difand would stop identical businesses in different regions competing on ferent rates, with no warning of the next rise. That unpredictability is uneven terms. Against that, some mayors argue that local tourism infrasharder to plan around than the size of the bill itself." tructure needs vary too widely for one number to fit every city, and that a cap would limit the funding available to areas with the greatest strain 2. LOCAL DISCRETION IS PRODUCING A

“Local authorities need sustainable funding, but if the Government wants hospitality businesses to invest and grow, operators also need enough certainty to plan ahead.”

Hospitality Action and #VATsTheProblem Join Forces to Walk for Wellbeing UK charity Hospitality Action’s annual fundraising event, Walk for Wellbeing, has partnered with #VATsTheProblem campaign to highlight the financial pressures facing the hospitality sector and the direct impact these can have on the mental health and wellbeing of its people. With the industry facing unprecedented pressure, conversations around mental health, wellbeing and financial resilience have never been more important. As hospitality businesses are forced to navigate an increasingly challenging operating environment, with financial pressures, under-resourcing and demanding workloads often impacting mental health, the partnership provides a platform to raise awareness of these challenges and advocate for meaningful support.

tality workers and ensuring they have access to support when they need it, there is also a need to understand and address the wider issues that can contribute to poor mental health in the first place. “Our partnership with #VATsTheProblem allows us to reach more people to highlight these wider challenges and show what those pressures can mean for our people. Walk for Wellbeing gives the industry a positive way to come together and support one another and show the strength of a sector that looks out for its own.” Spearhead of the #VATsTheProblem campaign, chef and patron of Hospitality Action, Tom Kerridge, said: “I’m delighted that Hospitality Action and the #VATsTheProblem campaign are joining forces to spark conversations about how we look after one another amid the ongoing challenges hospitality is currently facing.

The #VATsTheProblem campaign is calling for a 10% rate of VAT for hospitality, bringing the UK in line with the European average. Spearheaded by chef Tom Kerridge and supported by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and CODE Hospitality, to date, more than 395,000 people have signed the #VATsTheProblem petition.

“It’s more important than ever that we support each other in hospitality and by getting behind both Hospitality Action and the VAT campaign, we can make our voices heard and bang the drum for hospitality.

The partnership will officially come to fruition at this year’s Walk for Wellbeing, taking place between 10-25 October in fourteen different cities around the UK. Businesses, teams and individuals across hospitality are invited to unite and take part in a city near them, walking side by side to champion wellbeing in all its forms, be it mental, physical or financial.

Walk for Wellbeing. Walk for Hospitality.

Alongside raising vital funds for Hospitality Action, Walk for Wellbeing and #VATsTheProblem will also be encouraging participants and the wider industry to demonstrate strength and solidarity by adding their voice to the conversation around the pressures facing the industry, as well its call for a national 10% cut in VAT. Mark Lewis, CEO at Hospitality Action, said: “There is real power in standing together. For Hospitality Action, whilst the focus is on supporting hospi-

“Together, let’s support Hospitality Action and call for a fairer future for our sector, with a 10% hospitality VAT rate in line with Europe.” Let’s walk the walk and make a positive difference together. Take part in Walk for Wellbeing 2026 at one of fourteen 10km or 20km nationwide walks between 10 – 25 October in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Cornwall, Devon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hampshire, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle and York. For more information and to register, please visit www.walkforwellbeing.org. For more information about #VATsTheProblem and to sign the petition, please visit www.vatstheproblem.co.uk.

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branding images, printed directly into fondant icing. Customers can buy the finished product or just the fondant toppers to add to their own decorations.

Based in Chorley, Lancashire the team at Eat My Logo Limited strive to make brands tasty. Every week they send tens of thousands of branded food items to business around the UK to help them promote their brand in a fun and tasty way.

A growing confectionary range offers a choice of traditional sweets, packed in small eco friendly bags that are branded with your own brand or logo. You can also choose from tubs, jars and tubes.

With a wide range of products that include cakes and biscuits, confectionary and chocolate, there is plenty to choose from to meet the needs of your business. Eat My Logo bake their own cake and biscuit ranges, many of which are decorated with high quality edible

Their chocolatiers create delicious, branded chocolate bars and chocolate boxes using high quality couverture chocolate. These unique chocolate products are ideal hotel room favours, whether branded with an edible logo or a small pack of truffles.

With low minimum order quantities and competitive prices, they can offer a great range of products to add that extra special touch to your hospitality offering. For 25% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER, please register your details via the QR code. www.eatmylogo.co.uk emlsales@eatmylogo.co.uk 01772 472 580 See the advert on page 2 for details.

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Chef Tommy Banks Calls for 13% VAT Rate for Smaller Hospitality Businesses COST VERSUS CLOSURES

Chef-patron Tommy Banks has proposed a reduced 13% VAT rate for hospitality businesses with annual turnover under £50m, arguing that a targeted cut would give the Chancellor a more defensible way to support the sector.

Banks accepted that the policy would be expensive, but said the figure should be set against the cost of more closures, lost jobs and a narrower tax base. In his view, the change could help viable businesses survive and encourage new operators to open.

Banks, who runs The Black Swan at Oldstead in North Yorkshire, said the plan is based on research from Bournemouth University Business School and Hospitality Voices. The study puts the net cost to the Treasury at between £3.2bn and £3.6bn a year.

He also stressed the sector’s role as an employer of young people. He said almost 40% of its workforce is aged 16 to 24, and that hospitality gives many their first job and a route into a career. Supporting those employers, he argued, is essential if the government is serious about youth opportunity.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE VAT DEBATE The proposal departs from the #VATsTheProblem campaign led by chef Tom Kerridge. That campaign has the backing of major trade bodies and has gathered close to 400,000 signatures. It seeks a permanent cut in hospitality VAT from 20% to 10% for all operators, whatever their size.

Alongside The Black Swan, Banks operates Roots in York, The Abbey Inn at Byland and The General Tarleton near Knaresborough. He said the loss of pubs, restaurants and cafés reaches beyond economics, particularly in rural areas, where pubs often serve as the social centre of village life. Once such venues close, he warned, they are hard to bring back.

Picture Credit: Tommy Banks Group

Banks is a leading supporter of that campaign, but says the turnover cap responds to one of its most common criticisms: that large multinational operators have no need of a tax break. He described it as a fair challenge. With the Budget approaching, Banks said his aim is to protect jobs and keep smaller businesses that anchor their local communities trading.

APPEAL TO THE PRIME MINISTER Banks also urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to honour his earlier backing for a lower hospitality VAT rate. He said Burnham had been notably silent on the issue since entering office, and described the Budget as the moment that will show whether he follows through.

Admiral Taverns Acquires Mountain Pub Company Admiral Taverns has acquired community pub operator Mountain Pub Company from specialist investment manager Downing.

admired the Mountain Pubs business and share the same unwavering passion for supporting community pubs across the country.

Mountain Pub Company, led by Helen Standing, operates 10 wetled community pubs across the North of England, including The Southport Coaster in Southport and The White Hart in Todmorden.

The Mountain Pub portfolio will sit as part of our Proper Pubs business, strengthening our footprint of affordable community pubs across the UK, offering everything from a great range of beers, welcoming atmosphere, sport and entertainment, the critical DNA that makes for a great local pub experience.”

Following completion of the deal, the Mountain Pub Company portfolio will sit as part of Admiral Taverns’ Proper Pubs division, which is led by Nathan Wall. Proper Pubs currently operates 245 community pubs across England, Scotland and Wales, with the Mountain Pub Company sites adding to its existing estate. The acquisition forms part of Admiral Taverns’ wider plans to expand its pub estate across the UK. The group is backed by investment firm Proprium Capital Partners and has continued to invest in its existing pubs, with a focus on supporting operators and licensees in developing sustainable businesses. Commenting, Chris Jowsey, Chief Executive of Admiral Taverns said: “On behalf of the entire team at Admiral Taverns I am delighted to welcome the Mountain Pub Company to Admiral Taverns. We have long

Commenting, Helen Standing, CEO of Mountain Pubs said: “Mountain Pub Company launched with The Southport Coaster in November 2022, founded on an ambition to create high-quality, well-invested community pubs, growing to 10 pubs over two years. Mountain’s operating-partner model combines local entrepreneurship with clear operating standards, commercial discipline and central support, allowing each pub to develop its own identity and community offer. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Downing throughout Mountain’s growth journey. Their support and background of investment in the sector has been instrumental in helping us build a strong and successful pub business. We are pleased that Admiral Tavern’s experienced operator-managed team will continue to invest in and grow Mountain.”

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London's Pubs and the Threshold That Misses Them

By Alan Fang, AIDO MIND, publisher of www.knowyourrates.co.uk

If the Budget raises the small business rate relief threshold, it will be sold as help for the high street. For most London pubs it will change nothing. The 2026 rating list shows why, and where the money really is. If the Budget on 28 October raises the small business rate relief threshold from £12,000 to £17,096, as has been widely trailed, it will be reported as help for the high street. For most of London's pubs it will make no difference at all.

by 25% or more on 1 April, and the median rise was 23.6%. Only 17% went down. In Haringey 83% of pubs rose by a quarter or more, in Newham 77% and in Hackney 76%. In the City, fewer than a quarter did. That landed at the same moment as the 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief ended. In its place came lower multipliers: 38.2p for premises under £51,000 and 43p from £51,000 up to £499,999. 55% of London pubs are valued at £51,000 or more, so most are on 43p. For a pub at the London median of £59,000, that is a starting bill of about £25,400, before the 15% pubs relief announced in January and any transitional relief.

WHY THE VALUATION REVIEW MATTERS MORE

We went through the 2026 rating list for every retail, hospitality and leisure premises across London's 33 billing authorities, just over 109,000 of them, and pulled out the 3,441 pubs. The median London pub now has a rateable value of £59,000. Only 209 pubs, about 6%, sit in the band between £12,001 and £17,096 that a higher threshold would bring into relief. Another 324 are already under £12,000. The remaining 2,908, or 84.5%, are above the proposed line, and 984 are valued at £100,000 or more.

The government's call for evidence on how pubs and hotels are valued closes on 16 October. Pubs are not valued from rents. The Valuation Office works from fair maintainable trade, an estimate of what a reasonably efficient operator would take over the bar, and applies a percentage to it. Trading at the 2026 list's valuation date fed straight through, which is the mechanism behind the rises above.

Hospitality as a whole does little better. 9% of London hospitality premises fall in the new band, against 20% of shops. A threshold change is a retail measure that happens to include a few pubs.

While the policy argument goes on, there are four things worth checking on the bill in front of you.

That is where the money is for most London pubs, not the threshold. The review's recommendations are aimed at the 2029 revaluation, so operators and trade bodies who saw large rises should put evidence in now, with real figures: turnover, costs, the old and new rateable value, and what changed in between.

WHAT TO CHECK ON THIS YEAR'S BILL First, the 15% pubs relief should appear as its own line. It is meant to be applied automatically. If it is not there, ask the council.

WHERE IT DOES BITE

Second, the multiplier should match the rateable value: 38.2p under £51,000, 43p from £51,000 to £499,999. A pub under £500,000 billed at 48p or more has the wrong multiplier.

London is not one market. In Westminster the median pub is valued at £121,000, in the City £108,000, in Kensington and Chelsea £106,000 and in Camden £86,000. Between 96% and 100% of pubs in those boroughs are above £17,096.

Third, if the rateable value jumped, check whether transitional relief has been applied, and whether the supplement for those not getting it has been added correctly.

At the other end, Newham's median pub is valued at £18,000 and half of its 60 pubs are at or below the new line. Barking and Dagenham (45%) and Tower Hamlets (33%) are the only other boroughs where a higher threshold would reach a meaningful share. These are the smaller locals, and in London they are the exception.

WHAT ACTUALLY MOVED THE BILLS The bigger story is the revaluation itself. Almost half of London's pubs (48.7%) saw their rateable value rise

Fourth, compare the rateable value with similar pubs on the same street and nearby. Every valuation on the list is public. If yours looks out of line with its neighbours, the VOA's check and challenge route is open. The threshold is cheap to announce. For London's pubs, the number that matters is the one on the valuation, and the window to influence how that is worked out closes on 16 October. Figures: VOA 2026 rating list, retail, hospitality and leisure premises in London's 33 billing authorities; pubs are entries described as public houses. Analysis by knowyourrates.co.uk.

New Cornwall Hospitality Workforce Skills Hub Launches at Expowest Cornwall The Expowest Cornwall trade show, 2-3 March 2027, has launched the Cornwall Hospitality Workforce Skills Hub, a new feature designed to connect hospitality businesses with organisations supporting skills, training, apprenticeships, recruitment and workforce development. Delivered in partnership with FSB Cornwall, who also lead on the LSIP (Local Skills Improvement Plan) for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, the Cornwall Hospitality Workforce Skills Hub brings together organisations working across skills, careers, training and workforce development to provide practical support and guidance for hospitality businesses. Located in a dedicated feature area at the Expowest Cornwall trade show, the Hub creates a focal point where trade visitors can meet organisations helping businesses attract, develop and retain talented people. The launch reflects the growing importance of workforce development within Cornwall's hospitality, food and drink sectors, while adding a new and valuable feature to the show. Mike Anderson, Managing Director of Hale Events, said: "Expowest Cornwall has always been about helping hospitality businesses discover new products, suppliers and opportunities. The Cornwall Hospitality Workforce Skills Hub adds another important dimension by focusing

on one of the industry's biggest challenges: people.

providers and workforce organisations."

By bringing together organisations involved in training, apprenticeships, careers and workforce support, we're creating a practical feature that offers genuine value for visitors and exhibitors alike."

The Cornwall Hospitality Skills Hub includes organisations involved in: • Hospitality skills and training • Apprenticeships • Careers and education • Workforce development • Recruitment support • Employer engagement A number of key partner organisations are currently being invited to participate in the Hub.

Ann VanderMeulen, Development Manager at FSB Cornwall, said: "People and skills remain high on the agenda and in huge demand for hospitality businesses across Cornwall. Our research for the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) confirmed that businesses see finding the right staff as fundamental to success as having great suppliers of the best goods and services. This is why we have partnered with the show to highlight careers, pathways and opportunities, particularly in the food supply, catering and hospitality sector.

Trade visitors will be able to explore training opportunities, meet workforce support organisations, discover apprenticeship programmes and learn more about the resources available to support hospitality businesses across Cornwall.

The Cornwall Hospitality Workforce Skills Hub provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to discover the support available to them while encouraging collaboration between employers, education

For more information and to register to attend, or speak to us about getting involved, visit www.expowestcornwall.co.uk or call Hale Events on 01934 733433.

Logicall Wireless Solutions - Temperature Monitoring Manual temperature checks are costly, time-consuming, and prone to error. Staff need to take readings regularly, log them accurately, and spot potential issues before they escalate. But what happens if a fridge or freezer breaks down overnight? You won’t know until the next day—and by then, you’ve already lost stock and a day’s trade. That’s thousands in potential losses, all because manual checks can’t catch problems in real time. Automated temperature monitoring is the obvious solution. Smart sensors continuously track your fridges and freezers, alerting you instantly if temperatures rise or equipment fails. You stay audit-ready, paperless, and confident that your stock—and your customers—are safe. The cost? From just £40 per month, a small investment that can save thousands. One

breakdown avoided can more than pay for a year of monitoring by preventing wasted stock and lost sales. Make the switch to digital monitoring today—and unlock the full benefits of Logicall’s ecosystem. Beyond temperature, our solution includes energy monitoring, leak detection, digital HACCP checks, and much more. Protect your business, save time, cut costs, and simplify compliance—all with a single, smart system. 01672 569374 info@logicall.co www.logicallmonitoring.co.uk

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Irish Hospitality Insolvencies Fall by Almost a Quarter as VAT Cut Takes Effect

Company failures in the Republic of Ireland’s hospitality sector have dropped by nearly a quarter this year, new insolvency figures show, with the Government’s reduced VAT rate for food service seen as a possible factor. PwC Ireland’s latest insolvency barometer records 86 hospitality insolvencies in the nine months to the end of September. That is 23% fewer than in the same period of 2025 and well short of the roughly 35 a quarter the sector has averaged since the start of 2023. PwC described the trend as a sign of continued stabilisation, adding that the Government’s VAT reduction may have helped. From 1 July, the rate on restaurant and catering services fell from 13.5% to 9%. The firm’s earlier data shows, however, that hospitality failures were already easing in the six months to the end of June, before the lower rate came into force. The reduction was confirmed in Budget 2026 following sustained lobbying by industry bodies. It is forecast to cost the Exchequer €232m this year and €681m in 2027, a combined €913m over 18 months. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has said that sum would alternatively fund 8,846 nurses or 6,053 teachers,

or widen the standard-rate income tax band by €2,328. The VAT change made up 17% of last year’s Budget tax package, the largest single measure announced.

Across the economy, PwC said corporate insolvency levels stayed steady and well under historic norms. There were 204 failures in the third quarter, taking the nine-month total to 648, against 633 a year earlier. The long-term average since 2005 is about 250 a quarter. By the end of September, the rate stood at 27 insolvencies per 10,000 businesses in the Republic, compared with a 21-year average of 49. Not every sector fared as well. Retail insolvencies rose 25% year on year over the nine months, while construction failures were up 26%. Ken Tyrrell, business recovery partner at PwC Ireland, attributed the retail rise to structural pressures, among them changing consumer habits, while higher costs were weighing particularly on contractors. He said the low overall figures suggested recent Government support had helped keep failures down, and added that PwC expects Budget 2027 to continue backing the competitiveness of Irish SMEs.

Blueprint for the High Street: UKHospitality Launches Placemaking Report UKHospitality’s Placemaking report, launched this week sets out 33 clear recommendations for Government and local authorities to reduce the costly and burdensome red-tape holding hospitality businesses back. Spanning seven key areas – business rates, development, infrastructure, licensing, planning, rent and skills – it sets out how restrictive local policies are significantly hindering growth. The report also includes guidance for hospitality businesses about how to best engage with local authorities, communities, and licensing and planning processes. For every recommendation to the Government, the report details the clear benefit of implementing UKHospitality’s proposed solutions and how it can allow hospitality to contribute fully to placemaking. The report is clear that hospitality’s tax burden – the highest in the economy at 82% of pre-tax profits being paid in business taxes – remains the core issue holding the sector back and that it must be urgently addressed at the Budget. The recommendations in the report are set out as complementary to clear fiscal action to reduce hospitality’s tax burden.

They include:

successful hospitality.

• Business rates: Reform and speed up the appeals process, as well as providing additional resource to deal with increased appeals following the 2026 revaluation • Development: Legally strengthen the Agent of Change principle for existing and future developments • Infrastructure: Align transport and infrastructure investment with hospitality-led regeneration • Licensing: Implement licensing reform taskforce recommendations in full • Planning: Introduce a system of presumptive permission, with automatic planning approval if certain criteria are met, as well as introducing a fasttrack planning system for both major and minor applications. • Rent: Ensure Upwards Only Rent Review legislation supports sustainable rents and high street regeneration • Skills: Expand hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) nationally through collaboration between Government, local authorities, colleges and industry Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality is one of Britain’s greatest strengths. Our sector creates places where people want to live, work and invest. Put simply, successful places need

“Yet hospitality’s ability to fulfil its potential is being constrained. Hospitality businesses are facing some of the most significant cost pressures in a generation. “Rising employment costs, high business rates, energy costs and an increasing regulatory burden are reducing the capacity of businesses to invest, expand and create jobs. These challenges must be addressed if hospitality is to continue driving economic growth and regeneration. “Hospitality is central to many of the priorities that matter most to Government and society – creating jobs, supporting social mobility, revitalising high streets, attracting investment, strengthening communities and delivering economic growth. The sector has the potential to achieve even more. “To unlock that potential, we need a policy environment that supports investment, removes unnecessary barriers and recognises hospitality as essential infrastructure for thriving places. “By tackling both the cost pressures facing businesses and the regulatory challenges outlined in this report, we can create more vibrant places where people want to live, work and invest.”

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How Pubs Can Get More Out Of Their Next Energy Renewal John Haw, Chair of the Energy Consultants Association (www.energyconsultantsassociation.co.uk) sets out what licensees should check before their next energy renewal. No government scheme has helped hospitality with its energy bills since the Discount Scheme closed in March 2024. Business customers have no price cap and so whatever the wholesale market and network costs produce land directly on the bill. This summer's volatility, driven by the conflict in Iran disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has shown how quickly that can move. With the Strait still largely closed and European storage low ahead of winter, that puts more weight on the pub’s next contract renewal.

THE RISING COST REALITY As well as current affairs, there's also a structural reason for rising costs. Ofgem's Targeted Charging Review moved network costs off unit rates and onto fixed daily charges; transmission costs have risen steeply from April 2026 as a new five-year price control period began. For many pubs, that charge is now one of the largest single elements on the bill, regardless of how much energy the site actually uses. An operator can't trade their way out of a standing charge. LED lighting and tighter cellar controls cut the units a pub uses (which is worth doing) but neither touches the daily charge. Cutting Monday and Tuesday opening spreads the same fixed cost over fewer covers. Demand is not falling either. The Zero Carbon Company estimated that this summer’s heatwaves added around £680 a month to the average hospitality site’s energy bill, and up to £95m a year across the sector. None of this can be fixed through day-to-day operations. It has to be fixed at the point of renewal.

SWEETENING THE DEAL Three-quarters of UK SMEs don't negotiate with their energy supplier before signing a contract, yet 93% of those who do negotiate say they see clear value in it. A good renegotiation involves:

• Start six to twelve months out. The worst prices are agreed under time pressure. The worst of all are deemed rates, which apply automatically when a contract lapses. • Compare total annual cost. A low unit rate paired with a heavy standing charge can be the dearer contract. Standing charge, capacity charge and any pass-through costs belong in the same figure • Check what the fixed price covers. Many contracts marketed as fixed still leave non-commodity and network charges as pass-through, and that's exactly where this year's increases have landed. • Check the meter. From 1 September 2027 suppliers will only offer new fixed-term contracts to smaller non-domestic sites, including most independent pubs, that have a smart meter or agree to have one fitted. • Get the consumption profile right. A pub's load is weighted to evenings, weekends and summer trade, and half-hourly data changes which supplier is actually cheapest for that shape. A quote built on a generic profile is a guess, not a quote. • Check the bills already paid. ECA members report that roughly one in five supplier bills fails validation, meaning what's charged doesn't match what was actually agreed.

HOW TO USE AN ENERGY BROKER An operator going direct typically approaches one or two suppliers, because that's what time allows against everything else running a pub involves. On the other hand, brokers compare quotes across standing charges, pass-through costs and exit term. In brokers’ experience, the worst quote for a site can be close to 80% more expensive than the best one. That's the whole case. The right broker brings market access, supplier relationships and negotiating leverage most businesses can't build in-house. Businesses should treat broker selection like any other high-value supplier decision. Ask for the commission in writing on every quote. Ask whether it's been loaded onto a shorter term to make a longer contract look cheaper. Ask whether renewal tracking, bill validation and query handling are included after signature. And ask whether the broker belongs to a recognised industry body such as the ECA. A broker confident in its own value answers all of that without hesitating. Using a broker has always been a legitimate way to get a better energy deal and welcome regulation is coming to strengthen that further. Ofgem's review of third-party intermediaries reaches its final report this winter, ahead of a consultation on how a full regulatory regime is designed, authorised and funded. A good broker is already delivering the market access, transparency and leverage that Ofgem's review is designed to guarantee. For pubs with a renewal on the horizon, the smart move is to start that conversation now, not wait for a formal regime to make it compulsory

Ruth Hansom Crowned National Chef of the Year

The wait is over. Following months of preparation, practising and an exhilarating final, the Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed Ruth Hansom, chef owner at Hansom Restaurant, as its newly crowned UK National Chef of the Year.

The announcement was made by Will Torrent in front of leading figures from across hospitality at an exclusive VIP celebration at The Orangery TCR, a restaurant by the Good Eating Company, following the final yesterday at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu London. Widely regarded as one of the most sought-after accolades in the culinary profession, National Chef of the Year has celebrated the UK’s finest culinary talent for more than five decades. Taking the title places Ruth among an exceptional line-up of past winners and marks a career-defining moment for her. It was an incredibly exciting contest, with Scott JohnHodgson, executive head chef, Solstice & House of Tides by Kenny Atkinson named runner-up. Tom Heywood, head chef/restaurant owner, Pignut & The Hare secured third place. Ten talented finalists competed in the high-pressure cook-off under the watchful eyes of some of the UK’s most respected chefs including Chair of judges, Mark Birchall and Chair of pastry, Cherish Finden. The finalists were judged on every element of their performance, from flavour, creativity, technical skill and working practices to presentation and the ability to remain composed under pressure. The winning three-course menu from Ruth included a starter of Isle of Mull Scallop, Girolle, Kohlrabi, Cobnut, a main course of Angus Pure Beef Fillet, Braised Cheek Cottage Pie, Beef Fat, Kuri Squash Fondant, Glazed Veal Sweetbread, Tail-end Tartare and finished with a dessert of Guanaja Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil and Foraged Bramble Mille Feuille. The dishes were presented on an Isla Glass Bowl, Ambience Wood Rim and Smoke Black tableware from Churchill. As Chair of the Judges, Mark Birchall, chef patron of Moor Hall, said: “This was an exceptional final and the standard across the kitchen was incredibly high. Ruth stood out with a menu that showed confidence and skill. Every dish delivered on flavour and the execution was consistently strong from start to finish. Winning National Chef of the Year requires time and dedication throughout the year and then the ability to perform when the pressure is at its highest. Ruth thoroughly deserves this title and I’m excited to see what comes

next for her.”

David Mulcahy, competition director of National Chef of the Year and vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, added: “National Chef of the Year is one of the biggest achievements in a chef’s career and the final showed exactly why this competition holds such an important place in our industry. The talent and professionalism we saw from all ten finalists was outstanding. Congratulations to Ruth who is a truly deserving winner. This marks the beginning of an exciting year of opportunities. Her incredible talent, determination and dedication make her a brilliant ambassador for National Chef of the Year and for our profession.” The journey to the title began with chefs creating a threecourse menu inspired by this year’s theme, Our Sustainable Future. Following the initial judging stage, competitors progressed to live semi-finals before the final ten earned the opportunity to cook at Le Cordon Bleu London. This year’s Hallgarten & Novum Wines Wine Pairing Award was won by Dan Conlon from Rafters in Sheffield. The award highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between food and wine. To mark the achievement, he received a magnum of Champagne. Thanks to the support of the competition’s sponsors, the National Chef of the Year winner will enjoy an outstanding package of prizes. Thomas Foods International is offering an unforgettable all expenses paid trip to Australia whilst Essential Cuisine is giving an exclusive culinary trip to one of its European sites, combining food, culture and unforgettable dining experiences. Additional rewards include Michelin-starred dining experiences from Allan Reeder and St. Ewe, an immersive culinary journey to France with Valrhona, professional development funding from the Worshipful Company of Cooks, premium chef wear from Bragard and commemorative awards and vouchers from Churchill. The top three chefs will also receive Craft Guild of Chefs membership and Champagne from Hallgarten & Novum Wines with the two runners-up also receiving cash prizes from the Guild. The winner is invited to launch their very own Dishpatch meal kit, sold alongside the likes of Michel Roux, Rick Stein and previous NCOTY Chair of Judges, Paul Ainsworth. Their National Chef of the Year winning dishes will feature on the menu, bringing their creations to food lovers across the country to enjoy at home.

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR, PLEASE VISIT WWW.CATERERLICENSEE.COM

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Newcastle City Council Axes Late Night Levy Amid Mounting Cost Pressures Newcastle City Council has agreed to end the charges, which saw hospitality businesses that are open after midnight collectively pay more than £215,000 a year towards services that support the night time economy. Cllr Colin Ferguson, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The Late Night Levy was a measure introduced when the character of the city’s nightlife was different to what it is today. “Now, at a time when our pubs, bars and clubs are under so much pressure, it is no longer fit for purpose, and places an unfair burden on a small number of licensed venues in the city. “I am therefore pleased that, in line with the wishes of the trade and public expressed during extensive consultations, we can revoke the Late Night Levy and give those who were paying some breathing room. “However, our commitment to safety in the night-time economy remains as firm as ever. The positive work that the Levy supported will continue, and we believe that working with NE1, Northumbria Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, we can deliver ongoing, focused, and ultimately improved measures to support the safety of everyone, particularly women and girls. “We’re committed to supporting the incredible hospitality offer Newcastle is famed for, and we will continue to lobby Government for new measures to solve pressures facing the sector and ensure our city can thrive.” Newcastle’s Late Night Levy was introduced in 2013 as a way of hospitality businesses contributing to the cost of policing and a range of support services, including street cleaning, CCTV, street and taxi marshals, the Safe Haven van in the Bigg Market and training for venue staff to help them spot and help vulnerable people.

In the 13 years since then it has seen businesses – who were each charged between £299 and £4,400 a year – pay almost a total of almost £3.5 million. However in that time circumstances have significantly changed, with increased government taxation placing extra financial burdens on licensees, and both the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis changing customer behaviours. Stephen Patterson, chief executive of business improvement district NE1, said: “We are delighted that Newcastle City Council has repealed the Late Night Levy, and we commend them for their willingness to discuss and understand its impacts on the city’s hospitality sector. “Hospitality businesses are some of the most heavily regulated and highest taxed in the city. They are currently facing significant and welldocumented challenges, with the Levy seen as an outdated anomaly that no longer reflects Newcastle’s late-night economy. “We listened to licensees’ concerns and worked with partners quickly to ensure that they were properly heard and that the challenges they faced were fully understood. “The abolition of the Levy is great news for Newcastle’s hospitality businesses and provides some financial relief for the sector, which still faces challenging times. “More importantly, it provides a solid foundation to build on this work, with the council, police, licensees, and NE1 all pulling together to create the best possible environment for the sector to thrive. “Newcastle has an eclectic, diverse and creative licensed trade sector, and that exceptional hospitality offer is central to Newcastle’s global reputation. “We will ensure that licensees continue to have a voice and are placed

at the heart of decisions made about their sector.” Following the agreement of full council on Wednesday 7 October 2026 no new levy bills will be issued and the scheme will end on October 31 (though businesses with outstanding bills for the previous year will still be expected to pay them). NE1 will establish a new governance board and administer a fund – backed by itself and the city council – specifically for activities relating to safety in the night-time economy. That fund is expected to be at the same level as the last full financial year of the levy and provide £216,000, with £151,000 going to the Police and Crime Commissioner for policing work and £65,000 to Newcastle City Council. This new arrangement will also give opportunity for the board to consider applications from voluntary organisations working to promote safety in the late-night economy, especially those that deal with violence against women and girls. Northumbria Police’s chief superintendent Barrie Joisce, area commander for Newcastle, said: “Newcastle is renowned worldwide for its fantastic nightlife and we are committed to keeping it that way through effective policing of the night-time economy. “The public should rest assured that alongside our partners and licensees we remain steadfast in doing all we can to keep everyone safe. “We will also carry on our regular proactive officer patrols, both uniformed and plain-clothed, to prevent crime and disorder and keep people, including the vulnerable, safe in the process. “Together, we are doing our utmost to ensure Newcastle continues to be the thriving and welcoming city centre it is for all to visit and enjoy.”

Aylesbury Pub Reopens Following £250k Investment The Broad Leys pub in Aylesbury has reopened following a £250,000 investment by pub company Punch Pubs & Co.

ment. Guests are particularly fond of the large beer garden which is perfect for warm afternoons spent with family and friends.

The pub, on Wendover Road, has been taken over by new Management Partners John Hardy and Eleanor Guppy.

Byron Thomas, Operations Manager at Punch Pubs & Co, said: “The Broad Leys has been a sleeping giant in Aylesbury and our transformation will bring the pub back to life. We have refreshed the signage, interior décor and bar areas and believe our guests will really like the changes.”

The couple have over 20 years’ experience running pubs and “fell in love” with the pub when they first visited. John explained, “We have a fantastic pub on our hands in an area we know well. We are confident the pub can build on the reputation it has by introducing a rhythm of community focussed events and evenings, offering great food and placing service as a top priority.” The Broad Leys pub has undergone a full internal and external refurbish-

Available in Big Value 1Kilo Bag

On John and Eleanor partnering with Punch, Byron said: “I’m delighted they have joined us at the Broad Leys. They have mountains of experience running successful pubs and I am confident we will enjoy working together.”

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Why Hospitality Education Must Become More Specialised By Joseph Karam, Dean of Graduate Studies at Glion Institute of Higher Education (www.glion.edu) Hospitality careers are no longer limited to what we might call the traditional pathway, which can be summarised as moving into an operational or management training position in a hotel and working up from there. Today, students who are interested in hospitality as a career tend to want to move into more specialised fields right from the outset, be that guest experience, entrepreneurship, wellness or luxury. At the same time, employers are telling us that they are now looking more for specialised people to fill specialised roles, rather than taking on a generalist and training them up. We have spoken extensively with the industry over the past year, and the new structure of Glion’s Master’s in International Hospitality Business is a direct response to those conversations. From 2027, following a common semester focused on essential hospitality industry knowledge, students will select one of three career-focused pathways: Guest Experience and Service Design; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; or Wellness and Longevity. These specialisations are the headline change, but when you look deeper into the curriculum, you find elective subjects, industry projects and Industry Weeks that put students directly in front of potential employers. This gives them more options to curate their learning journey according to their career ambitions. For our typical student profile, who may be a recent graduate, career changer or career accelerator, there is a need to develop a strong foundation of hospitality operational and leadership knowledge if they want to be recruited into the sector. During that process, and as they meet and work with people from the business, students start to build a picture of where they see themselves and where they can add value. This will naturally lead them towards their ideal specialisation, as well as the elective subjects they can choose to fill specific knowledge gaps. How students learn must also evolve. Our approach means lecturers open their courses online, complete

with reading lists, in the days leading up to the live classroom session. When the class begins, the first hour covers that material, which students need to have prepared for. The next two hours go much deeper, working through comparative case studies and posing problems for students to resolve. This is where we bring them to a much higher level of mastery. The learning process becomes more intensive because today’s students will inevitably use AI to support their work. We must accept this reality. We have therefore structured certain courses to include an examination in which students must demonstrate their own critical analysis and research faculties, with no AI support allowed. We also organise group projects where we select the groups. Students cannot simply slip into their friendship circles; they must work with people who do not think like them and with whom they may not have a personal affinity, because this is exactly what they will face in the real world of work. In my view, this degree offers a new level of industry exposure, not just for Glion but also for our sector more generally. A major focus is the Industry Business Project that students undertake during their specialisation semester. This is a real project for a real company, completed in teams as if the students were employed by a consultancy. On Monday, the company presents its problem; on Tuesday, we teach theoretical courses relating to it; Wednesday brings a site visit; on Thursday, students work in groups to solve the issue; and on Friday, they present their recommendations to the company. If you are placed in front of 10 to 15 senior industry figures throughout your year of study, you have plenty of opportunities to make the kind of impression that is going to get you hired. Hospitality education must also reflect the international nature of the industry. The perceptions of students from China will not be the same as those coming from India, the US or Europe. They bring different ideas and approaches, which are important to appreciate in a business as global as hospitality. From my own industry experience, I know that today you could be working in Switzerland, but tomorrow you could be heading to Korea, Japan or India. Without this broad, multinational perspective, you are less likely to succeed. Ultimately, our Master’s degrees connect knowledge, industry exposure, professional confidence and career direction. The Master’s in International Hospitality Business adds flexibility and a customised experience which echoes that of a boutique hotel. Students will learn how hospitality creates value in the modern experience economy, whether through experience design, new commercial ventures or wellness and longevity offerings. This will equip them with the realworld knowledge and exposure they need to transform their ambition into a professional reality.

Daniel Craig and Soho House Founder Nick Jones Take Over Historic Clerkenwell Pub Daniel Craig has become part-owner of The Horseshoe, a Clerkenwell pub with a history stretching back some 250 years, in a venture that returns him to the trade his family once worked in.

Craig has outlined a refurbishment expected to take around a year. The centrepiece is the transformation of the upstairs bar, currently given over to dartboards and in need of updating, into a dining room.

The former 007 has bought into the London site alongside Nick Jones, the Soho House founder, whom he has known for around 30 years. Jones built that business into an international private members’ club group.

He has been clear, however, that the pub’s character will remain. The owners intend to keep The Horseshoe as a “traditional boozer”, with only a light refresh. The Horseshoe was previously run by Pauline Tucker and her husband Richard, who held the licence for 36 years.

The pair are backed by two further partners. Charlie Carroll, founder of the Flat Iron steak restaurants, is also involved in The Devonshire in Soho. Justin O’Shea, creative director of Bad Belze, the lager brand he and Craig launched earlier this year, completes the line-up. For Craig, the move is a continuation of his family’s history in licensed hospitality. His parents ran the Ring O’Bells in Frodsham, Cheshire, while his grandparents ran a pub in the centre of Chester. Much of his childhood was spent in those premises.

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He recalled chatting with regulars, particularly at lunchtimes, when conversation centred on the events of the day. He described the pub as a place where people can talk freely, including about their worries.

The new owners were reportedly unaware until completion that the building is said to be haunted by Gilbert, a ghost identified in local lore as a hangman. According to the tale, leaving a pint of ale in the cellar keeps the spirit settled. Craig joked that the team may need to oblige, though he admitted he did not know Gilbert’s preferred tipple.

Craig joins a growing number of high-profile names with pub interests. Sir Ian McKellen is linked with The Grapes in Limehouse, and film director Guy Ritchie owns The Lore of the Land in Fitzrovia. Singer James Blunt bought the Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea, saving it from conversion into flats.

Kinedo Set To Make A Statement At HIX After its inaugural year exhibiting at the HIX show in 2025, bathroom brand, Kinedo, has committed to taking a space again in 2026 at the exhibition’s new home at Excel in London. With a range of products that are highly suited to the hotel sector, the company will be displaying a selection of walk-in showers, contemporary, cuttable shower trays and Kinewall statement wall panels, including the new Signature range. For brave designers and hoteliers that are looking for bathroom with a difference, the new Kinedo Signature collection is a set of bold patterns that truly create a stand-out space. Imagine a Highland Cow in a Highland Hotel, a Peacock in a Manor House Hotel or a Lion in, well, any room that merits a bit of fun and adventure. These animal-inspired panels join the funky giraffe

that debuted at HIX last year and extend a range of other show-stopping designs. Kinedo’s parent company is SFA Saniflo and the stand team will also be able to discuss how Saniflo’s world-renowned pumps and macerators can work in conjunction with Kinedo products for installations in awkward spaces. Designed to facilitate the discharge of water waste from bathrooms where there is no existing pipe infrastructure or no gravity drainage, such as lofts and basements, Saniflo products are able to convert redundant space into revenue generating rooms. The team is looking forward to welcoming customers old and new onto stand J65. For further information please visit www.kinedo.co.uk

Issue 337

Beer and Pub Sector Supports Almost 1 Million Jobs say BBPA Britain’s beer and pub industry generated £37.8 billion to the UK economy in 2025, supported almost 1 million jobs, and contributed £16.8 billion in tax, new British Beer and Pub Association analysis has found. The leading trade body said the findings demonstrate the sector’s economic footprint can be found in every constituency, with every region generating, on average, £3.2 billion in GVA and supporting, on average, of 81,800 jobs. The sector also generated an estimated £2.2 billion in net capital investment in 2025, with the NorthWest recording the highest regional investment at £325 million the analysis, by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the BBPA, found.

recognise this and are strong supporters of the sector, as demonstrated by the vital 20% cut in business rates recently announced as a first step to support the sector.

The BBPA said the sector has proved itself to be fundamentally important for younger workers or those seeking flexible work. Approximately half (48%) of direct jobs are made up of workers between the ages of 16-24 – the equivalent of 341,900 roles – while 60% of workers were employed part-time.

“We now need to see permanent business rates reform, a freeze in beer duty and an increased draught discount, along with a review of employment costs to ensure we can continue to keep people in work, boost the economy, and remain as the heart and soul of communities.”

The BBPA says the sector’s tax burden must be reduced if it is to continue driving growth and jobs. It is calling for permanent business rates reform, a freeze in beer duty, an increased draught duty discount and a review of employment costs to help protect jobs and ensure businesses can continue investing.

The report found that pubs alone generated £29.8 billion in GVA, supporting 849,600 jobs and £17.4 billion in wages.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “This analysis shows why we’re the lynchpin for jobs, growth, and communities in every constituency. “Every single region’s job market and local economy is enriched from pints and pubs, with them being vital for putting money in people’s pockets, being precious community spaces, and boosting investment whilst generating significant tax revenues. “It would be a perilous mistake to take this for granted, because when they close, we all lose out. We are fortunate that the Prime Minister and Chancellor

The UK’s breweries generated £6.7 billion in GVA and supported 74,100 jobs, while beer sales in the off-trade contributed £2.3 billion in GVA and supported 48,100 jobs. Latest research from WPI Strategy, authored by former Treasury economist Martin Beck, found that the pub plays a central role in creating huge wellbeing benefits for the nation. The report found pub-based social interaction is estimated to generate a wellbeing value of around £1,000–£2,000 per regular pubgoer each year. With nearly 30% of UK adults visiting pubs regularly (around 16 million people), the total wellbeing-equivalent value is estimated at up to £30 billion annually, which the BBPA argues is further proof of the intrinsic, unique and important role the sector plays.

NTIA Welcomes Successful Nomination Of Heaven Nightclub As An Asset Of Community Value The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) welcomes Westminster City Council’s decision to list Heaven nightclub as an Asset of Community Value, following the NTIA’s nomination of the landmark LGBTQ+ venue. As the nominating body, the NTIA sought recognition of Heaven’s longstanding contribution to the LGBTQ+ community and its continuing importance to Westminster’s cultural and social life. Since opening in 1979, Heaven has become an internationally recognised part of London’s LGBTQ+ nightlife. Its significance extends beyond music and entertainment: it provides a space for people to connect, express their identities and find a sense of belonging. The successful nomination recognises this enduring community value and represents an important milestone in efforts to support Heaven’s long-term future. The NTIA thanks Westminster City Council for acknowledging the venue’s contribution and congratulates Jeremy Joseph and the Heaven team. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “The NTIA is proud to be the nominating body behind Heaven’s recognition as an Asset of Community Value. This decision acknowledges the profound importance of LGBTQ+ venues to the people and communities they serve. “For generations, Heaven has provided a place where LGBTQ+ people can come together, celebrate their identities and build lasting connections. Its history is woven into London’s cultural life, but

this recognition is equally about the community it continues to serve today. “LGBTQ+ venues carry a unique social and cultural value. When these spaces are lost, communities lose places of belonging, visibility and shared history. Recognising that value must be central to how we plan and support the future of our towns and cities. “We welcome Westminster City Council’s decision and congratulate Jeremy Joseph and the Heaven team. This is an important step, and we will continue to champion Heaven’s future alongside the wider network of LGBTQ+ venues across the country.” Jeremy Joseph, Heaven London, said: “To have Heaven listed as an Asset of Community Value is something I’m incredibly proud of. Since opening its doors in 1979, Heaven has played an important part in London’s LGBTQ+ community and nightlife. This recognition celebrates that history and the vital role the venue continues to play today. “I’d like to thank the Night Time Industries Association and Michael Kill for nominating Heaven, and Westminster City Council for recognising its value as an LGBTQ+ community asset and cultural venue. “Hopefully, this recognition will help protect Heaven for future generations as we move forward with our plans to transform it into a charity-run venue. Heaven means so much to so many people, and we want to ensure it continues to serve our community for years to come.”

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Christie & Co Reports 22% Rise in Pubs and Restaurants Brought to Market this Year Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has today launched its Pubs & Restaurants Market Review 2026, which provides insight into transaction activity, buyer demand, the trading environment, regulatory change and emerging opportunities across the sector.

Business rates are another focus. Pubs, clubs and music venues in England are set to receive a 20% reduction in bills from April 2027, alongside an independent review of assessment methodology. However, near-term liabilities remain elevated. New planning protections for pubs in England may preserve viable community assets but could also reduce redevelopment flexibility and place greater emphasis on underlying trading performance.

The report highlights a market evolving as both pub and restaurant operators respond to cost pressures, changing consumer habits and new policy developments. From January to August 2026, Christie & Co was instructed to sell over 360 properties, a 22 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025, and agreed over 230 deals, a 12.5 per cent increase during the same period, reflecting exceptionally strong buyer demand. Christie & Co also saw an increase in completion values of approximately £105,000 for freehold sales, on average, and an increase of approximately £87,000 for leasehold sales, on average. 79 per cent of pub transactions were freehold, while 12 per cent were leasehold and 9 per cent were a new lease. Meanwhile, restaurant transactions were broken down by 44 per cent new lease, 37 per leasehold and 19 per cent freehold.

SHIFTING CONSUMER HABITS The report notes a shift in consumer habits, with dining out becoming increasingly planned rather than spontaneous, which is raising expectations around food quality, service and the overall experience. As a result, value-led and quick-service restaurants are outperforming much of the mid-market, as they benefit from convenience, and premium dining has been similarly affected, leading a number of ‘starred’ restaurants to close in 2026. Many pubs are also changing their business models. Traditional wet-led venues remain important community and sporting hubs, and some operators are moving away from food-led models to reduce labour requirements and operational complexity. Events, live sport and experiential offers are becoming increasingly important ways to drive footfall and spend.

POLICY & REGULATION The report also examines the debate around hospitality VAT. The #VATsTheProblem campaign is calling for a reduction from 20% to 10%, arguing that retained revenue could support profitability, reinvestment, employment and business values. Any reform remains a matter for government policy, but VAT is likely to stay high on the sector’s agenda into 2027.

BUYER DEMAND Across England, demand has been particularly high for traditional wet-led pubs delivering strong barrelage and community trade. Premium destination pubs with letting rooms have also remained highly sought after, particularly in affluent market towns, coastal locations and tourist destinations. The exceptionally good summer weather across the country also increased demand for venues with outdoor trading space. The combination of food, drink and accommodation continues to attract buyers seeking diversified revenue streams. The finance market is also becoming more supportive, with greater competition from challenger and specialist lenders broadening opportunities across wet-led, food-led, accommodation-led and leasehold businesses. Experienced operators remain attractive to lenders, but well-prepared first-time buyers with relevant experience and a credible business plan can also access funding. Stephen Owens, Managing Director – Pubs & Restaurants at Christie & Co, comments, “As pub and restaurant operators continue to navigate significant cost pressures, staffing challenges, and broader economic uncertainty, we have seen a more dynamic property market in 2026, driven by a combination of resilient trading performance, motivated buyers, and sustained demand for quality hospitality assets. “The pub and restaurant landscape continues to evolve, as operating models shift to reflect changing consumer behaviours. While food-led pubs have steadily increased their share of the market over recent years, traditional wet-led venues remain an important part of the sector, particularly where they serve as community hubs, sports venues, and destinations for social occasions. “As we move towards the end of 2026 and look ahead to 2027, we expect buyer demand to remain the strongest for businesses that are well-positioned, realistically priced, and capable of demonstrating clear growth potential.” To read Christie & Co’s Pubs & Restaurants Market Review 2026, click here: https://www.christie.com/sectors/pubs/market-review/

LTC Celebrates Licensed Hospitality Excellence at 2026 Awards The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has announced the winners of its 2026 Awards, celebrating the individuals and organisations leading the way in workplace wellbeing across licensed hospitality.

to supporting its people. The continued backing of businesses, suppliers and individuals is fundamental in enabling LTC to deliver lifechanging support, providing financial assistance, practical guidance and wellbeing resources to those working in licensed hospitality when they need it most.

The awards were presented at LTC’s annual Awards Dinner on 1st October at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London, bringing together over 300 professionals from across the sector for an evening of recognition and celebration.

The evening opened with a business update from CEO Chris Welham, who reflected on another record-breaking year of fundraising and growing demand for the charity’s support services across licensed hospitality. Among the evening’s highlights was a viewing of LTC’s new Always On Shift campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the pressures faced by hospitality workers and encourage more people to access the support available through LTC.

Honouring those who have made an outstanding contribution to the wellbeing of hospitality people and communities, the awards shine a spotlight on businesses and individuals that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to supporting their teams, championing positive workplace cultures and raising awareness of LTC’s services throughout the industry. This year’s winners are: • LTC Wellbeing Champion Award – Sam Hagger, Founder & MD at The Beautiful Pubs Collective • LTC Fundraiser of the Year Award – Steve Alton, CEO at BII • LTC Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Suppliers) – Sysco GB • LTC Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Operators under 250 sites) – Butcombe Group • LTC Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Operators over 251 sites) – Punch Pubs & Co Beyond celebrating excellence, the awards highlight the collective commitment of the hospitality industry

Chris Welham, CEO at LTC, said: “This year’s awards celebrate the individuals and organisations who are helping to create a more supportive, inclusive and people-focused hospitality industry. Their dedication to supporting colleagues, championing wellbeing and giving back to the hospitality community is truly inspiring. “At LTC, our mission is to help people live well and move forward, and we simply couldn’t do that without the continued support of our partners, fundraisers, volunteers, trustees and wider industry network. Together, we’re helping to ensure that more people across licensed hospitality can access the practical, health and wellbeing and financial support they need to reach their full potential.”

Delamere Launches 97ml Oat Drink For Hospitality Industry Delamere has announced the launch of a new 97ml oat drink following the success of its semi-skimmed milk mini bottles in the hospitality and foodservice industries.

Available now, the new oat drink can be purchased directly through Brakes and via wholesalers nationwide.

Designed for hospitality settings, such as hotel room trays, breakfast buffets and on-board catering, the bottles can be used to add to hot drinks or pour over cereal.

Dan Yates, national account manager at Delamere, said: “Our mini milk bottles are already a trusted choice in hotels and hospitality settings, so the creation of a plant-based oat drink in the same format felt like the natural next step when adding to the range.

The oat drink has been developed to offer a plant-based alternative to cows’ milk, enabling accommodation and foodservice providers to cater to different dietary requirements and evolving consumer preferences.

“Sustainable, premium and convenient, we’re confident that it will soon be a staple part of the guest experience.”

The ambient product has a shelf life of up to six months and once opened, it can be treated as fresh milk and stored in the fridge.

Located in Knutsford, Cheshire, Delamere has been producing award-winning dairy products for more than 40 years. It supplies an extensive range of speciality goat and cows’ milk based products to retail, wholesale and independent customers across the UK and in over 20 markets around the world.

Each bottle contains 3-4 servings and can be re-closed and stored by guests, eliminating the single-use plastic associated with milk pots and sticks and saving time on repeat deliveries of fresh milk to rooms. The premium glass bottles, capped with an aluminium lid, are fully recyclable, supporting outlets in implementing responsible waste management practices.

For sales enquiries or more information please contact dan@delameredairy.co.uk

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New Research Highlights the Cultural and Tourism Value of Europe’s Hospitality Venues New research from HEINEKEN, Europe’s leading brewer, found that local bars and pubs are influencing where tourists choose to go, the neighbourhoods they explore and how long they stay. More than a third (35%) of people surveyed said they had visited a particular area specifically because of a local bar, while one in five extended their trip because of one. With a longstanding presence across Europe’s hospitality and tourism economies, HEINEKEN is shining a light on the important role local venues play in shaping destinations, visitor experiences and local communities. The findings are backed by new economic analysis showing tourismattributable spending on HEINEKEN’s beer portfolio is worth almost €2.5 billion annually and representing 7% of HEINEKEN’s total supported GDP contribution. Most of that spending takes place in pubs and bars, highlighting the important role they play in Europe’s tourism economy.

visiting. They bring visitors into local communities, support hospitality business and jobs, and give people a reason to explore beyond the traditional tourist trail. “But their value isn’t only economic. These are places where visitors can experience local life first-hand – meeting people, discovering local culture and becoming part of a community, even if only for an evening. Europe’s Living Rooms celebrates that wider role, and the positive contribution that beer and hospitality make to Europe.”

HEINEKEN AND MAGNUM PHOTOS LAUNCH EUROPE’S LIVING ROOMS To celebrate the people and places behind these findings, HEINEKEN has partnered with Magnum Photos to create Europe’s Living Rooms, a photography series documenting 11 pubs and bars across Europe.

Europe’s lifestyle attracts tourists from around the world, contributing an overall estimated €828 billion in tourism spending each year. Pubs, bars, cafés and tavernas sit at the heart of that tourism economy, offering visitors a window into local life while supporting businesses and jobs across the continent.

Launching during European Beer Month, the series explores the neighbourhood pubs and bars to cafés and tavernas where everyday life unfolds, capturing the people, rituals and spontaneous moments that make these venues so important to local communities and visitors alike.

For many tourists, this is because getting a real taste of a destination means going where local life happens. Nearly three quarters (73%) agree you understand a place better when you’ve spent time where locals socialise. Whether it is a bustling neighbourhood pub in London, a canal-side café in Amsterdam or a familyrun taverna in southern Europe, these spaces offer something visitors increasingly seek: a chance to experience local life first-hand.

Shot by Magnum photographers across Europe, the series reveals a side of tourism that is often overlooked. It reimagines the true landmarks and postcard moments of Europe as the venues where locals and visitors come together, where conversations begin and where memories are made.

More than three quarters (77%) of tourists said they visited a local pub, bar, café or taverna multiple times during their most recent European holiday, highlighting the role these venues play in creating memorable experiences and helping visitors feel connected to the places they visit. And at the heart of these spaces is something harder to put a price on: social connection. Nearly three quarters (74%) agree these spaces create opportunities for meaningful face-to-face connection that are hard to replicate elsewhere, while more than half (52%) have struck up a conversation with someone they didn’t know in one. Glenn Caton, President of Europe at the HEINEKEN Company, commented: “Tourism is hugely important to Europe, and thriving pubs, bars, cafés and tavernas are part of what makes its cities and neighbourhoods worth

From crowds gathering outside The Devonshire Arms in Soho after work, to friends meeting beside the canals in the Netherlands, to football fans sharing the highs and lows of a match in Madrid, the photographs reflect the social spaces that help give European destinations their distinctive character. Marine Mérindol, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Magnum Photos, said: “This project resonated with us so strongly. Magnum photographers immersed themselves at eleven bars across Europe to paint a portrait not just of places, but of the people who make them matter – from the regular who’s sat in the same seat for twenty years, to a toast repeated the same way every night, or a football chant that turns a room of strangers into teammates. These are the details that so many miss if they are just passing through. A true understanding of Europe Living Rooms is earned by staying long enough to relate to them, and this is exactly what documentary photography can capture that other mediums can’t. It doesn’t just illustrate a place; it witnesses it. Through the collaboration with HEINEKEN, these photographs capture something true about how people in Europe live and connect together.”

Amber Taverns Invests Six-Figure Sum in Alloa Pub as Transformation Creates 15 New Jobs

Amber Taverns has completed a six-figure investment in The Thistle in Alloa, transforming the Junction Place pub and creating 15 new jobs.

The reopening sees Amber retain experienced local publican Debbie McInally who has worked at The Thistle for 18 years and previously managed the venue for its former owners. Now operating the pub under Amber Taverns’ operator-managed model, Debbie will have greater autonomy to develop the business and put her own stamp on a venue she knows exceptionally well. The investment has seen The Thistle extensively refurbished and repositioned as a contemporary, value-led wet-led pub, with live sport, darts and a broad drinks range designed to drive footfall throughout the week. Multiple screens will provide extensive live sports coverage, while darts adds a competitive social element to the offer. The drinks proposition combines a strong choice of beers and other drinks with Amber’s established focus on delivering value. Alex Ozobia, Area Manager at Amber Taverns, said, “We’re extremely confident about the opportunity at The Thistle. It’s a strong site in the heart of Alloa and we’ve made a significant investment to give the pub a proposition we believe will really resonate with the local market.

“Debbie is also a huge part of why we’re so excited about the business. She has been here for 18 years, knows the pub inside out and has an incredible connection with its customers and the wider community. Under our operator-managed model, she now has the opportunity to really make the business her own, while having the investment, infrastructure and support of Amber behind her. That combination of a great operator who understands the local market and a strong, value-led pub proposition is exactly what we look for.” The site also has strong links to Alloa’s brewing and pub heritage. The Thistle was previously known as the Junction Bar, while Junction Place was historically home to Maclay & Co’s Thistle Brewery. For Debbie, the reopening represents the opportunity to take the next step with a business she has helped run for almost two decades.

Debbie said, “I’ve worked at The Thistle for 18 years and always cared enormously about the pub and its customers, so having the opportunity to take it forward with Amber is incredibly exciting. I know the local market and what our customers want, and now we have a fantastic new pub and a great team to deliver it. There has already been a real buzz around Alloa about us reopening and I’m looking forward to building on that.”

LittlePod's Next Chapter: Wellbeing and Happiness Take Centre Stage The team at LittlePod have spent the last 16 years focusing on the importance of vanilla to the environment. Having established a thriving forest orchard in Indonesia, where the LittlePod farmers’ pioneering polyculture system is bearing fruit in more ways than one, the natural ingredients company’s emphasis has switched from planet to people. Introducing Wellbeing and Happiness with LittlePod! “It’s time for the next chapter in the LittlePod story,” said Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, LittlePod’s managing director and founder. “In 2025, I wrote my second book – Real Vanilla, Nature’s Unsung Hero – and with our forest orchard in Bali having proved so successful, we are excited to be focusing our efforts elsewhere this year.

tives – all with wellbeing and happiness at their heart. “The team will be working on recipe development with Master Chef Peter Gorton, launching a LittlePod podcast, and, perhaps most excitingly, embracing our sporting side with a top-secret project that is in the pipeline here. “I can’t say anything further about this last one, but all will be revealed in due course. Please do be sure to keep following LittlePod to find out more!” Winners of the King’s Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development), LittlePod’s longrunning Campaign for Real Vanilla continues to go from strength to strength both at home and abroad.

“LittlePod continues to care for the environment – of course – and the team will still work closely with our farmers to protect, preserve and regenerate the rainforest.

Having long exported their responsibly-sourced ingredients to countries all over the world, further international expansion in planned for 2026, with the appointment of the company’s first European Sales Manager, Jakub Miniewski.

“But closer to home, we are set to embark on a number of exciting projects and initia-

See page 11 or littlepod.co.uk / sales@littlepod.co.uk / 01395 232022

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Hospitality’s Ability to Offer 300,000 Job Starts a Year for Young People ‘At Risk’ Without Action at The Budget UKHospitality has urged the Government to fix employer NICs at the Budget to reverse the damage of the past two years and turn over a new leaf of job creation and opportunities for young people.

Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality has always been the nation’s biggest creator of jobs for young people. A third of all first jobs for under-25s are in hospitality. We create around 300,000 job starts each and every year.

Nearly 100,000 hospitality jobs have been lost in the past two years, representing almost half (45%) of all jobs lost across the economy in that time.

“That job creation superpower has been put in jeopardy over the past two years, with hospitality hit by more than £5 billion in extra costs. The result? 100,000 jobs lost and a tax burden double that of a bank.

New analysis of ONS data shows the sector provides around 300,000 job starts for 16-24-year-olds every year, but its ability to maintain that offering will be further eroded without action to reduce the sector’s tax burden, UKHospitality said.

“The first Budget under the new Prime Minister should be a moment for change. Put the last two years behind us and move forward by backing hospitality to deliver jobs in every postcode.

Hospitality pays 82% of its pre-tax profits in business taxes, the highest in the economy, but it currently remains a youth employment powerhouse, accounting for almost a third (31%) of all first jobs for 16-to-24-year-olds. The sector employs around a fifth (18.2%) of all young people in work.

“Without action, our already-stretched ability to provide those job starts for young people will be put at risk. We’ve already seen enough jobs and opportunities lost, and we don’t want to see any more.

At the Budget, UKHospitality is calling for the Government to reduce employer NICs for hospitality by progressively increasing the threshold to £10,000 by the end of the Parliament.

“It’s time to cut the cost of employment, let hospitality hire again and allow us to help solve the NEETs crisis.”

Carlsberg Britvic Announce Plans to Close Marston’s Brewery Carlsberg Britvic has confirmed proposals to shut Marston’s Brewery in Burton upon Trent, along with its main logistics operation at the site, in the summer of 2027. The move would put 303 roles at risk. The company described the plan as the result of long-term decline across the cask and ale category, combined with a wish to build stronger value over time, and said the decision had been reached after careful consideration. The brewer said it intends to retain Hobgoblin, McEwan’s and Brooklyn within its portfolio, while it works to find new owners or producers for its remaining cask and regional ale brands. The proposals now move into a consultation phase, and the future of those brands, along with the licensed trade customers who stock them, will be closely watched across the sector. Commenting on the news, Paul Davies, CEO at Carlsberg Britvic said: “I am very aware that this news will have come as a shock for colleagues, as I recognise the impact of this proposal is significant. While we remain proud of the role we have played in supporting and investing in the ale category overall, the stark reality is that UK cask ale volumes have more than halved in less than a decade, and this trend looks set to continue across the UK. “It is my role to ensure Carlsberg Britvic’s multi-beverage portfolio is focused where consumers are today, and where customer demand is

to continue to operate during the transition period, while the company works through the detail of the consultation. As and when key decisions are taken over the coming months, we will share further information with the industry, but always with our colleagues first.” Campaign group CAMRA has reacted with anger to the news, Ash Corbett-Collins, CAMRA Chairman, said: “I was born and raised in Burton, and I’m proud of our place at the centre of British brewing. Unfortunately, statements from Carlsberg about understanding the importance of the brewery to the town come far too little too late for most people, CAMRA included. growing. That said, smaller ale brands are much loved by select consumers, and we will do everything we can to ensure they thrive under more specialist or local ownership in the future.

“This announcement is an absolute disgrace, and the latest in a string of actions that show how little they care about our brewing heritage or the nation’s drinkers.

“Marston’s Brewery, its history and legacy in Burton upon Trent are iconic, and our teams there are true experts in ale. Their skill, craft and knowledge have shaped the industry for generations, just as our logistics teams have always delivered exemplary customer service. This proposal, therefore, is by no means a reflection on any of our people, and every effort will be made to help them through this period of uncertainty.

“However, we do agree with Carlsberg on one thing. The time is right to think about alternative, independent, brewers who are willing to become custodians of Carlsberg’s cask brands and will finally do the beers the justice they deserve.

“Marston’s Brewery and the primary logistics operation are expected

“Like the rescue of Jennings in Cumbria by passionate and experienced brewers, I hope the Burton brewery can be saved. I’ve got fond memories visiting the brewery in better days, and maybe I’ll be able to go again if it’s handed over to independent owners.”

We Invented the Wipe in Every KFC Meal. Now We’re Reinventing Table Sanitising PDI has transformed everyday hygiene for generations. We invented the original “hint of lemon” hand wipe, fondly remembered as part of the KFC dining experience. Today, that same spirit of innovation is being applied to one of hospitality’s most familiar routines: sanitising tables. Despite advances in cleaning technology, many businesses still rely on a spray bottle and reusable cloth. This method depends on staff applying enough product, covering the full surface and allowing the correct contact time. During a busy service, inconsistency can easily creep in. Reused cloths may also transfer bacteria, viruses and allergens between surfaces if not replaced or disinfected correctly. Healthcare environments have long recognised these limitations. Ready-touse, pre-saturated wipes deliver a measured amount of solution directly to the surface, without mixing, dilution or separate equipment. Using a fresh wipe for each task also helps reduce the risk of cross-contamination. The same principle makes sense in hospitality, where tables are sanitised frequently, quickly and by different

team members. Wipes can simplify training, standardise practice across shifts and locations, and make effective sanitising easier. This approach is supported by Food Standards Agency guidance, which recommends using disposable cloths, including wipes, wherever possible and discarding them after each task. It warns that dirty cloths can spread bacteria and allergens very easily. Sani Professional® Protect 360° sanitising wipes bring this established infection-prevention principle to hospitality. Plastic-free, dermatologically tested and food-safe, they combine consistency and convenience with more responsible material choices. By supporting faster table turnaround, Protect 360° helps teams focus on customers, service and the moments that matter most. The wipe changed the dining experience once. Now it is ready to reinvent table sanitising. Request your FREE Protect 360° samples by emailing samples@sanipro-intl.com.

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Newcastle Hotel Doubles Room Service Revenue With A Little Help From Tim Healy – And A Robot A PIONEERING Newcastle hotel has doubled its room service revenue after introducing robotic technology – with a little help from one of Tyneside’s best-known actors.

operation. The technology has also provided an unexpected benefit for some guests who prefer lower-contact interactions.

Maldron Hotel Newcastle, at Newgate Street, became the first hotel in the UK to introduce the ButlerBot W3, an autonomous service robot which delivers room service and guest amenities directly to bedrooms.

Anna added: “One of the things we've learned from introducing technology across the hotel is that guests want different things. “Some people love chatting to our team and experiencing that warm Geordie hospitality, while others, including some neurodivergent guests, may prefer a more independent or lower-contact experience.

And the robot – affectionately known as “Anna Bot” – now has another distinctly local feature: the voice of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Benidorm star, Tim Healy.

“Guests can use our contactless check-in and check-out options and order room service digitally, with Anna Bot then completing the delivery.

Since introducing the robot – which has been provided by North East company, Spark Robotics - the hotel has seen its room service revenue double, while freeing up team members to spend more time looking after guests in the hotel’s bar and restaurant. Anna Wadcock, General Manager of Maldron Hotel Newcastle, said the results demonstrate how technology can complement rather than replace traditional hospitality. “Anna Bot has become a real part of the hotel and guests absolutely love her,” said Anna. “What started as an innovative way of delivering room service has developed into something which genuinely supports our team, improves the guest experience and has had a measurable impact on our revenue. “The important thing for us has always been that technology should support our people, not replace them. Every room service delivery the robot makes means a member of our team can remain in the bar or restaurant looking after guests rather than leaving the floor. “And the fact that our room service revenue has now doubled shows that guests aren't just enjoying the novelty – they are actually using the service more.” The ButlerBot W3 independently navigates the hotel, communicates

“It gives people more choice over how they experience the hotel, and that's really important to us. with the lifts to travel between floors and links with the hotel’s bedroom telephone system.

“For us, the best use of technology isn't about removing hospitality – it's about giving our team more time to deliver it.”

When it reaches a guest’s room, a very familiar voice calls them to let them know their order has arrived.

Eric Guo, founder of SPARK Robotics, said he was delighted with the positive experience that the Maldron Hotel has had and that it showcased the many useful applications for the robots.

“Tim is a regular guest at the hotel through our support for his charity ‘Sunday for Sammy’ and one day asked if there was anything he could do for us,” said Anna. “We thought it would be brilliant to give Anna Bot a proper Geordie voice, so Tim very kindly recorded it for us. “Guests get quite a surprise when their bedroom phone rings and suddenly Tim Healy is telling them their room service has arrived. “The funniest moment is probably when Tim stays with us, orders room service and ends up answering the phone to himself!” Along with food and drink orders, Anna Bot can deliver additional guest amenities such as towels and toiletries, allowing the hotel team to respond quickly to requests without having to leave other areas of the

“Hospitality is just one of many industries that can benefit from robots,” he said. “Logistics sites, shopping centres, garden centres, amusement arcades, care homes and large buildings all manage repetitive work, staff pressure, consistency requirements and high-volume routines. “Our aim is to help organisations identify where robots can support those tasks in real working environments. “We work in areas where there are challenges with repetitive tasks, staffing pressures and labour-intensive work and help clients come up with a solution that is right for them.” For further information visit www.spark-robotics.com

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CAMRA Opens Nominations for the UK’s Most Picturesque Pubs Pubs across the UK are being urged to enter CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards.

Nominations open Thursday 8 October to all pubs that meet the criteria, which can be found on CAMRA’s website.

This coveted award not only celebrates the UK’s most picturesque hostelries, but seeks out hidden gems where people have converted a building into a pub.

And nominations are open to all – whether you are a pub owner, a tenant, the architect behind the transformation, a CAMRA member or a punter, we look forward to discovering the best of the best!

One of 2026’s winners was St Peter’s Tavern in Liverpool, set inside a stunning 1788 church, while converted high street shops providing communities with a local struck gold.

Nominations close 18 November 2026.

Working with Historic England, the renowned CAMRA award showcases stunning pub architecture across the UK. First introduced in 1983, dozens of locals have been recognised, with visitors flocking to marvel at the winning pubs.

Historic England’s Andrew Davison, Chair of CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards, said: “I am delighted to announce the launch of our annual Pub Design Awards. They are a wonderful opportunity for owners, publicans and communities to show just how much creative flair, craftmanship and imagination goes into protecting, refurbishing and repairing their much-loved locals and creating brand-new pubs.

Judged by a panel of experts, the awards recognise the highest standards of pub refurbishment and conservation, plus the construction of brand-new pubs and spaces being converted to pub use.

“The judges are always so enthused and encouraged to see the wide range of entries, making our job very difficult indeed! To see these fabulous design projects come to fruition is both humbling, while creating a sense of community for generations to come. This is especially important at a time when pubs are struggling against a difficult economic backdrop and gives us the opportunity to celebrate these amazing buildings.”

There are five different categories: Conversion to Pub Use, Historic England Conservation, New Build, Refurbishment and Community Local. From majestic Art Deco era establishments, innovative creative projects to build or convert new pubs, and street corner locals lovingly renovated by their community, the awards invite history buffs and pubgoers alike to explore and appreciate these inspirational buildings.

Historic England Conservation 2026 winner, The Woodman in Birmingham. Credit: James O. Davies

To enter the competition and see previous winners, visit: camra.org.uk/awards/pub-design

Amber Taverns Continues Southern Expansion with Seven-Figure Salisbury Investment Amber Taverns is continuing its expansion into the south of England with a sevenfigure investment in its first Wiltshire pub, Cooper & Co in Salisbury. The opening represents another significant step in Amber’s southern growth strategy and sees the former Pizza Hut building on Blue Boar Row comprehensively converted into a high-energy, value-led pub combining drinks, sport and competitive socialising. The building has effectively been taken back to brick, with Amber undertaking a major structural and internal transformation including the relocation of staircases and creation of a new bar, cellar, trading areas, manager’s accommodation and beer garden. A significant AV installation sits at the heart of the sports offer, with Sky Sports, TNT Sports and pay-per-view boxing and the capability to show different matches and sporting events simultaneously. The investment has also created a dedicated private karaoke room, interactive darts and photobooth, broadening the pub’s appeal and giving customers multiple reasons to visit throughout the week. The drinks proposition will remain central to the offer, with a broad range of draught beers alongside cask, wines, cocktails, shooters and spirits, all underpinned by Amber’s focus on value. The cask range will include beer from local Salisbury brewer Hopback Brewery. Salle Wroblewski, Regional Director South at Amber Taverns, said, “Cooper & Co represents a significant

investment for Amber and demonstrates the level of commitment we are making to our expansion in the south. This has been a substantial conversion. We have effectively taken the building back to brick and completely redesigned it to create a pub from what was previously a restaurant, including major changes to the layout and infrastructure. “The result is a strong, broad-based proposition which brings together the fundamentals of a great-value wet-led pub with live sport, karaoke, interactive darts and entertainment. We believe that combination will give customers plenty of reasons to visit and, importantly, to visit regularly.” Cooper & Co will be Amber Taverns’ first opening in Wiltshire as the group continues to extend its geographical footprint beyond its traditional heartlands. The opening forms part of a wider southern expansion programme which has seen Amber strengthen its operational infrastructure in the region, including the appointment of Wroblewski to lead the southern business. She added, “Salisbury is an important opening for us, both in its own right and as part of our wider growth ambitions. We see considerable opportunity to take Amber’s successful operator-managed model into new areas of the country, while ensuring that every pub is developed around its location and customer base. “We’re actively growing our presence in the south and Cooper & Co is a great example of the quality of site and level of investment we are prepared to make where we see the right opportunity.”

Valiant Pub Company Passes 100-Pub Milestone as Revenue Grows 45% Community pub company the Valiant Pub Company, has recorded a 45% increase in revenue to £42.9 million in the financial year ended 29 March 2026, with pub-level EBITDA up 56% to £8.6 million. Following a period of expansion and investment, Valiant’s estate has grown to 103 pubs, with the company continuing to pursue further acquisition opportunities.

Key highlights: • Expanded estate: The Group acquired 16 pubs and disposed of two noncore sites in FY26, with the estate ending the financial year with 94 pubs. It has continued to expand its presence across the North, Midlands, Wales and the South of England, targeting high-quality community pubs and the estate currently standing at 103 pubs. • Broadened offer: Evolving from a predominantly wet-led model, with increasing investment in food, accommodation and the overall customer offer driving higher average weekly sales and margins. • Strong revenue growth: Revenue increased by 45% year-on-year to £42.9 million (FY25: £29.6 million), with like-forlike sales across mature sites increasing 2.0%. • Improved profitability: Gross profit increased to £29.4 million (FY25: £19.8 million) and pub-level EBITDA increased to £8.6 million / 20.0% margin (FY25: £5.5 million / 18.6% margin), underpinned by disciplined cost control and strategic pricing. • Bolstered operating platform: Adjusted Group EBITDA increased to £2.5 million after central overheads (FY25: £0.8 million). • Strengthened funding position: New £14 million facility from Metro Bank and a further £8m committed post year end. Total committed bank funding now stands at £34 million, supporting continued acquisition and refurbishment

momentum. Founded in 2021 by Gerry Carroll and Mark McGinty, Valiant has expanded from a predominantly wet-led operator into a broader pub business encompassing traditional locals, food-led pubs and larger destination venues with restaurants and accommodation. The company says it has adopted different operating models across its estate, with individual pubs developed according to their local market and customer base rather than following a single format. Around 75% of Valiant’s estate has been acquired on an individualpub basis. The company says this approach has allowed it to assess properties on a case-by-case basis, while its investment in existing sites has generated further acquisition opportunities from owners and vendors. Gerry Carroll, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, said: “These results demonstrate the quality and strength of the business we have built over a relatively short period of time. We have assembled a strong and growing estate of community pubs, a healthy acquisition pipeline, and a proven model for creating value through investment and local engagement. With further opportunities ahead, we look forward to bringing more great pubs into the Group and extending our presence in communities across the UK.” Mark McGinty, CEO and Co-Founder, commented: “FY26 was another year of strong progress for Valiant. Growing a pub estate is one thing; growing it while improving profitability is much harder. We added 16 pubs during the year and increased pub-level EBITDA margin to 20%, supported by our continued investment in food, accommodation and the quality of our offer. With a stronger operating platform, we are well placed to build on this momentum.”

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Conwy Pub’s New Garden Creates Space for Community Connection A Conwy pub is enhancing its role at the heart of its local community with a community garden, including an edible garden, to help bring locals together through a shared interest and to grow produce for local people to enjoy.

in our local area and we are seeing a range of people from more elderly residents, families, young people and people with disabilities or limited mobility from within our small, rural area enjoying coming together here.”

The new community garden at 17th century pub The Hawk & Buckle Inn in Llannefydd, near Denbigh in Conwy, which was opened by publicans Paul Harris and Christina Ramsay last June, features a new grass area, wheelchair friendly pathways and ramps and range of pollinatorfriendly, raised planters to help enable people with limited mobility to take part in planned ongoing community planting and gardening activities. Creative sessions with a local artist are also planned.

He adds: “Our aim with the garden goes far beyond just creating an inclusive and accessible space. We want to encourage community involvement through ongoing gardening, planting and outdoor activities.”

With no local amenities or public transport in the village the new garden is providing an invaluable meeting space during the day for local people.

With expert guidance and access to a grant from Pub is The Hub, supported by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), the new community garden has further strengthened The Hawk & Buckle as a community hub for local people and is helping to combat social isolation in this rural area. The project was supported by BIST, as part of its Hospitality Support Fund, which aims to strengthen rural and remote communities by helping pubs diversify and remain sustainable community assets.

Image credit: Nathan Roberts Photography / Pub is The Hub Edible plants, including wild strawberries, fennel, artichokes and red currants and herbs including garlic chives, camomile, chives, rosemary Regional Advisor for Pub is The Hub Malcolm Harrison said: “It’s brilliant to see this new community garden and thyme, as well and as boxes for swifts and garden games are among the community garden’s other lovely already providing such an inclusive and accessible meeting and outdoor activities space which is benefiting such features, which has created a welcoming outdoor space for local residents, families, young farmers and commua wide range of local people, including many at high risk of social isolation, and of course also helping to supnity groups to meet and socialise. port local wildlife too.” The garden will be looked after ongoing by volunteers, including young farmers from Cffi Llannefydd who He added: “The fact that the produce grown in the garden will be enjoyed by people both in dishes on the meet regularly at the pub and who supported with the original planting in the garden. The aim is that produce pub’s menu and for them to pick and enjoy at home is another exciting element of this community project.” grown is used on the pub’s menu, which focuses on homemade, locally-sourced food, as well as picked by Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden said: “Rural pubs like The Hawk & Buckle Inn are vital to locals to enjoy at home too. communities like Llannefydd. Whether it’s by creating jobs or providing locals with important public services The pub, which also has five bedrooms to accommodate visitors to the area, also hosts monthly quizzes, live and activities, it’s crucial for them to have a place to come together and socialise. music, sponsors local football players, regular film nights and charity events to fundraise for the local church. “This is exactly why we are working to secure the future of rural pubs and venues through our Hospitality Publicans Paul and Christina are also working on a project to create a collection of local historic and folklore Support Fund. On top of the £4.3bn support package announced last year, we’ve slashed business rates for tales to share with guests staying at the inn to enjoy. pubs by 15% and are boosting this to 20% from April.” Publican Paul Harris said: “Our newly created community garden is already having a real positive impact with-

Arkwrights Reopens in Preston Following £280,000 Investment The Arkwrights, located on Plungington Road in Preston, officially reopened on Thursday 1st October following a transformational investment of £280,546. The pub is part of Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales. Behind the bar is passionate community hero Aiden Bowley, who has taken over as the operator of the Arkwrights after completing the Proper Pubs Pathways Training Programme. Launched earlier this year, the Pathways training programme is a 12-week programme that combines practical experience across multiple pubs with structured online learning before candidates take responsibility for running a pub independently. Aiden was selected to participate in the programme after showing serious potential for becoming a future operator whilst working as an assistant manager at another Proper Pubs site, the Plungington in Preston. His expertise, combined with his energy and enthusiasm, will enable him to create a lively social hub for local residents to enjoy, further cementing the pub at the heart of the local community. Inside, the pub has been completely transformed to include brand new flooring, fixtures, fittings and furniture throughout as well as updated decor – which has breathed a fresh lease of life into the pub. Outside, The Arkwrights has been completely refreshed with new paint and signage, that has created a wel-

coming first impression for customers. Aiden Bowley, Operator of The Arkwrights, said: “Taking over the Arkwrights has been an incredible experience, especially seeing the refurbishment come to life. Completing the Pathways Programme gave me invaluable skills, as well as the confidence I needed to take this next step in my career and take on my first pub. The backing from the Proper Pubs team has been second to none from day one and I am grateful for all their support. “The response from the local community since we reopened has blown me away. We’ve already welcomed so many people through the doors to see the new space, and the energy in the pub has been fantastic. I’m really proud of the start we’ve made, and I’m excited to serve locals here for many years to come!” Nikki Greenhalgh, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “It has been fantastic to welcome Aiden as the new operator of the Arkwrights, especially as a graduate of our Pathways Programme. I have no doubt he will make a huge success of running his own venue. Since reopening, Aidan has really hit the ground running, and on behalf of everyone at Proper Pubs, I’d like to congratulate Aiden on all his hard work and wish him the very best of luck for the future. Bringing people together and creating vibrant community hubs is at the heart of what we do, and we are so glad to see another successful community pub opening.”

Butcombe Group Wins Workplace Wellbeing Excellence Honour at LTC Awards Butcombe Group has been named the winner of the Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (operators under 250 sites) award at the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) Awards 2026, recognising the business’ commitment to supporting the wellbeing of its people. The award was presented at the annual LTC Awards Dinner on 1st October, celebrating organisations leading the way in workplace wellbeing across licensed hospitality. The award recognises Butcombe Group’s people-first approach to wellbeing, with judges praising a strategy shaped directly by colleague feedback and focused on making mental health support viable, accessible and a part of everyday working life. Initiatives highlighted by judges included Butcombe’s partnership with The Burnt Chef Project, its dedicated Employee Assistance Programme, a wellbeing hub, its Mental Health First Aiders network, financial wellbeing support and its ‘Returnity Leave’ policy, which helps colleagues navigate significant life events and return to work with the right support.

Cat Moseley, Chief Experience Officer at Butcombe Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud to receive this recognition from LTC. Creating a workplace where our people feel supported and able to thrive has always been a priority for us, and this award reflects our ongoing commitment to the team. “Our wellbeing approach is centred on listening to our people and continually evolving the support we provide. Whether through mental health resources, wellbeing support tools or policies that help people through important life moments, we’re dedicated to building a culture where people know they’re supported and valued every step of the way.” The award comes as Butcombe continues its long-standing support of LTC through a range of fundraising initiatives. Most recently, in September 2026 the business partnered with Hawkstone to create Hops & Glory, a limited-edition real English pale ale, raising funds for both LTC and the mental health charity, Shout. Since the launch the collaboration has raised £15,500 for the two charities, helping to support wellbeing initiatives across hospitality, farming and beyond.

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Festive Ordering

The 12 Christmas Days Hospitality Can't Afford to Lose Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most lucrative seasons for the hospitality sector, as friends, families and colleagues head to restaurants, pubs and hotels to enjoy the festive season. According to an NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker managed hospitality groups achieved 2.9% like-for-like growth in December 2025. To capitalise on this major revenue generation opportunity, many hospitality operators will encourage group bookings and pre-orders from guests to streamline operations. However, the process of managing this for many operators is fraught with manual, administrative friction. This erodes productivity, customer service and revenue. Christmas doesn't create new operational problems for hospitality operators. It exposes the ones they already have. Patrick Clover, Founder and CEO of Stampede, explains how fixing this process reduces the chaos often experienced in the run up to peak season. With benefits experienced across front of house (FOH), back of house and by customers.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE CURRENT CUSTOMER JOURNEY Take a restaurant booking for a party of 15 in August. The party organiser calls the venue to discuss dates, menus and deposits. The restaurant then sends back a menu in either PDF or spreadsheet format. On the surface this approach seems sensible. However, there are hidden costs to this approach. Weeks of back and forth over both phone and email follow. Last minute changes to orders, dietary restrictions, accessibility

arrangements and special requests are all dealt with in an email chain and spreadsheets. There is often no reliable way to tell which version of the spreadsheet is the correct one, or whether a manager’s note or if the guest’s note should take precedence. Now consider this scenario over the Christmas holidays. A manager in charge of eight sites could potentially have hundreds of live group booking threads in their inbox. It’s not just administrative confusion that this method can cause. There are knock on effects to having a manual approach to group bookings. When numbers firm up late, the kitchen orders produce, ingredients and so on based on estimates rather than facts, resulting in either food waste, or a shortfall on a busy night. Manual handling of allergens or dietary restrictions information could result in risks that no operator wants to take on either. Relying on one manager’s email inbox is a bottleneck. It delays replies, costing a venue lucrative bookings: because that party booked with the venue that wrote back. On the day of the booking there are also additional manual steps that require FOH staff to arrive early and key in orders, notes and allergens by hand. That’s a lot of moving parts all prone to errors and mistakes.

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY WITH GUEST ENGAGEMENT Venues can introduce organisational clarity, accuracy and productivity enhancements into their businesses with an all-in-one guest engagement platform. From there they can manage pre-bookings and payments from guests within one system. With this kind of system, our busy eight-site manager now has one place to view all enquiries, and the deposit and details associated with each one. Another benefit of this kind of approach is that each guest picks their own meal from a shared link and adds their own dietary requirements, access needs and special requests. This is then saved straight to the parent booking as they go, so the manager watches the numbers come through in real time instead of chasing them. Additionally, because the PoS is part of the same platform the pre-orders are already on the tab before the evening staff arrive. Nobody needs to come in an hour early to key in 15 covers by hand, and then again for the three other parties booked that night. This means that there are fewer chances for mistakes

to be made. What the kitchen orders and produces is what the guests submitted. That's hours back per site every week in December, spent with the guests instead of the screen.

THE TIME WON BACK Anecdotally, this approach could give restaurants, pubs and bars around 2-3 hours back per day. This equates to around 8-12 business days across a daily, packed-out venue throughout December. Aside from potential time back, storing event information in one platform – accessible by laptops, tablets and smartphones – shows everyone the same necessary information to serve guests efficiently. FOH teams can prepare tables in advance and seat guests promptly. Teams spend less time checking orders and have more visibility of guest information, including dietary requirements (e.g. allergens). They can plan for wheelchair access and highchairs/booster seats. Having this information in advance enables management teams to plan resourcing better too, during a season when restaurants rely on more temporary staff. Further, access to this information in advance allows the kitchen to order stock more accurately for the day ahead, minimising food waste. And, on the day, kitchens can manage their food orders and production more efficiently too, based on event requirements and what is actually taking place in the venue that day.

CONCLUSION Every Christmas event/booking and pre-order likely generates administration long before it generates revenue. And, in the run up to, and during Christmas, operators are often short on time and spend valuable resources on managing bookings, instead of improving processes that give them time back to dedicate to welcoming and serving guests well. In a time when the hospitality industry is under increasing pressure, it is vital for restaurants, pubs and bars to establish how they can improve productivity and operations for maximum revenue and profits to be achieved. After all, Christmas revenue is inevitable – but the question is, how much of that revenue are restaurants willing to give way to underperforming processes?

Bidfood Serves Up Its Biggest Festive Deals Programme In A Decade To Help Customers Plan Ahead For Christmas Bidfood is helping customers get ahead of the festive rush with the launch of its biggest Christmas deals programme in ten years, offering more than 400 seasonal deals to support menu planning, cost control and festive trading.

By encouraging earlier planning and pre-ordering, the campaign helps customers secure key festive products, manage costs more confidently and reduce the last-minute pressure that can come with the Christmas rush.

At the heart of the campaign is an expanded Christmas pre-order range, which has grown from 100 to 150 products, giving operators even more choice when planning their festive menus.

Katie Sillars, Head of Commercial Growth Initiatives at Bidfood said:

Customers who pre-order selected seasonal favourites can also benefit from a further 10% discount against standard Christmas deal prices. Building on the success of Bidfood’s 2025 Christmas pre-order, which saved customers just under £230,000 in total, this year’s 2026 pre-order offer is set to be bigger and better than ever. From festive favourites to value-led seasonal lines, the programme has been designed to give operators the tools to plan earlier, build appealing Christmas menus and make confident purchasing decisions during one of the busiest trading periods of the year.

“Christmas is a huge opportunity for our customers, but we know it can also be one of the most demanding times of the year. That’s why we’ve built a campaign that makes festive planning easier, more flexible and more cost-conscious. “With more than 400 festive deals and a bigger pre-order range than ever before, customers have more choice, more value and more ways to get ahead before the season gets into full swing. “It’s all about helping operators feel prepared, protect their margins and deliver festive menus their customers will love.” Find out more by visiting https://view.bidfood.co.uk/christmas/bidfood-christmas-deals-2026/

Christmas 2026: Creating Memorable Hospitality Spaces Through Festive Venue Dressing As the festive season approaches, hospitality venues are once again preparing to welcome guests looking to celebrate. While exceptional food and service remain essential, the atmosphere of a venue often plays an equally important role in creating memorable experiences and encouraging repeat visits. Thoughtful venue dressing helps transform familiar spaces into warm, inviting environments that capture the magic of Christmas. Whether it's a cosy country pub, fine dining restaurant or luxury hotel, festive decor provides an opportunity to reinforce a business's identity while encouraging customers to spend more time enjoying the ambience. A well-dressed venue doesn't have to rely on extravagant displays. Carefully selected Christmas trees, complemented by coordinated garlands and wreaths, can establish a festive focal point from the moment guests arrive. Extending decorative elements throughout bars, dining areas, reception spaces and entrances creates a consistent look that feels considered rather than overwhelming. Lighting also has a significant influence on the guest experience. Warm fairy lights, illuminated displays and candlelight can soften dining spaces, add depth to decor and create an atmosphere that suits every occasion. Combining lighting with decorative candles and elegant table accessories helps elevate festive dining without requiring a complete redesign of the venue.

This year's festive styling continues to embrace distinctive colour palettes that allow operators to tailor their decor to suit their brand. Jewelled Bliss celebrates deep burgundy, luxurious gold and elegant warm greens, creating a rich, layered aesthetic that feels opulent and welcoming. Silver Frost offers a fresh, contemporary alternative, pairing whites with silvers and soft greys to evoke the beauty of a winter landscape. For venues seeking timeless sophistication, Noel Navy combines navy tones with metallic accents to deliver a modern interpretation of traditional Christmas styling. Whichever palette businesses choose, consistency is key. Carrying colours and materials across trees, wreaths, table decorations, candles and lighting creates a cohesive visual journey that enhances the overall guest experience. Planning ahead is equally important. Ordering decorations early allows venues to secure stock, schedule installations and ensure everything is ready before the festive rush begins. It also provides time to refresh tired displays or introduce new decorative elements to keep returning guests engaged. Ultimately, successful festive venue dressing is about creating an atmosphere that complements the occasion. By combining coordinated decorations, ambient lighting and thoughtfully chosen seasonal colourways, hospitality businesses can create inviting spaces that encourage celebration and strengthen customer loyalty. For festive decorations from one supplier, contact Alliance Online via hello@allianceonline.co.uk to view their full catalogue of Christmas options, or visit our website and shop online.

Getting Ready for the Christmas Season Ben Cotts, Key Account Manager at Lanchester Wines, looks at the wine trends set to shape the festive trading period and explains why no- and low-alcohol drinks deserve just as much attention as traditional favourites. Sorry to drop the C word while it's still warm and sunny, but now is the time to start planning for Christmas. For pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants, the festive season can make a significant difference to annual turnover, and getting the drinks offer right is a key part of maximising the opportunity. As the weather (eventually) turns colder, consumers naturally gravitate towards richer, warmer styles of wine. Classic varietals such as Shiraz and Malbec will continue to drive sales, but we're seeing customers become more specific in what they're looking for. Rather than simply ordering a Shiraz, they're increasingly interested in provenance and regional identity, whether that's a Barossa Shiraz, a Rioja Reserva or a Valpolicella Ripasso. Italian reds, in particular, are proving popular as we head into the winter months. They

Premiumisation also remains resilient. While value is still important, consumers

offer the ripe fruit and generosity consumers are looking for while bringing something

continue to trade up for wines that feel authentic and offer a sense of discovery. We're

a little different to the table. A Primitivo di Manduria, for example, delivers the weight

seeing growing interest in DOCG sparkling wines such as Prosecco Superiore,

and richness of a full-bodied Shiraz but with a softer, more approachable style and a

Portuguese regional varieties including Touriga Nacional, and Spanish wines with a

distinctly Italian character.

strong regional story. For operators, smart buying remains essential, balancing quality and character with the need to protect margins in a challenging cost environment. No Christmas drinks offer is complete without giving proper consideration to the no- and lowalcohol category. For many groups, one guest is driving and often influencing where the group stays, dines and celebrates. Looking after nondrinkers is no longer a bolt-on consideration; it's an important part of the overall customer experience. Venues should offer the same sense of occasion, choice and quality that they provide to wine and cocktail drinkers rather than relying on a limited selection of soft drinks. The nonalcoholic category has evolved significantly in recent years and consumers now expect credible alternatives. A quality alcohol-free sparkling wine is particularly important during the festive season when celebrations are at their peak. Products such as Champagne producer Famille Moutard's M 0% offer the complexity and ceremonial feel associated with traditional sparkling wine, while Tommy Bacco 0% provides a fresh, aromatic alternative inspired by generations of Italian winemaking. The key is to make nonalcoholic options feel like a considered choice rather than a compromise. Ultimately, Christmas is about creating memorable experiences. Whether that's through a premium bottle of wine with a festive meal or a sophisticated alcohol-free alternative, operators who offer quality, choice and a sense of occasion will be best placed to make the most of the season.

01207 52 1234 sales@lanchesterwines.co.uk www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

30

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 337

Hospitality Technology

Good Hospitality Depends on Good Communication In hospitality, good communication is something customers rarely notice – environment. until it goes wrong. There is nothing for the customer to configure. No app to download, QR Whether it is a restaurant, hotel, food hall or busy catering operation, code to scan or mobile number to provide. The system isn't dependent on communication between staff can directly affect the customer experience. the guest having a smartphone, sufficient battery charge, Wi-Fi or mobile Delayed food, customers waiting unnecessarily or staff searching for colreception. They are handed a pager and it does its job. leagues can quickly turn an otherwise good experience into a disappointing The same principle applies behind the scenes. one. Communication between the kitchen and front of house can make a conTechnology has provided hospitality operators with countless ways to siderable difference to service. Waiting staff repeatedly returning to the pass improve communication. Apps, smartphones, Wi-Fi and sophisticated EPOS to see whether an order is ready wastes time. Calling across a restaurant systems all have their place. But sometimes the most effective solution is creates unnecessary noise, while food left waiting can affect temperature, also one of the simplest. presentation and ultimately the customer's experience. Dedicated paging is a good example. The new LRS SP6 waiter and staff pager has been developed with preciseFor more than three decades, Long Range Systems (LRS) has specialised in ly this environment in mind. on-site paging technology. Its systems can be found across hospitality and Used with an LRS transmitter in the kitchen or at the pass, the system other service industries, and for many operators the LRS name has become allows staff to call the appropriate waiter when an order is ready. Until that an industry standard for guest and staff paging. moment, waiting staff can remain on the restaurant floor doing what they In a busy hospitality environment, equipment needs to be reliable, straight- do best – looking after customers. forward to use and capable of surviving the realities of everyday service. The SP6 represents the latest generation of LRS staff paging technology. It For customers, the LRS CS6 guest pager provides a simple solution to an incorporates a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, vibration alerts and four equally simple problem: nobody enjoys standing around waiting. LCD indicators that can convey different messages. Its internal design has also been substantially simplified compared with the previous SP4, reducing Instead of asking guests to remain close to reception, a collection point or the number of components and potential points of failure. restaurant entrance, the CS6 gives them freedom to move away. When their table, order or service is ready, bright flashing LEDs and vibration attract That emphasis on reliability matters. their attention without adding another source of noise to an already busy Hospitality businesses inevitably consider cost, but the cheapest equip-

ment isn't necessarily the least expensive over its working life. Range, battery performance, durability, UK radio compliance, technical support and expected service life are all worth considering when choosing a professional paging system. A system that fails during a busy Saturday evening is unlikely to feel like a bargain. This is perhaps why dedicated paging has survived while so much hospitality technology has changed around it. It doesn't attempt to replace personal service; instead, it helps staff deliver it. The CS6 gives waiting customers greater freedom. The SP6 helps kitchen and front-of-house teams communicate without unnecessary journeys or disruption. Both address everyday operational problems that can make a substantial difference to service. Hospitality will continue to embrace new technology, as it should. But progress doesn't always mean another app, screen or subscription. After more than 30 years developing paging solutions, Long Range Systems continues to demonstrate why its equipment has become an industry standard: good communication doesn't need to be complicated. It simply needs to work. See the advert on the facing page for further information.

Efficiency at the Heart of Hospitality: Why 3R EPOS is the Operator’s Choice In an industry where margins are under constant pressure and guest expectations are higher than ever, the right operational foundation isn't just a luxury - it’s a lifeline. For modern hospitality operators, the goal is simple: reduce administrative friction to focus entirely on the guest experience. Built on over 60 years of combined industry experience, 3R EPOS offers a bespoke approach to point-of-sale and payment processing. Powered by CES Touch, a market-leading software designed specifically for the daily realities of the hospitality floor. 3R EPOS provides systems that arrive ready to go, pre-configured to minimise setup time and allow businesses to hit the ground running from day one. Beyond processing transactions, CES Touch provides a comprehensive management suite. Real-time stock conINNOVATIVE LABELLING SOLUTIONS INNOVATIVE LABELLING SOLUTIONS

FOOD SAFETY

FOOD SAFETY LABELLING IS CHANGING — IS YOUR KITCHEN READY?IS CHANGING — FOOD SAFETY LABELLING ISFood YOUR KITCHEN READY? labelling may seem like a small task. But when it is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, the time, inconsistency and FOOD SAFETY

potential for human error can quickly add up. PREPsafe believes there is a smarter way. Food labelling may seem like a small task. But when it is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, the time, inconsistency and potential for human error can quickly add up. PREPsafe believes there is a smarter way. Write the product. Write the date. Write the Check theproduct. time. Write the Apply thedate. label. Check the time. Repeat. Apply the label. When this happens thousands of times a Repeat. month, how much time is your kitchen When this happenson thousands ofand times a actually spending labelling — how much room is time thereisfor human error? month, how much your kitchen actually spending on labelling — and how much room is there for human error?

From product selection to printed label in seconds with PREPsafe From product selection to printed label in seconds with PREPsafe

WHAT IF FOOD LABELLING COULD BE SIMPLER? WHAT IF FOOD LABELLING COULD BE SIMPLER?

Using the PREPsafe app and connected printer, kitchen teams create clear, consistent food safety labels in seconds — replacing a repetitive handwritten process with a Using the PREPsafe app and connected printer, kitchen teams create clear, consistent simple digital solution. But PREPsafe isn’t stopping at digital labelling. The label itself is food safety labels in seconds — replacing a repetitive handwritten process with a getting smarter. simple digital solution. But PREPsafe isn’t stopping at digital labelling. The label itself is getting smarter.

NEW

NEW

NEW

NEW

Removable. Waterproof. With a temperature indicator. Removable. Waterproof. Tough, waterproof material designed to withstand water without With a temperature indicator.

Removing old labels from reusable containers. Removing old labels from If you’ve ever scrubbed adhesive residue from a container, you’ll reusable containers.

ripping or tearing — with an indicator built into the label. A simple visual for busy teams, designed without adding another piecewithout of Tough,check waterproof material to withstand water equipment. ripping or tearing — with an indicator built into the label. A simple visual check for busy teams, without adding another piece of equipment. TURNS GREEN BELOW 5°C TURNS GREEN BELOW 5°C

understand why this matters. Dissolvable Labels are designed to dissolve exposed to water, simplifying thea process when If you’vewhen ever scrubbed adhesive residue from container, you’ll containers washed and reused. understandare why this matters. Dissolvable Labels are designed to dissolve when exposed to water, simplifying the process when containers washed andITreused. LABEL IT.are WASH IT. LET DISSOLVE. LABEL IT. WASH IT. LET IT DISSOLVE.

THREE INNOVATIONS. ONE OBJECTIVE.

NO SUBSCRIPTION FEES.

Make food safety easier for the people who actually work in the kitchen. PREPsafe is THREE INNOVATIONS. ONE OBJECTIVE. designed for restaurants, cafés, hotels, catering businesses and franchise operators — and Make food safety easier for the people actually in the kitchen. PREPsafe is for multi-site groups, standardising thewho process helpswork create consistency between locations designed forstaff restaurants, and simplify training.cafés, hotels, catering businesses and franchise operators — and for multi-site groups, standardising the process helps create consistency between locations and simplify staff training.

Customers simply purchase the labels NO SUBSCRIPTION FEES. they use — with no ongoing Customers simply purchase labels subscription for the labellingthe system. they use — with no ongoing subscription for the labelling system.

SO, WHY ARE WE STILL DOING IT THE HARD WAY? See what PREPsafe can do for your kitchen. Explore the system, discover the new label range or arrange a demonstration.

www.prepsafe.com

WEBSITE

GOOGLE PLAY

APP STORE

PREPsafe UK Ltd PREPsafe UKFloor, Ltd 1000 Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9DW The Millie, 1st

020 3960 8787 · 07777 420001 020 3960 uksales@prepsafe.com 8787 · 07777 420001

The Millie 1st Floor 1000 Great West Road Brentford TW8 9DW

uksales@prepsafe com

trol and detailed financial reporting allow managers to move away from guesswork, offering the clarity needed to identify high-margin items and minimise waste. Integrated loyalty features and modules for tableside ordering further empower businesses to cultivate a database of regulars while driving operational efficiency. In today’s economic climate, transaction costs are a critical consideration. By offering competitive merchant rates and a variety of hardware - from fixed terminals to portable units for tableside service - the focus remains on speed and security. What truly sets 3R EPOS apart is their commitment to partnership. With UKbased support, free on-site installation, and a rapid hardware replacement guarantee, they ensure that the "open" sign stays in the window. In a trade where downtime equals lost revenue, having a reliable, human-centric support network paired with the robust capabilities of CES Touch is the ultimate competitive advantage for any venue, from boutique hotels to bustling restaurants. To discover a solution tailored to your venue, visit www.3repos.com or call 01992 574 650.

32

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 337

Bar and Cellar Equipment Why Good Cellar Management Matters: Protecting Beer Quality, Profitability and the Customer Experience For many pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants, the cellar is one of the most important areas of the business – yet it can also be one of the easiest to overlook.

Cellar doors should also be kept closed as much as possible, helping the cooling system maintain a consistent environment.

Out of sight of customers, the cellar is often regarded simply as a place where beer, cider, spirits and other stock are stored. In reality, effective cellar management is fundamental to product quality, waste reduction, hygiene, stock control and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.

CLEAN LINES ARE ESSENTIAL

For businesses selling draught beer, even small lapses in cellar standards can have a noticeable impact on what reaches the customer's glass.

QUALITY STARTS IN THE CELLAR Beer is a carefully produced food and drink product, and its condition can be affected by how it is stored and dispensed. This is particularly important for cask ale, which remains a living product and requires careful handling after it reaches the premises. Temperature, stock rotation, cellar cleanliness, equipment maintenance and dispense procedures all play a role in maintaining its character. Cask Marque recommends that cask beer is stored and dispensed within a temperature range of around 10–14°C, with 11–13°C commonly used as the target range. The organisation's assessments consider temperature alongside appearance, aroma and taste when evaluating beer quality. The precise requirements can vary according to the beer and the brewer's instructions, so operators should always follow the guidance supplied by their brewery or drinks supplier. Temperature control is not simply about preventing beer from becoming warm. Excessively cold storage can also affect certain cask beers, while excessive heat can accelerate deterioration. A reliable, regularly checked thermometer should therefore be an essential piece of cellar equipment.

Few aspects of cellar management are more important than dispense hygiene. Beer and cider lines provide a route from the cellar to the customer's glass, meaning any build-up of yeast, deposits or microorganisms can directly affect the quality of the drink being served. The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) states that cleanliness of dispense equipment is essential for maintaining quality and presentation and recommends cleaning beer and cider dispense systems at least every seven days. Regular cleaning should therefore be treated as a routine operational responsibility rather than something undertaken only when a problem becomes apparent. Staff should know which cleaning procedure applies to the equipment in their premises, use the appropriate products and follow manufacturer and supplier instructions. Records of cleaning can also provide a useful management tool, particularly where several members of staff share responsibility for the cellar.

HOUSEKEEPING IS NOT OPTIONAL A professional cellar should be treated with the same care and attention given to other operational areas of a hospitality business. Floors, walls, shelving, equipment and storage areas should be kept clean, while spillages should be dealt with promptly. Food should not be stored in areas intended for beer and drinks stock unless appropriate arrangements are in place. Gas cylinders must be stored securely and safely, and staff should understand the relevant procedures for handling cellar gases and dispense equipment.

Cask Marque's current cellar-management programme assesses a range of areas including cellar temperature, stock rotation, equipment, gas storage and dispense hygiene, reflecting the fact that good beer quality depends upon a combination of practices rather than a single intervention.

EQUIPMENT NEEDS REGULAR ATTENTION A cellar can be immaculately clean and correctly stocked but still deliver poor beer if its equipment is not properly maintained. Cooling systems, beer lines, dispense equipment, couplings, taps, pumps and associated components all need appropriate maintenance. Any unusual noises, leaks, temperature fluctuations, excessive foaming or changes in beer quality should be investigated rather than ignored. Cooling systems and dispense arrangements should also be suitable for the products being sold. Cask and keg beers can have different storage and dispense requirements, and operators should not assume that one configuration will be appropriate for every product.

TRAINING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE One of the biggest challenges facing operators is ensuring that cellar responsibilities do not become a task that "everyone" assumes somebody else is doing. A clearly designated person should have responsibility for cellar standards, even where the work itself is shared among the wider team. Training should cover the basics of temperature control, stock rotation, line cleaning, equipment checks, hygiene, safe gas handling and identifying common beer faults. Importantly, training should not be limited to new employees. Refresher training is valuable, particularly when equipment changes, new products are introduced or standards begin to slip. Cask Marque continues to provide cellar-management training and describes its cellar assessment as covering 11 key areas intended to help ensure beer is consistently served in good condition.

A SIMPLE DAILY ROUTINE Effective cellar management does not necessarily

require complicated procedures. A straightforward daily checklist can include: Checking cellar temperature and recording the result. Inspecting stock for damage, leaks or products approaching their relevant dates.

THE COMMERCIAL CASE For operators working with tight margins, cellar management should not be viewed simply as another compliance or housekeeping exercise. Good practice can help reduce waste, minimise product losses and protect the quality of drinks for which customers are paying a premium. Cask Marque has previously reported that improved cellar practices can increase yields and that better beer quality can support increased beer sales. While the precise financial benefit will vary considerably between businesses, the principle is straightforward: product that is stored and dispensed correctly is less likely to be wasted or returned and more likely to provide the experience customers expect. The customer is also unlikely to distinguish between a brewing problem and a cellar-management problem. If a pint arrives flat, cloudy when it should be clear, excessively foamy, too warm or otherwise below expectations, the pub is ultimately where the customer experience is judged.

FROM BACK-OF-HOUSE TO BUSINESS-CRITICAL The cellar may be hidden from customers, but its influence is visible every time a drink is served. For operators, good cellar management is therefore about much more than keeping a room tidy. It is about protecting the quality of stock, maintaining hygiene, supporting efficient operations, controlling waste and ensuring that customers receive the product they have ordered in the condition intended. In an increasingly competitive hospitality market, those fundamentals matter. The best cellar is rarely the one with the most sophisticated equipment or the largest drinks range. It is the one that is consistently clean, correctly managed, properly maintained and overseen by people who understand that what happens behind the cellar door has a direct bearing on what happens at the bar.

Protecting Pints Protects Profits Beer Quality Experts Avani Solutions shares why a quality pint is as much a commercial opportunity as it is a firstrate customer experience. For pubs, hotels, restaurants and licensed venues, delivering a consistently excellent pint is about much more than customer satisfaction. The way beer quality is managed behind the bar can have a direct impact on waste, yield and profitability. Professional beer line cleaning and bar hygiene play an important role. Traditional approaches result in unnecessary beer loss during cleaning, while inconsistent procedures affect dispense quality and increase wastage. As a proven specialist beer quality partner, Avani can help operators introduce a more controlled approach, maintain high standards – consistently, while reducing the amount of valuable product going down the drain. For operators facing continued pressure on margins, the benefits of having Avani work alongside, can be significant. Reducing waste means getting more saleable pints from every keg, improving yields and helping lower the cost of dispense. At the same time, wellmaintained lines and clean dispense equipment support better beer quality, giving customers the fresh and flavourful pint they expect when drinking out. However, equipment and cleaning processes are only part of the picture. The people behind the bar are critical to maintaining standards day after day. That is why our service is supported by practical training, helping teams understand everything from correct glass care and dispense practices to bar hygiene and the importance of maintaining beer quality. Training also gives employees the confidence to iden-

tify potential quality issues early, helping prevent avoidable waste and ensuring standards remain consistent between professional service visits. We offer entry level training with our award-nominated WasteWatchers!® workshop. For bar supervisors, operations or cellar managers our Beerista™ course is much more in depth it looks at the causes of dispense faults, and the issues causing a less than perfect pint. For licensees, hoteliers and hospitality operators, beer quality is not only a customer experience priority but a commercial opportunity. By combining professional hygiene from cellar to bar and dispense, wastereduction expertise and staff training, operators can protect the quality of every pint while improving operational efficiency. In a market where every pint – and every pound – matters, better beer management can make a measurable difference to the bottom line. We’re here to show you just how much, by protecting your profits pint by pint. Call us on 01638 563237 or email info@avanisolutions.co.uk

FlowBridge gives you visibility across the final mile, from keg, through the dispense system, to the glass. FlowBridge has been designed to give venues serving draught and cask ales complete visibility across every site and every pint served. Delivering real-time data on cellar conditions, dispense performance and line condition directly to management teams, FlowBridge enables operators to identify issues quickly and take action before they impact beer quality, increase waste or affect the customer experience. From cellar to glass, FlowBridge gives you the visibility to manage your draught operation. Easy reconciliation from pour to till Match you pour revenue to your actual till revenue Out-of-Hours Alerts Know when beer is being poured outside permitted trading or serving times. Pour Performance Identify abnormal pours and potential dispense issues before they become costly problems. Temperature Monitoring Monitor cellar and dispense temperatures to help protect beer quality and reduce waste. Line-Cleaning Visibility Record cleaning activity and provide management with visibility of when cleaning has been completed. Equipment Alerts Know when cellar or dispense equipment requires attention.

DON'T JUST MANAGE YOUR BEER. MANAGE THE DATA BEHIND IT. FlowBridge turns your draught system into a connected, measurable operation. Whether you operate one venue or hundreds, FlowBridge provides the information needed to identify problems

Remote Management

earlier, reduce unnecessary waste and

Access your draught operation remotely

understand what's really happening

through the Brew Overwatch portal.

between the keg and the customer's glass.

BETTER VISIBILITY | BETTER CONTROL | BETTER BEER | BETTER BUSINESS Improve beer quality | Reduce beer waste | Increase keg yield Protect your brand | Improve your customer's experience www.flowbridgetech.co.uk Draught Technology. Connected. Measurable. Managed.

Powered by Brew Overwatch™

34

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 337

Bar and Cellar Equipment

Joining Forces to Provide Unparalleled On-Premise Draft Profitability and Control i-Keg and Clear Brew are proud to announce an exciting new partnership bringing together two industry specialists to accelerate the rollout of the i-Keg FlowBridge beer management platform across the UK hospitality sector. Following the early success of FlowBridge, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from venues already using the system, this collaboration marks a significant step forward in delivering smarter, data-driven beer management at scale. Clear Brew has been a trusted name in professional beer line cleaning since 2006, delivering a fully managed, labour-inclusive service to venues across the UK. Their experienced technicians help operators maintain consistently high beer quality while reducing waste, cutting costs, and protecting profitability. By combining Clear Brew’s nationwide service expertise with i-Keg’s innovative FlowBridge technology, this partnership creates a powerful, end-to-end solution for operators. Through this collaboration, FlowBridge will now be introduced to over 4,000 venues, covering more than 50,000 beer lines a major milestone in transforming how operators monitor performance, maintain quality, and maximise profitability behind the bar. FlowBridge provides real-time insight into beer flow, line performance, and temperature control, alongside

Adams - The Bottled Gas Specialist Adams Gas are specialist bottled gas distributors and suppliers based in Kent. We have been distributing bottled gas throughout the UK via our large stockist network, for over 25 years. We offer a local delivery service for bottled gas in Kent, East Sussex and South London. Adams Gas can offer a cost-effective beer and cellar gas solutions for all small, medium and large businesses looking for a better bottled beer, pub and cellar gas services. With our own cylinders filled at our own filling depot, you can count on us as gas suppliers to offer the right service, at the right price, when you need it. We can also offer this product on a re-seller basis to breweries, beer wholesalers and shipping companies throughout the UK. We also Supply:

Cellar Handling and Cask Racking Solutions EASYRACK is a leading supplier of high-quality cellar handling equipment and cask racking solutions designed to improve efficiency and safety in your brewery, pub, or beverage storage facility. We provide a wide range of products, from keg handling and cask racking solutions to drop mats and more.

Cellar Handling and Cask Racking Solutions We understand the unique challenges of cask racking and cellar management. That’s why we offer durable and reliable equipment to optimize your operations, including:

powerful reporting tools and revenue indicators via the Brew OverWatch portal. When paired with Clear Brew’s professional beer line cleaning service, operators gain complete visibility and control from line hygiene to sales performance. “This partnership is about more than scaling a product, it’s about raising the bar for the entire industry. By combining real-time data with on-the-ground expertise, we’re giving operators the tools they need to improve quality, reduce waste, and drive profitability in a way that simply hasn’t been possible before.” – Greg Whitehorne, i-Keg Ltd. “We’ve spent nearly two decades helping venues maintain beer quality through professional line cleaning. Partnering with i-Keg allows us to go even further pairing our service with live performance data to give customers complete confidence in every pint they serve.” – Stephen Trezona, Clear Brew Ltd. This is more than just growth—it’s about raising standards across the industry, improving quality, and helping venues make better, more informed decisions every day. The future of smarter beer management Visit www.i-keg.com • Food Grade Co2 gas cylinders for Coca-Cola Frozen, Fanta Frozen, Tango Ice Blast, and Slushy Jack’s frozen drinks machines • CO2 for Glass Frosting. Food grade liquid Co2 for instantly cooling glasses Simply attach your machine to our cylinder for fast effective delivery of food grade Co2 strait into your glass! Adams Gas have been proud bottled gas suppliers to the UK for over two decades. We endeavour to provide our customers with premium quality gas to best suit their requirements. You can discuss your queries with us by phone on 01843 220 596 or free phone 0800 195 4445. Alternatively, you can send an email to sales@adamsgas.co.uk or simply fill out and submit our online contact form and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you. • Cask racking systems: Maximise your cellar space and ensure safe storage of your casks with our robust racking solutions. • Freestanding Autotilts: Insure full usage of barrel contents so nothing is wasted! • Keg handling equipment: Effortlessly move and manage your kegs. • Drop mats: Protect your valuable stock and minimise noise with our range of durable drop mats. See the advert on this page or visit www.easy-rack.co.uk for further details.

The Bottled Gas Specialist www.adamsgas.co.uk

From click to delivery, we've got you covered Adams Gas offers cost-effective Cellar Gas solutions for all small, medium and large businesses looking for a better bottled beer, pub and cellar gas service. Our own cylinders are filled at our own filling depot, providing the right service, at the right price, when you need it.

PAY A ONE OFF REFUNDABLE BOTTLE DEPOSIT AND SIMPLY PAY FOR GAS AS YOU GO.

sales@adamsgas.co.uk | 01843 220 596 | 0800 195 4445

Issue 337

CLH DIGITAL

35

Outdoor Spaces Making Outdoor Space Work Harder for Hospitality Businesses In today’s hospitality market, every square metre counts. Outdoor areas are no longer seasonal add-ons; they are valuable revenue-generating spaces that can significantly increase capacity, customer satisfaction, and profitability when designed correctly. Global Canopies specialise in the design, supply, and installation of premium outdoor dining cover solutions for hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafés and leisure venues across the UK. Our expertise helps hospitality businesses transform underused terraces, patios, beer gardens, and courtyards into attractive, weather-protected spaces that can be enjoyed throughout the year. We offer a range of solutions tailored to each venue. Our giant commercial parasols provide flexible shade and weather protection, with integrated heating and LED lighting enabling comfortable daytime and evening use. For larger spaces, retractable roof structures create truly versatile environments, allowing guests to enjoy alfresco dining in fine weather while providing shelter at the touch of a button when conditions change. Louvre roof sys-

tems offer another sophisticated solution, with adjustable aluminium blades that regulate sunlight, ventilation, and rainfall protection, creating a comfortable outdoor environment whatever the season. The result is an outdoor space that works all year round. Guests can enjoy open-air dining and drinks during warm summer months, while remaining protected from wind, rain, and cooler temperatures during autumn and winter. By extending the usability of outdoor areas, hospitality operators can increase covers, host more events, reduce seasonality, and generate additional revenue from spaces that might otherwise sit empty for much of the year. Whether you are planning a new outdoor dining destination or upgrading an existing space, Global Canopies can help you maximise its potential. Call: 0330 133 9115 Email: hello@global-canopies.com / francis@global-canopies.com www.global-canopies.com

Save Now On Outdoor Furniture Made Printed Pub Banners: The Secret Weapon for Successful Pub Promotion For Year-Round Enjoyment All the outdoor contract grade furniture we supply at Trent Furniture is designed for allyear-round use if it’s cared for appropriately. Right now, we have fantastic offers across our range. Aluminium is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a sturdy and stable solution. Our water-resistant Alma Aluminium Table currently has 15% off, and whether you choose a square or a round tabletop, you can be assured the ‘post forming’ technique used in its manufacture prevents water getting into the core of the top and causing warping. Both pair perfectly with the Monaco Aluminium Stacking Chair which has a 10% discount

and also comes in durable wood effect or synthetic wicker in a choice of colours. Made from strong yet lightweight stackable steel, the Venice range is another excellent choice for tough but chic outdoor furniture. Simply designed in goes-with-anything grey, it has a matching side chair and armchair, all currently with 10% off. Easy to store when not in use, all this furniture has the added benefit of looking just as good indoors in a wide range of venues including clubs, bars and cafés. To order or find out more about our offers on outdoor furniture please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 286 4911

First impressions matter, especially in the hospitality industry. Before a customer samples your food, orders a drink or experiences your atmosphere, they'll often make a decision based on what they see from the street. That's where professionally printed pub banners come into their own, transforming blank walls, fences and railings into powerful advertising space that works around the clock. From traditional village pubs to bustling city bars, printed banners remain one of the most affordable and effective ways to promote events, increase footfall and boost sales. Whether it's live music, quiz nights, seasonal menus, televised sporting events or beer garden promotions, a bold, professionally printed banner can stop people in their tracks and encourage them to walk through the door. Unlike digital advertising that disappears after a few seconds, a printed banner keeps working day and night.

unpredictable British weather while maintaining exceptional print quality.

Positioned outside your venue, it reaches local residents, passing traffic and visitors without ongoing advertising costs. It's simple, effective marketing that continues to deliver results long after it's been installed. Quality is everything when it comes to outdoor signage. A faded or poorly produced banner can send the wrong message, while vibrant colours, sharp graphics and durable materials help create a professional image that reflects the quality of your business. That's why thousands of pubs, clubs and hospitality venues trust HFE Signs to produce banners that are built to withstand the

Printed pub banners are incredibly versatile. Summer BBQs, Christmas parties, Sunday lunches, charity fundraisers, comedy nights, cocktail evenings and live entertainment can all be promoted with professionally designed banners that capture attention from a distance. Better still, banners are easy to replace as your promotions change throughout the year, ensuring your venue always looks fresh and inviting. As competition continues to grow within the hospitality industry, making your venue stand out has never been more important. Professionally printed pub banners offer exceptional value for money, immediate visibility and long-lasting durability, making them one of the smartest marketing investments any pub can make. Check out HFE Signs and special offers here: www.hfe-signs.co.uk

Make Your Outdoor Space Work Harder Transform unused outdoor areas into attractive, revenue-generating spaces all year round. Premium outdoor solutions for hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafés and leisure venues.

Commercial Parasols Shade, heating and LED lighting

Retractable Roofs Flexible shelter at the touch of a button

Louvre Roofs Adjustable protection from sun and rain

Why invest in outdoor space? 3 Increase seating and revenue 3 Extend your trading season 3 Create spaces for dining, drinks and events 3 Make patios, terraces and beer gardens work harder 0330 133 9115 | hello@global-canopies.com

www.global-canopies.com

36

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 337

Products and Services

CLEAN Do The Workwear, So You Can Do The Work CLEAN Linen & Workwear are one of the UK's most trusted laundry companies. They supply tailored workwear solutions provided by real people. Their comprehensive laundry network means they can service customers throughout England and Wales, providing chefswear, workwear and linen rental services. Whether you operate from a single-site hotel, pub or restaurant or have multiple locations, CLEAN can tailor a workwear rental solution to suit your business requirements. They offer various uniform options to support the entire kitchen brigade, from Executive Chefs to Kitchen Porters. With their workwear rental service, you can say goodbye to the hassle of purchasing, storing, and maintaining chef and kitchen uniforms. Instead, enjoy the convenience of a hassle-free rental system that provides freshly laundered garments whenever your team need them. By renting with CLEAN, you can avoid upfront purchase costs, spread the payments over your contract, and ensure quality and

care with every wash. Delivery is free, and there are no hidden charges; contracts even include repairs. Each item of clothing can be branded and tailored to the wearer with logos and embroidery. Their managed service prevents issues compiling when supplying your team with work clothes; a convenient locker valet service helps distribute and store uniforms, and they tackle minor repairs early to extend the service life of a uniform. Ultimately, this avoids costly replacements wherever possible as it reduces uniform losses, and uniforms only need replacing when a repair is not safe or cost-effective. With CLEAN's workwear rental and laundry service, business owners can focus on what matters most — running their business — while CLEAN takes care of the rest. To find out more: www.cleanservices.co.uk or see the advert on page 3.

Sharpening Innovation from Sweden Fry Food Faster with OilChef

In a professional kitchen, sharpness isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. From the first prep of the day to the final plating at night, chefs count on their knives to deliver precision. That’s where the Tormek T-2 Pro Kitchen Knife Sharpener comes in — a sharpening solution trusted by culinary professionals around the world.

Backed by over 50 years of sharpening expertise, and developed for the intensity of the commercial kitchen, the Tormek T-2 Pro Kitchen Knife Sharpener gives chefs full control over their edge. The machine is gentle on knives — it sharpens, not shortens. Thanks to the slow-rotating diamond grinding wheel and high-precision guide, it only removes minimal steel, preserving the life of your knives while delivering exceptional sharpness. What sets the Tormek T-2 Pro Kitchen Knife Sharpener apart is its blend of simplicity and professional-grade results. No guesswork. No overheating.

Just consistent, razor-sharp edges — time after time. With its lownoise operation and compact design, it integrates seamlessly into even the busiest culinary spaces — and is also suitable for sharpening other blades commonly used in food preparation.

The Tormek T-2 Pro Kitchen Knife Sharpener is designed to handle a wide range of kitchen knives — from large chef’s knives to small paring blades — and can also be used to sharpen other common kitchen blades, including mandoline blades and S-blades. No matter the task, a properly sharpened knife is essential for efficiency and control. The Tormek T-2 doesn’t just sharpen knives — it elevates the entire kitchen workflow. See the advert on page 9 or tormek.com | Phone: +46 581-147 90 | Email: info@tormek.se

OiLChef is a true industry disruptor, shaking up the oil and fat industry to the benefit of the food service industry, food processing and food manufacturing industry and their clients!

Your customers will enjoy a better flavor profile as the food quality is enhanced because the product remains lighter in colour, crispier, less oily and this increases the hold time of all foods.

The award winning OiLChef device is simply self-installed inside your fryer and only takes 3 seconds to insert and only needs replacing every 3 years. This device can increase the life of your oils and fats by as much as three-fold. The technology works at a molecular level to keep the cooking fluid thinner, allowing more efficient heat transfer and acts as a preservative, slowing down the ageing process. This enables operators to fry food faster at a lower temperature and save money on energy. Many pubs, hotels, fat food chains and takeaways enjoy these significant savings across the UK and as the one of the most famous golf clubs in the world say ”seeing is believing – and we are believing!”

Virtually maintenance free, with no breakable parts, OiLChef is a must have for your deep-frying operation. With a money back guarantee and 3-year warranty, contact OiLChef today and try for yourself and take advantage of free telephone support, and a variety of payment options to suit all budgets. Visit www.oilchef.com or see the advert on the front page for details.

Seasonal Snacking: Why Pub Operators Should Refresh Their Bar Snack Offer Throughout the Year For many pub operators, bar snacks are often viewed as a dependable but relatively small revenue stream. However, changing consumer habits suggest they deserve far more strategic attention. ‘’Our Pork Snack range gives our customers seasonal flexibility, Pork Crunch in the beer garden with a cold pint makes sense. Traditional Pork Scratchings seem to gain popularity as the nights draw in’’, so says Alex Morrisey, marketing director at Snack brands.

In fact 50% of snack purchases did not plan to purchase a snack before entering the pub according to research by KP snack partners. ‘’My advice would be to use baskets on the bar for your Pork Scratchings and other snacks, and even advertise drink and snack combinations for an attractive price, it’s a simple thing but can have a big impact’’.

Well considered snack offerings represent a practical opportunity to increase dwell time, improve spend per head and enhance the overall drinking experience. Industry data suggests that 40% of snack purchasers consume three or more drinks.

As consumer habits continue to evolve, seasonal snacks offer pubs a simple yet effective way to enhance the customer experience, encourage impulse purchases and increase spend per visit.

Stocking brilliant snacks isn’t automatically going to lead to good sales, even the best snack range can underperform if customers cannot easily see it.

You can view Snack Brands full range by visiting www.snackbrands.co.uk and get in touch to sign up as a retail customer for exclusive prices.

‘’I go in so many venues where snack offerings are unclear’’, says Alex.

See the advert on page 11 for details.

Deter Dine and Dash During the Festive Season To prevent customers from making off without paying this festive season, hold their bank cards securely while they run a tab with CardsSafe. The UK hospitality industry faces many challenges, even during the lucrative festive season. Hospitality business managers shouldn't worry about dine-and-dash, either. Too many dine-and-dash cases are reported, but a simple, affordable solution exists. CardsSafe is a deterrent for walkouts because cards are securely stored in lockable units behind the bar. CardsSafe is a proven and genuine deterrent for walkouts and chargebacks. It helps staff upsell and increases trust between the venue and customers. This is why big brands and independent venues utilise the system, including Young's Pubs, Hilton Hotels, London Golf Club, Lord's Cricket Ground, and many independent restaurants and bars.

Trond Rornes, Director of CardsSafe Ltd., told us. "We've experienced a significant increase in enquiries relating to dine-and-dash. Most recently, a chain restaurant business with 50 venues took on our CardsSafe system because of far too many cases of customers making off without payment. We offer a solution to a national problem." The wireless CardsSafe units can sit discreetly behind the bar and work alongside existing POS. In addition, the system does not capture data, so it never breaches GDPR. The tab-keeping system is straightforward to use, so it requires minimal training and helps venues and customers keep tabs securely. For more information, visit www.cardssafe.com or call 0845 500 1040.

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commercial heavy-duty product. Induction for prime cooking is still relatively fresh to be accepted into the general commercial kitchen environment, however the By David Chesshire, National Accounts Manager, Blue Seal (www.blue-seal.co.uk) big energy savings and high efficiency far outweighs the cost of changing the cookware and initial higher cost Blue Seal Ltd are very mindful of the future equipment requirements for efficiency, carbon footprint and sus- outlay for the product. This cost will no doubt reduce and become more competitive as the trend & demand tainability, with this ever-changing food industry and the cost of gas and electric usage. for induction manufacture inevitably increases. We currently produce a new range of free-standing & bench models of heavy-duty induction hobs with two Induction equipment also avoids the additional very or four zones. Each hob has the versatility of 3.5KW or 5Kw round zone generators for focussed power or costly legislation requirement involved with gas canopy 5kw power full area zones to accept multiple pans across the cooking area. The induction technology is extraction/make up air and interlock systems. incredibly responsive, with hardened 6mm thick glass cooking surfaces. When you compare the efficiency of using induction Blue Seal R&D are conscious of the ever-increasing demand for induction product, and we have now over gas, the induction is at approx. 90% efficient comlaunched our new induction- convection ranges, and wok induction hobs. pared to approx. 45% efficiency for gas. This is achieved by the magnetic fields heating up the entire surface of the cookware with virtually all of the energy transferred Many commercial chefs are trained at college with gas appliances and do love the instant heat & control of into the pan. Where gas disperses the heat, licking around the sides of the cookware more so, losing energy gas. However, they are slowly breaking this habitual comfort and being convinced to make the change, once into the ambient air around the pan. they experience using Induction, the fantastic responsiveness, instant heat direct to the pan & superb controllability, speaks for itself. Using induction massively reduces heat transfer into the air flow, lowers the overall temperature in the kitchen promoting a more comfortable working environment, as well as the practicality of a simple wipe down The induction technology lends itself to a myriad of concepts, especially QSR restaurants where they need of the glass cooking area at the end of a shift, which is very appealing to an operator. The appliances are much quick heat up on demand, which is also remarkably simple for the operator to use and maintain. safer to use, reducing injury potential as well as being very simple to service & maintain. The feature benefits of induction far outweigh the initial out lay, which is currently still relatively high for

Focus On Blue Seals New Induction Technology

Temporary Kitchen & Equipment Hire Making Sure Commercial Kitchens have Proper Ventilation Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment. Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economical solution to the caterers’ needs. Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Warewashing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex. Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires. We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period. The standard specification of our Medium

Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, undercounter fridge, undercounter freezer, hot cupboard, double bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, storage racking, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc. Internal equipment can be interchanged, and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout. We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project. So, if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal. For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk See the advert on page 2.

Air Vent Technology offers three ranges of high temperature fans designed for installation into commercial kitchens. The “QBK,” the “QMFHT,” and the “STR/MOS” They can handle operating temperatures between 80ºC and 180ºC with performances from 0.10 m³/sec to 7.45 m³/sec, single and three-phase. For maximum durability, the motors are out of airstream, preventing overheating, reducing exposure to dirt and grease, and minimising maintenance and cleaning. All have acoustic linings to reduce noise breakout.

The "QBK" range comprises six fans and five sizes, single and three-phase. They have energy efficient, direct drive fans with backward curved centrifugal impellers. "QBK" units have flexible airflow configurations - straight through or 90º bends. Cases are of robust extruded aluminium frame in double skinned galvanised steel with a plastisol coated finish. All are fitted with energy saving controls. Attenuators, cowls, flexible duct connectors and weatherproof kits are available. The "QBK" range will operate in temperatures of up to 120ºC with performances from

0.10m3/sec to 2.97m3/sec.

The “QMF-HT” range comprises nine sizes - single and three phase, four and six pole motors. They are continuous running in temperatures up to 180ºC with performances from 0.10 m³/sec to 3.40 m³/sec and are for ducted or direct installation. They easy to install horizontally or vertically, inside or out. The “STR/MOS”are continuous running in temperatures of up to 80ºC and can be installed internally and externally. There are two sizes, each with two motor ratings giving a performance of between 2.00 m³/sec to 7.45 m³/sec. The “STR/MOS” are versatile with seven spigot options which can be set at installation. Air Vent Technology can design custom ventilation systems using these high-temperature fans to ensure optimal performance for any situation. Tel: +44(0)1264 356415 Email: enquiries@airventtechnology.co.uk Web: www.airventtechnology.co.uk

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Kitchen Equipment and Fit Out Saniflo Launches New Range Of Grease Traps For Hospitality Sector From portable and mobile applications through to large-scale commercial and hospitality installations, Saniflo now offers a comprehensive and updated range of grease traps and separators designed to remove fats, oils and grease (FOG) from wastewater before they enter the drainage system. The Water Industry Act 1991, Section 11, makes it an offence to discharge anything into a public sewer that could obstruct flow or damage the sewer system and FOG is specifically recognised as a major cause of blockages and fatbergs. Using a grease trap or separator eliminates FOG solidification in pipework - helping to prevent blockages, reduce costly maintenance, eliminate unpleasant odours and reduce environmental pollution. Installation of a correctly specified grease trap enables commercials businesses to be fully compliant with the regulations. Saniflo has a range of solutions for every catering scenario.

SANIGREASE T24 A compact, lightweight grease trap designed for temporary or mobile applications where space is limited. Weighing just 4kgs, it is manufactured from durable polyethylene and can be installed under a sink and

intended for daily emptying. It features a total volume of 24 litres and sludge trap volume of 8 litres and is ideal for: • Food trucks and mobile catering units • Pop-up kitchens • Temporary catering facilities • Mobile dishwashing stations • Small commercial food preparation areas

SANIGREASE S SERIES

SANIGREASE T SERIES A hygienic stainless-steel grease trap range designed for installation beneath restaurant and commercial kitchen sinks. With 4 units in the range that are denominated according to covers served, the T40, for example, is designed for up to 40 covers and has 39 litres capacity, whilst the largest T100 serves up to 100 covers and has a 82 litre capacity. The corrosion resistant units are mounted on feet for easy cleaning and are suitable for permanent kitchen installations. With fast maintenance access for quick servicing, the T Series is suitable for: • Restaurants

• Cafés • Commercial kitchens • Hospitality venues • Catering operations with under-sink installation requirements A larger-capacity grease separator range designed specifically for busy commercial kitchens requiring higher grease-handling capabilities. The range consists of five nominal sizes, the NS2 to the NS15 with sludge trap volumes from 200-1500 litres, separator volumes from 450 – 1800 Litres and total volumes from 650 – 3300 litres. Manufactured from rotationally moulded recyclable polyethylene for above ground installation, the width of the unit ensures it can easily fit through standard internal door sizes for ease of access and quick installation. The S Series is available in various capacities for: • Large restaurants • Hotel kitchens • Commercial catering facilities • Schools and universities • Care homes • Food production and preparation facilities

SANIGREASE SU SERIES An underground grease separator system for larger commercial applications, the Sanigrease SU range comprises 5 models - SU 1, SU 1.5, SU 2, SU 3 and SU 4, with volumes from 340 litres to 1500 litres. Each robust rotomoulded recyclable polyethylene tank features an integrated sludge trap and reinforced pedestrian-rated access cover, as well as optional alarm monitoring. Ideal for discreet installation, the SU Series is perfect for: • Large restaurants • Hotels • Food manufacturing facilities • Commercial developments • New-build hospitality projects • Sites requiring underground grease management solutions For more information or for flow rate calculations for your hospitality premises, the technical team at Saniflo is available to answer any questions during working hours. Visit www.sfasaniflo.co.uk for further information.

Williams Launches New Coldroom Embodied Carbon Calculator

Williams has launched a new Coldroom Embodied Carbon Calculator, the first of its kind in the UK commercial refrigeration industry. It provides quick and easy access to verified embodied carbon figures for bespoke coldroom configurations. The Williams Coldroom Embodied Carbon Calculator enables users to generate verified embodied carbon figures for bespoke coldroom configurations using CIBSE verified component data.

Developed by Williams' engineering and IT teams, the online tool means designers, consultants and operators can configure a coldroom by selecting the number of compartments, dimensions and door and floor specifications. The calculator then generates an embodied carbon figure, supporting carbon reporting and informed purchasing decisions.

As the leading foodservice refrigeration manufacturer, Williams recognises the growing demand for transparent sustainability information. The company was among the first manufacturers in the sector to publish embodied carbon figures, calculated using the CIBSE TM65 methodology, following feedback from business partners and end users seeking reliable, independently verified carbon data.

refrigeration.

The new Coldroom Embodied Carbon Calculator builds on this commitment to transparency. Every component used within the calculator has a CIBSE verified embodied carbon value, allowing the overall figure for each bespoke coldroom configuration to be generated from verified data. As part of the company’s ongoing sustainability efforts, Williams’ UK delivery fleet is carbon neutral, with all Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions measured and offset to recognised certification standards.

CIBSE certified embodied carbon figures are already available across Williams' core ranges, including Jade cabinets and counters, blast chillers, chef drawers, bottle coolers and Amber cabinets, with additional product families currently being developed.

The Coldroom Embodied Carbon Calculator is now available on the Williams Refrigeration website at tinyurl.com/coldroomcarboncalculator.

The results show Williams’ embodied carbon figures to be among the lowest in the industry, highlighting its position as a leader in sustainable

To learn more about Williams extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk

Williams Refrigeration offers a comprehensive range of commercial refrigeration including gastronorm cabinets and counters, specialist bakery equipment, coldrooms, multidecks and blast chillers.

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How Much Time Is Your Team Spending on Hand Polishing Cutlery and Glassware? Ask almost any restaurant, hotel or pub operator what keeps them awake at night and there's a good chance labour costs will be near the top of the list. Finding good staff is difficult enough. Making the best use of the team you already have is often an even bigger challenge. One area that rarely gets much attention is the wash-up area. At the end of service, it's common to see members of staff standing polishing cutlery or glassware by hand. It's something the hospitality industry has done for years, so most businesses simply accept it as part of the job. But when you stop and think about it, how much time is actually being spent on polishing? If a member of staff spends just one hour per day polishing cutlery and glasses, that's 365 hours over the course of a year. For many businesses, the figure is much higher. Of course, presentation matters. Guests notice dirty glasses, watermarks and poorly presented cutlery. Nobody wants to compromise on standards. The challenge is finding a way to maintain those standards without tying up valuable staff time. This is one of the reasons professional polishing systems have become

increasingly popular across the hospitality industry.

can polish a glass in as little as five seconds.

Instead of spending time polishing by hand, staff can focus on jobs that add value to the business and improve the customer experience.

Many customers choose our all-inclusive rental option, which includes servicing, maintenance, training and support. Others prefer outright purchase. The important thing is that businesses can choose the option that works best for them.

At The Cutlery Polisher Company, we work with everyone from independent restaurants and pubs to large hotel groups, contract caterers and event venues. Despite their differences, they all tend to tell us the same thing after installing a polisher: "We wish we'd done it sooner." The reason is rarely just about the labour saving.

It's about knowing that every knife, fork, wine glass and champagne flute is presented to the same standard every time. Our range includes Nicem cutlery polishers capable of processing 20007000 pieces per hour, along with the Cuttlers GP360 Glass Polisher, which

This Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs: free site surveys, quotations and designs (CAD), quality bespoke and standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation. Affiliated members of Constructionline and CHAS, Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173. They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

The management team at Fridge Seals Direct have over 30 years of experience in the refrigeration industry and have each spent many of those

How much time is your team spending hand polishing every week? And what could they be doing instead?

It's about taking pressure off the team during busy periods.

Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year.

Fridge Seals Direct proud to be UK's no1 supplier of replacement fridge and freezer seals. We fabricate for a wide variety of commercial fridge & freezers.

The question is simple.

It's about consistency.

Caterquip - Specialists in Ventilation Systems

Fridge Seals Direct

The hospitality industry will always be about people. Technology isn't there to replace them. It's there to help them work more efficiently and spend more time where they make the biggest difference: looking after guests.

To arrange a FREE On-Site Trial, contact The Cutlery Polisher Company on 01474 873 892 or info@thecutlerypolisher.co.uk or visit www.thecutlerypolisher.co.uk. See the advert on the back cover for further information.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, The Truck Stop at Anglesey, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses. They ensure their systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility. With extensive knowledge of manufacturing and installing ventilation systems, they can help you design the best kitchen within the space available. Call: 01926 887167, visit: www.caterquipventilation.co.uk, email: info@caterquipventilation.co.uk

years installing gaskets and hardware for a range of styles, brands and sizes of fridges. From restaurant kitchens to food warehouses - we have experience in dealing with fridge & freezers of all sizes and scales. To learn more about fridge seals, be sure to explore our range of extensive guides on how to replace a refrigerator door seals. Otherwise, find your specific guides in how to identify, measure, install or maintain your fridge or freezer door seal. Our reputation in the industry along with our commitment to providing a

high-quality gasket without having to buy from the factory allows us to have competitive pricing and fast turnaround time. Try us out, order your door gaskets from us and discover a better way to do business. We are here to help you. www.fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

• Be ready for your inspections • Damaged fridge seals are unhygienic • Make your fridge more energy efficient with a good seal on your fridge • We provide custom seals for cold rooms, discontinued models, and units with no identification information • Next-day delivery service • Discounted prices on large orders

WhatsApp, phone, and email support

07936807320 sales@fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

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Design and Refit New Artemis Shower Cubicle from Kinedo for Compact Spaces Kinedo has expanded its shower cubicle range with the introduction of Artemis, a practical and stylish solution designed specifically for compact living spaces including mobile homes, caravans, holiday lodges, park homes and modular buildings.

Available in a choice of sizes from 800mm x 800mm to 1200mm x 800mm and heights from 1980 to 2070mm Artemis suits a variety of spaces and can be highly personalised using Kinedo's extensive range of Kinewall decorative wall panels.

Developed to offer a complete showering solution that is quick to install and easy to maintain, Artemis is sleek and contemporary in appearance, offering the same high-quality solution as the whole Kinedo range. The integrated cubicle package includes a choice of black or white profile, durable 70mm white shower tray, mechanical shower valve, pivot door, a 90mm vertical outlet waste with polished stainless-steel cover. Internal white Kinewall panels are supplied as standard, and these are pre-drilled for rapid installation, helping to reduce installation time on site.

Designed with both installers and end users in mind, the Artemis delivers a practical, high-quality showering solution for projects where space is at a premium, without compromising on comfort, functionality or contemporary design. For further information please visit https://kinedo.co.uk

Why Interior Design and Refurbishment Matter More Than Ever in Hospitality For hospitality operators, the appearance of a venue is about far more than making a good first impression. Interior design and refurbishment can influence how customers feel, how long they stay, how effectively a venue operates and, ultimately, whether they decide to return.

Inside, the positioning of tables, chairs, the bar, service areas and circulation routes can have a significant impact on the atmosphere. A beautifully designed room can quickly become uncomfortable if tables are overcrowded or customers and staff are continually crossing each other's paths.

The most effective projects therefore establish clear objectives before work begins. Is the aim to increase covers? Improve customer dwell time? Create a stronger evening trade? Modernise a tired venue? Improve accessibility? Reduce maintenance requirements? Strengthen the brand?

In an increasingly competitive hospitality market, where consumers are becoming more selective about discretionary spending, the physical environment has become an important part of the overall proposition. Recent industry data highlighted by UKHospitality showed that UK foodservice customer traffic fell by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2026, with pub and casual dining traffic falling by 8%.

The same principle applies to acoustics. A room that looks impressive but becomes excessively noisy at peak times may undermine the dining or drinking experience.

The answer should influence every subsequent design decision.

Against this backdrop, operators cannot afford to overlook the environment in which customers eat, drink and socialise.

MAKING EACH SQUARE METRE WORK HARDER

Furniture, flooring, upholstery, wall finishes and fittings need to withstand frequent use, cleaning and the inevitable accidents associated with busy food and drink operations.

CREATING AN IDENTITY

Refurbishment also presents an opportunity to examine whether the existing layout is delivering the best possible commercial return.

A successful hospitality interior should communicate something about the business before a member of staff has even spoken to a customer.

Choosing materials purely because they look attractive can therefore prove costly if they deteriorate rapidly.

Hospitality operators pay for every square metre of their premises, so inefficiently used space can represent a significant missed opportunity.

For a traditional pub, that might mean retaining architectural character while introducing contemporary touches. A cocktail bar may deliberately opt for a more dramatic and atmospheric environment, while a neighbourhood restaurant could place greater emphasis on warmth, comfort and familiarity.

That does not necessarily mean attempting to fit in as many tables as possible. An overly dense layout can damage comfort, service efficiency and the perceived quality of an establishment.

Durability should be considered alongside appearance, maintenance requirements, cleaning regimes and replacement costs. A slightly higher initial investment in appropriate commercial-grade materials may make sound financial sense if it extends the lifespan of the installation.

The objective is not necessarily to follow every design trend. Indeed, constantly chasing fashions can leave an establishment looking dated surprisingly quickly. Instead, refurbishment should begin with a clear understanding of the venue's identity, target customer and commercial proposition. Materials, colours, lighting, furniture, signage, artwork and layout can all contribute to that identity. When these elements work together, the result is an environment that feels considered rather than simply decorated.

DESIGN SHOULD SUPPORT THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY Good interior design is not purely visual. It should also make the customer experience easier and more enjoyable. The journey begins at the entrance. Customers should be able to understand where to go, where to wait and how the space operates without unnecessary confusion.

The strongest refurbishment projects consider how a venue will actually function from opening through to closing time, rather than concentrating solely on how it looks in photographs.

Instead, operators should consider the balance between customer seating, circulation, waiting areas, bar space, storage and operational requirements.

REFURBISHMENT IS AN INVESTMENT, NOT SIMPLY AN EXPENSE The financial implications of a refurbishment naturally require careful consideration, particularly when operators are already dealing with significant pressures on costs.

DURABILITY MATTERS Hospitality environments are subjected to considerably more wear and tear than most domestic interiors.

This is particularly important for venues that operate seven days a week and have little opportunity to close for repairs.

SUSTAINABILITY AND REFURBISHMENT Environmental considerations are increasingly relevant to refurbishment decisions too. Rather than automatically replacing everything, operators can consider whether existing elements can be repaired, refinished, reused or incorporated into a new design.

However, viewing refurbishment solely as a capital expense can overlook its potential longer-term benefits.

Retaining original architectural features can also provide a venue with a distinctive identity that would be difficult to recreate with newly manufactured materials.

A redesigned venue can help reposition a business, attract a different customer demographic, support premium pricing or give an established operation a renewed sense of purpose.

Energy efficiency can form part of the wider project, with lighting, heating, ventilation and equipment all worth considering as part of a comprehensive review.

There can also be operational benefits. Replacing worn furniture, improving lighting, upgrading flooring or redesigning service areas can make the working environment more practical for employees as well as more attractive to customers.

Sustainability should, however, be approached practically. Materials need to be suitable for the demanding conditions of hospitality, and environmental credentials should not come at the expense of hygiene, durability, safety or operational performance.

Choosing The Right Lift Solution For Hospitality Venues For many businesses, manual handling remains a daily challenge. Carrying goods between floors increases the risk of workplace injuries and places strain on the back, neck and shoulders. Installing a dumbwaiter or goods lift can help reduce reliance on manual handling and create a safer and more efficient working environment. Understanding the difference between dumbwaiters and goods lifts Although both dumbwaiters and goods lifts are designed to transport items between floors, they serve different purposes and are suited to different environments. A dumbwaiter is a compact service lift designed to move smaller items quickly and efficiently, with a common load capacity of 50 to 100kg. They are commonly used in restaurants and hotels to transport prepared meals, crockery, drinks and other lightweight goods. By reducing the need for staff to carry trays or supplies up and down stairs, dumbwaiters can improve service efficiency while reducing physical strain. Goods lifts are designed for heavier and bulkier loads. With much higher load capacities, ranging from 300 – 500kg for platform goods lifts and up to 2000kg for heavy-duty goods lifts, which can also accommo-

date up to two people, goods lifts provide a practical solution for venues with more demanding operational requirements. For example, moving stock deliveries, laundry trolleys and cleaning equipment.

SUPPORTING SAFER MANUAL HANDLING PRACTICES The best lift solution depends on the type of goods being moved and the layout of the building. A restaurant over multiple floors can benefit from a dumbwaiter, while a hotel may require a goods lift to support housekeeping operations and deliveries. Stannah provides a practical guide to help hospitality businesses identify manual handling risks and improve workplace safety. The guide includes advice on recognising hazards and improving lifting techniques. It also features a downloadable manual handling risk assessment template and a ready-made business case, helping employers demonstrate the value of investing in safer lifting solutions. Download the free manual handling guide at www.stannahlifts.co.uk/knowledge-hub/guides/manual-handling

MST Auctioneers Ltd MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods. We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs.

We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA). For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances. We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England. Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days. We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" Visit www.mstauctioneers.co.uk for further information.

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Design and Refit Save This Autumn with Fantastic Discounts on Wooden Dining Chairs Durable and comfortable chairs are the backbone to any hospitality venue, and right now at Trent Furniture we’ve got some great discounts on some of our bestselling wooden seating. Thanks to its stylish horizontal slat back design and solid European beechwood construction in dark oak, light oak or walnut, the Washington Side Chair is a firm customer favourite. Even better, it’s now available with 20% off, or 25% if you opt for the upholstered version. If you prefer a vertical ladder back on your dining chairs, the same discounts are available on the equally popular Boston Side Chair. Alternatively, check out the Italia Bistro Chair and the Milan Crossback Chair for a touch of Italian flair with 10% off.

If you’re looking for lightweight stackability with your wooden chairs, look no further than the York Crossback Stacking Chair. Combining hassle-free versatility with durable and attractive oakwood construction, this classic design can be easily moved around and stacked up to eight high when not in use. Now with 20% off for a limited time, this chic chair is available in vintage oak, light oak, dark oak or walnut, meaning there’s the perfect wood finish for your venue. To order or find out more about our offers on wooden chairs and more please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 286 4911.

The Perfect Night’s Sleep for Your Guests At HotelContractBeds, we’ve been supplying the hospitality industry with premium contract beds and mattresses for over 40 years. Whether you're running a boutique B&B, a busy hotel chain, or student accommodation, we offer a bespoke service that ensures you get the perfect beds to suit your needs.

✓ FREE UK Delivery – Reliable weekly deliveries for your convenience ✓ Competitive Prices – Exceptional quality without the premium price tag Our zip & link beds offer ultimate fl exibility, allowing rooms to convert from twin to double in minutes—perfect for hotels As specialist UK manufacturcatering to varied guest needs. ers, we take pride in delivering high-quality, durable, From luxury hotel mattresses to budget-friendly and comfortable beds that meet strict UK & EU fi options, we cater to all types of commercial accomre safety regulations (BS 7177:2008 – Crib 5), ensur- modation. ing your guests sleep safely and soundly. Join thousands of satisfi ed customers across the Why Choose HotelContractBeds? UK who trust HotelContractBeds for unmatched quality, comfort, and service. ✓ Premium Quality Beds & Mattresses – Zip & Link,

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Issue 337

CLH DIGITAL

Design and Refit Noisy Pubs and Restaurants Risk Losing Gen Z Customers, Research Finds New research by Oscar Acoustics has found that two-thirds (66%) of UK adults would use an acoustic comfort rating when deciding where to eat and drink.

in live venues. Three Hackney venues, Paper Dress Vintage, SJQ and Vortex Jazz Club, underwent acoustic treatment as part of a partnership with Sownd Affects, supported by Arts Council England.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults suggests noise may be a hidden factor behind Alice Passey, Owner of falling alcohol sales among SJQ, commented: "The younger drinkers. Support transformation is amazfor an acoustic rating, simiing. My staff previously lar to a food hygiene experienced difficulty in ROVI, Ottolenghi - Oscar Elite acoustic plaster. Adam Luszniak photography score, is highest among focusing and mental 25-34-year-olds (76%) and fatigue after a busy, noisy 18-24-year-olds (71%), compared with 59% of over-55s. shift. They can now easily hear and communicate with customers.” Poor acoustics don't just affect atmosphere. In hospitality venues, excess noise has been linked to faster staff Poor acoustic environments are estimated to cost UK turnover, more front-of-house errors and shorter dwell businesses over £40 billion a year through lost productimes, all of which hit revenue directly. tivity, staff turnover and customer dissatisfaction. Ben Hancock, Managing Director of Oscar Acoustics, said: "Consumers are already making acoustic judgements. They just haven’t had a formal framework to express them before. Venues that invest in acoustic quality now will have a clear advantage as that changes." Oscar Acoustics has already proven the model works

Mayfair Furniture Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 12 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways. We keep in stock a huge variety of items ready for immediate dispatch, and can fulfil a wide range of bespoke orders. We deliver to all areas of the UK, Ireland & Europe. We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establish-

Oscar Acoustics has partnered with Sownd Affects to launch Sownd Certification, the first independent framework assessing real-world acoustic performance and end-user comfort in venues. Operators wanting to find out more can visit www.oscar-acoustics.com/sownd-certification/ ments like to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish. 01733 310115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 337

Property and Professional New Customer Service Survey Shows Gulf Between Hospitality Business Belief and Customer Experience A new report by Moneypenny, the leading customer conversations company, shows that across every form of contact, hospitality companies scored themselves significantly higher for customer service than customers do.

evening support between 5 pm and 9 pm. The survey also showed that out-of-hours availability makes customers more likely to feel reassured (35%), complete an enquiry or purchase (27%) and choose or stick with a business (25%).

How different business communication channels meet customer expectations: Channel

UK consumers

UK hospitality Gap decision-makers

Social media

34%

72%

+38pp

Web form

38%

70%

+32pp

Messaging apps 52%

81%

+29pp

AI receptionist 25%

45%

+20pp

Chatbots

27%

46%

+19pp

Email

66%

85%

+19pp

Phone

70%

87%

+17pp

Live chat

56%

68%

+12pp

The research was conducted among 200 hospitality businesses and 5000 consumers to understand the gap between business and customer perceptions.

THE ONE-SHOT ECONOMY The survey showed that 70% of consumers say they're likely to choose the business that responds first. It also showed that 73% of hospitality businesses believe a customer will try a company again if

Unfortunately, most hospitality businesses surveyed cite staffing and cost as the reason they can't extend cover, as the top barriers to offering out-of-hours support were:

they don’t receive a response to an enquiry, yet only 23% of consumers say they would keep trying, while around 1 in 5 or more would stop trying or go elsewhere.

SPEED OF RESPONSE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND HUMAN REASSURANCE BEAT PERSONALISATION When asked what matters most on first contact, both hospitality businesses and consumers rated clarity, speed of response and professionalism as important, but there was a big perception gap in the importance of personalisation, with 85% of hospitality businesses rating it as important, compared with only 68% of consumers saying this.

AFTER-HOURS ADVANTAGE The survey showed that 40% of consumers say support between 9 am and 5 pm would best meet their needs, while 26% would prefer early

• Staffing or resourcing: 42% • Cost or affordability: 41% • Technology limitations: 20% • Customer demand doesn’t justify it: 21% The report also highlights a broader experience challenge, with 1 in 10 consumers unable to recall a single memorable customer service experience, reinforcing how difficult it has become for brands to stand out. Jesper With-Fogstrup, Group Chief Executive Officer for Moneypenny, commented: “We spoke to a broad cross-section of hospitality businesses, from hotels to guesthouses and pubs, and what’s striking is how consistent these perception gaps are across the board. These aren’t isolated issues; they span the full spectrum of hospitality businesses, regardless of size or specialty. Many businesses believe they’re delivering a high standard of service, yet guests are telling a different story. In today’s ondemand world, where guests are driven by speed and convenience, responsiveness and real-time communication are no longer a ‘nice to have’ - they are fundamental to winning trust, securing bookings and driving growth. Those that fail to respond quickly risk losing clients before the conversation has even begun.” For more information visit www.moneypenny.co.uk

Rising Compliance Risk: What the New Visa Rules Mean for Hospitality By Sunny Sandhu, Senior Immigration Associate, A Y & J Solicitors (www.ayjsolicitors.com) World Cup screenings, warmweather weekends and peak holiday demand have brought a welcome increase in trade for pubs, restaurants and hotels. Venues are extending opening hours, adding extra shifts and adjusting rotas to cope with demand. For most operators, the immediate priority is simple: keep the tills ringing while the trade is there to be taken. However, the same staffing and payroll changes that help a hospitality business manage a busy summer can also expose gaps between what sponsored workers are being paid and what the business told the Home Office it would pay them. Since 8 April 2026, those gaps have become more difficult to overlook.

WHY PAYROLL COMPLIANCE HAS CHANGED The Skilled Worker salary rules changed on 8 April 2026. Under the updated requirements, the salary paid to a sponsored worker in each pay period must meet the applicable going rate for every hour worked during that period. The Home Office can also compare the salary recorded on a worker’s Certificate of Sponsorship with payroll information held by HM Revenue and Customs. These checks may take place without an employee making a complaint and without the business first receiving a physical compliance visit. This does not mean that one unusual payslip will automatically result in a sponsor licence being revoked. The rules allow salaries to be assessed over short rolling periods. For workers paid monthly, for example, the amount paid over any three-month period must equal at least one quarter of the required annual salary. However, operators can no longer assume that meeting an annual salary figure will be sufficient if the worker’s hourly rate, hours worked or pay during individual periods does not meet the relevant requirements.

THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS IN HOSPITALITY. A sponsored employee may be contracted for one working pattern but work substantially longer hours during a busy month. A salaried manager may cover additional late shifts. Payroll may record those hours incorrectly or fail to distinguish between guaranteed salary and variable pay-

ments.

which a problem can be identified.

The business may still believe that the worker earns the correct annual salary. The Home Office may see a pay period in which the salary does not match the hours worked or the information recorded on the Certificate of Sponsorship.

The Home Office can use HMRC payroll information to check whether a sponsored worker is receiving the salary recorded on their Certificate of Sponsorship. A discrepancy may therefore come to light without the business receiving advance warning or a visit.

WHY HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES ARE PARTICULARLY EXPOSED

Enforcement has also intensified. Home Office figures show that 3,100 Skilled Worker sponsor licences were revoked during 2025, the highest annual total recorded. A further 1,545 were revoked during the first three months of 2026.

Hospitality businesses rarely operate with perfectly consistent working patterns. Demand changes with the weather, sporting events, school holidays, conferences and local events. During a busy period, operators may: • extend opening hours; • add overtime to existing rotas; • move managers between locations; • change an employee’s responsibilities; • use agency or casual workers at short notice; or • rely more heavily on tips, bonuses, service charges and shift payments. Each decision may make commercial sense. However, some changes can affect sponsor compliance if they are not properly recorded, reported or reflected in payroll. Overtime and variable payments require particular attention. Sponsored salary calculations generally rely on guaranteed basic gross pay and certain guaranteed payments treated in the same way as basic pay. Overtime, bonuses, shift allowances and payments that depend on fluctuating hours will not normally correct a shortfall in the required sponsored salary. Recent compliance reviews carried out by A Y & J Solicitors, an SRAregulated and Legal 500-ranked UK immigration law firm advising businesses on sponsor licences and Skilled Worker compliance, suggest that problems often arise not because an employer has deliberately underpaid a worker, but because payroll practices, working hours and sponsorship records have gradually stopped matching. Yash Dubal, Director of A Y & J Solicitors, said: “The greatest risk for hospitality operators is often the gap between what was originally recorded and what is happening in practice. A worker’s hours, duties or pay arrangements may change gradually during busy periods, but the sponsorship record remains the same. By the time the difference is identified, the business may already be responding to Home Office scrutiny.”

A sponsor licence can be suspended or revoked for several reasons, including: • underpaying sponsored workers; • failing to report relevant employment changes; • maintaining incomplete personnel records; • employing someone without the correct permission; or • sponsoring a role that is not genuine. Illegal working creates a separate risk. Employers can face civil penalties of up to £60,000 for each illegal worker.

WHY EXISTING SPONSORED WORKERS ARE BECOMING HARDER TO REPLACE The recruitment options available to hospitality businesses have narrowed substantially. Home Office statistics show that Skilled Worker visa grants to main applicants in food preparation and hospitality trades fell by 82% to 939 in the year ending March 2026. The number had previously reached 11,542 in the year ending June 2024. Since 22 July 2025, a role must normally be skilled to graduate level to qualify for the Skilled Worker route, unless the occupation appears on an approved shortage list or a transitional provision applies. Many hospitality occupations, including chefs and catering and bar managers, are classified below graduate level. Existing workers sponsored before 22 July 2025 may be able to continue under transitional provisions, provided they have maintained continuous Skilled Worker permission and satisfy the remaining requirements. For an operator, this means that losing a sponsor licence has consequences beyond the financial cost of responding to an investigation.

ENFORCEMENT IS NO LONGER LIMITED TO A SITE VISIT

Sponsored employees may have their immigration permission shortened and may eventually have to stop working for the business. At the same time, the employer may no longer be able to recruit overseas replacements for the same roles.

Sponsor compliance was once commonly associated with a Home Office officer arriving at the premises and asking to inspect personnel files.

The sponsored employees already working within a hospitality business may therefore be considerably more difficult to replace than when they were originally recruited.

Site visits remain possible, but they are no longer the only way in

(CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE...)

Issue 337

CLH DIGITAL

45

Property and Professional (Continued from previous page)

ing on different responsibilities or covering a substantially different working pattern.

mal report, a change of employment application or a wider compliance review.

FIVE CHECKS OPERATORS SHOULD COMPLETE THIS SUMMER

Some changes can be accommodated within the existing sponsorship. Others must be reported or may require a new Certificate of Sponsorship and visa application.

The experience of A Y & J Solicitors in reviewing sponsor records indicates that early intervention is usually less disruptive than responding after a suspension notice has been issued. Once the Home Office has raised concerns, the business may have limited time to explain the discrepancy and provide supporting evidence.

1. Compare payroll against every Certificate of Sponsorship

Salary reductions, changes to a worker’s normal work location and other specified changes generally need to be reported through the Sponsor Management System within ten working days.

Review each sponsored worker’s gross basic pay, contracted hours, actual hours and pay frequency. For monthly paid workers, examine every rolling three-month period rather than relying only on the annual total. Check that the worker meets both the applicable annual salary requirement and the required going rate for the hours worked.

4. Check right to work records and agency arrangements

Do not assume that the salary written into the employment contract proves compliance if the payslips and working records show something different.

Where agency workers are used, the employing agency will normally be responsible for conducting the statutory right to work check. However, hospitality businesses should not simply assume that the correct process has been followed.

2. Separate guaranteed salary from variable payments Check how overtime, bonuses, service charges, shift allowances and other additions are recorded on the payslip. A worker’s total earnings may appear sufficient while their qualifying sponsored salary remains too low. Payroll teams should understand which payments count towards the immigration salary requirement and which do not.

Operators must retain compliant right to work evidence for the people they employ and sponsor.

Contracts should clearly allocate responsibility, and the operator should obtain appropriate written confirmation from the supplying agency.

A BUSY SEASON SHOULD NOT BECOME A COMPLIANCE PROBLEM Revenue, rotas, payroll and sponsor compliance can no longer be treated as separate areas of the business. The staffing decisions made during the busiest weeks of the year may be the same decisions the Home Office later examines through HMRC payroll data. The businesses that finish the summer with both strong trading results and an intact sponsor licence will be those that recognise this connection early. For operators employing sponsored workers, the question is no longer simply whether the annual salary appears correct. It is whether every payslip, hour worked, employment change and Sponsor Management System report tells the same story.

5. Investigate gaps before the Home Office does

3. Review changes to hours, duties and locations

If payroll records, working hours, job descriptions or Sponsor Management System reports do not match, identify the reason before making retrospective changes.

Busy periods often result in managers working at another branch, tak-

Some issues can be corrected or explained. Others may require a for-

>>>>>>>>> This article is a general guide and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration rules and Home Office guidance may change. Advice should be obtained based on the specific circumstances of the business and its workers.

What the New NPPF Means for Pubs Across the UK

By Paul Wakefield, partner in the legal planning team at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau (www.shma.co.uk)

The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been released, coming into force with immediate effect, with implications for pubs and the wider UK hospitality sector. The changes include increased protections for pubs from being turned into housing or offices under planning law. While the reforms make these conversions more difficult, they’re unlikely to be the silver bullet for the intense pressures that the sector has faced in recent years; changes to business rates, staffing expenses and post-pandemic societal shifts. However, the protections do signal a clear government focus in protecting the future of the hospitality sector, by balancing housebuilding progress with the retention of community facilities. Policy HC6 in the updated NPPF introduces this focus on protecting facilities such as pubs, shops and essential services. Before planning permission is granted for a change of use of an existing pub, it must be proven as no longer commercially viable, with evidence that efforts to market the property as a pub have been unsuccessful for at least 12 months. Alternatively, the facility may be redeveloped if it will be replaced with equivalent or improved provision in a similar location. It’s also possible that, if there is enough alternative provision of the same service locally, the pub may be redeveloped as it would not significantly impact public access to community facilities. It’s important for the sector to know that the new NPPF doesn’t make it impossible to redevelop a pub. For owners who are facing significant financial pressure and looking for alternative options, there is a clear established process that needs to be followed first before planning permission for redevelopment can happen. It also provides increased protections to ensure adequate efforts are made to sustain the pub, before proceeding to closure and alternative uses.

However, the new NPPF goes as far as it can by influencing how easy it is for a pub to be converted for alternative uses, protecting these facilities as a result. Looking at the NPPF more broadly, changes to the planning system to hopefully fast-track more homes could have significant benefits for the hospitality sector. The government’s balanced focus on housing delivery and retention of community facilities is a positive signal for the sector’s future. Increased housing boosts local populations, and is likely to create more demand for community facilities like pubs. For businesses that may have been on the borderline of commercial viability, this could be the determining factor that saves them from permanent closure. Housing delivery and community facilities shouldn’t be seen as competing priorities, and the new NPPF recognises that they go hand-in-hand when redeveloping areas. The revised NPPF provides a stronger safety net for the sector through clearer tests for viability and alternative routes before closure, whilst continuing to ensure that facilities are protected from the impact of new, neighbouring developments. However, whether this will directly translate into reduced pub closures is yet to be seen and will depend on factors beyond planning policy itself, such as how the government will continue to balance housing progress with the protection of hospitality businesses through its wider political agenda.

THE WEST COUNTRY SPECIALISTS

The new NPPF continues its recognition of the agent of change principle, in which established businesses, such as pubs, are protected from new, neighbouring developments. In these cases, the responsibility lies with the developer to mitigate impact and ensure existing community facilities won’t face restrictions due to issues such as noise complaints. This demonstrates the government’s focus on increasing protections for existing hospitality businesses, even as communities change and develop. However, it’s no secret that the sector has faced mounting pressure in recent years from both policy changes and societal shifts. The impact of the pandemic lingers, as remote and hybrid working patterns have become the new normal, meaning many pubs are struggling with reduced footfall. Alongside this, changes to business rates, employer National Insurance Contributions and operating costs have all meant pub owners are struggling to keep their doors open. The planning system cannot address these wider pressures.

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