CLH Digital - Issue #138

Issue 138

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Pubs Set for “Super Sunday” 15 Million Pint World Cup Bonanza

Pubs are set for a 15 million pint sales bonanza this Sunday as England take on Senegal in the first knockout stage of the World Cup. Predictions are 5 million pints more than usual will be sold, delivering an additional £22 million to the industry.

Ahead of the tournament, a survey conducted by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) showed pubs expected the World Cup to boost business by up to 10%.

Earlier this week, when England took on Wales in the qualifying stages (Tuesday, November 29) a gigantic 9.2 million pints was sold throughout the UK according to the Oxford partnership.

This is estimated to be an average 300 pints per pub, an extra 136 pints compared to your average Tuesday. According to the survey England fans drank an extra 151 pints one as Wales an extra 82.

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Issue 138

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital I simply had to lead today with the World Cup! I’m not, of course, looking to alienate our Welsh readers, but England’s victory earlier this week over Wales has set up a fascinating clash with Senegal on Sunday.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

inclusive community event as we seek to deepen the social ties with those around us.

And with that brings a massive boost of at least 15 million pints expected to be sold, delivering an extra £22 million at least, although some estimates are considerably more than that. A wonderful boost as we lead up to Christmas and New Year.

Festive feasting will be a collaborative affair, with customers contributing to shared “outof-home “ meals by bringing along a few locally grown ingredients and produce for chefs to use, much of which is likely to have been grown in community hubs and co-operative spaces or foraged for.

I am rather confident of England winning a victory, particularly since my old Liverpool favourite Sadio Mane, who now plays at by Bayern Munich, is out injured. I think had he been playing it would have been a very tough game indeed!

Furthermore, rather than homogenous Christmas roasts, dishes and flavours will be inspired by the seasons and global food trends, as we become more connected as one world.

Aside from loyalty to the team, of course, England’s progression in the World Cup means more pints and meals sold in the country’s pubs, bars and restaurants.

I think that is some way off yet, so I hope the predicted shortages of turkey this month are over exaggerated!

And if we get past Senegal, (and I am quietly confident), then we meet the winners of France versus Poland. Should it be France I expect the 15 million pints expected to be sold on Sunday to double!

Another reason to cheer is a story which appears on page 5 which reveals that drink sales are up year on year for the ninth week in a row.

“TRAIN STRIKES AND TURKEY SHORTAGES” Given what has gone on the past two years with the pandemic, and the utterly ludicrous lockdowns, restrictions, and the preposterous nonsense that went with it, we have now been hit with huge energy price increases, rising inflation, interest rates, the staffing crisis and now, when you think it “couldn’t possibly get any worse”, we have rail strikes and avian flu looming.

Already UKHospitality has predicted that the fresh wave of rail strikes set to hit the country this will cost the sector £1.5 billion on strike days - similar to the level of disruption caused by the Omicron Covid-19 variant last year.

That alone is absolutely devastating to the sector, but a shortage of turkeys at Christmas? Well, to me that doesn’t bear thinking about!

We have reported over the years the growing trends surrounding Christmas - vegetarian, vegan, “flexitarian” - in fact pre-pandemic we did produce a report by food service wholesaler Bidfood which revealed that Christmas will at some stage morph into an

These are figures pre-World Cup, so over the next few weeks they can only get better, of course, which I very much hope will leave operators in a stronger position to face what can generally be a flat January.

That said, we are working on some features here at CLH NEWS which we hope will help increase footfall post Christmas and New Year. Particularly when it comes to no and low alcohol drinks.

Pre-pandemic the sales of no and low alcohol drinks had increased year-on-year for 6 years and as you will see in a story on page 16. 4 in 5 bars are planning to increase their range of low and no alcohol drinks in 2023 to cater for what is one of the sectors fastest growing trends.

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So please do follow us on Twitter, and encourage as many people you know in the trade to subscribe to our digital issue, further details can be seen at www.catererlicensee.com

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Issue 138

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Pubs Set for “Super Sunday” 15 Million Pint World Cup Bonanza (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

ing that trend continues in the next couple of weeks.

Mid-week games have delivered more than expected in some cases, says the BBPA with England’s first group game against Iran packing out pubs on a usually quiet day, with a 62% uplift in beer sales according to data consultancy CGA Insight, the equivalent of 3 million more pints worth almost £12million.

“It’s been a tough year for our industry, and we know people are feeling the pinch but we’re really hoping fans continue to turn out to support two great British institutions by toasting to the Three Lions at their local pub. We’ll be keeping everything crossed this Sunday because when England do well, so do our pubs!”

HOPING FOR A WIN

FOOTBALL "BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR"

Now, as England head into their first knockout game of the tournament this Sunday, pubs across the country will be holding their breath and hoping for a win to help celebrations continue over the coming weeks.

Overall football is by far the most popular sport among the UK public, with more than two thirds (69%) of sports consumers watching it in pubs and bars this year.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: “Pubs were hoping for a boost to business during this World Cup and so far, the beer has been flowing, and fans have been showing up to cheer on England.

The tournament has been filling up pubs on days that otherwise might be quieter, and we’re hop-

In 2022, a third (33%) of consumers are watching sports in the OnPremise, according to new insights from CGA by NielsenIQ. A similar proportion (32%) plan on doing so at least once a week, and one in seven (14%) consumers will visit to watch the major crowd-pulling events, such as the World Cup and champions league.

CGA’s research in to the 2021 Euros reveal that average daily sales rose by 64% at venues where the tournament was shown, showing the overwhelming impact of the sport on sales. CGA also recorded a 5% drop in revenues at venues which were not showing the games.

MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY Paul Bolton, client director – GB Drinks, said: “The FIFA World Cup is a massive opportunity for the On Premise and drinks suppliers to claw

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back any recent deficits caused by market turbulence, and to finish the year on a high. It will be interesting to see who the big winners are in the On Premise, due to the overlap with Christmas, so strategy and execution are crucial for venues that are hoping to have the best of both worlds. But there’s every reason for optimism, with over-performing brands and venues putting themselves in pole position as first choices during the FIFA World Cup and also for future sporting events once it’s over.”

KNOCK-OUT STAGE SALES BOOST Generally, the World Cup is expected to boost retail and hospitality sales are by £368.3m during the first knock-out stage of the World Cup, kicking off tomorrow 3 December, following England progressing from the group stage.

The World Cup 2022 Spending Report by VoucherCodes.co.uk predicts that 12 million consumers around the UK will tune into the tournament during the knockout stages from homes, pubs, bars and restaurants.

VoucherCodes.co.uk forecast that hospitality venues will receive a £95m boost during the four-day period of the Round of 16 as 3.2 million consumers visit their local hospitality venue. It’s anticipated that pubs, bars, and restaurants will pour 7.1 million pints – a drop of 24 million pints sold during the group stage.

Recession Threat Drives Negative Sentiment, Despite Some Recovery Lumina Intelligence’s Wholesale Market report showcases that the majority of business leaders across the grocery retail (54%) and eating out market (58%) are expecting trading conditions to deteriorate to July 2023, with many wholesale customers seeking out support from businesses and government as consumer discretionary spend will be hard fought for across the next 6 months.

The squeeze on household budgets has been highlighted by business leaders as the most important long-term consumer trend impacting eating out and grocery this year. Consumer confidence plunged to a new low of –49 in September 2022, boosted by +2 points in October following the announcement of an energy price cap.

Weaker confidence is likely to see consumers reducing discretionary spend on commodities including food and drink out of home, prompting operators across the market to implement initiatives to aid in the cost-of-living crisis, such as Brakes’ Simply Steak range, aimed at helping foodservice operators retain beef across menus. Adding to these initiatives, Cold Chain Federation has

launched a guide to support its members in reducing energy, to lower costs and meet Government targets. The definitive guide offers operators details on temperature-controlled facilities, including to create an energy strategy and what investments can reduce usage.

Despite the hit on overall confidence, there are indicatives of recovery, and as of today, two thirds of foodservice have not postponed business planning and investment. Sector players Brakes and Bidfood are set to see growth of over +20% in 2022, contributing to overall combined turnover growth of +9.7% among the leading nine wholesalers.

There is optimism among surveyed professionals in the grocery market too, with belief that there will be opportunities for convenience stores going forward, because of the current economic outlook. “An improving outlook due to challenges surrounding covid easing” were cited in one in four positive responses.

Rising Insolvencies Are a Major Cause For Concern for the Hospitality Sector 4

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By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) The UK hospitality sector is going through tough times. High inflation and the costof-living crisis have forced people to cut down on discretionary spending, and the rising input costs have eaten into the profit margins of businesses. Due to this, businesses are forced to either reduce their margins or risk even lower sales.

Additionally, the staff shortages, especially after Brexit, have piled further misery on the sector.

A report from IGD's Eating In Vs. Eating Out has also forecasted that as many as 90% of consumers will try to save money when eating out next year in the wake of the falling discretionary income. In fact, many restaurants fear that they won't be able to sustain themselves if they don't get support from the government. Many have said they'll be cutting their trading hours to save on energy costs.

As per research conducted last month, restaurant company insolvencies increased by more than half over the past year, indicating how tough things are for restaurants

at present. The analysis, conducted by advisory firm Mazars, showed that from 202021 to 2021-22, the total number of restaurant insolvencies jumped from 984 to 1,567, witnessing a 59% rise.

In the quarter to November, it added that the number of restaurants going bust jumped from 395 to 453.

The report claimed that besides the soaring energy and food prices, restaurants had been hit by a labour shortage, specifically for skilled roles like chefs.

The government has extended a support scheme for energy bills to businesses, significantly reducing their energy bills. However, the scheme will be in effect till April next year, and there's no clarity on the support that restaurants will get after that.

Restaurant owners have been calling for more support. Some have also claimed that despite the support scheme, some energy suppliers are charging more than they should for fixed-rate deals.

Hotel Occupancy in London Rises, Overtaking the Rest of the UK for the First Time Since 2020 Occupancy rates of London hotels increased again in October, suggesting weak consumer confidence hasn’t yet hit the sector in the UK’s capital, according to the RSM Hotels Tracker.

The data, compiled and produced by Hotstats and analysed by RSM UK shows that occupancy rates in London were up from 73.9% in September to 76.3% in October – overtaking the rest of the UK for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Occupancy rates of UK hotels dipped slightly from 75.4% in September to 74.5% in October. Hoteliers are yet to reach prepandemic occupancy levels of 84.5% (London) and 81% (UK) in October 2019.

Whilst average daily rates (ADR) of occupied rooms in London fell from £247.04 in September to £236.38 in October and were also down from £155.54 (September) to £148.86 (October) for UK hotels, this drop off is typically expected at this time of year and follows pre-pandemic trends. ADR is well above pre-pandemic rates of £188.54 in London and £123.59 in the UK during October 2019.

Revenue per available room of London hotels also had a small drop from £182.44 in September to £180.24 in October and fell from £117.24 (September) to £110.9 (October) in the UK market.

Gross operating profits remained fairly steady for both London (46.8% in September compared to 46.8% in October) and UK hotels (41% in September compared to 39.1% in October).

Chris Tate, head of hotels and accommodation at RSM UK, said: ‘London hoteliers will be pleased that they aren’t yet seeing the downturn in occupancy that we would expect at this time of year.

As a whole, the hotel industry is managing to hold up relatively well and hoteliers aren’t having to dip into the reserves that were accumulated during the summer. This is likely to be helped by existing demand which means they can pass on inflationary price increases for now.

‘Although the near record low consumer confidence has been filtering through to other sectors such as retail and restaurants, it doesn’t appear to be hitting the hotel sector so far, but it may just be a matter of time.

‘Many UK hotels are currently being shielded from the well-publicised surge in energy costs, many of whom are likely to still be benefitting from fixed price energy tariffs. But once these come to an end in the coming months and demand slips away, it may be a different story for the sector.

‘Hoteliers will be feeling particularly nervous about the upcoming industrial strike action which is scheduled to take place during the all-important Christmas period. In what was hoped to be a booming end to the year with Christmas parties and overnight stays, this could all be derailed, making for an even more painful January next year, which already tends to be a bleak month for the industry.’

WTTC Unveils World-First Global Travel & Tourism Climate Footprint Data The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector.

The findings were launched today at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh by the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Saudi-based Sustainable Global Tourism Center.

In a world-first, this comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.

During her opening speech Julia Simpson, President & CEO of WTTC announced the findings of the Environmental & Social Research (ESR). In one of the largest research projects of its kind ever undertaken, WTTC can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment.

Previous estimates have suggested that the global Travel & Tourism sector was responsible for up to 11% of all emissions. However, WTTC’s pioneering research shows that in 2019 the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled just 8.1% globally.

The divergence of the sector’s economic growth from its climate footprint between 2010 and 2019 is evidence that Travel & Tourism’s economic growth is decoupling from its greenhouse gas emissions.

These emissions have been falling consistently since 2010 as the result of technological developments, as well as the introduction of a number of energy efficiency measures across industries within the sector.

Between 2010 and 2019 our sector’s GDP has grown on average 4.3% annually whilst its environmental footprint has only increased by 2.4%.

The broader Environmental & Social Research (ESR) will include measures of the sector’s impact against a range of indicators, including pollutants, energy sources, water use, as well as social data, including age, wage and gender profiles of Travel & Tourism related employment.

WTTC will continue to announce new data on how the sector fares against these indicators throughout 2023.

Governments around the world now have a tool to inform their decision-making and accelerate environmental change more accurately.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Until now we did not have a sector-wide way to accurately measure our climate footprint.

This data will give governments the detailed information they need to make progress against the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Travel & Tourism is making huge strides to decarbonise, but Governments must set the framework. We need a steely focus on increasing the production of Sustainable Aviation fuels with Government incentives. The technology exists. We also need greater use of renewable energy in our national grids – so when we turn on a light in a hotel room, it is using a sustainable energy source.

“8.1% is the stake in the ground. The key is to become more efficient and decoupling the rate at which we grow from the amount of energy we consume From today, every decision, every change, will lead to a better and brighter future for all.”

Saudi Arabia Minister of Tourism, HE Ahmed Al-Khateeb added: “We are proud to be a partner to the WTTC in this important research that will monitor impact for the future.

Saudi Arabia recognizes that travellers and investors want policies that promote sustainability in the industry and we have embarked on a journey that will make the Kingdom a pioneer in sustainable tourism.

“Under the Saudi Green Initiative, we launched more than 60 initiatives in the past year to do just that. The first wave of initiatives represent more than $186 billion of investment in the green economy.”

Drinks Sales Up Year-on-Year for Ninth Week in a Row Issue 138

Britain’s On Premise drinks sales have exceeded 2021 levels for the ninth successive week, CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker shows.

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Following the pattern of recent weeks there was strong trading in the beer (up 8%) and cider (up 11%) categories—both of which should continue to perform well as the World Cup progresses. Soft drinks (up 5%) and wine (up 6%) were in solid growth too, but spirits (down 11%) continue to suffer against the tough comparatives of late 2021.

Average sales by value in the seven days to last Saturday (19 November) were 3% ahead of the same week last year, despite the mounting pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes. However, after adjustments for inflation—which hit a 40-year high of 11% in October—sales are still significantly below last year’s levels.

“Nine weeks of year-on-year growth give On Premise operators and suppliers a great springboard into festive and World Cup trading,” says Jonathan Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “While inflation is impacting growth and profit margins are under strain, these figures show that consumers remain very keen to drink out in pubs and bars.”

Six of the week’s seven days were in year-on-year growth, peaking at 9% on Sunday (13 November)—though trading dipped 2% on Saturday (19 November), in a lull ahead of the first games for England and Wales in the football World Cup.

Introducing the offer, Andrew Robson of The Inn Collection Group said: “With the well-known rising cost of living, we wanted to do our own small part in bringing some joy to those in our communities. Our inns are consistently warm and welcoming places year round, but we wanted to remind people that you are always wel-

The offer runs from December 1st to December 31st and is open to those aged 65 and over, with the discount available between 10am and 3pm.

come to come through our doors.

With the group’s inns offering a warm and comfortable environment across Northern England and North Wales, including The Temperance Inn, The Ambleside Inn and The Coniston Inn, WINNter Warmers aims

“Thanks to Ringtons’ support, we hope we are providing something that will be appreciated and encouraged to stay active and social for the rest of the year.”

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to encourage people to get out and about in the countdown to Christmas.

A “pub with rooms” company, the Inn Collection, is inviting older members of the community to use their pubs as warm spaces during December.The company has teamed up with supplier Ringtons Tea to launch its ‘WINNter Warmers’ campaign, offering 50 percent off hot beverages at its retail locations.

DISHWASHERS • GLASSWASHERS • REFRIGERATION

Inn Collection Group Offers Up Pubs as a Warm Space

How To Prepare Your Pub Or Restaurant For The Christmas Holidays Buzz 6

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Issue 138

By Jodie Wilkinson Head of Strategic Partnerships at www.takepayments.com Holidays are coming…

But is your pub or restaurant ready for them?

There’s no denying Christmas can be one of the happiest and busiest times of the year for pub and restaurant owners.

Bookings are hopefully full. Customers are merry. It’s what you went into business for, right?

So, to help make sure you’re fully prepared for a profitable Christmas, here’s an inventory of essential areas you need to be thinking about now.

INVEST IN A DECENT BOOKING SYSTEM Christmas is a social season and between office parties, friends catching up, festive date nights, and family gatherings, you’ll likely see an influx in bookings - not just in the days running up to Christmas, but December as a whole.

To make sure they’re all manageable and nothing - or no-one - slips through the cracks, don’t fall at the first hurdle. Invest in a reliable booking system.

Taking it digital will make it much easier for you to manage bookings, changes, and cancellations without worrying about the ramifications, as well as enable you to seamlessly see and organize things like staff rotas and stock in one place, too.

Looking to upgrade your booking system? We’ve got a POS system for that.

MAKE SURE YOU’RE ALL STOCKED UP Okay, so you’ve booked people in and promoted your Xmas offering, the only way you can fail from here is if you don’t have enough stock to give your customer what they want…

Use your bookings to gauge whether you need to order extra turkey, spuds, yorkies, beer, and so on, and plan ahead using the data at your fingertips (factoring walk-ins into the equation too, of course).

THINK ABOUT REPEAT BUSINESS Getting more customers in for Christmas is great. But don’t forget to plan beyond Christmas, too.

While you’ve got people dining or drinking at your establishment, think about how you can encourage them to continue returning in the New Year as well.

Here are a few ideas to get you going: • Offer a 15% discount on another meal in January (be sure to put a time limit on the offer so they return soon, before they forget).

• Start a loyalty card scheme whereby if they dine with you four more times, they get 50% off their final meal.

• Let them know about exciting offers and plans you have scheduled for the New Year.

The world’s your oyster - get creative.

If you’re looking for some inspiration consider:

With spirits high and wallets perhaps a little looser, the festive season is prime time to get people to splash a little bit more cash, so have a think about how you can subtly encourage your customers to order a little more.

Here are a few ideas to get you started: • • • •

Adding a glass of wine to anyone who orders a three-course meal Giving away mince pies to anyone who orders a pudding A glass of port with any cheeseboard Buy two glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle on the house The possibilities are endless.

If you put a deal out there and it doesn’t get much traction, try not to feel disheartened - it could be right deal wrong time, or wrong deal right time. Play around with a few different offers on different days until you find one that hits the customers’ spot.

Have a think about how you can have some festive fun with your menu. Christmas tree-shaped crackers on your cheeseboard, add Xmas puddings to your dessert offering, sprout-based starters, cranberry brie bites, and of course, the full Christmas dinner shebang in all its glory.

Now we’re not saying you need to pay an arm and a leg for high-end Christmas decor - far from it. In fact, sometimes, the cheap and cheerful stuff can actually add more personality. But just don’t hold back.

As well as customising your standard menu, consider introducing a standalone, Christmas-themed menu too. It doesn’t need to be extravagant and put a strain on your kitchen, but perhaps just a couple of starters, mains, and desserts for people to pick from and start the festive feeding frenzy early.

TRIPLE-CHECK YOUR ROTAS

1.Scouting out nearby pubs or restaurants on social media who you know do very well when it comes to getting bums on seats, 2.Scrolling through their social archives to last Christmas, and 3.Seeing how they went about drumming up interest.

Christmas t’is the season of giving, right?

CUSTOMISE YOUR MENU

There’s no use in investing in a fancy booking system if no-one knows to book!

• Your website • Social media (incl. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, even LinkedIn if you’re thinking office parties) • Email • In your windows/on your tables • Putting an ad in local papers/businesses • Flyers in other shops’ windows (with permission, of course).

When it comes to your social media strategy, don’t worry if you’re not an absolute pro. No-one expects you to be winning awards for the best social post of the year anytime soon, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

SEASONAL UP-SELLS

Who doesn’t love a restaurant charismatically dressed head to toe in Christmas decorations, eh? It provides the perfect backdrop for any meal or drink and if done really well, the word of mouth on your decs alone can spread like wildfire and drive more people through your door.

We know the good old saying is ‘quality over quantity’ but on this occasion, our advice is to flip it on its head.

When you’re planning your promo, think about the various channels available to you too:

Contactlessly. At their table. It’s table stakes these days.

DON’T SCRIMP ON THE DECORATIONS

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

Think about your promotional strategy and plan far, far in advance.

Supermarkets started stocking their shelves with Christmas deliciousness back in September, so the earlier the better (we would perhaps draw the line at August, though!).

We don’t need to tell you we’re heading towards an increasingly cashless society. Paying by card is commonplace in this day and age and to ensure ultimate customer satisfaction, you need to make sure every customer can pay exactly how they want.

We’ve all been there. We’re at a restaurant. We’ve ordered our drink.

Before the drinks even arrive, we’re asked for our food order. 15 minutes later, the drinks arrive. An hour after we’ve arrived, the food lands on the table. The food was nice and afterward, we want a dessert. But we question if we have enough time to wait 45 minutes for the dessert to arrive.

Having a separate Xmas menu can help give your festive efforts more focus and if people are looking for places to have a Christmas meal with their mates, hopefully, your establishment will come straight to their minds.

Bonus: you can often charge a little more for themed menus, too.

ACCOMMODATE OFFICE PARTIES Throughout December businesses up and down the country will be throwing office shindigs - be sure to capitalise on it.

The drinks were lovely. The food’s delicious. The staff perfectly polite.

But the service time was loooong.

Don’t let understaffing be the reason customers walk away with a bad experience.

Make sure you’re keeping an eye on what bookings are coming in, bearing in mind walk-ins, and planning ahead to ensure you’ve enough staff on the rota.

Especially during the festive period, you can often get a lot of lastminute curveballs. You might get a call on Thursday about a last-minute booking for a table of 15 on Saturday and you’ll not want to turn that down, right.

To mitigate this, before the busy spell begins, have a conversation with your staff, let them know this kind of stuff might happen, and that you’d really appreciate their flexibility if it does. A little conversation can go a long way.

MAKE SURE YOU CAN TAKE THEIR PAYMENTS

Have a think about how your pub/restaurant can house office parties whether it be reserving a separate room or pushing tables together to create one big seating space, and what kind of offers you install to entice them in - i.e.: • X bottles of wine for £XXX • Three-course meals for X employees for £XX per head • A free glass of prosecco for every person in the party.

Once you’ve worked out how you’ll accommodate office parties (and don’t rush this phase, the last thing you want is to do a half-arsed job and leave a poor impression on dozens upon dozens of customers), don’t forget to shout it from the rooftops! If you want businesses to consider you when hunting for their festive venue, they need to know you’re an option in the first place - promote, promote, promote.

And that’s a wrap. All that’s left to do now is wish you a pub/restaurant packed Christmas!

Diageo Campaign with ‘Think!’ Returns This Christmas to Tackle Drink Driving Diageo, maker of Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Baileys, is re-igniting its partnership with THINK!, the government’s official road safety initiative. The digital campaign aims to call on people to stop friends from drinking alcohol if they’re planning to drive. Building on last year’s success, assets will now be available via Diageo One for operators to use across their own social channels.

With only 53% of 17-30-year-old men claiming that it is very risky to drive when over the legal alcohol limit, compared with 80% for the general population[1] and a further 70% (aged 17-30) believing it is unacceptable to drive when over the legal alcohol limit[2], the campaign aims to tackle drink driving over the festive season.

The campaign, which is running between 28th November and 31st December, will appear on Guinness and Captain Morgan social channels and will include a series of short films that will be redistributed across social and digital platforms to remind young people that ‘a mate doesn’t let a mate drink drive’.

The campaign will also direct viewers to a landing page on the THINK! website featuring ‘Wrong Side of

the Road’ – Diageo’s virtual learning experience which allows individuals to have a conversation with a real drink driver to help understand the consequences of drink driving.

All resources will be available on DiageoOne – Diageo’s online hub which provides hospitality operators with training, industry insights, social media assets and more. Operators will have access to the content and will be able to utilise assets to post on their venue’s social channels this festive period.

Diageo has a long-standing commitment to tackling the harmful use of alcohol as well as providing people with high-quality non-alcoholic drinks options, offering consumers with more choice during more occasions. This initiative is part of Diageo’s latest pledge to change the attitudes towards drink driving of five million drivers by 2030, as announced in the company’s ten-year sustainability action plan, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.

[1] THINK! Omnibus April 2022 [2] *Compared with 87% for the general population. THINK! Omnibus April 2022

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Michelin Star Chef Tom Kerridge says Hospitality Remains ‘Strong’ Despite Misconceptions Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge has called for hospitality leaders to get behind the world’s biggest recruitment campaign and challenge any negative perceptions held about the industry.

The celebrity chef believes too many young people believe working in the sector will mean long hours and the end of a social life, insisting that misconceptions surrounding hospitality couldn’t be “further from the truth.”

Speaking in an exclusive new Hospitality Rising podcast, the TV favourite said the industry remains “strong” despite the jobs crisis, and spoke passionately about the opportunities and benefits that a career in hospitality can provide, including connection, excitement and progression.

Tom, who is the owner of The Hand & Flowers, the only two Michelin star pub in the UK, said: “There’s this view that if you work in hospitality then there’s no social life – but it couldn’t be any further from the truth.

“Your social life is the best, it’s the most connected. You have routes into different restaurant spaces, bars, pubs, and clubs.

“I was so lucky that as an 18-year-old this vocation grabbed me, you know the excitement of it, and I wanted it to be a part of my life.

“I’ve been in it for well over 30 years now and the beautiful thing about hospitality is that you can do and see so many different things, you have so many different opportunities put in front of you and it’s not just about Michelin stars.

“It’s about warmth, connecting to people, saying hello, being friendly, and giving off a sense of connection, and I learned that from an early age.”

Tom is among a host of big name chefs to have pledged support for the Hospitality Rising movement, launched as the industry’s response to help tackle the sector’s crippling jobs crisis. #RiseFastWorkYoung aims to attract the next generation of new recruits by showcasing the opportunities and promise that come with a career in hospitality.

“If every single hospitality business went bust tomorrow and shut, next week, somebody else would reopen them, because we all want to go out and eat, we all want to go out and drink, we all want to have fun, we all want to connect with human beings.

“Hospitality will always be there so it’s so important that as an industry, that we’re connected now, that we’re strong and solid.

That means that where it is a difficult time, we build this safety net around each other to be able to build from and come through the other side.”

The Hospitality Rising campaign has already achieved unwavering support from some of the biggest names in the UK. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) became the campaign’s first official platform supplier partner, while leading hospitality tech supplier Zonal and one of the UK’s most successful guest WI-FI based marketing solution, Wireless Social, also became platinum sponsors.

Whitbread, Pret, Welcome Break, Hilton, IHG, Soho House, Prezzo, Revolution Bars, Parkdean Resorts, Claridge’s, Hawksmoor, Pho, J W Lees, Buzzworks, The DRG, Arc Inspirations, Harbour Hotels, Wahaca, The Pig, Comptoir Group and Ole & Steen are just some of the influential businesses that have signed up to support the campaign.

By asking backers to pledge £10 per employee, it aims to reach a £5m target allowing for a “governmentsized” collaborative campaign that will change the perception of the industry and bolster its workforce for good. The campaign’s efforts have so far raised £850,000.

Mark McCulloch, founder of Hospitality Rising and Campaign Director, said: “Tom couldn’t have put it better when it comes to describing the joy and resilience of the hospitality sector.

“By working collectively via initiatives such as Hospitality Rising we can bring more people into our dynamic and rewarding industry and ensure that people aren’t put off by any mistruths that are out there.

Urging people to back the Hospitality Rising campaign, he said: “Get involved, it’s about reaching out to as many people as possible and we need to capture the heart, the soul of the people to get into this industry and to understand how fun it can be.

“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received so far but to keep up momentum and drive the next stage of the campaign, we need more people to come on board and more companies to pledge financial support. Hospitality is nothing without people and we are determined to work together to ensure the best and the brightest are attracted to the industry to ensure a bright future for the sector.”

“The industry is such a robust, strong, fluid and creative industry that it bounces back constantly – hospitality will always be here.

To see the full range of Hospitality Rising podcasts featuring backers and chefs, visit the campaign’s Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg76HvFKwhnYwwaDiVNtYXQ

While there is a distinct shortage of staff within the industry, Tom believes that regardless, the hospitality sector will always survive, so long as people work together to tackle the jobs crisis.

Don’t Let The Labour Gap Be Hospitality’s Party Pooper This Christmas 8

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Issue 138

Chris Grimes, sales director at Matrix (https://teammatrix.com/) looks at ways the sector can find the 250,000 workers it needs to satisfy the seasonal surge and make hay while the snow falls.

With the festive season rapidly approaching and people streaming back to pubs, restaurants and party venues as the pandemic threat subsides, things are finally looking up for the beleagured hospitality industry. The sector is hoping bumper sales over Christmas and New Year will boost revenues to pre-Covid levels, and even beyond. However, as we all know, there’s always a pesky party pooper desperate to spoil everyone’s fun. And in this case, it’s the labour crisis.

It's no secret that hospitality companies have been struggling to fill vacancies post Brexit. And this situation has been made worse by the need to lay off temporary staff during the pandemic – roles which many businesses have found it tough to replenish.

Of course, pubs and restaurants traditionally staff up in the run up to Christmas to make the most of the increased demand and crucially maintain customer service levels. The dilemma this year is how they find the 250,000 seasonal workers they need, according to UKHospitality, in a shrinking talent pool depleted by over a million EU-born workers departing the UK. Failure to do so could seriously undermine their efforts to kick start the recovery, which are already being challenged by inflationfuelled price hikes.

TOTAL FLEXIBILITY Addressing the problem, Youngs, which runs 200 pub and hotels in London and the South of England, has rolled out a “total” flexible working policy to fuel its recruitment drive. This opens the door to glass collectors, for example, who just want occasional days, and mums keen to work between school drop-off and pickup, and maybe a few hours in the evening, to earn extra during tough times.

This shift in policy by Youngs has not only helped the business bridge the labour gap short term, but the flexible approach also means the business is holding onto its newfound recruits. It makes sense for other hospitality companies to follow suit and could hold the key to bolstering staff numbers for the festive season.

GOING NEUTRAL The problem then arises of how to recruit flexible workers as quickly as possible. One way of implementing this policy is taking the neutral vendor route, particularly when temporary staff are needed at short notice to satisfy a seasonal surge. When time is of the essence, trawling through preferred supplier lists of recruiters can be frustrating and costly, with chosen suppliers frequently difficult to manage, adding further stress to an already fraught period. This can result in recruitment managers making the risky move of going off-contract.

Adopting a neutral vendor approach delivers access to a large pre-approved supply chain of diverse recruitment agencies to widen the candidate pool when hospitality businesses need it most, quickly and easily accessible – and verified for compliance – through an independent single point of contact.

AGE ON YOUR SIDE Broadening the target demographic could also open the door to a deeper labour pool. Many over-50s have not returned to work after the Covid lockdowns, put off not only by a long commute, and the increased risk of infection this brings, but also tired of the rigidity of a five-day week. The prospect of local flexible jobs could well entice them back into the workplace, while their wider experience and confidence dealing with people can help enhance the customer experience.

The best Christmas present companies in the hospitality sector can give themselves this year is to broaden their recruitment horizons, like Youngs. It’s time to open up to flexible and even hybrid working practices, where appropriate, and consider a wider age group, while looking at new methods of improving the speed, cost effectiveness, security and compliance of the recruitment process. Happy recruiting!

New Leading Catering Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice Launched achieve good food hygiene compliance.”

UKHospitality, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has today launched an updated version of the industry-recognised hygiene standards guide for all caterers.

Food Standards Scotland Chief Executive Geoff Ogle said: “Good hygiene is an essential requirement to producing safe food. This updated version of the guidance for the catering sector emphasises the importance that industry and regulators place on food safety.

The guide, sponsored by Food Alert, is the only recognised document for hygiene standards for the catering sector, that is used by both industry and enforcement.

“Consumers reasonably expect their food to be safe and this guidance enables the hospitality sector to ensure that high standards are maintained. Consumers will always go back to a business if they have had a positive experience, if they have a bad experience they’ll not return.

It sets out advice and guidance for caterers on how to comply with their legal obligations and continues to be applicable across the entire UK, meaning there can be a consistent and simple approach for Environmental Health Officers and companies operating across nations.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Maintaining our high standards of food safety and hygiene is a top priority for all hospitality venues and this industry guide is the gold standard for industry to get their advice and guidance on complying with legislation.

“It is essential reading for everyone in hospitality with a catering offering and as the rules and regulations continue to change, it was important for us to review, update and relaunch the guide.

“Making this guide work for all four nations was a real priority and I’m pleased that UKHospitality was able to work with both the FSA and FSS to achieve this. This consistent approach should make complying with legislation easier and ensure we continue delivering the high standards our customers expect.”

Katie Pettifer, Director of Strategy and Regulatory Compliance, FSA, said: “At the Food Standards Agency, we want everyone to have food they can trust. We want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to do the right thing for consumers, so we were pleased to work with UKHospitality and Food Standards Scotland on the latest update to the industry guide.

“It will provide up-to-date, accurate and understandable guidance to help food businesses across the UK

“A ‘gold standard’ is an enabler for repeat business and is to be welcomed.”

Richard Short, Vice President for Health and Security, Accor Hotels Northern Europe said: “Accor has, at the heart of its ethics and values, the safety and security of all its guests, staff and visitors so it is of utmost importance we comply with both the letter and the spirit of food hygiene legislation.

“This industry guide gives clear, unambiguous and reliable advice which is vital to both Accor and the hotel and catering industry as a whole.”

Food Alert Managing Director David Bashford said: “As food safety partners to UKHospitality we welcomed the opportunity to both sponsor and contribute to the creation of a new, revised Catering Guide.

“The new Guide will be the go-to document for food business operators and enforcement authorities when they look to how compliance with food hygiene legislation should be achieved, leading to a consistent application of the rules.

“UKHospitality and the whole review panel is to be commended for the hard work needed to produce the new Guide.”

Take a Bite Out of the Best the South West Has to Offer! drink retail, then this is the show you cannot afford to miss!

Hale Events’ trade shows can help your business succeed in 2023. With 2022 already ending, it's time to plan how you will find ingredients for your new menus, the best retail food and drink, and the equipment and services your business needs to keep ahead of the competition.

Taking place well before the all-important summer season kicks off, the show is regarded as a cornerstone of the Cornish business calendar. It’s an absolute must for buyers to compare a range of competing offerings, as well as get a feel for the trends from afar shaping the market - all under one roof.

Hale Events’ three trade shows have real bite. They introduce buyers to a wide range of exhibitors and suppliers, to help them find ways to maximise profits whilst improving efficiencies. They enable networking with colleagues to share challenges (and solutions!)

THE SOURCE ROADSHOW - Tuesday 27th June, Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol.

Hospitality and retail are facing another tough year, and it’s more important than ever to draw the silver lining from the economic storm clouds in every way possible. These shows do just that!

Returning to Bristol after last year’s inaugural show, this show brings both the best of the South West, as well as the latest innovations from around the world, to Bristol’s food and drink buyers.

THE SOURCE TRADE SHOW - Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th of February 2023, at Westpoint near Exeter.

The Source trade show takes place in February. There's been a food and drink and hospitality show in this time slot in the South West now for more than 20 years. This is one of the key times of year for buyers to seek out new suppliers of products and services. In partnership with regional food group Taste of the West, this trade show will delight your senses with the latest flavours and ideas.

EXPOWEST CORNWALL - Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th March, at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge.

If you have a Cornish business that’s in hospitality, catering, or food and

These shows will satisfy your appetite, whether you run a pub, hotel, restaurant, café, deli, farm shop, holiday park, tourist attractions, catering business, supermarket or if your business is food and drink. They’re free to attend for trade buyers – all you need to do is visit the relevant show website to register or ring the team at Hale on 01934 733456. Of course, they welcome enquiries for stand bookings via the websites too, or you can call the sales team on 01934 733433. Visit www.hale-events.com to find the website you’re looking for.

Feed your need for the latest flavours!

Issue 138

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8 in 10 Hospitality Small Businesses Taking Action to Strengthen for the Year Ahead With the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasting that the UK economy will be in recession until the third quarter of 2023, new research from Novuna Business Finance has found that the prospect of stormy seas ahead in the coming year is prompting eight in 10 small businesses to take fortifying action.

The research tracked responses of over 1,200 small business owners and senior decision-makers across their country every year since 2019. It found that not only has this proportion taking actions to strengthen their business increased this winter (+4% year on year), but the measures being taken have become increasingly defensive.

This contrasted significantly with the more confident, spend-related actions in previous years.

FOCUS ON COST REDUCTION Looking at cost reduction steps, the results showed that the proportion of businesses focused on reducing fixed costs reached a four-year high, with just over a quarter (26%) looking to action this. This was an increase of 9% year-on-year, and +7% compared with pre-pandemic levels. Similar increases were seen this year in the proportion looking at budget planning (17%, up from 11% in both 2021 and 2019), and the proportion looking for back-office efficiencies/streamlining (10% up from 6% in both 2021 and 2019).

SPEND ACTIVITIES TAKE A BACK SEAT Meanwhile, looking at measures that involved active spending, the picture appeared quite different to both last year and in pre-pandemic times. While taking efforts to increase new business and sales remained the most common measure been taken to bolster these enterprises, the proportion looking to do this (29%) was down 3% on last year and -9% on pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, the proportion looking to offer new service lines and products fell to 18% (down 4% year-on-year and -6% lower than 2019).

The proportions also fell when it came to investing more money in marketing (12% -1% on 2021, and -4% on 2019), increasing advertising spend (12%, -1% on 2021 and -5% on 2019), and improving the digital capabilities of the business (8%, flat on 2021 but -3% lower than in 2019). In addition, the proportion looking to build up their financial reserves was at a four-year low of 17%.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES MOST LIKELY IN HOSPITALITY SECTOR In the hospitality sector in particular, some of the differences became more pronounced still, with large

swings in the proportions prioritising cost-cutting instead of active investment.

Here, the proportion of businesses looking to reduce fixed costs increase 10% year-on-year to 35%, and 9% since pre-pandemic levels. The proportion looking to invest in new business was far below the national average of 29%, with only 22% viewing this as a priority for the next few months. Those looking to increase brand awareness with advertising fell 14% from pre-pandemic levels to 16% (-4% on 2021), along with the number of small businesses looking to train and hire junior staff (-9% since 2019).

Jo Morris, Head of Insight at Novuna Business Finance comments: “Rising inflation, record-high energy costs, and a sustained and prolonged period of uncertainty is contributing to unprecedented levels of pressure for small business owners. Many are currently taking hits to buffer customers and clients, absorbing increased production and energy costs in the hope price rises will settle at some point. Understandably, within this context, the desire by business owners to strengthen their businesses will increase. What is interesting is the impact of not just this period, but the culmination of the last four to five years, is prompting a switch to the back foot comparatively with the outlook pre-pandemic.

ACTIONS SMALL BUSINESSES ARE TAKING TO STRENGTHEN THEIR BUSINESSES IN THE COMING YEAR

Q4'19

Q4'21

Q4'22

PreYOY (+/- pandemic ) (+/-)

Increasing new business income/ sales

38%

30%

29%

-1%

-9%

Reducing fixed costs

20%

18%

26%

+9%

+7%

Encouraging staff to attend training courses/ E-learning Planning ahead with business budgeting

10% 15%

7% 11%

6% 17%

-1% +6%

-4% +2%

Expanding into new geographical markets

10%

8%

7%

-1%

-2%

24%

15%

18%

+3%

-6%

11%

7%

8%

0%

-3%

11%

9%

7%

-2%

-4%

Diversifying the business, offering new service lines/ products Investing more time/ money to improve the digital the capabilities of the business Hiring young people that we can train and develop Streamlining our back office Reviewing and looking for efficiencies in our back office (e.g. administration staff, IT staff etc.)

7%

4%

7%

+3%

0%

10%

6%

10%

+4%

0%

Advertising online to increase awareness or sales

17%

13%

12%

-1%

-5%

9%

5%

6%

1%

-2%

16%

13%

12%

-1%

-4%

6%

9%

5%

-4%

0%

21%

18%

17%

-1%

-3%

Actively reaching out for professional/ finance advice

3%

3%

4%

+1%

+1%

Sharing the overall business plan with the broader team so, we are all working towards the same goal

7%

6%

7%

+1%

0%

Spending time investing in the people that already work at the company

15%

12%

11%

-1%

-4%

5%

3%

4%

+1%

-1%

11% 5%

9% 6%

11% 3%

+2% -3%

-1% -1%

Implementing new digital apps and software Invest more money in marketing the business to raise awareness of our brand and services Making senior hires, bringing in people with specialist skills/ experience Building up financial reserves

Adapting our financial forecasts to allow for seasonal highs and lows Having more contingency plans in the event of prolonged market uncertainty Other

Don't know 4% 6% 6% 0% +2% “For every small business in the next Not applicable - My business is not 18-24 months there will be extreme planning to prioritise anything in particular to make our business stronger 19% 25% 21% challenges that will require difficult and important decisions to be made by their leaders. It has never been more important to have a plan that can chart a course through the storm, and well beyond, to inform immediate decisions as they arise.”

Nearly Two In Three Restaurants Are Missing Booking Opportunities Enabled By Social Media 10

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Issue 138

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to dampen consumer confidence and spending in the hospitality sector, new research from SevenRooms reveals almost two-thirds (58%) of restaurants are missing out on an opportunity to maximise the power of social media to capture crucial bookings – particularly from younger diners.

Social media has become a key driver of restaurant inspiration - a quarter (24%) of consumers would be more likely to visit a restaurant if it had gone ‘viral’, and this figure almost doubles to 47% for Gen Z diners. The ‘Making Booking Social’ study of 2,012 UK consumers aged 16+ looks at the opportunity to turn social media from a resource for restaurant discovery into a powerhouse for bookings.

Going viral on social media can change the game for restaurants – particularly with video content on newer platforms like TikTok gaining potentially hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of views: • Almost half of socially-savvy Gen Z (49%) have visited a venue just because it had gained fame on social media • More than 1 in 5 Brits (21%) and 38% of Gen Z would spend more in a restaurant if it had gone viral • More than one-third of Gen Z (36%) have visited a restaurant just so they could post about it on their own social accounts • Plus, this generation will go to great lengths to visit these destinations, with 92% willing to travel to visit a social media famous venue Crucially, however, the study found that for Gen Z, making the decision to visit the hottest new restaurant they spot on socials depends on whether they can book there and then: Over half (56%) say they find restaurants they want to visit on social media, but don't get around to making a booking Almost 2 in 3 (58%) Gen Z Brits say they’d be more likely to book a restaurant they found on social media if

they could reserve directly on the platform Booking data from the guest experience and retention platform reveals that while reservations through social media platforms have increased in recent years, the figure is still extremely low. According to SevenRooms’ research, almost two-thirds of the UK’s top restaurants don’t take any direct bookings through channels such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok2.

For restaurants, this is as easy as enabling a ‘Reserve’ button on their Instagram or Facebook page – when linked through to a direct booking platform, reservations can be set up and taken through social media in a matter of minutes.

And the chance for restaurants to capture the always-online Gen Z audience is seemingly too good to miss. With an average of £68.02 spent per week in restaurants, pubs and bars, they are spending 68% more than the average consumer3. Given there are an estimated 12.6 million Gen Zs in the UK, the generation is worth a huge £857 million a week3 to the hospitality sector – if it is capitalised upon.

Danilo Mangano, Managing Director, International at SevenRooms, comments: “Following a turbulent time, and especially as we approach the crucial festive period, restaurants must do all they can to capture diners. From longstanding platforms like Facebook and Instagram to newer players like TikTok and BeReal, social media is an integral part of restaurant marketing to build both brand awareness and loyalty with diners, particularly with the highly-valuable younger generation.

Fundamentally, however, social media should not just be a vanity exercise; it should be leveraged to increase bookings wherever possible. “Reserve” or “Book Now” buttons via Instagram and Facebook through platforms like SevenRooms should be prominently featured on profiles, allowing followers to make reservations without ever leaving an app. In addition, operators who leverage a direct reservations solution are able to capture valuable guest data — including email and phone number — that helps them grow their guest database automatically. When used to its fullest capability, social media can drive more reservations, more orders and ultimately more revenue for any hospitality operator.”

The Burnt Chef Project’s Inaugural Gala Dinner Raises More Than £32,000 words to drive home the impact that mental health can have on those in the hospitality industry, Joe received a standing ovation from the room.

A wonderful three-course dinner, prepared by AFC Bournemouth’s Head of Catering Operations, Paul Fudge and his team was served to those attending the event, before the night’s headliner, Frank Bruno MBE, took to the stage. A boxing icon and previous heavy-weight champion of the world, Bruno has openly discussed challenges he faced with his own mental health over the years. Expertly interviewed by Stone, Frank’s combination of humour, scintillating stories and raw honesty captivated the room, helping to raise awareness of how mental health can affect anyone and at almost any time.

Out of the Shadows, the first ever gala dinner hosted by The Burnt Chef Project in Bournemouth on the 17th November, raised more than £32k for the not-for-profit social enterprise.

Welcoming almost 200 chefs, operators, manufacturers, suppliers and industry associates to the Vitality Stadium, the inaugural gala dinner, titled ‘Out of the Shadows’ was an evening to reminisce, raise awareness and celebrate the work done by the project. The night offered a rare chance for many to stop and reflect on the need for mental health support and the effort to eliminate mental health stigma in our industry. A charity raffle and a silent auction, with prizes including a session in the ring with boxing legend, former heavyweight world champion and guest speaker for the evening, Frank Bruno MBE, helped raise a combined total of more than £32,000.

Initially launching in Bournemouth in 2019 the decision to host the dinner at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium was seen as somewhat of a homecoming for The Burnt Chef Project. Hosted by Jed Stone, a compere known for his quick engaging wit and comical way with words, the guests were treated to a sensational, moving and inspired performance by spoken word artist, Joe Bellman. Using the power of

On the success of the first gala dinner, Kris Hall, Founder of The Burnt Chef Project comments: “I could not be more proud of how our first Out of the Shadows gala dinner went – it’s credit to our extremely dedicated and hard working team of individuals. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to our partners, Unox, Talenthive, Liberation Group, Performance Leadership Group and the team from AFC Bournemouth as without them, we simply couldn’t have organised the event. I would also like to thank Jed Stone, Joe Bellman and Frank

Bruno MBE for their time and support at the event. To have almost 200 of the industry’s most influential operators and suppliers in one room was fantastic and to have raised more than £32,000 is nothing short of extraordinary – thanks to everyone involved.”

Scott Duncan, Managing Director of headline partner, Unox UK added: “Well done to the entire The Burnt Chef Project team on planning, managing and hosting such a great evening – Unox UK is delighted to have been able to support such an important cause. Eradicating the stigma around mental health in our industry is vital and the ongoing work of The Burnt Chef Project is playing a key part in this movement. We look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting Kris and the team in 2023 and beyond.”

A short highlights video of Out of the Shadows Gala Dinner 2022 can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-fMja9rjyQ Following the success of Out of the Shadows 2022, The Burnt Chef Project team are looking ahead to future gala dinner events – watch this space for more information and to find out how you can get involved. If you would like to find out more about the ongoing work of The Burnt Chef Project, please visit www.theburntchefproject.com.

Williams Donates Fridge to Local School’s Food Bank Williams Refrigeration has donated a Jade refrigerator cabinet to the foodbank run by the Friends of Eastgate Academy.

Eastgate Academy is a primary school in Williams’ home town of Kings Lynn. Friends of Eastgate Academy is a charitable committee chaired by teaching assistant Karen Mason, which runs a food bank aimed at helping those in need. Without access to refrigeration equipment, it had only been able to offer dry or tinned goods.

Tracey Dean, one of the members of Friends of Eastgate Academy, reached out to Williams to ask if they would be able to help. Williams is more than happy to get involved in charitable efforts in its local community, which is how the food bank recently took delivery of the Jade cabi-

net from Bawo Koroma, Quality Control Manager for Williams.

The HJ1 cabinet has an internal capacity of 620 litres and like all Williams products is designed to meet high standards of energy efficiency and temperature stability. It will enable the food bank to keep a range of fresh products and allow them to provide a greater variety of healthy food to those who rely on it.

“Everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, and it’s important to help those who are struggling,” says Bawo. “The work Eastgate Academy’s food bank does is vital in supporting families and people in need. Williams is proud of being a Kings Lynn company and will always support the local community where it can.”

Issue 138

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Xmas Turkey Shortage Due to the UK’s Largest Outbreak of Bird Flu Poultry farmer Paul Kelly told the committee that “without a vaccine or a compensation scheme that is fit for purpose, farmers are less likely to take the risk of growing poultry.”

Turkey prices this Christmas are set to soar, with shortages predicted due to the ongoing rise in avian flu.

One in two free range turkeys bred for Christmas have died or been culled in Britain’s worst-ever outbreak which has left many poultry farmers thinking of throwing in their lot. The highly contagious disease, which affects wild birds as well as poultry, is impacting the supply of farm-fresh turkeys as infected birds die or are slaughtered to prevent spread.

Healthy domestic production is essential for our national food security.

If Government does not prioritise business continuity and tackle pressures to mitigate the impact of avian influenza, the consequences are likely to manifest in UK food supply.

“Risk must be expanded to include commercial viability,” said Mr Griffiths. “The conditions of this outbreak are unlike anything we have seen before. More farms have been affected and because of that the concept of ‘risk’ has changed. Contingency plans and measures must reflect that change. This is about our businesses, and ultimately our food security.

We have to be able to feed ourselves.”

British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: “The usual amount of free range birds grown for Christmas is around 1.2 to 1.3 million. We have seen around 600,000 of those free range birds being directly affected.

“The scale of this outbreak is unlike anything we have seen before” Mr Griffiths said. “Its intensity poses a risk to UK food producers, and our food supply.”

A billion birds are reared every year to provide half the meat the nation eats. Businesses are doing all they can to avoid impact to people’s dinner tables but at a time when access to affordable, nutritious food is more important than ever, avian influenza-related challenges must be addressed to support British businesses feeding the nation.

The challenges wrapped up in avian influenza are only exacerbating existing pressures deriving from Brexit, inflation and an ongoing labour shortage. “Production costs have increased up to 18%,” reported Mr Kelly.

Combined with resource pressures and trade issues, current structures must be reviewed to handle the intensity of the outbreak.“The challenge for lot of smaller seasonal producers that produce Christmas poultry, they have their flock on their farm and when it is infected, those turkeys will die within four days,” Mr Kelly said.

Stonegate Pub Partners Announces Stars of Stonegate 2022 Winners Stonegate Pub Partners has announced its Stars of Stonegate for 2022. The Stars of Stonegate Pub Partners Awards recognise all the talent across its leased and tenanted estate, celebrating the exceptional work and dedication that has gone into making their businesses a success. Finalists spanned across ten categories, including Best Community Pub, Lifetime Achievement and Pub of the Year.

Most Improved Pub – White Horse, Dover Nick Andrews, Managing Director of Stonegate Pub Partners, said:

The awards ceremony was held on Thursday 24 November at Coombe Abbey and welcomed the finalists, members of their pub teams and their Regional Managers, along with the judges and Operations Board.

“All of our Pub Partners are committed to growing their businesses and are actively involved with their local communities, putting their pubs are the heart of them. We support our Pub Partners at every step of their business journey and work with them to provide the support their businesses need. It is humbling to hear and celebrate so many success stories within our estate. At Stonegate Pub Partners we aim to raise the bar on the Great British pub for our people, guests and communities, through great offerings and brilliant community spaces.”

“Congratulations to all of our Stars of Stonegate who have won awards and those who were nominated, you should all be very proud of your achievements and efforts.

The categories and winners included: Overall Pub of the Year – Woodman, Ruslip North West Divisional Pub of the Year – Midway, Stockport North East Divisional Pub of the Year – Myrtle Tavern, Meanwood Central Divisional Pub of the Year – House in the Tree, Boddington London/South East Pub of the Year – Woodman, Ruslip South West Divisional Pub of the Year – White Horse, Hambrook East Divisional Pub of the Year – Old Windmill, Coventry South Coast Divisional Pub of the Year – Admiral Cunningham, Bracknell

Development Divisional Pub of the Year – Prince Charles, Forest Town Lifetime Achievement Award – Rita Smith from Peter Kavanagh’s, Liverpool Best Pub for Beer – Fountain Inn, Gloucester Best Community Pub – Lion, Treorchy Best Pub Garden – Blacksmith’s Sevenoaks Best Newcomer – The Cock Inn, Potterspury Best Pub for Sport – Stirrup Cup, Barton Seagrave

The Difference in Engaging Food Hygiene Training is Right in the Video I’m passionate about helping food businesses to succeed by ensuring their staff are trained to work safely. My experience shows that training can’t just be a ‘tick box’ exercise. To produce safe food and for a business to get a good food hygiene rating, staff need to understand food safety. This is only possible if they learn and retain knowledge from training.

The Safety Expert has created an online Level 2 Food Hygiene course for hospitality businesses that enables staff to learn through video. The course consists of videos that are filmed in real-life scenarios with practical examples. The course is created and delivered by Natalie Stanton, Founder of The Safety Expert. Natalie is a Chartered Environmental Health Officer, food safety advisor and trainer.

Natalie said: “Presenting information in a visual way can increase knowledge retention. That’s why I opted for video. My mission is to bridge the gap between elearning and face-to-face training. I want to retain the flexibility and affordability of online training whilst presenting information in a visual way to ensure staff learn and remember as much as possible. I know now more than ever food businesses are experiencing a high turnover of staff. It is essential that all of these staff are trained to work safely. After all, a business is only as good as its staff.

Having worked as a local authority EHO for over 11 years I’ve seen many examples of how poor staff training can impact a business. During a food hygiene inspection, it only takes one mistake from a food handler to cost the business its 5-star rating. For example; I’ve seen food handlers panic to get food into the fridge and cause cross-contamination by storing raw meat incorrectly. The EHO can’t ignore this when calculating a food hygiene rating. Effective training should help staff make the right decisions when it comes to food safety.”

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Email: info@thesafetyexpert.co.uk Website: www.thesafetyexpert.co.uk

Issue 138

CLH DIGITAL

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More Than Half of Brits Plan to Holiday More in the UK to Help Reduce Their Holiday Spending Despite travel restrictions lifting, 41% of Brits report they won’t be able to go on holiday at all as a result of the extra costs, according to research from customer insights platform QuMind. The greatest factors influencing a further fall in travel and tourism are the increased travel prices (59%), cost-of-living (56%), energy prices at home (51%) and the depreciation of the pound (48%).

SPENDING DECREASE TO CONTINUE INTO 2023 The data exposes that the strain on the travel and tourism industry is likely to continue into next year, as already in 2022, more than two in five (41%) Brits reported spending less on travel and tourism compared to previous years. To achieve their plans to spend less, Brits plan to make savings on their holidays by: • Going on less holidays (56%) • Planning more holidays in the UK (50%) • Booking their trips early (45%) Commenting on the findings, Mark Ursell, CEO of QuMind, said: “Knowing that consumers are reducing their travel spending further, it is crucial that travel and tourism brands adapt to the needs of their customers. For example, with nearly half of Brits trying to keep “business as usual” as far as possible by planning ahead and buying their holidays earlier, brands really to start offering their 2023 deals now.”

EXTRAS APPEAL TO CUSTOMERS

Consumers have been clear that the perks that are offered are important when shopping for holidays. When asked what travel companies could do to make a holiday more attractive, the top three things Brits want are: • Meals included (18%) • Free cancellation (18%) • Free hotel upgrades (15%) QuMind CEO, Mark Ursell continued, “Travel and tourism companies face the challenge of not only finding out what their customers want, but also how to deliver that offering for a competitive advantage. There is a great opportunity for those in the industry who can personalise experience according to the needs of individual customers and offer extra incentives will be the ones to reap the rewards of repeat business and customer loyalty.”

CONSUMERS APPRECIATE COMMUNICATION Additionally, the data found that when it comes to receiving deals, consumers want to receive the information directly – with more than a third of consumers wanting deals from airlines and hotels to come to them via email (39%), with 23% reporting they like to receive personalised discounts.

The way consumers are advertised to also makes a difference in the travel and tourism industry. Social media ads were popular among those under 45s (31%), but influencers were of interest to few above the 1824 age bracket (8% for 25+ compared to 22% for 18-24s).

Pub and Bar Transactions Up 20.5% for Wales vs England Match Data from Barclaycard Payments, which processes nearly £1 in every £3 spent on credit and debit cards in the UK, shows the match between Wales vs England lifted spending at pubs, bars & clubs in the UK by 20.5 per cent on Tuesday as football fans enjoyed the game with friends and family.

The World Cup boost also benefitted restaurants which saw a 13.9 increase in transactions as Brits socialised and dined out with friends and family.

Key sectors seeing an uplift on November 29 compared to the same day in 2021 include*: • Pubs, Bars and Night Clubs: up 20.5 per cent

• Restaurants: up 13.9 per cent Marc Pettican, Head of Barclaycard Payments said: “Tuesday was a bumper day for the hospitality sector as football fans headed to pubs and bars to enjoy the Wales vs England match with friends and family. Despite continued concerns about the rising cost of living, our data shows that trading volumes were up, with the World Cup match also bringing a welcome boost to restaurants too. The uplifts in spending during the last week across Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now the football are hopefully a sign that UK high-streets and online retailers will continue to be busy into December, despite some cut-backs in discretionary spending, as the countdown to Christmas gets underway.”

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 138

UK Restaurants at Tipping Point as 41% Blame High Staff Turnover and Low Morale on Poor and Inadequate Training ing cycle which directly impacts their revenue, customer relationships and future profitability. It is vital that operators recognise training as a cornerstone of their people strategy.”

Quality of customer service is another concern for restaurants. In fact, 96% of respondents reported this as a key issue and of those, 47% said they believed it was linked to lack of staff training. Likewise, of those restaurants who claimed they were affected by low staff morale, one quarter (25%) blamed this on a lack of innovation or creativity amongst employees – which in turn was attributed to these top three factors: staff training (32%), limited investment in staff (28%) and lack of people (28%).

As the number of job vacancies across the hospitality industry continue to soar, a new, independent study of UK restaurants has revealed a clear link between staff training and the resourcing shortages the industry is facing. Polling hundreds of head chefs and general managers working in restaurants across the country, the survey, which was commissioned by technology firm, Zupa, revealed that 78% of restaurants believe the pandemic has permanently changed their business. The study also highlighted that lack of staff training is being attributed to a variety of operational issues from staff happiness and low morale, to lack of innovation and even food wastage.

“Innovation is crucial in helping restaurants to optimise their guest experience,” says Shayle. “People are eating out less and becoming more selective about where they spend their money. The industry is also under pressure to provide more value as well as a differentiated customer experience, but to achieve this they need happy, experienced and motivated staff who have the freedom and the bandwidth to innovate.

Therefore, in a sector struggling to attract and retain staff, the focus has to be on investing in, and freeing up more time for the people you already employ.”

All respondents confirmed that they use outdated, manual processes and 99% admitted things are being side-lined and mistakes are being made due to lack of time. In fact, over half (52%) of restaurant managers

A resounding 97% of workers said high staff turnover is a significant problem for their restaurant and of these, 41% blamed this specifically on poor or insufficient training. Staff training was also cited as the top reason for low staff morale (39%), followed by the burden of being short-staffed (34%) and the frustrations of working within disjointed teams (26%).

Ex-chef and commercial director at Zupa, Neil Shayle, believes that the impact of staffing and lack of continuity is really affecting people on the ground, he said, “Finding the time and budget to invest in training can prove challenging, but this growing inability to attract and retain good people poses a significant risk to the sector, and we are seeing evidence of this within our latest research. By ignoring the need for critical training and engagement programmes that allow staff to grow in confidence and innovate, hospitality businesses are creating a vicious, self-perpetuat-

said they would spend more time on staff training if they had more hours in their average working day and could reduce the admin burden.

Respondents also agreed that even though they often make mistakes, rather than look to technology to solve these, they believe staff training and resourcing is the root cause.

“It’s clear there is a failure to make the connection between longwinded, admin-intensive processes which impact staff motivation, wellbeing and happiness. Automating processes brings significant benefits to restaurants that are buckling under the burden of lack of staff and bandwidth. Recognition that the right technology can help to reduce pressure on over-stretched and short-staffed teams and give them back more hours in their day, will in turn have a direct impact on their day-to-day happiness,” added Shayle.

UK restaurants attribute several operational issues to a lack of staff training: • • • • • •

Poor customer service (47%) Mistakes (42%) High turnover of staff (42%) Low staff moral (39%) Food wastage (36%) Lack of innovation (32%)

SIBA International Beer Awards 2023 Opens for Entries The SIBA International Beer Awards 2023 open for entries today, welcoming breweries from across the Globe to enter beer across a variety of internationally recognised style categories – all judged by some of the UK’s most experienced beer judges, Beer Sommeliers, and Master Brewers.

Entry into the awards is included as part of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) newly launched International Brewing Membership, which also includes a range of membership benefits such as free entry to the UK’s biggest beer and brewing event – BeerX UK in Liverpool.

“The SIBA International Beer Awards 2023 are judged using an international judging and scoring system across broad range of beer styles, with awards available in 15 different categories. We are delighted to be open up the UK’s biggest beer event to international brewers and look forward to judging some superb beers from across the Globe – and hopefully handing out a plethora of awards!” Buster Grant, Chair of SIBA’s Competitions Committee.

Beers are judged to style and on an individual basis, with each beer being given a score based upon its own quality rather than comparing it to another beer in the flight being judged. Judges then award medals to the best beers based upon the scoring structure, taking into account; Aroma, Flavour, Presentation (colour, head

retention, carbonation), Overall Quality, & Saleability.

Highly experienced Lead Judges record scores for each judging table and compile written feedback for every beer entered into the awards to ensure you as an entering brewery are getting the most value possible from the judging process.

“The SIBA International Beer Awards use the same system we successfully introduced across all SIBA competitions in 2022, and allow each beer to be judged on an individual basis and be awarded a medal accordingly. Our lead judges also record detailed feedback on every beer judged, meaning win or lose entering breweries are getting hugely valuable feedback from an expert panel of tasters.” Grant added.

SIBA International Brewing Membership is open to independent breweries outside of the UK and alongside the awards includes a variety of brewery business tools available via the SIBA Members’ Toolbox, UK promotional opportunities for international beers, professional advice on essential business areas such as marketing or UK legislation, and free Delegate tickets to BeerX UK – the UK’s biggest beer and brewing trade event.

More Than Great Coffee For Your Business As we enter the winter season with the continued inflationary pressures, rising energy bills and increased labour costs; operators from all corners of the hospitality market are looking at their total offer to consider changes that will make guest eating and drinking occasions work more efficiently and effectively, better for the guest experience and better for business.

The demand for quality remains but the expectation for value for experience grows, here’s where Douwe Egberts Cafitesse can help your business with more than great coffee.

With a range of Douwe Egberts’ Cafitesse machines to choose from, each is a beautifully designed high-speed, self-serve coffee machine with varying capabilities to suit the needs of your venues, your hospitality occasions and your guests. Each is also built for reliability to serve high volumes of coffee and drinks at peak times, whether pots or cups, served or self-serve. Perfect for high-demand usage, all day long, from breakfast to evening service.

Douwe Egberts Cafitesse knows how to deliver great tasting coffee at high speed and in high volumes, now being experienced by the 135,000+ machines being used worldwide, serving two billion cups every year and counting.

Sourcing coffees from around the world, Douwe Egberts Cafitesse coffee is roasted and brewed to create perfectly balanced blends full of flavour – capturing all the flavours and precious aromas to deliver a consistently delicious coffee, cup after cup. Within the range, we also offer UTZ Certified blends including Intense and Classic Roast.

Discover the benefits of Douwe Egberts Cafitesse in your business, scan the QR code shown.

FREE TRIAL OFFER EXCLUSIVE TO HOTELS ONLY See for yourself the difference Cafitesse can make to your guest experience and the efficiency of your serving team.

Applying is no guarantee of a free trial. Selection criteria and geographical restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions visit www.jacobsdouweegbertsprofessional.co.uk/cafitesse-freetrial-terms-of-use See the advert on the facing page for further details.

4 in 5 Bars Plan to Increase Ranging of No and Low Alcohol Drinks in 2023 16

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Issue 138

More than four in five bars plan to increase their ranges of no and low alcohol drinks in 2023 to capitalise on consumers’ interest in healthier drinking, new research shows.

• Price… Bartenders think a no/low alcohol spirit and mixer

The ‘Leading the Way in No/Low Spirits’ report, produced by hospitality research experts CGA by NielsenIQ and leading non-alcoholic spirits brand CROSSIP, reveals a wide variety of insights to help bars and suppliers achieve more growth in 2023. Its exclusive survey of bar professionals indicates that two thirds (67%) have increased their no and low alcohol offering in the past 12 months, and even more (82%) will do so over the next 12 months.

• Innovation… Nearly a third (30%) of bar professionals think

should cost an average of £6.62—compared to £7.45 for an alcoholic version

Nearly nine in ten (88%) bars now offer no or low alcohol drinks, the survey shows—and a significant proportion (75%) of team members consume these drinks personally. Two in five (41%) professionals think no/low spirits will see the fastest growth in the next five years, putting it well clear of other categories like beer (24%) and wine (23%).

The report from CGA and CROSSIP also highlights the many benefits to bars of a good range of no and low alcohol spirits—especially for the growing number of drinkers who want to moderate their intake. Four in five (80%) bar staff agree that their primary target for no and low alcohol drinks are those who are not teetotal, and a similar number (78%) think the category adds new occasions to people’s drinking habits, rather than replacing current ones.

The report offers insights into more aspects of the no and low alcohol drinks market, including:

the no/low alcohol category is currently the most innovative part of the drinks market

• Training… Bar staff who have received training have significantly higher knowledge and confidence in the no/low category.

CROSSIP founder Carl Anthony Brown said: “It’s clear from this report that bars are rapidly expanding and improving their no and low alcohol menus. The days of a single alcohol-free beer in the fridge or spirit on the back bar are long gone, and no/low options now stand toe-to-toe with their alcoholic counterparts in the range and variety they offer. Bartenders are the true purveyors of new trends in the industry, and we at CROSSIP are proud to be supporting them with this research.”

Dave Lancaster, client director at CGA, said: “Bar professionals are helping to make the no and low alcohol category one of the most dynamic parts of Britain’s drinking-out market. Alongside consumers’ rising awareness of the range of quality of drinks that are available, it puts this segment in prime position for more success throughout 2023. Understanding consumers’ needs, optimising range and innovating in flavours and serves will all boost bars in what is set to be another tough and competitive year.”

The ‘Leading the Way in No/Low Spirits’ report from CGA and CROSSIP is available to download in full and for free at https://cgastrategy.com/leading-the-way-in-no-low-spirits/

Ringwood Businesses Left in Dark by Council A group of small businesses on Christchurch Road in Ringwood have come together after being left in the dark by Ringwood Town Council. Led by Shad Mannan of India Cottage, businesses want to ask the council why they’ve been overlooked year after year despite pleas, to have the Christmas light celebrations extended to their street in the town centre.

Set just off Ringwood’s high street, Shad and the team at India Cottage, now in its 41st year and winner of the TripAdvisors 2022 Travlers’ Choice Award, pride themselves on supporting local businesses. “We’re one of the few businesses that are open late night in our area and to walk outside and see the town lit up by Christmas lights except our road feels like we have been excluded from the community.” Shad explains “I started reaching out to the council a few years ago to find outwhy our street isn’t included in the Christmas festivities and have been told it would be looked into, yet

every year the lights go up and we still have nothing. As a business we feel underappreciated and overlooked.”

India Cottage isn’t the only business that feels left out of the Christmas festivities, local businesses such as Price’s Fish and Chips and Amerone Italian are also feeling excluded.

Heidi from Lunns Newsagents commented “I’ve been at Lunns for 55 years; and once again we’re disappointed that we’ve been excluded from the Christmas lights celebration.

We’re going to be opening the new main post office in Ringwood Town centre soon, and it would have been nice to be included in the lighting up of the town during the festive season.”

“It’s been a tough few years for all businesses as everyone knows,” Shad continues “and we know the council doesn’t have unlimited funds. All we’re asking is that we’re considered to be included. Perhaps we could raise the funds for our own lights for example if they could put them up. All we want is for Ringwood to be the very best, thriving market town it can be with all businesses included.”

Main Shop Increase Prompts Reduced Frequency in Depot vs Pre-Pandemic There has been a notable uptick in wholesale visits that a driven by the main shop mission, across retail and foodservice, as shown by the latest Lumina Intelligence’s Wholesale Market report.

The main shop mission has indeed become the most popular among retailers and it has grown in importance over time, as the current economic outlook prompts retailers to avoid regular small purchases and opt for bigger top-up missions to mitigate the impact of the increasing costs. Playing into this trend, promo weeks and event days are being used to drive footfall and build loyalty.

“Worsening cost pressures are prompting behavioural changes in wholesale customers. Both retailers and foodservice operators are opting for bigger, main shops to maximise savings. Lumina expects cost pressures to increase into the Winter months with a looming recession

threatening a tough period, especially for the foodservice market,” commented Insights Manager Katherine Prowse.

Growth in main shops, particularly for cash and carry visits, has driven a decline in frequency in 2022. Retailer cash and carry frequency has declined by -10%, whilst foodservice cash and carry frequency is down 13% as operators manage costs. Within this overall decline, 19% of independents are visiting the wholesaler depot / Cash & Carry more frequently to avoid paying for delivery Foodservice focused wholesalers are expected to see strong growth as the sector recovers, whilst traditional wholesalers’ turnover growth slows following bumper 2020. Hybrid wholesaler Morrisons is expected to have grown its wholesale business by more than half from 2019 2022, following the acquisition of McColl’s convenience business.

Personal Safety and the Staff Christmas Party 18

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Issue 138

By Naz Dossa, Peoplesafe CEO and British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Chair of the Lone Working Group As the run up to Christmas continues, many of us will be heading out to celebrate with work colleagues. The nighttime economy will be buzzing, as hotels, bars, pubs and restaurants fill up with people celebrating the festive season.

Inevitably, amidst all the good cheer, there is an increased threat to personal safety, both for the employees out partying and the people working hard to keep them entertained.

At this time of year, more than ever, the personal safety of staff is something all employers should consider long before the first bottle of bubbly is opened.

Office parties are legally considered to be work, even if they are held outside of office hours and away from business headquarters. Employers, therefore, have a duty of care to staff attending work events, including the Christmas get together. This extends to not only ensuring a venue is safe and accessible to everyone but also making sure people are safe while attending. If someone has an accident or behaves inappropriately with a colleague, you can be held responsible.

The post work party commute is particularly important in the context of personal safety. A recent study by Peoplesafe found that over half of the working population (58%) have already experienced a negative event at

work, or on their commute, that made them concerned for their safety. 60% said they had felt threatened out and about on the street, particularly commuting on public transport and especially during unsociable hours.

Responsible employers wanting to make sure their staff get home safe may arrange a minibus for transport, provide local taxi numbers and/or give details of the nearest public transport routes. Ending work celebrations before public transport stops for the night is also a key way to help prevent staff from walking home.

Of course, personal safety is not just an issue for Christmas party goers. A new YouGov survey conducted by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust for National Personal Safety Day 2022, found high levels of violent, aggressive, sexual, and unwanted behaviours perpetrated against employees working in the night-time economy.

Of the 1,768 night-time economy workers surveyed - many of whom work in hotels, bars and restaurants a shocking one third (34%) had experienced some form of unwanted behaviour whilst working, or on their way to work, and 15% of respondents had experienced sexual harassment. This almost doubles to 28% when only looking at responses from women.

The Suzy Lamplugh survey findings speak to the need for night-time economy employers to take all reasonable steps to combat harassment within the workplace. But we should not forget the duty of care every employer has to keep their staff safe.

Christmas work celebrations are an important part of the calendar. Remember, events hosted and funded by employers extends your responsibility towards safety and wellbeing beyond the workplace. Dedicating time to putting processes and protocols in place to keep people safe will ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves in a secure environment.

Birmingham’s Lasan Win Their Sixth Curry “Oscar” vision and true to India.’

Birmingham’s much loved and applauded Indian restaurant Lasan have won the British Curry Awards for a record sixth time!

The evening also paid tribute to the late Enam Ali MBE, the event’s founder and the UK’s leading spokesperson for the curry industry, who worked tirelessly to promote the curry industry globally for over 45 years.

The UK’s top curry restaurants, as voted for by the British public, were announced at The British Curry Awards. The industry’s foremost celebration of the nation’s finest Indian restaurants, the 18th annual ceremony took place on Monday 28th November at Evolution London, Battersea Park.

Recognised globally as the original and most coveted award ceremony in the UK curry industry, also referred to as the ‘Curry Oscars’, as termed by former Prime Minister David Cameron, British Curry Awards welcomed personalities from the worlds of politics, sport, showbiz and entertainment alongside celebrity chefs and curry restaurant owners and their staff from across the country.

The event was hosted by comedian, Hugh Dennis and is informally known as the UK’s Curry Oscars.

Jabbar Khan, founder of Lasan said, ‘We’re absolutely thrilled to have won this magnificent award; it’s our sixth win and achieving this on our 20th anniversary really is the cherry on the icing of the cake for our team!’

Lasan has always been a trailblazer for Indian restaurants in Birmingham and has elevated the industry to greater heights ever since winning Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Best Local Restaurant in the UK’ Award on Channel 4’s The F Word in 2010.

‘Since 2002, Lasan has been captivating the hearts of discerning foodies and celebrities alike, with its exquisite Indian cuisine scooping over 20 prestigious awards and accolades throughout this magical journey. More importantly we’ve had the privilege of being part of so many heart-warming milestone celebrations, and we’ve witnessed some truly beautiful love stories from our home in the Jewellery Quarter.’

‘All this has been made possible by our talented, passionate chefs and loyal members of staff. On behalf of the Lasan family, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all our guests, who have kept us true to our

In attendance were: TV personalities, Chris Tarrant, Dr Ranj Singh (ITV’s This Morning); Saira Khan; actor Nina Wadia; former England footballer, David Seaman and cricketer Phil Tuffnell.

In a video message of support, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said, “The thing I’ve learnt about being Prime Minister is that the best training I ever had was working in a curry house. I know how hard every one of you works from the chefs to the waiters to the restaurant managers and the delivery drivers. And that experience gave me a huge appreciation of business, of the importance of treating people fairly and the value of this most iconic of British Asian industries. So I’m delighted to be supporting Britain’s ‘Curry Oscars’. I want to thank all of you for everything you do to fill our high streets and our homes with some of the best curry in the world.”

Free From Functional Food & Health Ingredients Celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a Successful Edition in Amsterdam Free From Functional Food & Health Ingredients, Europe’s leading innovation platform for the free from, organic, vegan, functional and ingredient food industries, celebrated its 10th edition in Amsterdam with a strong number of attendees and high quality of mainstream retailers.

variety of chocolate. It does not only taste good but the chocolate are Fair Trade, 100% vegan and gluten free. The company uses rice milk and not cows milk. This makes the chocolate 100% vegan and this is the reason why this company deserve the Lifetime achievement award!

Thousands of key decision makers including representatives from Albert Heijn, Lidl, Jumbo, COOP, Aldi, Spar, Plus, Carrefour, Dekamarkt, and more buyers from the multiples, passed through the doors throughout the two-day event. More than 5.400 visitors from more than 60 countries globally attended to meet with almost 300 suppliers, learn about the very latest product innovations and discover the future trends that will dictate the course of the industry in the coming years.

Commenting on the success of the exhibition this year, Free From Functional Food & Health Ingredients event director Ronald Holman said: “We have been completely blown away again by the response to the exhibition this year compared to last year. Not only did it surpass all our expectations in terms of visitor and exhibitor figures but most importantly, the atmosphere among attendees was extremely positive. Visitors were able to identify new and exciting products from exhibitors, suppliers did business with the retail and manufacturing contacts they wanted to meet, delegates spoke extremely positively of the education opportunities at the conference and overall the industry seemed to be buzzing with life after a difficult few years. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of our awards – who have all worked so hard to get to where they are today.”

INNOVATIVE INSIGHTS Delegates attending this year’s show were invited to attend conference sessions examining the key topics dominating the industry agenda.

Curated around three trends-based streams – Free-From Retail, Vegan and Plant-Based and Supplier and Insights – and delivered by more than 65 expert speakers including ProVeg International, IRI Worldwide, Döhler, Foodvalley, Wageningen University & Research and FMCG Gurus – the sessions provided insights into the latest industry research, analysis and key trends shaping the sector. These were supported by extensive networking opportunities and the latest product developments from key exhibitors.

AWARDING SUCCESS Celebrating the very best of the industry, this year’s Awards were a hotbed of excitement, with organisations celebrated in four key cate-

gories. Brand of the Year was awarded to Austrian company Landgarten GmbH & Co. The company, which was set up in 1989, offers the development, manufacturing and refinement of innovative snacks and the finest treats for body & soul. Runner-up for Brand of the Year went to LilaLou Biscuits.

It was a tough contest in the Product of the Year category, but the deserving first prize went to the Spanish company Sanygran with their product vegan Tuna. The original aim of the project was to develop an extruded food product out of legumes and cereals which could substitute meat and be suitable for people who do not eat animal-based food products, such as vegans and vegetarians. Runner up was Zero Carb Company with their product Zero Carb Bread.

The Newcomer of the Year award was handed to the amazing Newcomer company Intolerants. The company offers different vegan and gluten-free products. The most innovative product they offer is a glutenfree, vegan, sugar free egg. The runner up for the Newcomer was Veggie Crumbz with an innovative way of frying.

Bonvita took home the Lifetime achievement award. They have a wide

“We now move on to planning our next event – Free From Functional Food & Health Ingredients in Barcelona, which is already 65% re-booked following our successful during the Amsterdam & Barcelona edition. It will take place on 30-31 May 2023 and we very much look forward to welcoming the industry to the FIRA in a few months' time.”

For more information on the Free From Functional & Health Ingredients Expo, which returns to the FIRA Barcelona from 30-31 May 2023, visit https://barcelona.freefromfoodexpo.com/.

Spotlight On Security 20

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Issue 138

Hospitality venues could soon be legally required to devise and provide specific security plans for a terror attack.

Richard Winstanley at BFT Automation looks at the role of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation as part of a protective security strategy …

“The devastating Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 sparked calls for the Government to consider the responsibility of public venues in protecting their visitors in the event of a terror attack.

The Protect Duty Bill sets out to do just that and took a step closer to becoming legislation when it was included in the Queen’s Speech in 2022. While it has yet to progress through Parliament, once it passes into law venues with a capacity of more than 100 people will need to devise and provide specific security plans for a terror attack.

This will require a thorough overview of a hotel or pub’s security operations and, as hostile vehicles have become increasingly relied on by those seeking to launch an attack, it’s important to consider Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) as part of a protective security strategy.

ASSESS THE RISK The process of introducing HVM should begin with a risk assessment and some examples of what this should include are:

1. Identifying all vehicle access points This includes looking at any weak areas that may be particularly vulnerable.

2. An investigation of the local environment

4. The immediacy of any threat In circumstances where a venue is made aware of a clear and present threat to their premises, it’s possible to hire temporary security products while you search for a permanent solution.

These are just a few examples and manufacturers and installers of HVM solutions are well placed to support security teams in the risk assessment process if needed.

CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS There are numerous HVM solutions which range from automatic bollards and HVM street furniture to static columns and temporary barriers.

If rammed by a truck travelling at speed, conventional barriers may slow the vehicle, but could still be displaced beyond the point of impact and strike anyone in the immediate vicinity. The simplest and most versatile solution is to install certified anti-terrorism bollards, either fixed or retractable, which offer protection without impeding on the movement of pedestrians and cyclists.

The Government-backed Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) is a useful starting point to find out more about the range of bollard options available: www.cpni.gov.uk Plus the Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA), which has a dedicated hub of information purely on HVM: https://hvmhub.com/about/ Installers and manufacturers can advise on practical details that will influence what make of bollard a security team decides to use, such as the ground conditions at a site and the placement and spacing of bollards in relation to pedestrian movement.

The threat of terrorism in the UK remains serious and, even without the changes likely to be imposed by the impending Protect Duty Bill, hospitality venues reviewing their protective security strategy will need reassurance that the measures they’re taking will go far enough to protect themselves against an attack.

3. Parking considerations

Whether it’s mitigating against an act of terror or any other serious crimes where a hostile vehicle could be used, HVM can play a significant role in protecting property and, most importantly, your staff and customers.”

If the introduction of security barriers are likely to impact on access to parking facilities, there are measures that can be taken to address this, such as the use of automated bollards that can be lowered to allow entry.

A member of the PSSA, BFT Automation is a manufacturer and distributor of entrance automation technology that controls access for people and vehicles in commercial, residential and urban environments.

The surrounding roads are likely to have an impact on the threat of HVM. For example, vehicles approaching the property will need an area of ‘run up’ in order to build up speed, so if this is denied by the very nature of the road layout, the risk is reduced.

Gloucestershire Operations Manager Takes Home ‘Employee of the Year’ Award at Annual Awards some of the best talents within the sector.

A Gloucestershire Operations Manager is forging a stellar reputation in the hospitality industry for his outstanding achievements within the sector after taking home the ‘Employee of the Year’ accolade at the Bespoke BeFactor Awards – an annual celebration of excellence across the UK’s largest independent hotel group.

Collectively, the pair have played an integral role in the hotel’s commitment to implementing sustainable procedures – with several ecofriendly initiatives, including the ‘Carbon Cancelation Package’, championed in recent months to tackle important issues such as the ongoing energy crisis.

Dominic Weager, Operations Manager at Stonehouse Court, an independently-owned hotel in the heart of the Cotswolds, has transformed the Gloucestershire destination from a modest 3.5-star hotel into an award-winning beacon of excellence. As a result, he has been recognised as the standout employee across more than 100 properties throughout the UK. Having started his career as a waiter at 16, Dominic quickly established himself and laid down his mark on the sector – quickly rising through the ranks to be charged with the day-to-day running of operations at Stonehouse Court.

Since joining in 2012, Dominic has systematically transformed the hotel’s food and beverage offering – establishing the 17th-century manor house’s F&B into the best-performing department across the Bespoke Hotel collection, of which Stonehouse is a part of.

Dominic is also deeply enthusiastic about his staff relationships, particularly with the hotel’s General Manager, Maz Jurko, whose shared attention to detail has ensured consistency and quality while retaining

Reflecting on his victory, Dom said: “I’m incredibly humbled to receive such a prestigious accolade and be recognised amongst some of the leading forces within the sector. I’d like to acknowledge and thank everyone at Stonehouse Court whose support and commitment has been fundamental to the successful operation we’ve been able to instil over the past 12 months.”

Commenting on Dom’s success, Sarah Brewster, Director at Stonehouse Court, said: “Dominic is an exceptional individual and we are so fortunate to have him on board with us here at Stonehouse Court. He’s one of a kind and conducts himself impeccably from the front and outwardly into the industry – which is evident in the operation he oversees daily. He works tirelessly to ensure everyone at Stonehouse Court is striving towards excellence and epitomises what it means to illustrate a professional and successful career within the sector. Everyone at Stonehouse Court is so proud of him and we look forward to continuing Dom’s success collectively in the years to come – well done, Dom!”

Quantex: Full Linen Quality Control As in most situations of life, the first impression counts. This is also true when entering a hotel room as a guest. Our first scrutinizing look often focuses on the essential element of every hotel room: the bed.

That is no surprise, since this is where guests spend several hours during the night. Therefore, quality and cleanliness of the bed linen has a decisive influence on the customer experience. However, hygienically clean is usually not enough. For many hotels, immaculate linen is a key requirement as holes and stains in the linen can easily overshadow an otherwise pleasant guest experience.

THE PROBLEM: INACCURATE QUALITY CONTROLS Laundry and hotel staff often work under great time pressure. Stains and holes are often only discovered by the hotel guests, thus leaving a lasting negative impression of the received service.

THE SOLUTION: QUANTEX BY KANNEGIESSER

Quantex offers automatic, end-to-end quality control of flat linen on Kannegiesser ironer lines. The scan system checks every piece of linen and guarantees highest quality, individually tailored to the needs of each hotel or restaurant. It sorts out flawed pieces of linen and enables quick delivery at the same time.

State-of-the-art camera technology mounted on the folding machine detects stains, holes, worng alignments and wrinkles on both sides of every piece and automatically separates rejected items. Quality criteria can be determined individually for each type of linen and each customer, thus guaranteeing optimally customized quality. The scanning system reduces the workload in quality control, speeds up the feeding process, and lowers the error rate.

Quantex at a glance: 1.Precise hole detection for single and multi-layered pieces 2.Reliable stain detection 3.Real-time detection of wrong alignments and wrinkles 4.Optional disregard of item areas 5.Clear, intuitive user interface 6.Comprehensive statistical evaluation for each criteria See the advert on the facing page for details.

Southampton Votes Tomatoes as the Worst Part of a Full English, According to New Survey 22

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data, it is the most favoured part of a Full English, with 32% of respondents saying they needed it on their plate.

Bacon narrowly beat sausage, which took second place in the rankings (18%) and coming in third was a fried egg (16%).

The survey, conducted by HelloFresh to celebrate English Breakfast Day (2nd December), polled 1,094 adults from all around the UK on their breakfast preferences.

Surprisingly, 6% of respondents in Southampton prefer black pudding for breakfast over beans, while mushrooms have been identified as their preferred vegetable addition, topping beans (4%) and tomatoes which were the least popular item, receiving 0% of the vote.

FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST ITEMS, RANKED FROM MOST TO LEAST POPULAR

In celebration of English Breakfast Day on Friday 2nd December, new survey data has revealed the UK’s favourite part of a Full English Breakfast.

The survey revealed that Brits favour bacon on their breakfast, followed by sausages and a fried egg.

FOOD EXPERTS SHARE THEIR TOP TIPS TO MAKE YOUR NEXT COOKED BREAKFAST EVEN BETTER If you were asked to name one part of a Full English Breakfast that you simply couldn’t go without, what would you say?

The verdict is in and it appears that the one thing most Brits can agree on is that Bacon is the star of our fry ups. According to new survey

Item Bacon Sausage Fried egg Mushrooms Fried bread Black pudding Toast Beans Tomato

% 32% 18% 16% 10% 11% 6% 4% 4% 0%

SO HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE BRITISH FRY UP EVEN BETTER?

Mimi Morley, Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh said: “Over the years, thousands of people have made the full English breakfast a tradition! Whether it's fuel for physical labour, a hangover cure or a weekend treat, you can always count on this hearty platter.

And now, there are lots of options for alternative recipes to the traditional dish, making it even more sought after amongst Brits! But if you are bored of the same old sausages and beans, we’ve been able to find the best-tasting additions you can try at home.”

Mimi Morley and the HelloFresh team have compiled two tantalising twists for you to add to your next cooked breakfast!

AVOCADO TOAST If you’re wanting to add a healthier twist to your brekkie, spreading some creamy avocado on your toast will do the trick! Packed with proteins, healthy fats, and nutrients, it makes the perfect addition to this dish and it’s super simple, yet so tasty! Top the avocado toast with the fried egg and garnish with your favourite seasonings.

BACON HASH BROWNS Much more delicious and crispier than your standard hash brown!

Finely chop the bacon up and add to your mixing bowl of potatoes and onions, pop in your flour, milk, egg and seasoning of your choice to create that exquisite toast potato flavour. Mix well before dividing into squares. To cook, heat the oil in a frying pan, you can use butter as well if desired and wait until sizzling, gently fry on either side for a couple of minutes or until the edges turn golden. Work in batches if needed.

Mimi commented: “The crunch of the bacon adds so much to the hash browns that you don’t need anything else! It’s a great way to elevate the flavour of the potatoes and makes the ideal complement to your dish if you’re bored of the same old ingredients.”

Benares Wins ‘Best Restaurant in Central London’ at British Curry Awards Benares, the Michelin-starred modern Indian restaurant in Mayfair, was awarded the top accolade of ‘Best Restaurant in Central London & City’ for the second year running at the 18th annual British Curry Awards on Monday 28th November.

Speaking on the restaurant’s success, Executive Chef Sameer Taneja comments: “We’re so proud to be awarded ‘Best Restaurant in Central London’ again in 2022. Providing excellence through innovation, passion and exceptional service is always at the forefront of everything we do and this award is a testament our team’s dedication and hard work.”

Described as the ‘Curry Oscars’, the awards honour the very best of the UK’s curry restaurants.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared a surprise video message during the ceremony, praising the hard work of those in the industry. Restaurants are nominated by the general public to create an authentic list of the nation’s favourite Asian eateries, followed by a rigorous vetting process by an independent panel of judges.

The win comes hot on the heels of Benares’ ‘Fine Dining Restaurant of The Year’ award at the Asian Curry Awards on Sunday 20th November.

Motto by Hilton to Open First Hotel in the UK Expected to open in Autumn 2024, Motto by Hilton Glasgow will mark the brand’s UK debut Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today revealed plans to extend the Motto by Hilton brand to the UK with the anticipated opening of Motto by Hilton Glasgow on the banks of the River Clyde.

The 186-room hotel will follow the brand’s European debut in Rotterdam, with the Netherlands hotel opening last week. Motto by Hilton Glasgow will join more than 160 Hilton properties across the UK and seven existing Hilton properties in the Glasgow area. The hotel is part of a franchise agreement with Cycas Hospitality and is under the ownership of Silk Property Group.

Motto by Hilton is an urban, lifestyle brand designed to help guests live like a local in prime locations globally. The brand provides travelers with one-of-a-kind experiences by bringing together the best elements of a lifestyle hotel, from efficient guest rooms, activated social spaces, and locally inspired design and food & drink options. Guests can expect flexible and innovative hospitality experiences with features such as multiple Confirmed Connecting Rooms to create the ultimate multi-use space ideal for larger groups, and vibrant communal spaces with access to gath-

er, work or socialize for guests and locals.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton, said, “We are excited about the arrival of the Motto by Hilton brand in the UK. The hotel will cater to a range of guests, whether travelling for work or play, solo or in a group, with innovative new features such as multi-use group spaces and multiple connecting rooms. It will give guests the freedom and flexibility to customise their stay in this celebrated Scottish city – and will pave the way for future properties in the UK as we grow the Motto by Hilton brand into vibrant city locations.”

Rishi Singh, Silk Property Group, owners of the Motto by Hilton Glasgow hotel, noted, “The forthcoming Motto by Hilton Glasgow is an incredibly exciting addition to the city. We’re delighted to be working on this project with the team at Cycas Hospitality, using their impressive experience as a pan-European hotel company to launch this new concept on the Scottish market.”

Longest-Serving Publican in Birmingham’s Gay Village Receives 25th Anniversary Award 24

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The longest-serving publican in Birmingham’s gay village – Andy King of The Fox on Lower Essex Street – has received a prestigious award to mark his 25th anniversary at the pub.

The award from the pub’s landlords, Star Pubs & Bars, also recognises the contribution The Fox has made to the community over the last quarter of a century. Andy has no intention of “calling time” yet and is now extending his lease in order to clock up a further five years at The Fox. Nuneaton born-and-bred Andy has played a central role in Birmingham’s gay scene since taking over The Fox 25 years ago. Not only has The Fox provided a safe, welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people, but Andy helped stage the first Birmingham Pride in 1997, and the pub has participated every year. More recently Andy was a co-founder of the campaign to create Birmingham’s HIV and AIDS Memorial and spearheaded the fundraising drive for it.

One of the last remaining Victorian pubs in the gay village, The Fox prides itself on filling the role of a traditional community local offering a friendly meeting place for LGBTQ+ people of all ages and their friends in Birmingham. Known as the ‘little gay bar with the big gay heart’, it nurtures and showcases up and coming LGBTQ+ musicians and entertainers from the area and raises thousands of pounds for local charities and

good causes ranging from Birmingham’s Dog home to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Andy discovered his love of hospitality as a boy when he helped out at the working men’s club, where his dad was chairman, and has been in the industry since leaving school.

Says Andy: “Birmingham has changed out of all recognition in a really positive way from when I took over The Fox in 1997. Back then, the windows were covered to prevent hostility towards customers. Now there’s a lot less stigma, and many straight friends of our LGBTQ+ customers enjoy coming with them to The Fox, too. I never thought for a minute I’d be here this long. I’m still loving it, and The Fox and its customers are like a family to me. I’m a traditional licensee at heart and believe pubs fulfill an important social function in supporting the people they serve as well as giving them good times.”

Comments Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager for Birmingham, Jacqueline Frow: “Andy is a fantastic licensee who is passionate about The Fox. He’s made it a very special place and an asset to Birmingham. It’s an amazing achievement to keep any pub at the top of its game for so long. It’s all down to Andy’s enthusiasm. He cares about his customers and is always adapting The Fox to embrace the latest trends.”

Taking Steps Towards A Sustainable Future For Hospitality Businesses topic of sustainability is only going to grow.

Yet, while the appointment of a chief sustainability officer might not be possible, there are other steps hospitality businesses can take today to help foster a sustainable future. One of the ways that pubs and bars off the mains gas grid can unlock significant reductions in their carbon emissions is through the transition to sustainable fuels.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS Calor Futuria Liquid Gas (previously BioLPG) is a sustainable fuel made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials.

As the drive towards net zero continues to gain pace, UK businesses are continuing to put sustainability at the heart of their operations.

Research has highlighted that almost two fifths (37%) of UK businesses have appointed a chief sustainability officer, while over half (56%) have an employee in post, whose remit includes sustainability.

And, with the UK Hospitality Association unveiling its 10 pledges to guide those working in the sector to net zero by 2040, it’s clear the

With busy pubs and bars requiring a fuel source that offers increased reliability and a controllable flame for cooking, Futuria Liquid Gas can be utilised for a variety of uses, such as hot water, heating and cooking requirements. In addition, Calor’s range of storage options, including underground tanks, which can be hidden out of sight, means there’s a solution for every business.

Available in a 100% blend, bulk Futuria Liquid Gas can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 86% (kgCO2e/kWh) when compared to using heating oil and up to 80%4 compared to conventional LPG. For businesses keen to demonstrate their reduction in carbon emissions, the Green Gas Certification Scheme ensures traceability of all Futuria Liquid Gas delivered to, and used up by, hospitality customers, while also highlighting the amount of CO2 saved.

THE FUTURE WITH CALOR As part of its commitment to offer its customers 100% sustainable energy solutions by 2040, Calor is raising awareness about off-grid energy options and encouraging hospitality businesses to make the switch to bulk Futuria Liquid Gas – helping to support pubs and bars across the UK to deliver on their sustainability goals for today and tomorrow.

To find out how Calor can help you reach sustainability targets, visit www.calor.co.uk/hospitality

Christmas To Put The Cherry On Top Of Strong Year For Publove Beers, burgers and beds group, PubLove is predicting a bumper Christmas to top off a record year which has seen its Burger Craft Kitchens turn in a 26% like-forlike sales growth and its hostels deliver average occupancy of 92% across the last 12 months.

With six signature pubs across London, PubLove this week unveiled its Christmas Pudding Burger which will spearhead its food offer through the month of December.

“The Burger Craft brand is just going from strength to strength as we become known for the best burgers in the Capital. We’ve seen really healthy growth and much of it is down to brilliant food at really good value prices – for example we turn out an everyday special of cheeseburger and fries at only £6.50 and given everything going on right now, that’s an amazing deal,” said Ben Stackhouse, Founder and CEO of Pub Love and Burger Craft.

He also believes value sits at the heart of their 400 plus beds across the estate running ahead of pre-pandemic levels for their highest occupancy and room rates on record: “We continue to defy the market. We’ve seen a particularly solid over-

seas visitor and student business – the audience is definitely out there. We are finding that they not only stay with us, but then want to spend time in the pubs and enjoy our food. If we doubled our bed nights, we could fill them,” he said.

Made in its award-winning Burger Craft kitchens at each pub, the distinctive and full-of-fun Christmas Pudding Burger comes with charcoaled buns, Cumberland sausage patties, smoked streaky Somerset bacon, Xmas pudding chutney and a Wensleydale custard.

Their festive drinks menu features the Holy Negroni made with Sacred Xmas Pudding Gin, English Spiced Vermouth, rosehip cup and dried orange. There’s a Gingerbread Espresso Martini, a warming Spiced Berry Tea, a Turkish Delight Hot Chocolate and a popular pairing for the burger - the Super 8 Cherry beer from Haacht Brewery.

The pubs include The White Ferry, Victoria, The Crown, Battersea, The Green Man, Paddington, The Rose & Crown, London Bridge, The Steam Engine, Waterloo and The Exmouth Arms, Euston. It will also be available on Uber East and Just Eat delivery.

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BBPA Writes Open Letter to Negotiating Parties of the Rail Dispute With just two weeks to go until the first planned December rail strike the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping, Night Time Industries Association, Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and the Association of Town and City Management have (29 November 2022) written an open letter to the negotiating parties in the rail dispute stressing the urgent need for a resolution.

serious blow in an already critically difficult economic climate.

Regarding the letter and the ongoing disputes Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said:

this festive season from ruin for our pubs.”

Every day we go without a resolution is another day of damage to the industry, with cancellations being made and Christmas parties called off.

“Our industry desperately needs a boost this Christmas and so we are urging all parties to find an urgent resolution to rescue

Read the letter at https://beerandpub.com/wp-

“The weeks leading up to Christmas are the busiest of the year for pubs, and they were looking forward to trading normally for the first time in three years, but news of these strikes have dealt a

content/uploads/2022/11/BBPA-open-letter-to-unions-and-traincompanies.pdf

Inspiring Young Talent at the IoH’s Flagship Passion4Hospitality Student Event General Manager, Champneys Eastwell Manor Hotel & Spa and member of the new IoH South East Region Committee.

The IoH flagship student conference and careers fair, Passion4Hospitality (P4H), closed on Friday 25 November 2022 with a standing ovation for the keynote speaker, Peter Avis FIH, GM at Galvin at Windows and 10 Degrees Bar and Co-Vice-chair of the IoH’s Supervisory Board.

For the second year, the IoH official I’m In Podcast was recorded live in front of P4H delegates. Discussing ‘Controlling your Attitude’ Phil Street FIH was the usual question master, and host and was joined on stage by Nicolas Medicamento MIH, CEO, Doctor Cocktail Ltd, Alan Tang MIH, Restaurant Director, Shangri-La, The Shard, London and Katariina Reissaar AIH, Front Office Manager at Jurys Inn, now Leonardo Hotels.

The charismatic Peter Avis FIH gave the captivated audience an overview of his amazing, international, celebrity-strewn career. From his first hospitality job as a dishwasher to his current role as GM and his journey in between.

Talking about his passion for hospitality and his pride in being part of the IoH and the industry, Peter said: “Every role in hospitality helps deliver the customer experience. When I was told that even as a dishwasher, I made a difference, I was hooked. I wanted to strive to be a GM and I strive now to help others feel the same way.”

He continued: “When I started out the industry was very different.

Today it has changed for the better. The hours, conditions, and pay are better than when I started. And it is more inclusive than ever before and since Robert Richardson FIH MI introduced the Diversity Shield pin in 2021, I am proud to wear it and encourage all those that are passionate about diversity and inclusion to buy a Shield and do the same.”

“Since winning the inaugural Restaurant Manager of the Year title in 2009, my passion for the IoH began,” said Peter. “The work and commitment Robert Richardson FIH MI and his team have to help young people feel passionate about choosing this industry as a career is amazing. And the wealth of resources the IoH offer has helped me and my career without a doubt. Now as Co-Vice Chair of the IoH Supervisory Board, I believe everyone in hospitality should be part of the only professional body that represents the industry, the IoH.” The annual P4H event brings together students, universities, colleges, employers and training providers from across the world, under one roof. This year our furthest attendee had flown in from Dubai.

Over 30 establishments took part in the career fair this year and over 400 students came through the conference doors at the Novotel London West, Hammersmith, London.

IoH CEO, Robert Richardson FIH MI who opened and closed the

busy day commented: “Passion4Hospitality is my favourite event in our Institute of Hospitality calendar, and it was a sincere pleasure hosting this conference and seeing, first hand, the infinite potential of our future #HospitalityFamily.”

The highly contested Hotel, Operations, Tactics and Strategy Business Game (HOTS) led by Peter Russell MIH ISHC, saw teams from Sheffield Hallam University, NHL Stenden, University of Gloucestershire, The Grand Brighton, Coventry University, University of Surrey, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Oxford Brookes University battle it out most of the day before Cardiff Metropolitan University scooped the coveted trophy as 2022 HOTS champions.

Robert continued: “P4H is about the students. It’s about giving them the opportunity to make contacts, meet people, network, learn, grow and be inspired. Pushing themselves out of their comfort zones to talk to people. It’s about motivating them to help show that hospitality is a brilliant career choice. I think we achieved that today.”

This year’s careers fair, which was buzzing throughout the day, included: Worshipful Company of Cooks, Exclusive Collection, The Belfry, Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA, Rosewood Hotels, Z Hotels, Balmer Lawn Hotel & Spa, Hotel Café Royal, WSET Global, Champneys, Novotel London West, and the Royal Household. IoH Company Sponsored members TGI’s, HIT Training, Leonardo Hotels, and Canopy

by Hilton London City also attended, amongst many other prestigious names.

The IoH Youth Council, took an active role in the day, introducing guests on stage and talking to students in the Coffee and Conversation area, which was overflowing at several points of the day. Katariina Reissaar AIH, Co-chair of the IoH Youth Council commented: “It was an incredible day, full of energy and smiles. If we have inspired one young person today it was all worth it.”

Concluding the event, Robert Richardson FIH MI said: “Supporting the future of our industry is so vital, especially now, and Passion4Hospitality would not be possible without the hard work, passion and dedication, of so many people. I am so proud of what this conference demonstrated and so proud of everyone that said #imin to being part of it.

The conference schedule, which included a wealth of talent from all areas of the hospitality industry and from across different levels, included panel discussions on: ‘ To lead or to manage?’ led by Harry Fielder, Managing Director of Umi Digital, ‘Stop, Look and Listen! Mental Health in Hospitality, led by Robert Bird FIH, Director of Sales, HIT Training, and ‘Sustainability in the Spotlight’ led by James McComas FIH,

Robert continued: “Thank you so much to everyone who joined us as a delegate, everyone who took time out of their busy diaries to contribute to our careers fair, our partners and supporters, and all the wonderful speakers on stage, discussing leadership, sustainability and mental health. Thank you to our amazing IoH team and our Youth Council. I cannot wait to see everyone at Passion4Hospitality 2023.”

Elis UK Partners with Harts Group for Laundry & Washroom Requirements Textile and laundry services provider Elis UK (https://uk.elis.com) has partnered with Harts Group to deliver on laundry and washroom requirements for all its London restaurants. These include the modern Spanish Barrafina and Parrillian restaurant groups, the Mexican El Pastor chain and the historic Soho Quo Vadis restaurant and private members’ club.

tion to detail that Elis has shown. The service has proven to be reliable and straightforward, allowing the restaurant teams to focus on their core business operations rather than worrying about the availability of laundry.

Aurelija Sovaite, Operations Manager of Hart Group, said: “We chose Elis after reviewing several options and we’re very pleased by the attention to detail shown in the transition of the services. Visiting every restaurant and getting a full understanding of the needs and challenges of each has meant that the service Elis has designed fits our requirements, reduces the number of deliveries and collections and offers true value for money. As a result, I now spend little time of dealing with complaints in regards to laundry and washroom services, and we’re delighted to have selected Elis as our laundry and washroom partner.”

The company required a range of products such as chef and front-ofhouse uniforms, table linen, kitchen linen and washroom services.

Garments needed to be smart and professionally laundered, with a strong emphasis on quality and brand image. It had historically experienced a lack of consistency with service levels from a range of suppliers, creating complexity and additional administration pressures.

Elis worked closely with Harts Group to understand its key requirements at a site level. It completed site surveys and meetings with the management team of each restaurant. This helped to identify the number and type of garments required and the number of wearers, enabling Elis to work out a schedule that would fit the restaurants’ exacting requirements, while offering a consistent level of service. As a result, Elis was able to reduce the number of weekly collections and deliveries, increase the amount of stock in circulation, and combine all services into one straightforward delivery model. This reduced the carbon footprint of the services being delivered, and unlocked further commercial benefits.

Following the site visits, Elis gained a strong understanding of the operational and logistical requirements for the group and was awarded the contract. The service cycle commenced as part of a two-phase roll-out to support the Group during the withdrawal of the incumbent suppliers.

Hart Group was impressed with the thorough preparation and atten-

Harry Bown, Director of Operations at Hart Group, said: “Having worked with some well-known laundry suppliers in London for many years, it’s been refreshing to work with a supplier of Elis’ professionalism and quality. It was important that we streamlined our invoices and supply chain to remove complexity. Laundry and washroom services have historically taken time to manage. However, Elis has delivered on its commitments and caused no disruption to our operations during the transition.”

Main Shop Increase Prompts Reduced Frequency in Depot vs Pre-Pandemic Issue 138

There has been a notable uptick in wholesale visits that a driven by the main shop mission, across retail and foodservice, as shown by the latest Lumina Intelligence’s Wholesale Market report.

The main shop mission has indeed become the most popular among retailers and it has grown in importance over time, as the current economic outlook prompts retailers to avoid regular small purchases and opt for bigger top-up missions to mitigate the impact of the increasing costs. Playing into this trend, promo weeks and event days are being used to drive footfall and build loyalty.

“Worsening cost pressures are prompting behavioural changes in wholesale customers. Both retailers and foodservice operators are opting for bigger, main shops to maximise savings. Lumina expects cost pressures to increase into the Winter months with a looming reces-

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sion threatening a tough period, especially for the foodservice market,” commented Insights Manager Katherine Prowse.

Growth in main shops, particularly for cash and carry visits, has driven a decline in frequency in 2022. Retailer cash and carry frequency has declined by -10%, whilst foodservice cash and carry frequency is down -13% as operators manage costs.

Within this overall decline, 19% of independents are visiting the wholesaler depot / Cash & Carry more frequently to avoid paying for delivery Foodservice focused wholesalers are expected to see strong growth as the sector recovers, whilst traditional wholesalers’ turnover growth slows following bumper 2020. Hybrid wholesaler Morrisons is expected to have grown its wholesale business by more than half from 2019 2022, following the acquisition of McColl’s convenience business.

SIBA Launches New Bottleshop Membership for Craft Beer Retailers Craft beer retailers across the UK are being invited to join the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) in an effort to create closer ties between brewers and ‘bottleshops’, as well as offer these specialist retailers representation and support.

SIBA Bottleshop Membership is open to independent bottleshops and beer retailers all across the UK, and provides a range of membership benefits including a free legal helpline, legislative support and advice, networking and promotional opportunities and more.

“SIBA have introduced this new membership category to build on the relationships we built with Bottleshop owners looking for advice and guidance regarding various issues over the last few years, particularly during periods of Covid lockdown where we fought for Bottleshops and brewery shops to be allowed to remain open as essential retailers.” Neil Walker, SIBA Head of Comms.

The Society of Independent Brewers was founded in 1980 and represent around 750 independent craft breweries across the UK; they lobby Government on key issues such as beer duty and support, promote independent craft breweries via competitions and awards, create opportunities for brewers to connect with colleagues, as well as offer members tools and advice to improve their businesses.

The new SIBA Bottleshop Membership is the final launch of three new membership categories as part of a remit expansion for the trade association, who represent independent breweries and supplier companies, and this year broadened their membership to include international breweries and UK-based homebrewers.

There has been a huge growth in independent beer shops in recent years, with many offering new local delivery and subscription services during Covid as people sought to support local independent businesses.

Linda Birch from Brewery Market in Twickenham, Surrey, has pledged her support and joined as one of the organisations first Bottleshop Members.

“We are delighted to be one of the first businesses to become a SIBA Bottleshop Member and are fully behind SIBA’s move to bring the Independent Craft Beer industry closer together. We work closely with a huge range of breweries and look forward to engaging more with them to shape the beer industry for the better.

On a business level the support and member benefits SIBA offer are hugely valuable and for us it’s a no-brainer to become a member – we will be encouraging other beer shops to do the same. I also look forward to working with SIBA to deliver even more opportunities and benefits for us and other members in the future.”

A Hoppy Place, a craft beer bottleshop and tasting room with outlets in both Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, have said SIBA’s support through Covid was a huge benefit to the sector and are joining as a founding member of the SIBA Bottleshop Membership. Co-Owner Dave Hayward commented, “We are a relatively new business, launching August 2019. Through the COVID lockdowns we’ve seen the huge benefits SIBA has brought to the sector, battling for the necessary grants and support our industry needed to survive. As a business we took impetus from their work, as well as learning from their panels, and went on to win the UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Retailer (single) category in 2021. We are sure the health of the bottleshop sector is better as a result of SIBA’s efforts and are proud to join as one of their founder bottleshop category members.”

SIBA have been real supporters of beer shops in recent years through their SIBA Business Awards, where for a number of years a “UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Retailer” (separate single and multiple retailer awards) has been given. In 2021 this was complimented by a new Online Retailer award, again seeking to highlight those businesses selling a superb range of independent craft beers and offering a great customer experience

The Savoy Educational Trust Appoints New Chief Executive The Savoy Educational Trust has appointed Angela Maher, Co-Founder and Director of FLIGHT (Future Leaders in Global Hospitality & Tourism), its new Chief Executive.

ety in general, and the Trust has played an incredibly important role in investing in projects that strengthen and support those that aspire to a career in the sector.

Maher will join The Savoy Educational Trust in January 2023 and will work alongside Margaret Georgiou, Administrator and Secretary to the Board of Trustees at the independent grant-giving charity.

“It is a huge honour to step into the Chief Executive role at such a challenging time for the sector, and I am very much looking forward to building on the strong legacy of the Trust to ensure it maximises its positive impact in the arenas of hospitality education and skills development.”

As incoming Chief Executive, Maher will build on the legacy of Julia Sibley MBE. Earlier this year Sibley, who has been Chief Executive for 25 years, announced she would be leaving the role at the end of 2022.

Maher taught at The Oxford School of Hospitality Management at Oxford Brookes University for 25 years, before co-founding FLIGHT, a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to create a global conversation between educators and employers about how best to support and develop next-generation hospitality leaders.

She said: “The hospitality industry is absolutely central to both our economy and soci-

Howard Field, Chair of Trustees at the Savoy Educational Trust, said: “The Board of Trustees has worked hard to find a Chief Executive who can continue to build on Julia Sibley’s strong tenure and Angela’s proven experience and passion for supporting and developing education, training and skills in the sector through her work at Oxford Brookes University and at FLIGHT means she is the perfect choice.

We very much look forward to welcoming her as she begins her role in the new year.”

Barkby Group Seeks to Dispose 9-Pub Estate In a trading and strategy update, the Barkby Group has announced it is looking to dispose of its nine pubs.

It comes after the group previously announced in July that it was looking to dispose of all noncore assets, apart from its premium gastropub business.

In a trading and strategy statement , the group said: “In our July 2022 update, the board announced it had determined to focus on roadside property development and investment and to dispose of all the group’s other businesses and investments. As we move towards implementing this strategic change, we expect all non-core businesses, including Barkby Pub Co, will not form part of the group moving forward. In recent months, we have met a number of prospective institutional investors and have received positive feedback around scaling our roadside property investment and development business and continue to explore doing so.”

The group also reported revenue in its pub business was down 3% down year-on-year, “broadly in line with the overall sector as household spending decreases”. It said Christmas bookings look “strong” and it remains

optimistic for a strong festive trading period. The group said the majority of the energy contracts at its pubs were fixed in December 2020 until December 2023, “so the business is well protected from the wider energy cost pressures facing the industry”. It added inflationary pressures on labour, food and drink margins “are in line with the wider hospitality sector”.

Barkby Group also revealed a sales process was launched for Workshop Coffee in September, which has coincided with “a strong recovery in the business as it returns to pre-pandemic levels”. It said the sales process is progressing, with discussions ongoing with a number of interested parties under non-disclosure agreements.

Commenting, Charles Dickson, Executive Chairman, said: “Following on from our July announcement we have made good progress in streamlining the Group. We have completed the sale of our stake in Verso Biosense and made further progress exiting the remaining non-core businesses.

We remain focussed on scaling the real estate business, with a particular focus on high quality modern sustainable roadside developments in the form of drive-thru’s, trade counter, last mile logistics, convenience food, EV charging hubs and light industrial commercial buildings. Our view is that this strategy, once scaled, has the ability to deliver double digit annualised total accounting returns.”

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FUNKIN COCKTAILS’ (www.funkincocktailstrade.co.uk) Marketing Director, Ben Anderson, looks at CGA’s newly released Mixed Drinks Report and considers the opportunities for on trade venues

whilst Sex on the Beach has now overtaken Mojito to take the number two spot. These are all drinks on the sweeter end of the scale, which reflects the ever-younger typical cocktail drinker, with 18-34 year olds accounting for 53% of cocktail drinkers in the UK².

This week, CGA released its latest bi-annual drinks report with a depth of statistics on consumer habits when it comes to mixed drinks and cocktails in the on-trade. The cocktail sector has been on a meteoric rise in the UK in recent years, with the value of cocktails now at £686m¹ and more than 9.6 million consumers² now enjoying cocktails in the on trade, which equates to 1 in 5 on-premise consumers. This provides venues an exciting opportunity to diversify their drinks offering, whilst delivering additional revenue and footfall.

Consumers are also continuing to expect cocktails in outlets that haven’t traditionally offered these serves, with 46% drinking cocktails in pubs (+8pp)³. This is reflected in the total share of sales for cocktails rising massively in these venues, hitting 10% in food-led pubs (+122%) and 7.9% in drink-led pubs (+107%)³. And regardless of the venue, cocktails continue to be a profitable addition with drinkers willing to pay on average £9.05 per cocktail¹.

THE TOP 10 COCKTAILS IN THE UK FOR Q3 2022¹ Pornstar Martini – 15.5% Sex on the Beach – 7.0% Mojito – 6.7% Flavoured Martini - 6.3% Long Island Iced Tea –6.0% Daiquiri – 5.7% Spritz – 5.3% Espresso Martini – 4.8% Aperol Spritz - 4.1% Pina Colada – 3.5% Incredibly, the top 10 cocktails account for more 65% of all cocktails enjoyed in the on-trade making them all important for inclusion on

However, as consumers increasingly feel the sting of the cost of living crisis, the perception of the value of a drinks menu will become increasingly important with 41% of consumers opting to focus on value when choosing their cocktail¹. Venues can continue to capitalise on the cocktail boom by promoting happy hours and 2-4-1 style promotion. This may feel like short-changing in the short term, but there are plenty of options that can make cocktails cost effective and high in margin for venues.

cocktail menus, particularly as one in two consumers say that they prefer classic cocktail serves².

Two serves making popularity gains in the list are the Pornstar Martini (+0.1pp) and the closely related Flavoured Martinis (+0.7pp)³. The Pornstar Martini continuing to hold the top spot by some distance,

1. CGA Mixed Drinks Report Q3 2022 - Volumetric Sales Data 2. CGA Mixed Drinks Report Q3 2022 - GB On Trade cocktail drinker survey 3. CGA Mixed Drinks Report Q3 2022 - YoY Growth Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021

The Professional Division of Miele Appoints Marketing Manager to Oversee Operations in Great Britain and Ireland The professional division of manufacturer of commercial laundry and dishwashing appliances Miele, has appointed Egizia Maria Felice as Marketing Manager for Great Britain and Ireland. Felice will be responsible for overseeing the marketing management of the hospitality, care and service (HCS) sector, as well as growing their laboratory, medical and dentistry (LMD) sector.

Felice brings six years of experience in marketing and communications to her new role, with previous marketing roles at Oxentia, a global innovation consultancy, and academic publishing house Oxford University Press. Her specialisms include strategic communications for international development agencies as well as marketing for academic research and publishing.

Commenting on her appointment, Felice said:

“I have always admired the inherent quality of Miele products and its ethos of immer besser (ever better), so being able to join the Miele Professional team is a fantastic opportunity. As the organisation is dedicated to becoming the leader in sustainability within its industry, one of my targets is to build relationships with businesses who also have sustainability at their core, and to showcase how Miele’s innovative technology can support their journey”.

Simon Venni, County Sales Manager at Miele Professional, commented: “We’re thrilled to have Egizia on board to lead our marketing team. We’re excited to see how Egizia’s broad range of perspectives will support us in reaching out to new customers.”

The Restaurant Group (TRG) Concessions and Jones the Grocer Win Large Concession Award with London Heathrow Airport TRG Concessions, one of the UK’s leading travel hospitality operators, is pleased to announce a strategic development agreement with Jones the Grocer, the artisan café, bakery, patisserie, gourmet grocer, deli and cheese monger headquartered in Dubai.

This exclusive partnership won one of the largest concession awards at London’s Heathrow Airport which will see two venues, Jones the Grocer and Jones the Grocer Express, open in Terminal 2 in 2023. The Jones the Grocer site, with over 170 covers, will be its largest airport store in the world and the first in the United Kingdom.

Comprising over 5,900 square feet in Terminal 2’s international departure lounge, Jones the Grocer will showcase culinary theatre in a food hall style development to create a truly immersive dining experience. A bar will serve craft beers, wine and cocktails alongside artisan cheese and meat boards as well as sharing plates. Chefs will cook Jones the Grocer’s modern, globally influenced, laidback food for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a live grill and kitchen. An island bao bar will steam and simmer an array of savory buns and noodle bowls. An Italian pizza oven and pasta bar will treat travellers to hand-thrown pizzas and freshly tossed pasta.

Jones the Grocer Express, located immediately in front of Jones the Grocer, is a grab and go concept aimed at the hurried traveller looking for good quick-serve artisan food. This venue will offer pastries, pies, sandwiches, wraps, soups and freshly tossed salads. Expert baristas will pour fantastic flat whites along with smoothies, leaf teas, and a selection of hot and cold drinks. Travellers will have the opportunity to savour artisan cheese toasties and shop from a selection of Jones the Grocer’s grab and go retail.

These Heathrow openings are testament to TRG Concessions’ ability to recognise emerging, dynamic brands quietly shaping the food and beverage scene around the world. They also mark a strategic phase in Jones the Grocer’s expansion and are a testament to the vibrant and globally relevant trend-setting food scene in Dubai and the UAE. Mark Chambers, CEO of Leisure and Concessions at The Restaurant Group, said: “We are delighted to have won this large concession award in partnership with Jones the Grocer, an excellent brand bringing a vast range of quality food options to passengers at Heathrow airport. Our agreement with Jones the Grocer is testament to our team’s ability to identify exciting brands worldwide and introduce new concepts to the travelling public.”

Yunib Siddiqui, CEO of Jones the Grocer, said: “Winning this award demonstrates TRG’s commitment, passion, and belief in Jones the Grocer as a worldclass brand, as well as their desire to bring the best in food retail to the UK airport travel space. This will be Jones the Grocer’s largest airport store in the world and the first in the United Kingdom. My team and I look forward to bringing a stunningly designed Jones the Grocer serving fantastic food to London Heathrow.”

Fraser Brown, Heathrow’s Retail Director, said: “As Heathrow continues to welcome back more passengers, I am delighted that Jones the Grocer will be joining us in Terminal 2 early next year. Jones the Grocer, with its international footprint, will bring the tastes of the world to the airport, a fitting way for passengers to start their journeys from Heathrow.”

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All I Want For Christmas Is...

Good Customer Experience

By Oyin Bamgbose, Vice President at Infinity (www.infinity.co/uk/)

With the festive period fast approaching, customers are researching the best spots for the family holiday, work socials and Christmas dinners. For those in the hospitality sector, the final quarter of the year is a time when there is so much more opportunity to deliver the best customer service, connecting and engaging with existing and new customers.

and promotions get discussed at scale. It also highlights how well staff are handling calls, helping to identify common friction points, such as taking pre-orders for large parties. Managerial teams can then come together to create a solution, guiding both new and old staff on how they can address such issues in the future.

Once installed, these analytics are also a great retrospective tool for the following year. Businesses can predetermine obstacles and iron out any problems before they surface. This means that customer service strategies can be revised and enhanced, helping businesses to gain a competitive advantage throughout the year.

CREATING COMPELLING CHRISTMAS ADVERTISEMENTS

Therefore, excellent customer service lies at the heart of hospitality during the colder winter months. It’s what keeps customers coming back, encouraging them to recommend their favourite bar or restaurant to their friends. 88% of consumers in the UK celebrate Christmas meaning that an unpleasant experience over the season can cause damage to a venue’s reputation and loss of business.

In today’s digital world, everything starts with a Google search.

Potential customers will scour the internet for their dream winter holiday or the best spot for a Christmas dinner – but so much more can be gained and understood from a conversation with a call agent. The intelligence gained from these calls can reveal the reason a guest picked up the phone, even tracking the keywords Googled that led them to your website.

In addition, more than a quarter (27%) of hospitality businesses are seeing bookings surge for Christmas already, higher than in previous years. Call intelligence tools can ease the stress of these mass bookings, as well as optimise advertising and streamline staff training – as bars, restaurants, and hotels will have access to the relevant data to positively affect the customer experience. Such tools integrate into booking systems, supplying businesses with a deeper insight into the nature of each call.

With the ongoing cost of living crisis, winter may present challenges for many in the hospitality industry. However, Christmas is a major season for both retail and hospitality. In 2021, PwC expected a total spend of £21 billion on presents and celebrations over the season.

Competition is high, and every organisation wants to be the one that makes an individual’s festivities special. Innovative strategies to market Christmas menus and winter stays are key to capturing the customers’ attention.

BOOST THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Call intelligence can help with this by assigning call outcomes and revenues to marketing activity.

Organisations are able to identify which campaigns, channels and keywords are pulling their weight and which aren’t. in addition, businesses can understand the thoughts and feelings of their callers. Teams then have the information needed to

A recent report found that one in five hospitality businesses are already seeing a surge in bookings for the Football World Cup. Also, three in ten are hiring more people to ensure they can cope with the uptake of customers. With so many new team members, it’s difficult to ensure all staff address customers in the same style and gather the right information over the phone.

Conversation Analytics can identify which destinations, rooms, menus,

Let Your Christmas Menu Sparkle with Just Desserts Classic ginger sponge topped with an irresistible toffee sauce – a real winter warmer!

CANDY CANE CHEESECAKE Digestive biscuit base with a white chocolate peppermint ganache topping, finished with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy cane.

Established in 1985 in the renowned Salt’s mill, Just Desserts Yorkshire specialise in baking a range of over 100 quality handcrafted desserts.

With over 100 handcrafted desserts already on offer, Just Desserts Yorkshire have revealed their Christmas 2022 desserts range. Taking inspiration from those Christmas dessert classics, the new product range offers a unique twist on those traditional festive flavours we all love.

The new festive trio includes:

MINCEPIE FRANZI A sweet butter pastry case filled with classic mincemeat, topped with franzipan sponge and finished with a dusting of sugar snow.

GINGER & TOFFEE CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Using the finest of ingredients, the Just Desserts Yorkshire range includes a selection of over 20 large and individual luxury cheesecakes, decorative gateaux and cakes, tarts and pastries – featuring a range of delicious fillings, the famous Yorkshire Scoundrel, puddings and crumbles and so much more.

Widely available for distribution throughout the UK, Just Desserts Yorkshire supply the hospitality and retail sector, including pubs, restaurants and hotels with the finest of desserts. https://just-desserts.co.uk/

create incredible campaigns and optimise costs. The nature of call intelligence allows businesses to determine the true value of the campaign responsible for mass bookings.

ADDRESS CUSTOMER QUERIES QUICKLY More than half of Brits say being on hold is the biggest time waster.

Customers become frustrated, sometimes causing them to call back later or look to book elsewhere. However, during such busy periods, it’s not easy to always have somebody on hand to answer the phone. Staff are often caught up welcoming guests – missed call reports are beneficial in situations like these.

By monitoring calls, organisations have access to the caller’s telephone number, time of the call and the pages on the company’s website they visited the missed call. Businesses then have the opportunity to ring the caller back whilst their interest is still hot.

Moreover, this is a great tool to help create rotas and manage staffing levels. Hospitality businesses have intel into which times of the time, month or year require more staff availability to answer the phone. This ensures that employees can provide the upmost customer service with ease.

RECOGNISE YOUR GUESTS’ KEY VALUES Overall, call intelligence is key to truly understanding your customer base and providing them with a fantastic Christmas experience.

Businesses can analyse phone calls to generate revenue and ensure sleek customer service. The hospitality industry can align its Christmas marketing tactics with customer values, making campaigns more compelling.

Calls can then be met with helpful service, which heightens the customer experience.

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Bolsius Professional Launches Guide To Help Operators Drive Footfall And Boost Customer Dwell Time Over The Winter Period As temperatures drop and nights draw in, Bolsius Professional is releasing a new guide aimed at helping operators drive footfall and boost customer dwell time during the busy winter period.

Combining inspirational interiors and seasonal style tips, ‘Tempting Autumn Winter Months: Creating a warm welcome for customers’ provides cost effective ideas and guidance on creating a compelling experience for customers.

The guide provides easy to implement tips on boosting atmosphere; the effective use of mood lighting, driving footfall through welcoming window displays, embracing seasonal décor, and maximising architectural features such as fireplaces, to enhance a venue’s environment.

Alongside, the guide highlights interior design trends from the casual dining space; from traditional to modern, minimalist to maximalist, with an array of ideas to suit any venue’s aesthetic.

The premium candle specialist has launched the report as operators ramp up for the busy festive period. With many dining and drinking destinations facing fierce competition and a challenging climate, the look book is designed to demonstrate how elevating the environment can support revenue through creating a space where customers want to stay, and revisit time after time.

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

It’s Beginning To Taste A Lot Like Christmas- We Can Smell It In The Air For Christmas recipes see our new selection developed for us by master chef Peter Gorton littlepod.co.uk/our-recipes/.

Professional and Member of the Institute of Hospitality says,

For that extra sparkle we are putting our chopped Vanilla pods into ice cubes adding a dash of luxury to our cocktails.

“The winter months can be the toughest time of the year to lure customers out of their homes.

Days are short, darkness descends, and sofas beckon.

“Post-pandemic, the environment has changed. Customers became skilled at creating lavish ‘nights out’ at home. As a result, experts predict that customer experience will come into sharp focus: creating unique memorable environments that premiumise offerings, lengthen dwell time, and spotlight venues to existing and potential customers.

We’ve gathered a few of our favourite winter interiors in this look book, showing how a few simple touches can go a long way. Lighting is a key element, helping to create a welcoming and intimate environment for any venue.

We’ve shown how operators can use this to maximum effect, showing their venue in the best possible light for customers.”

Bolsius Professional is a leading global candle manufacturer, with an extensive range of indoor and outdoor candles designed specifically for restaurants, bars and hotels. Free from palm oil and animal fats, they are clean burning and odour free, creating a warm welcome and premium atmosphere that encourages guests to linger.

To find out more about the Bolsius Professional candle range, and download a copy of the guide go to www.bolsius.com/en/professional/inspiration

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

At LittlePod the decorations are going up early as we prepare for our Christmas party and to say goodbye to a well-loved team member, Olly.

We are decorating our tree with lots of 10 ml miniature tubes of paste which make suitable ‘secret Santa’s’.

Do phone us for details if you want some (01395 232022 -sales).

Of course, the Perfect Gift for the Passionate Cook is our store- cupboard essential, LittlePod tube of Vanilla Paste. Try rubbing it into your turkey. Put a squeeze into your morning porridge, smoothies, Coffee. Vanilla is perfect for savoury dishes as well as the Christmas cake!

Fancy a vegan Christmas? Our products are suitable for vegans. We are also kosher certified and this year we are proud to say that we are a ‘Made in Devon’ Trading standards Approved company.

Cheers to Olly and cheers to you All. Look forward to catching up in 2023!

Vinicola Tombacco Achieves Equalitas Sustainable Winery Certification Padua’s Vinicola Tombacco has been awarded Equalitas Certification, a globally recognised sustainability standard set for the wine sector which guarantees the winery’s commitment to sustainability.

Tombacco, who’s wines are available in the UK through Lanchester Wines, has announced the achievement following a series of both ongoing and new projects to address key sustainability issues. The third-generation family business, which recently celebrated its centenary year, has implemented various practices across its wineries to minimise its impact on the environment.

Solar panels are installed on Tombacco’s buildings, which optimises the cost of electricity covering 10% of the company’s energy needs and is the first step towards complete energy autonomy. An innovative Israeli-type drip irrigation system has been installed, that delivers just enough water and nutrients to the vines while minimising wastage. And, Valoritalia, the Italian certification body, has rewarded 47 Anno Domini's efforts with organic certification which in itself is a guarantee of attention and care to the highest standards.

Furthermore, Tombacco has introduced an employee welfare programme which, in the long term, will see them as recipients of annual awards for their good work and team building activities.

Brothers Cristian and Andrea Tombacco are joint

owners of Vinicola Tombacco.

Cristian said: "Improvement is a path taken one step at a time, and each step must follow a precise direction made up of short-term objectives that lead to more ambitious and prestigious long-term successes. Every year we'll prepare a Sustainability Report setting out the improvement policies that we intend to put into practice, measuring the overall situation. An independent body performs an audit to certify progress: this guarantees greater transparency, but also encourages businesses to show constant commitment and efficiency.”

"We know the path we have decided to take is a difficult one, but we do it with the awareness that this is the right one in order to stay faithful to our principles and guarantee future generations a thriving business like the one we are experiencing today,” concludes Cristian.

The Equalitas standard focuses on the social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainability. It’s a voluntary certification procedure regarding wine sustainability with the aim of bringing together companies in the wine sector to promote one, shared approach to sustainability. For more information, please visit www.equalitas.it/en For more information on Tombacco’s commitment to sustainability, please visit www.rinomatatombacco.it

Indulge Your Customers with Mozart Chocolate Liqueur Mozart Chocolate Liqueur is the world-renowned Austrian chocolate liqueur that combines two favorites from the world of indulgence: chocolate & spirits. Exclusively natural ingredients, a sugar beet distillate and the exquisite craftsmanship of the master distiller & chocolatier, from the Mozart Distillery in Salzburg, combine unique quality ingredients and flavors in a Chocolate Symphony that proudly boasts the “made in Austria” quality seal.

Mozart is the number one chocolate liqueur in the on-trade (CGA, P6 2022) and it’s clear to see why.

Featuring classic flavours such as cream, white and dark (Vegan), as well as trending flavours Strawberry, Coffee and Pumpkin Spiced, the full portfolio is award winning.

Most recently, the brand has been awarded with medals across the range in 2022’s IWSC Awards and the Bartender’s Brands Awards, to name a few. Mozart has been named “Liqueur Producer of the Year 2020” for the second time, after being awarded this title back in 2017 for it’s premium range of chocolate flavours.

This year, Mozart Chocolate Liqueur invested over

£100,000 into building brand awareness amongst consumers and the trade, including an influencer and PR campaign as well as partnerships with the likes of German Gymnasium (part of the D&D group), The Whiskey Exchange and Amazon, plus many more.

Mozart Chocolate Liqueur can be enjoyed in many different ways – in its pure and natural state, slightly chilled on ice, over ice cream, in a hot drink or as a ‘choctail’. The most popular way to use Mozart is in an Espresso Martini, a popular cocktail with consumers over the winter months.

MOZART CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MARTINI 40ml Mozart Cream Chocolate Liqueur 35ml Espresso (cold) 25ml Vanilla Vodka Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass.

For more information and Choctail inspiration please visit www.mozartchocolateliqueur.com

Sip Champagnes Recently voted ‘Champagne & Sparkling Specialist Retailer of the Year’ in the 2022 Decanter Retailer Awards & ‘Specialist Online Retailer of the Year’

by The Drinks Business, Sip Champagnes is the UK’s leading Grower Champagne specialist, with a focus on newly discovered and fully independent producers that can’t be found anywhere else.

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With over 50 fresh and exciting growers – many of them brand new to the UK market – and a collection of over 200 cuvées, there are Champagnes to suit all styles and budgets. So, if you’re looking to reinvigorate your wine list ahead of the festive season, planning a corporate gifting surprise or just fancy a bottle or two for a memorable meal, get in touch.

With tailor-made packages and competitive trade pricing, Sip Champagnes offers options for local wine shops, Michelin-starred restaurants and everything in between.

For further details contact: trade@sipchampagnes.com For more information on Sip Champagnes and its latest UK releases in time for Christmas, visit https://sipchampagnes.com

Order Your Award-Winning, Artisan Cheese For Christmas Now

White Lake are cheesemakers who make over 25 cheeses on their farm in Somerset. Their range includes many top internationalaward-winning cheeses made of goat’s milk from their own herd, local Guernsey cow’s milk and British ewe’s milk.

The variety of tastes, textures, sizes and styles make them a popular choice with top chefs and caterers. Their newest products have been designed specifically for use in professional kitchens. The Glaston Brick and Glaston Tile are two sizes of pressed goat’s curd without the bloomy rind. They deliver the traditional taste of that style of cheese but can be easily cut and shaped to size.

Roger Longman, owner and 3rd generation cheesemaker, says “We’ve become known for our constant aim to make the best cheeses we can using traditional artisanal methods, while exploring unconventional ideas and innovating in exciting new ways.

We love to see how experts in catering work with our range. Chefs often share their creative, new dishes on social media. Our English Goat Curd seems to

be particularly popular at the moment.”

White Lake supply small cheesemakers, pubs and delis but are versatile enough to fulfil greater requirements such as for the caterers at Wimbledon. “As a small company we can be nimble enough to accommodate specific requirements when given notice. Cheese needs enough time to develop complex flavours, particularly the hard varieties. For example, Alpinestyle Rachael Reserva final weight is 12 kg so is matured for a minimum of twelve months. It’s in constant demand for its rounded richness in taste and larger size,” Roger explains.

The cheesemakers, affineurs and packers who handmake White Lake’s cheeses get into top gear from September until the end of December. Roger advises “We hate to disappoint people so strongly advise our customers to place their Christmas orders now.”

Contact Justin Carter, National Sales Manager, White Lake Cheese Limited justin@whitelake.co.uk | www.whitelake.co.uk Mobile: 07903 313812 | Office: 01749 831527

Order yOur aWard-Winning, artisan Cheese fOr Christmas nOW With a range of over 25 different cheeses, we can meet all your catering needs. Choose from soft cheeses made in Brie-style, lactic and ash-coated or wrapped in vine leaves. Our hard cheeses include Rachel, known as ‘the goat’s cheese for people who don’t like goat’s cheese’ that has won multiple gold awards. Chefs love our goat and sheep curd.

White Lake cheese is made on Bagborough Farm in Somerset using goat’s milk from our own herd, local Guernsey cow’s milk and British sheep’s milk. We hand-make and hand-wrap every single cheese. Order for Christmas now so we can fulfil your festive requirements.

White Lake Cheese Limited justin@whitelake.co.uk www.whitelake.co.uk 01749 831527

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

“Newcomer Sip Champagnes has a laser-like focus on cutting-edge wines from the region and, in the words of one judge, ‘is changing the game for Champagne’."

Decanter

trade@sipchampagnes.com www.sipchampagnes.com

www.instagram.com/sip_champagnes www.facebook.com/sipchampagnes www.twitter.com/ChampagnesSip

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Get Ready for Christmas with Alliance’s Festive Ranges Ensuring your establishment is appropriately decorated and furnished during the festive period is a necessity for the hospitality industry. In turn, restaurants, bars and pubs will all want to capitalise on the seasonal influx of business which is available. The best way to do so is make your establishment as appealing as possible during this period.

DECORATING THE ROOM When looking to decorate an eating or drinking area for Christmas you should first consider where your fire exits are and that all customers will still have a clear route to an exit. Once you have done this, check you can begin to decide how you want your festive design to look. We would always recommend a tree, go for a larger one if you can as this can be quite a statement piece, attracting party photos in front of it which can act as great free publicity across social media if your venue gets tagged.

In addition to Christmas trees, garlands and wreaths give you the option to add a subtle hint to areas such as toilet doors, mantles, shelves and other places. Equally, fairy lights, tinsel, baubles and balloons are also all great ways of adding some festive cheer to your hospitality business this year.

DRESSING THE TABLES There are many ways to dress your table to add a hint of Yuletide style. Firstly, if you have a colour scheme or a set theme for Christmas which features one particular colour, replicate that in your table setting. You could do this by incorporating the colour into your tablecloth, or if you want a white tablecloth then possibly a coloured table runner with matching napkins.

For tableware you could opt for classic whiteware or go for something more modern which can be a way of introducing colour to your table. Glassware we’d suggest sticking with classical looks to add a sophistication to the drinks you’re serving.

Finally, if you’re finding you’re being booked up with groups looking to celebrate a Christmas works party, you could offer party accessories to go with the meal. Whether it be party poppers, a festive mask kit, artificial snow spray, all are great for adding a party vibe for customers.

With winter on the immediate horizon, restaurants, pubs and other such businesses should look to start ordering Christmas decorations and planning for the festive period now. Alliance Online offers a wide range of Christmas options which will be perfect for your establishment this year.

View the Christmas selection at https://tinyurl.com/56zd8dr9

Superior Wicker Hampers for Christmas Celebrations

When you’re looking for Wicker Hampers to fill with gifts, then these really are a great choice.

Traditionally, picnic baskets were filled with luxurious food and drink, and today the familiar lidded wicker hamper is still the most popular choice when presenting an exquisite gift, offering a delicious selection of hand-selected artisan and speciality treats for the recipient to enjoy.

We can’t supply the award-winning food or the huge array of deluxe beverages - that’s down to you! What we can offer are top-quality wicker hamper baskets. Every basket we commission is made individually by hand and woven using the best whole-reed autumn willow, keeping the integrity of the structure strong and straight. We’ve recently upgraded our Premium range to enhance the baskets further and created our new Superior range. Now ALL our wicker hampers, as standard, have gold-coloured buckles, rivets and lid chains to prevent the lids from falling back when open. The wicker handles have been replaced with quality faux leather handles, matching

Scrocchiarella - New from Fleming Howden Fleming Howden are long renowned for sourcing, manufacturing and distributing a wide range of bakery ingredients and yeast products. Our focus is on delivering the latest bakery technology and product innovation, and providing excellence to the bakery industry.

We have an extensive range of high quality food ingredients, bakery ingredients and bakery supplies. We continuously review our range to ensure we provide you with the newest and most exciting products available on the market.

Fleming Howden are thrilled to be launching a new frozen product into the UK food service market. Scrocchiarella is the perfect answer to the global consumer demand for healthy, high quality snacking and on-the-go food.

the closures and hinge covers.

Along with the increased spec, we’ve added some extra sizes to the range. We stock 12”, 14”, 18”, 21” and 25” widths and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find the overall dimensions are generally larger than that of our competitors for the same inch widths. By far the Natural Wicker is selected most often, however, we also supply a wonderful dark Vintage Brown Wicker, which looks stunning and gives an aesthetically pleasing alternative to the lighter more traditional colour. Both colours are available in all 5 sizes. www.candigifts.co.uk salesdesk@candigifts.co.uk 01502 501681 Scrocchiarella derives from the Italian word scrocchiare – used to describe something very crispy – and is a unique combination of selected traditional flours, sourdough and natural ingredients, ideal for easy and quick consumption.

Sourdough is the key ingredient for Scrocchiarella , ensuring a superior flavour and a memorable aroma to the final product, with a crunchy crust and an open crumb structure. Every piece is hand made, so you will not find two that are exactly the same.

We spend more than 30 hours preparing a single Scrocchiarella, so it takes less than 10 minutes from frozen to prefect service at the table.

Scrocchiarella Frozen maintains the same features of the traditional artisan process: long maturation, spreading by hand, a constant result of texture, flavour and crunchiness.

The final result is a light, crunchy and easily digestible product that delivers total consumer satisfaction, time and time again.

See the advert on this page for further details.

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Chef's Buyer's Guide

Plant-Based Bottomless Brunch With Oggs

®

With plant-based diets a growing trend, it’s more important than ever to ensure that menus are as inclusive as possible. This Veganuary, over 600,000 people signed up to go vegan for a month. Eggs were the second most missed product over this time (14% of participants), with options when eating out being the major barrier to sticking to the pledge (26% of participants).

Enter OGGS®, creators of OGGS® Aquafaba and Scrambled OGGS®. On a mission to remove unnecessary eggs from the food chain, OGGS® products are perfectly designed to provide your customers with delicious alternatives that are better for the planet and the animals.

Scrambled OGGS® is an egg alternative for breakfast and brunch menus made from chickpea protein. Simply shake, pour and cook in minutes for a breakfast scramble to take centre stage on vegetarian or vegan brunch. You can also create omelettes, quiches and so much more with Scrambled OGGS®. Producing 60% less CO2e than eggs, it’s not just kinder to animals, but the environment too.

Restaurants including Bill’s and Shepherd

Neame are already using Scrambled OGGS® to innovate across breakfast and brunch menus, from indulgent vegan full English breakfasts to plant-based carbonara.

OGGS® Aquafaba is an egg white alternative made from chickpeas, an innovative solution to removing egg whites from cocktails. With six months shelf life and a neutral flavour profile, OGGS® Aquafaba functions exactly the same as egg whites in cocktails, while removing an allergen from your menu. With 72% less CO2e than eggs, you can create the same delicious drinks without the egg using OGGS® Aquafaba for a more inclusive and environmentally friendly cocktail menu.

Will at 31k in Nottingham said: “Every other drink we sell is a cocktail, and 1 in 4 for those calls for a foam. That’s 100 cocktails a night which would call for 100 eggs. Thanks to OGGS® , we’ve saved 100 discarded yolks and 100 broken eggs shells each shift - and the hassle of rinsing spilled egg whites! OGGS® is hassle-free in use, taste-free in cocktails, and guilt-free as it helps us lower our environmental footprint.”

For more information contact trade@loveoggs.com

Northern Ireland - Bringing WorldClass Food and Drink to Your Table Food and drink is a vital and growing industry in Northern Ireland. In terms of turnover, employment and cultural significance, this £5.8bn sector continues to extend its reach in GB and in international markets.

Whilst 50% of turnover comes from our top 10 companies, family-owned businesses remain prominent, resulting in an industry that is flexible, authentic and forwardthinking.

Northern Ireland’s produce has proven award-winning status, the result of many years of success in schemes such as Great Taste, the Quality Food Awards and the Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards. Key to this success is our unique blend of tradition and innovation, exemplified by the recent rapid growth in whiskey distilling in Northern Ireland. The Irish whiskey category is expected to increase by nearly £1bn over the next 5 years. Until recently the Old Bushmills Distillery – the world’s oldest licensed distillery – was the only distillery in Northern Ireland but now the region boasts 7 distilleries, with an eighth in progress as The Belfast Distillery Company progresses with its £22.3mn distillery and visitor experience located at Crumlin Road Gaol.

As well as creating award-winning whiskeys and gins, these

distilleries are playing an increasingly important role in attracting and entertaining tourists. Distilleries on the Island of Ireland attract over 1 million visitors per year and the likes of Bushmills, Echlinville, Rademon, Boatyard, Hinch and Belfast Distillery are playing a key role in this growth.

Invest NI’s dedicated food business development team supports local companies to develop their business with customers in GB and beyond. Visit buynifood.com or contact us directly to learn how our world-class food and drink can help grow your business.

British Public Want British Eggs On Menu When Eating Out The British public want and expect British eggs to be on the menu when eating out and are surprised that isn’t always the case, according to a survey from British Lion eggs.

British Lion eggs asked the British public where they thought the eggs come from when they’re eating out of home; the responses were resoundingly in favour of British, with many saying that if they knew an operator was using British Lion eggs

they would be more likely to eat there.

Specifying British Lion eggs can help to keep your customers happy and ensure the highest standards of food safety.

See the advert on page 12. The video is available to watch at www.egginfo.co.uk/tv/british-lion-eggs-journey-consumers-eating-out-home

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

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Products and Services

Your Perfect Print Partner Bournemouth-based Aspenprint is the leading provider of design and print to hotels across the UK. The talented team are competent at working with big name brands and adhering to brand guidelines, as well as creating bespoke designs for smaller boutique hotels. In addition to providing a graphic design service they also have a large 20,000 square foot print facility filled with digital and litho machines as well as large format and finishing department to cater for all manner of print projects.

Aspenprint’s wide range of hotel products includes Christmas brochures, Wedding brochures, key card holders, door hangers, branded chocolates, menus, menu covers, branded pens, outdoor banners, giant

deckchairs, gift vouchers, branded merchandise and everything else a hotel might need to maximise its marketing and boost bookings.

Managing Director Ian Shenton commented; “We’ve been in the print business for over 50 years and have a strong team of staff who all know the hospitality industry inside out. We truly understand how to market a hotel through effective use of design and print, and can turn projects around within a matter of days. We pride ourselves on building a solid working relationship with our loyal clientbase. Our ever-expanding product range keeps customers coming back to us month after month, and our excellent customer service and high quality design and print keeps them more than happy to use Aspenprint."

For more information please visit their website at www.aspenprint.com or request a free sample box of hotel related design and print by emailing hello@aspenprint.com See the advert on page 13 for more details.

Gas - An Important Role to Play In Achieving Net Zero Operations Despite the call to embrace a net zero approach the majority of existing restaurants, pubs and hotels will depend on gas for their heating and service critical hot water supplies. For this reason, unlocking the potential of hydrogen represents a familiar, easier and more cost-effective way to transition to more sustainable heating practices in buildings with a connection to the gas grid.

20% blend ready. This instantly delivers an opportunity to embrace more sustainable gas supplies once available without the need for any change in specification, or post-installation upgrades to the appliances.

With advanced burner technology and rugged titanium stainless steel construction of the heat exchangers Adveco’s ADplus, AD and MD will continue to operate well into the 2030s, providing a practical, future-proof choice today to decarbonise operations in the most cost-effective manner as hydrogen blending becomes commonplace. Organisations also gain a clear path to the adoption of future generations of proven 100% hydrogen appliances as the gas network matures and greens.

For those wishing to adopt the hydrogen approach, there remains a question mark over how quickly, where and in what proportion hydrogen will be introduced into the gas grid. The ultimate aim of introducing 100% green hydrogen nationally via the gas network is unlikely to be fully realised until the 2040s. As an interim, the UK is assessing the potential for introducing hydrogen into the existing gas network as early as the end of this decade as a blend at 20% volume to deliver a safer, greener gas alternative that reduces carbon emissions.

Those currently working on commercial water heating projects with Adveco can continue to commit to gas-fired applications with the knowledge that Adveco’s instantaneous ADplus and semi-instantaneous AD water heaters, and MD boiler ranges are all hydrogen

For those wishing to commit to immediately decarbonising their hot water systems, Adveco can support hybrid applications that use solar thermal, as well as heat pumps, to pre-heat water and offset gas-energy usage without removing the gas connection necessary for future infrastructure developments. www.adveco.co

Proper Tasty Snacks Handmade in Britain Are You Still Hand Polishing Cutlery?

Great Tasting Pork Crackling, Delectable Nuts and Fabulous Fudge

All Robert’s Dorset products are made to order on site in Dorset, providing customers with only the freshest produce and bespoke selections.

Robert Parkin, founder of Robert’s Dorset comments: “We’re a passionate team here at Robert’s Dorset and we’re experts at creating tasty snacks in a wide range of moreish flavours. We’re a proud family-run brand and have come far when we think back to when we were creating our hand-made snacks from our modest kitchen back in 2011. As a brand, we are led by quality and flavour. We’re for everybody, whether you like classic tastes or are a bit more daring, have allergies or are vegan, Robert’s Dorset is for all”.

The Robert’s Dorset products are suitable for a wide range of dietary needs, such as gluten free, sugar-free, vegan, 100% keto friendly and allergen free. All with the same great taste.

Robert’s Dorset can supply you with: • Proper Pork Crackling - triple cooked with incredible crunch and available in 11 flavours. No MSG or Artificial flavours.

• Proper Pork Crackling Natural Triple Zero - the first non-HFSS Pork Crackling.

Containing no sugar, no salt, and no carbs, while still providing ‘full-on pork flavour’ and the Robert Dorset’s trademark crunch.

• Yummy Peanuts - grade AA nuts, ethically and sustainably sourced and available in 13 flavours.

• Delicious Cashews - grade AA nuts, ethically and sustainably sourced and available in 12 flavours.

• Fabulous Fudge - 100% British and available in 15 flavours. Cream based and Gluten-free. Two vegan varieties also available.

Robert’s Dorset products come in a range of different pack sizes and packaging options to suit all retailers.

Choices include small and large re-usable pots and jars, as well as recyclable bags and pouches, offering environmentally friendly solutions for traders across Europe.

Robert’s Dorset are proud to supply many stockists throughout the UK. These range from a modest solo operator shop to pubs, bars, restaurants, butchers, farm shops and more.

Contact Robert to find out more: 01202 875280, info@sct-sct.com, www.robertsdorset.com See the advert on page 3.

The difficulty in finding and keeping good employees in our industry has seen an unusually high interest in our products. A cutlery polisher used to be seen as a luxury item for those requiring a higher quality finish to their cutlery than hand polishing, now it's seen as a must-have as most restaurants are operating with reduced labour which is costly.

are more about health and safety. Some thin glasses are impossible to hand polish safely with good results, our Glass Polisher can safely polish with impressive results. 5 spinning brushes polish both the inside and outside of the glass, hot air is continuously blown so the brushes remain dry allowing the same brushes to be used all day long. The quality of polishing makes a great difference when glasses are on display.

Taking washed, still wet cutlery, handfuls at a time are placed into the polisher where the cutlery is immersed in a bed of crushed corn. This corn absorbs water and polishes the cutlery for 30 seconds before exiting under a UV lamp (which kills bacteria and viruses including Covid19) ready to place on the table. It will polish a basket of washed cutlery in 2 minutes (up to 3500 per hour for our mid-sized polisher). With a rental cost of just £3.57 per day, it's less than 20 minutes of staff time so it’s worth looking at your costs and seeing if we can be of service to you.

Our all-inclusive, noncontract rental plan is riskfree and will save on costs during the unprecedented times our industry is currently facing. If a rental scheme isn't for you, you can purchase with a 2-year no-quibble full parts and labour warranty.

You can see a video of the polisher working on our website at www.thecutlerypolisher.co.uk Our Glass Polisher is the same process and although it’s quicker than hand polishing, the benefits

We have been doing this since 1999, some customers have had the same machine since we first started, serviced regularly the Nicem cutlery polisher will last pretty much indefinitely. We still offer a free trial if the above is of interest, just contact us; at info@thecutlerypolisher.co.uk or 01474 873 892 For those reading who have a Nicem Cutlery polisher, our grain and service deal runs until the end of October 2022, contact us for more information.

See the advert on page 23 for details.

The Original Smartphone Quiz That’s Driving Footfall and Sales In Thousands of Pubs In theory, Thursday night at the Black Bull in York should be one of the pub’s quieter nights of the week, falling as it does just before the weekend. But the reality couldn’t be more different.

“We run a Thursday evening quiz using SpeedQuizzing and it’s now one of our busiest nights, with revenues up by about 80% and more than 35 four-person teams competing each week,” says manager Jill Clarke.

She’s not alone. The Black Bull is just one of over a thousand hospitality venues hosting weekly quizzes using SpeedQuizzing, an interactive app-based quiz platform that’s revolutionising the pub quiz and driving footfall, sales and fun in pubs and bars all over the UK. It has been described as offering all the excitement of a quiz and game show rolled into one, and, when you speak with SpeedQuizzing co-founder Alan Leach, it’s easy to understand why.

“We created Speedquizzing to be fast-paced, entertaining and hassle-free, both for pub hosts and players alike.

“Games are hosted in each venue via our platform using a laptop, and instead of using a pen and paper, players answer the questions in real-time

through our app, which they download for free. There’s no need to keep score as that’s done automatically and our customers love the fact that our quizzes are cheat-free, with our software making it easy to set time limits on how long teams have to answer each question.

“In keeping with the game show style of our quiz games, individual buzzer sounds can also be allocated to each team, while hosts can also use a variety of sound effects to add to the upbeat atmosphere.”

Its digital question packs, which come free with every SpeedQuizzing activation, are another key point of difference, with every pack being completely unique – ensuring no host will ever receive the same question pack as another host.

“They can be tailored by topic, age range or level of difficulty, meaning quiz hosts can perfectly cater to the needs and requirements of different audiences,” says Alan, “and with the World Cup just around the corner we’re already starting to see increasing demand for our football themed quiz packs.”

For more information, visit www.SpeedQuizzing.com or see the advert on page 2.

Wines, Spirits and Cocktails Coravin Trade Exclusive Promotion As we head into the festive season, maximising profitability while delivering an excellent guest experience becomes ever more critical across the trade.

To help the trade deliver against this objective, Coravin, global leaders in wine preservation, are running a trade exclusive promotion during October offering 30% off their latest innovation - Coravin Sparkling™.

Coravin Sparkling™ is the first preservation system to perfectly preserve the crisp flavour and effervescence of sparkling wines for up to 4 weeks. The portable format is highly convenient and easy to use, while the unique universal Coravin Sparkling™ Stoppers fit all half, standard, and magnum bottles.

Anne Roque, Coravin UK Sales Manager comments, “Coravin Sparkling™ offers a unique opportunity for bars and restaurants to increase their sparkling wine by the glass menu, while eliminating the risk of wastage. The Sparkling wine category is typically one of the most challenging for the trade, due to the high stock cost and short

Authentic Spanish Sangria – Now In A Can!

Solsueño sangria in a can, introduced to the UK in spring 2022 in partnership with Proof Drinks Ltd, has brought a premium, innovative addition to the premix beverage sector and a ray of liquid Spanish sunshine to UK consumers!

Packaged in a modern 330ml slimline can at 5% abv, Solsueño is an authentic sangria, crafted in the Denominacion de Origen region of Jumilla, Murcia.

Using local and natural ingredients, the great tasting liquid is vegan and gluten free, instantly giving consumers the ‘sun, sea and sangria’ holiday feeling.

Ideal for all indoor and outdoor settings, with no preparation or wastage, the can offers single-serve convenience but can also be used in shared occasions adding ice and fruit in a jug.

The eco credentials of cans mean lower transport costs due to the lightness of the packaging and the cans are infinitely recyclable.

Awarded Bronze in the 2022 IWSC Alternative Drinks category competition, the professional wine-tasting

panel offered the following tasting notes: ‘’juicy cherry and plum palate, with clove and cinnamon spice giving a refreshing and drinkable palate’’.

Following a first year of attending many national trade fairs, regional outdoor events, Foodie Festivals and local food & drink fairs, the overwhelming reaction to the liquid is really positive and has driven early successes with on and off-trade distribution, as well as Amazon. Supported by an active social media and extensive sampling campaign, Solsueño has established a firm foothold and the brand is very much looking forward to continued successes into 2023.

With pre-mix drinks growing to be a hugely popular category, particularly during the summer, sangria is a natural fit given the high levels of consumer awareness due to Spain being a major holiday destination for the UK consumer.

Solsueño sangria, Bringing Spain to the UK! Contact us at: info@sangria-solsueno.com www.sangria-solsueno.com

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shelf live after opening a bottle. We have a wide range of customers using Coravin Sparkling™, from fine dining restaurants offering super premium Champagnes by the glass, to traditional pubs who rely on the system to reduce wastage”.

Katie Warren, Coravin Marketing Manager adds, “Recent case studies across the UK have shown us that consumers really engage with an extensive menu of sparkling wines by the glass. We fully expect this trend to intensify as we head into the festive season.”

The promotion ends on October 31st, please visit trade.coravin.com/en-GB or contact sales_eu@coravin.com for more details.

Bottleproof Launch Selected Cocktails In Sustainable Paper Bottles

With over 25 cocktails in their range, Cambridge based Bottleproof Cocktails are one of the leaders in their field, supplying premium cocktails exclusively to the On-Trade since 2016. Customers include hotels, theatres, restaurants, pubs and events venues across the UK and beyond.

All Bottleproof cocktails are full ABV professional bar serves using branded spirits, juices and their own syrups. Each cocktail still has to be shaken, stirred or built so the theatre of a cocktail serve is not lost but they are considerably quicker to make and provide consistency without the need for extensive training.

Initially Bottleprtoof have launched two of their best sellers in the eco-friendly paper bottles, the multi award winning* Pornstar Martini and Espresso Martini which are now available to ship in 70cl bottles, each bottle serving 7 cocktails.

As Charlie Anderson, co-owner of Bottleproof Cocktails who heads up production and R&D comments: “In our drive to become more sustainable and to help venues reduce their carbon emissions, we have released the first of our cocktails in 70cl paper bottles. This

has followed extensive testing throughout last year to ensure they are fit for purpose. Not only are the bottles more environmentally friendly but they should also reduce the high costs venues have to pay for refuse collection” Compared to glass bottles, the paper bottles are: 5 x lighter than glass bottles 6 X less carbon footprint 94% recyclable paperboard outer As Mark Thompson, co-owner of Bottleproof Cocktails who heads up sales, says “Interest in the paper bottles from our existing customers as well as new customers has been phenomenal. Our cocktails are high quality with a proven track record in the on-trade; the packaging looks great and we are offering an initial stocking price that makes them cheaper than our glass bottles. Plus we are all helping the environment – what’s not to like!”

For more information, visit www.bottleproof.co.uk. Tel 01223 462211.

Email info@bottleproof.co.uk

Education and Training We are the National Hospitality Academy, Proud Creators of Expert LMS, Our World Leading Learning Management System

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Customise and brand your very own online staff training platform, to deliver an engaging training experience for your Hospitality team on any desktop, tablet or mobile device anywhere in the world. Fully equipped with over 70 interactive, accredited & certificated e-learning courses, our training is open access and covers a wide range of subjects including Food Hygiene and Hospitality, HR, Compliance, Vocational, Wellbeing and more – the perfect fit for your business. Visit www.nha.training Our powerful course building tools will allow you to produce an unlimited amount of your own bespoke training. You can upload video and documents, and even build your own interactive modules from onboarding to an interactive video’s using our stateof-the-art course editor! In-depth reporting and notification control allows for detailed analysis of all your training to help improve efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, Expert LMS with the Hospitality Academy comes with an open API, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your LMS

with another piece of software such as HR or rota systems.

Our dedicated team are on hand 7 days a week to offer technical support and you’re provided full and ongoing training in how to use our system so you can get the maximum amount of benefit.

We also provide over 3000 Personal Licences online every year with exams on Zoom every 30min. If you want to set up corporate account, call us 02035442211 and the course and exam will only be £70 per person.

The very fabric of a business lies within the skills of its workforce and the challenge to find the best technology to successfully induct, train and develop its talent. Your workforce is worthy of the very best, so get started today and join the thousands of other users online with our world leading learning platform, www.nha.training and www.expertlms.com

Boost Your Bottom Line and Gain New Customers with the Vegetarian Society Chef’s Diploma How enticing are your restaurant’s vegetarian and vegan options? The growing trend of meat reduction and flexitarianism has led to a rise in people expecting high-quality, exciting plantbased dishes when they eat out. It makes great business sense to keep these customers happy and coming back for more.

That’s where the Vegetarian Society Chef’s Diploma comes in – it’s a three-day course that will teach you how to make incredible on-trend veggie and vegan dishes, giving you the edge over your competitors.

Chefs will develop skills and build their confidence in everything veggie and vegan. The course costs just £750 and covers recipe creation, menu planning, vegetarian and vegan definitions and attitudes, plant-based ingredients, building flavour, alternatives to meat and dairy... And much more!

Here’s what course attendees are saying: “I can’t recommend this course strongly enough to any of you who are in this industry… With the modern trend in less

meat in the diet and people having meat-free days, I see this as a step forward to surviving in our harsh economic environment.”

Murray “It really does exceed expectations. Right mix of theory, business info and practical cooking.”

Ian “100% recommend this course… I had the best schooling days of my life in this cookery school!”

Darshana “Endless ideas and new techniques. More than met my expectations of improving veggie options at work.”

Matt Book your place now with a £75 deposit: www.vegsoc.org/diploma

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Cleaning and Hygiene

Ozone Clean

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

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

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

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

We have over 850 clients and 11 million rooms per

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

Web: www.ozoneclean.co.uk Call : 020 8883 2756 Emails: sales@ozoneclean.co.uk

Tork - Think Ahead

brand Tork, which found that hospitality businesses are under increasing amounts of pressure to showcase or invest in their own sustainability credentials as consumer expectations evolve.

To meet the demand of hospitality businesses right now and for the years ahead, Tork has announced the launch of a sustainability guide for restaurants. The guide shares accumulated knowledge from Tork’s 50 years of experience within the food service industry, alongside brand-new knowledge on relevant topics for the industry.

The need for hospitality businesses to transform their sustainability performance has never been as critical, as new research reveals that Brits buy over 3.2 billion drinks in paper cups every year – just under two billion of which won’t make their way into an appropriate recycling bin.

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

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

These alarming statistics are further emphasised by additional research from Essity’s professional hygiene

Tork’s PaperCircle service is the world’s first paper hand towel recycling scheme. Hospitality businesses can go circular by working directly with Tork to collect and recycle used paper hand towels into new tissue products. Tork PaperCircle reduces waste by up to 20% and cuts carbon emissions for paper hand towels by at least 40%.

Sustainability is core to the Essity business, with its credentials including featuring in the 2022 FTSE4Good global sustainability index and receiving a “Platinum Medal” award in the 2022 Ecovadis CSR Rating. This places Essity in the top one per cent of all companies to be assessed by Ecovadis.

To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit: www.tork.co.uk

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Laundry and Linens

Sustainability - An Expensive Luxury? gy of the PowerPress and PowerSpin provides low residual moistures permitting high savings in the subsequent evaporation process. Thanks to the process control Eco2Power for the transfer dryer PowerDry, the energy is kept in the system and needs not to be recovered via heat exchangers. In the finishing process, Kannegiesser is a pioneer for low-temperature drying during the process of ironing, finishing or full drying - with impressive results for both, in maintaining textile value and energy consumption. Ultimately, the energy contained in the ironing and finisher exhaust air is used to heat fresh water for the washing process - the circle is completed.

Invest today, profit tomorrow: Why sustainability is for laundries a plus for their budget and for the climate?

Several tons of laundry are processed in a laundry every day. Textile service providers stand for reliability, quality and hygiene. Today, a responsible and integral circular economy means much more: Consistently clean and sustainable processed textiles.

Kannegiesser is the global partner for the future of the laundry industry. For us, sustainability is an elementary component and more than just a trend. In addition to savings in resources and textile care in the laundry technology, Kannegiesser stands for the integral sustainable corporate culture. This includes securing longterm economic stability, comprehensive education and training of the own employees and security for the future through innovation.

The modern technology of Kannegiesser reduces the use of fresh water and fossil fuels. Our solutions drive growth for our customers and create attractive, future-oriented and ergonomic jobs for us and in the entire industry. This is how we help people to live clean, healthy and safe lives.

In the washhouse, the washing line PowerTrans sets new standards for washing efficiency, hygiene, water and energy consumption. The water-extraction technolo-

Visit www.kannegiesser.com/uk/en/ for further information.

Vision Linens Launches New Loyalty Program Additional points can be earned when you initially register for an account as well as reviewing products, referring friends and for social media interactions.

In turn, Reward Points can be redeemed against any products listed on the website, with no minimum order value. It’s as easy as that.

Vision Linens, leading textile supplier and distributer, has launched a new loyalty program across its ecommerce site, visionlinens.com. Vision is best known for supplying textiles to some of the biggest names in hospitality and retail, including Accor, IHG, Hilton and John Lewis & Partners. What many may not realise, is that Vision’s ecommerce site enables accommodation providers, as well as everyday consumers to buy the same ethically sourced, high-quality products, direct from Vision and delivered straight to their door.

The benefits continue to flow, you’ll be the first to know about Vision’s sales, promotions and new products, as well as handy industry tips. As a member you can view your full order history and quickly reorder the same products without having to find them and add them to your basket.

The Visionaires Members Club is completely free to join and rewards its members for every interaction they have on the online shop. The more its members spend and the more they share online, the more points Vision will offer to redeem against its products.

So, what are you waiting for? Click here to sign up and create an account with us.

Visionaires can earn one Reward Point for every £10 they spend online.

*Terms and conditions apply.

Double Accolade For Southern Contracts

Mark Rogers, Regional Business Manager for Electrolux Professional, added: “Electrolux Professional have dealt with Southern Contracts for over 30 years and during that time they have established themselves as always being one of our leading distributors. We have always found them to be a first class and professional partner.

SOUTHERN Contracts is thrilled to receive not one, but two awards for their performance over the past year.

Electrolux Professional have announced Southern Contracts as their Laundry Partner of the Year 2021 which is awarded to the top selling Partner of commercial laundry appliances across last year.

Southern Contracts have also been awarded Electrolux Professional’s Special Achievement Award for 2021. This is bestowed upon the company with the highest national sales of their food and laundry professional products.

To have been given these two awards is quite amazing when the whole of the country was in lockdown during this period, with hospitality, care homes, schools, cruise ships and holiday venues all closed to the outside world.

Adam Elphinstone, MD of Southern Contracts, said: “We have a very long and special relationship with Electrolux Professional and are proud to work with their products for both provision, installation and servicing. As we continue to emerge from the last couple of years we look forward to an optimistic future and all our clients being able to fully open up their businesses in this bright new world ahead.”

“I have worked with them personally for over 4 years and can always rely on them to provide the right solution and fantastic after-care for any customer, from a wide variety of sectors, across the Marine environment through to Care Homes, Hotels and Schools.

“Due to their many years of experience, they have a wide breadth of knowledge covering both the laundry and catering environments and although they are a company that can deal in a global marketplace, they still give the first-class friendly care of a family run business for both their remote and local customers.”

For more information about products and services on offer, contact Southern Contract’s expert team of technical staff to provide guidance and advice through every aspect of your purchase and ongoing commitment to service, please telephone 01202 422100 or visit www.southerncontracts.co.uk See the advert on the previous

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

Increase Customer Spend by 18% (or more)!

Download the Paytronix Loyalty Report 2022 to find out more: https://alohaepos.co.uk/ annual-loyalty-report/

0800 731 8451 info@alohaepos.co.uk www.alohaepos.co.uk

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CLH DIGITAL

Hospitality Technology

Issue 138

4 Biggest Payment Trends in Hospitality Top Hospitality Partnership Takes for 2022 to 2023 Customer Experience To New Levels

Those in the hospitality industry who weathered the pandemic and Brexit and lived to tell the tale find themselves in a different landscape. Customers’ expectations have grown as the world opens up to travel and tourism with renewed enthusiasm.

Truevo is an industry partner to UK’s hotels, selfcatering, bed and breakfasts, hostels, camping and caravanning. Along with other businesses like restaurants, bars and takeaways. We created payment tools and solutions to help owners meet customers' demands.

Here are the most prominent payment trends we’re helping you meet.

Online is offline, and vice versa.

In 2020, 65% of worldwide tourism and travel sales were online, which is expected to reach 72% by 2025.

Customers expect a seamless experience booking online and in person. Top hotels allow customers to self-service and pay for additional services from their mobile devices.

Cash is dead. The card is king.

This trend has been slow-moving, but after the pandemic, debit and credit cards have dominated as the preferred payment method.

Convenience is a must.

For hotel guests, convenience includes quickly paying online or in person with their preferred payment method.

Aloha integrated with Paytronix, benefits the customer experience in key ways:

Restaurant owners now have access to frictionless client engagement thanks to an exclusive partnership between a leading provider of restaurant epos and the most advanced digital guest experience platform.

Chargeback fraud is on the rise.

With the rise of new payment methods, the hospitality sector has experienced increased chargeback fraud.

Truevo’s system and the team help resolve chargebacks quickly, prevent fraud and keep payment data secure.

With us, you receive chargeback notifications in realtime.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TRUEVO’S • Competitive fees tailored to your business • Unrivalled support via phone, email and Live Chat • Next-day settlement to improve operational efficiency • Acceptance and processing optimisation to maximise successful transactions • Accept over 150 currencies globally and get settled in GBP or EUR Bump your payments up to first-class with Truevo Simply Better Payments at https://truevo.com/card-machines/

SumUp POS Our mission is to empower small merchants across the globe

HOW WE CAN HELP We give access to financial services to the millions of businesses that

NFS Technology, provider of Aloha restaurant management software, have announced the selection of Paytronix Systems Inc as their UK and Ireland partner in a move predicted to be hugely popular in the industry.

Chris Cartmell, Chief Commercial Officer for NFS restaurant technology, said the development is a response to the dramatic change in the way customers want to engage with their favourite restaurants.

“Many of our clients ask us how they can take a more integrated approach to client engagement, loyalty and feedback,” he said.

“The Paytronix platform seamlessly integrates with Aloha, to be able to offer our clients a tool to improve client engagement, grow revenue and be able to get a much better picture on both client spend and preferences,” said Chris.

are considered too small for most providers. They’re as much as 10 times smaller than the smallest businesses that would be targeted by banks and traditional providers. What started out as one card reader has now turned into a range of readers, multiple remote payment solutions such as Invoices, Gift Cards, Payment Links and so much more.

INCLUSIVE We want to make technology that anyone can use and everyone has access to. Whether you’re a one-person show or a team, we’re there for the smallest of businesses.

PERSONAL SUPPORT

1. It enables restaurants to provide a customised one-to-one journey for clients, combining data and marketing automation in one dashboard.

2. Digital marketing is highly personalised to customer behaviour and connected to actual guest spend.

3. Restaurateurs can create and deploy omnichannel marketing campaigns in minutes, using core design options that suit guest needs.

4. Order frequency is increased by offering combined services – for example, online ordering and loyalty programmes together have been shown to increase order frequency by 18%.

5. Customer loyalty is grown. The integrated system enables more ways to enrol and more promotion types – many users see guest participation of 50 to 70%.

Discover more about epos technology and customer experience: https://alohaepos.co.uk/ See the advert on the previous page for details.

Do you have questions about the usage of SumUp? We have a dedicated customer support team in the language that works for you.

SECURE PAYMENTS SumUp card readers are the most secure methods of card payments and have received full certification from a range of regulatory bodies.

RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY SumUp is authorised as a Payment Institution by the Financial Conduct Authority (license no. 900700) and is EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) and PCI-DSS certified.

See the advert opposite for details.

52

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 138

Hospitality Technology

How to Harvest Intelligent Data

By Scott Muncaster, Owner and Managing Director of Adactus (www.adactus.co.uk) By definition, intelligent customer data is any data collected by your company which offers insight into the behaviour and mindset of your customers. This data will help you gain a better understanding of what drives and excites your customers.

Intelligent data is invaluable when it comes to marketing outreach, new customer procurement, and customer retention, as it allows you to provide a targeted and bespoke approach for all your guests.

However, so often brands are guilty of taking a blanket approach when it comes to communicating with customers.

Not only are they missing an opportunity to build a strong rapport with those who walk through their doors, but equally they risk losing existing clientele with irritating, irrelevant marketing.

Capturing intelligent data that creates a single customer view has never been more important. No one needs to dine out, especially with a cost-of-living crisis, so knowing who you’re speaking to and tailoring your messages appropriately is crucial to capturing people’s attention, enticing them in, and then nurturing those relationships further.

For example, you might want to reach young couples who have the flexibility, but not as much disposable income, with mid-week meal deals, or retirees living in a specific area with a lunchtime offer. Maybe you want to get early bird discounts in front of families who are slightly more cash strapped but still relish those one-off family outings – intelligent data allows you to do this.

MCR Systems

MCR Systems has over 40 years of experience in providing hospitality, catering and leisure organisations with enterprise management solutions that directly improve the efficiency of their business operations.

We do this by combining high-quality

software and cutting-edge EPOS technology.

Then there’s using this data to track customers’ behaviours and to tailor to suit. For example, having a highchair ready for the family with a baby or tracking a customer’s usual drink choice so the waiter is informed on arrival.

This insight can also be used to shape the company’s future product or service plans. For example, is it time to introduce ‘order and pay’ options at the table for those on a tight schedule or who want to be more in control of their experience if you’re seeing more customers that fit that profile? Or perhaps offering the option of takeaway could boost weekday sales?

It's about doing a deep dive into data to help shape and grow your business, while delivering a more personalised experience that makes you stand out. Harvesting intelligent customer data means you’re able to interrogate data, to understand where, when and how a guest engages with your brand.

Collecting intelligent customer data is easier than you might think. Using the right tools means as you gather, cleanse and segment your data, the more assertive you can be with your selling.

However, the more data you harvest, the more analysis is needed to make this data work harder for you, all of which can be automated via CRM systems.

This involves categorising your data so you can make inferences at a glance. The analysis process is where you begin to truly understand the trends of your customers. Once this stage of the customer intelligence process is complete, you’ll have a comprehensive single view of all your customers.

We find that consistency is key in the hospitality sector, and using technology can add speed and accuracy to your approach, as well as clearing a more visible path to maximising your data’s potential.

The hospitality industry is one of the most competitive, and as the sector continues to be hit by the costof-living crisis, businesses simply cannot afford to provide a so-so service. Intelligent data will help improve every facet of your offering, and make it easier to navigate the challenges of the current climate.

Employers Must Adapt To Employee Expectations, says Bizimply “The recruitment crisis is already stretching wage budgets, so employers don’t always have the option to increase pay significantly for entry-level staff working front-of-house and kitchen shifts. However, it’s important to understand employee motivation at this level.

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

The monthly ONS vacancy figures have seen a decline in the number of hospitality vacancies, with 158,000 vacancies recorded in the quarter from July to September 2022, a decline of 8.8% compared with the 173,000 vacancies in the from April to June 2022.

Conor Shaw, CEO of workforce management specialist Bizimply, said: “While vacancies still represent a huge challenge for the sector, the drop reflects our experience that some operators are using technology to manage their workforce a little better, and maximise the benefits to the business of the workforce available.

“An employer trying to run their businesses with 10% vacancy rates needs their existing staff to be 10% more efficient, and every employee willing to work an extra shift helps to relieve the immediate challenge for employers, while employees need to know that they can fit work around other commitments.

“Many of the businesses we work with rely on parttime staff, including team members who combine work with their studies, or who have childcare or other commitments. For these employees, there is the potential to take home a little more from every shift they work, through the increases in the minimum wage and the National Insurance threshold introduced earlier this year.

“Businesses that have robust workforce management systems in place can input changes such as new rates of pay, tax and NI, give employees the maximum notice of shifts, and process any changes in employees’ shift patterns quickly. Employees can use the same technology to it to let their employer know what hours they can work regularly, and if these change due to school holidays or other circumstances.

“Bizimply’s software helps businesses reduce the amount of time spent creating staff rotas and sorting out payroll. It means that GMs and supervisors can spend more time front of house, where they can have the most positive impact, making operational decisions, managing team members and interacting with customers.”

See the advert on this page for details.

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Outdoor Spaces

Issue 138

CLH DIGITAL

53

Putting Safety On The Menu For Al Fresco Dining Deborah Ainscough, founder and director of Crowdguard, specialists in safety installations for events and pedestrianised locations, discusses the safety considerations for al fresco dining areas to protect staff and customers.

No so long ago, al fresco dining was a lifestyle we associated with summer holidays abroad; a European pavement café culture that we’d never quite mastered over here, with our narrow roads and limited pavements. Indeed, al fresco dining was so foreign to us Brits that we’ve never even coined our own name for it!

But COVID was a catalyst for change. Forced to provide the option for customers to eat and drink outside when indoor spaces were too risky at the height of the virus, many hospitality businesses have made that temporary provision into a permanent change, and are now benefitting from their investment in outdoor dining with increased capacity and appeal to a wider demographic.

Extended outdoor seating licensing introduced as a temporary measure June 2020 was extended until September of this year and has now been extended again until 2023, pending permanent legislation to allow bars and restaurants to provide furniture on pavements and pedestrianised roads adjacent to their premises. It’s great news for a sector still recovering from the pandemic and offers customers greater choice, along with the continental vibe they may have enjoyed while en vacances. But there is an elephant in the outdoor space: safety.

UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL RISKS

While vehicle as a weapon attacks are rare, they have become the tactic of choice for terrorists and any location where people gather outside close to vehicular access is vulnerable to this type of attack.

Terrorism is not the only safety consideration either. While drink driving statistics have been falling over the past few years, drug driving offences continue to rise, putting pedestrians at risk of incidents involving errant vehicles. Add to this a spate of ram raid attacks on high street stores, and it’s easy to see how quickly a relaxed lunch could become a serious incident if the risks involved have not been identified and mitigated.

Following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, campaigning led by Figen Murray, mother of one of the victims, has led to proposed legislation called UK Protect Duty (Martyn’s Law), which will involve mandatory risk assessment and the implementation of safety plans for businesses responsible for gatherings of people. The consultation element of the legislative process has already been completed, and a draft bill is expected soon.

Regardless of the parameters of any future legislation, however, many businesses are already preparing and embracing the need to consider safety as part of their duty of care for al fresco diners.

THREAT, VULNERABILITY AND RISK An outdoor hospitality environment ought to be a place where people can relax and enjoy good food and good company, so mitigating risk should definitely not involve creating a Fort Knox enclosure that makes customers feel in constant jeopardy. Any measures put in place to protect people should be proportionate to the risk, and the level of risk will depend on numerous factors, including the proximity of roads, the direction of traffic, ease of vehicular access, etc.

A risk assessment process that considers the potential threats and specific vulnerabilities of individual al fresco dining environments to understand

"Can We Sit Outside Please?"

Over 79% of UK diners have attested that they would spend more time and money in a restaurant if they incorporated outdoor dining.

Integrating outdoor dining into your establishment is a no brainer decision especially when you consider the al fresco movement across the UK and return on investment opportunities. For example, when discussing predictions for the rise in al fresco dining in 2022, Janice H. Dobson, Business Development Director at Archatrak, said: “Restaurant owners can look at it mathematically, they know the value of every seat they offer and I encourage my clients to ask themselves, ‘what could 8 extra seats, 12 extra seats, 20 extra seats, mean for your business?’

Often, they’ll find that, in a relatively short period of time, these outdoor areas can pay for themselves and continue generating revenue years afterward.”

The maths is simple; seating 16 people under a 4m x 4m parasol, at an average spend of £12.50 per head

the level of risk involved enables hospitality owners and operators to make informed choices about the measures they put in place to protect people. There is a balance to be struck between risk mitigation and practicality/affordability. It will never be possible to eradicate risk, but it is possible to ensure safety measures are targeted and proportionate.

BLENDING IN OR STANDING OUT? There is a varied array of hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) systems available, and selecting the right solution for a specific environment depends on a variety of risk factors, along with practical, operational needs and aesthetics. For al fresco dining environments, it is entirely possible to select HVM protection that not only blends into the surroundings but actually enhances them.

A correctly specified IWA-14-1 rated HVM system can be concealed within a variety of streetscape casings, including planters, benches, bike racks and barriers, providing a decorative touch for outdoor spaces that keeps people safer. Bars and restaurants can even choose to combine HVM protection with branded banners, enabling them to combine safety with customisation too.

RELAXED DINING Al fresco dining is an opportunity for customers to relax and enjoy. By ensuring they understand and mitigate risk, hospitality operators can relax too.

equals £200. If you were to turn these 3 times a day that would equal £600. If we multiply that by a realistic 4 days of the week, you’re looking at £2400 or £9,600 a month! Multiply that by 12 and your revenue would increase by £115k per annum. Assuming 50% gross margin, the investment of 1 parasol could provide a profit contribution of £57.6k per annum, which is a welcome statistic in these economically trying times.

What’s more, our zero deposit leasing options allow for payments to be spread over 2-5 years.

So taking a 4mt X 4mt parasol with a moveable base, import, delivery and fitting, the monthly payment over 36 months would be £184.09 or the weekly equivalent of £42.98. As such, your potential R.O.I. massively outweighs this no deposit figure.

What are you waiting for?!

01352 740164 www.indigoawnings.co.uk enquiries@indigoawnings.co.uk

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 138

Outdoor Spaces The Sausage Man Launches the Optimum Grab and Go Sausage Solution with Sausage2Go Launched at this year’s Casual Dining Show, The Sausage Man’s Sausage2Go unit, presents the perfect hot-hold solution for caterers across all sectors wishing to offer hot dogs as a quick serve or grab and go option.

Specialists in authentic, premium quality German sausages, The Sausage Man, offers five bestselling sausages from its extensive range to kick off the Sausage2Go launch; choose from delicious Bratwurst, Bacon Krakauer, Cheese Frankfurters, Chilli Beef or Vegan Hot Dogs to entice custom.

All sausages are fully cooked, ready to eat and reheat, and are supplied chilled or frozen, benefiting from a long shelf life. The sausages are offered for sale accompanied by high quality brioche baguettes from bakery brand St Pierre.

The Sausage2Go unit, made by Flexeserve, the specialists in hot-holding, flexible merchandising solutions, facilitates the latest ground-breaking, patented

air recirculation technology, retaining heat without over-cooking for perfect food condition, superior flavour and texture, and no moisture loss throughout the day.

Sausage2Go couldn’t be easier to use; no catering experience is required, and user-friendly control panels set over individual zones can be independently used to allow greater energy efficiency.

Unit sizes range from countertop to freestanding with front and rear loading options, tailored to individual needs.

Branding and packaging featuring The Sausage Man’s eye-catching visuals will also be available to further enhance the offer.

For operators, the unit couldn’t be simpler to use and is especially useful for quick serve situations.

For product information, inspirational recipes and to find your foodservice distributor call 01322 867060, go to www.wholesale.sausageman.co.uk, or email info@sausageman.co.uk

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

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

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

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

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

We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand.

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

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 138

CLH DIGITAL

White Pavilion Gazebos

‘Outdoor space that cannot be used because of the weather has no value.’

selves many, many times over.

Since the Pandemic, customers prefer to be outside, and I dread to think of the business we would have missed out on if we had not made the investment.”

Susie, Proprietor, Grantham Arms, Boroughbridge : The Bay Tree, Swillington, York : The Black Horse, Kirby Fleetham Premium quality Hospitality gazebos that last, 4 sizes from £1,666 ex vat

Your solution is an investment that gives your customers comfort.

Your solution is an investment that gives you a speedy R.O.I.* Another solution? Parasols & umbrellas? but no real weather Another solution? Perhaps buying cheap? But as our pubs tell us a cheap gazebo looks cheap. And their customers don’t like cheap [and it won’t last]. *According to our pub customers, each gazebo typically pays for itself in about 6 weeks Straight from the horses mouth, must read: “Nearly 2 years on, it was the best decision we ever made to buy 3 White Pavilion Gazebos. They have paid for them-

[ low cost leasing available ] White Pavilion Gazebos, carefully made in Yorkshire www.whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk info@whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk 01653 695 285

Keeping Food Hot? We Have All The Answers First of all, you will want one of our world beating Kanga boxes and a Carbon Heater. You can then keep food hot indefinitely and fully comply with HACCP regulations.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well we only supply premium German manufactured products from stock at incredibly low prices. The insulated box manufactured from top quality expanded polypropylene is a dense closed cell insulation material but incredibly light to handle when empty for example the GN insulted box with a 117 mm internal depth only weighs just over a kilo and yet holds a massive 21 lts capacity. Now combine the Kanga box with a Carbon Heater and the magic begins, hot food all the time!

Our range of Carbon heaters offers two voltage options 12 volts for car operation using the cigarette lighter socket or 230 volt mains voltage for internal or external mains use. The big advantage of the Carbon Heaters they are absolutely fool proof just insert them in the bottom of the box turn on and forget, there are no consumer controls the temperature is pre-set at the factory at 75 deg C. The Carbon Heater is very light at only 700 grammes and does not take up much room only being 10mm thick. Dishes can be place on the Carbon Heater straight out of the oven up to 120deg C. Finally quick and easy to clean just wipe over with a damp cloth.

Contact Catering Equipment Limited on Tel: 0121 773 2228 or visit www.clickonstore.net or www.kangaboxuk.com

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

55

ComPaCK - THe sTaNdard THaT maKes THe dIFFereNCe

ProFessIoNal WareWasHING sYsTems relIaBIlITY HIGH PerFormaNCe GUaraNTeed assIsTaNCe at prices you will be overjoyed with Purchase/rental/Interest free 0% finance available ComPaCK GlassWasHers

The Compack glasswashers have simplicity and robust performance in mind.

Where the need for just washing glasses is the main aim this is the machine for the job.

• Electronic control with push buttons for high efficiency and easy to use • 350, 400 and 500 basket machines available • 120 seconds washing cycle • Ecoclean control system for partial clean water refill at every wash cycle • Built in drain pump included • Complete with built in adjustable detergent & rinse aid dispensers • Guarantees hot rinse thermostop • Thermal protection for wash tank and boiler • Light function button with self diagnostic

(subject to status)

ComPaCK FroNT loadING dIsHWasHers

• Electronic control DIGIT with temperature display • 4 washing cycles • Ecoclean control System for partial clean water refill at every wash cycle • Built in drain pump included • Complete with built in adjustable detergent & rinse aid dispensers • Guarantees hot rinse thermostop • Thermal protection for wash tank and boiler • Built in softener (only on D50S and D55S) • Colour coded function button with self diagnostic • Evolute Electronic control with lCd display

ComPaCK Pass THroUGH dIsHWasHers

d100

For all models

• Self-diagnosis with errors solution, precise setting of the detergent dispenser, different temperature setting for each cycle • Ecoclean control system for partial clean water refill at every wash cycle (only with built in drain pump).

• Thermal acoustic double door • New inclined and deep-drawn welded tank • Door reinforcement brackets • Adjustable rinsing arm rotation speed • Fully stainless steel made wash and rinse arms for low maintenance, heavy duty, all corrosion resistant • Removable double filtering system for wash and drainage cycle

Web www.compack.uk email info@compack.uk Tel 0333 456 4500

BT100/BT100s

• Electronic control with LCD display • 4 individual programmable cycles • Ecoclean control System for partial clean water refill at every wash cycle • Built in drain pump included • Complete with built in adjustable detergent & rinse aid dispensers • Break tank – AA air gap – Wras approved • Guarantee rinse temperature 85⁰C at constant pressure • Self cleaning cycle on drain down • Thermal protection for wash tank and boiler • Built in softener (only on BT55S) • Self diagnostic

BT100TC/BT100TCs

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Issue 138

CLH DIGITAL

Quality, Flexibility and Efficiency: Decarb It is the Decarboniser Supplier That Delivers

By Kate Wearden, Marketing Ninja, Decarb It Ltd

There are many benefits to considering short-term decarboniser hire for your commercial kitchen.

Deep cleaning kitchen-ware that is heavily greased and carbonated maintains the hygiene of your kitchen and is recommended by EHO’s. Decarbonisers enable time previously spent scrubbing and cleaning, to be used on more important tasks. They increase the longevity of your kitchen-ware, and, unlike long-term hire or purchasing, they don’t require permanent space in your kitchen. All of these have a direct impact on your kitchen’s bottom line. High hygiene ratings increase covers, more efficient use of staff reduces your wage-bill, longer-lasting kitchen-ware means less money spent on replacements, and efficiently utilizing the space in your kitchen increases productivity.

Most reputable decarbonisers deliver all these costsaving benefits, but with energy prices skyrocketing, we at Decarb It think it’s important to go further to support your long-term profitability. Our decarbonisers deliver all the benefits above but are also the most energy-efficient decarbonisers currently on the market.

We invest in high-grade steel, premium insulation, and advanced electronics, resulting in an average of approximately 40% less power used vs. a leading competitor.

We also appreciate the challenges of the changing environment in which we now live, which is why we recognise the importance of flexibility.

Committing to long-term contracts with vendors isn’t always possible when the economic environments are so fragile, which is why we not only offer a range of decarbonisers to suit all budgets, but also flexibility when it comes to the length of hire. Whether it’s two weeks, a month, or longer, we can provide a solution that is bespoke to your needs.

Our flexibility, commitment to efficiency, and customer-focused approach ensures that every aspect of our service, from our product to our customer relationships, are the highest quality possible.

To find out how Decarb It can make your kitchen shine, for less, visit www.decarbit.co.uk or call 0161 871 7393

Fry More For Less with OilChef How can the food service and hospitality industry protect against risings costs? One way is to make the cooking oil last longer. In fact, the award-winning accessory for deep fryers, is doing just that. The OiLChef device is a catalytic convertor for deep fryers!

It keeps the cooking oil in a fresher condition, by slowing down oxidation, stopping polymerizations of the oil molecules and by retarding the buildup of free fatty acids, peroxides, total polar materials and most importantly of all the carcinogenic acrylamides in frying oil.

The OiLChef device is not a filter, it is not a chemi-

cal, it adds nothing to the oil, it takes nothing out of the oil, it is an inorganic device that helps you keep your oil alive for longer.

A simple 3 second self-installation which is virtually maintenance free, and only needs replacing every 3 years. OiLChef is a dream come true for professional kitchens that operate deep fryers. OiLChef is in thousands of deep fryers around the World and comes with a full 3-year warranty and saves you up to 50% on oil purchases every month. Check them out at www.OiLChef.com Contact their CEO direct: sean.farry@oilchef.com

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

57

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 138

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Kitchen Extract Hygiene – A Burning Issue One of the biggest challenges in keeping a commercial kitchen spotlessly clean is the regular cleaning of the canopy, fan and extract ductwork. This must be tackled, not only for the sake of hygiene, but also for fire prevention and compliance.

Airborne fat, oil and grease is a natural by-product of even the healthiest diet.

Carried in the steam that rises from cooking, grease and oil particles are drawn into the kitchen extract system to be vented away to the outside. As the exhaust stream cools, grease is deposited on the metal surfaces of the hood, canopy, filters, canopy plenum, fan and ductwork.

Should a kitchen fire reach the extract ductwork, or a flash fire occur in the extract system, then the accumulated grease deposits can act as fuel, helping to spread the fire. The ductwork itself can also help to spread the

fire, acting as a chimney through which smoke and flames can travel, spreading the danger to the other parts of the building.

To counter this potential fire risk, operators of commercial kitchens are required to comply with a new standard for the fire safety management of grease accumulation in kitchen extract systems, TR19® Grease.

Compliance is also essential to ensure that you don’t compromise your buildings insurance. If a fire should break out and the ductwork can be shown not to have been cleaned in accordance with TR19® Grease, many insurers will now refuse to pay out on a claim.

Ensuring legal compliance, a reduced risk of fire and greater hygiene in your kitchen are items which should always be on every maintenance menu. www.swiftclean.co.uk or see advert on page 47

Temporary Catering Facilities For Events & Kitchen Refurbishments Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale 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 economic solution to the caterers’ needs.

Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Ware-washing 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 smallest Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, upright fridge, hot cupboard, single bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, 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

New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump) Creates Considerable Interest The New DrainMajor C (Combi Oven Pump) manufactured by Pump Technology Ltd. There are significant advantages that this combi oven drainage pump offers The pump features a tank with its clear side window was the large, triangular, low-level float attached to the pump by a rigid arm, external to the pump casing. Because of the design of this float system the unit can cope with an exceptional quantity of grease, fat and food particles before the reliable start/stop operation of the pump is affected.

The triangular low-level float also means that inlet heights can be just 70mm from base to centreline, giving the appropriate inlet requirement for wall or central island Combi Ovens.

The build quality of the submersible wastewater pump was also a discussion point, with the mechanical shaft seal arrangement between pump impeller and motor winding generally agreed as an advantage over a common lip seal/diaphragm arrangement, especially considering the hot wastewater temperatures and potential grease which these units have to handle.

It can be connected to multiple ovens or oven and sink combinations. Also, multiple inlet connections can be cut onsite directly into the rigid Polyethylene tank without the need to manifold inlets outside of the tank and then feed into it via a single inlet. This means that the installation footprint is just the size of the compact tank and potential leaks from knocked manifold piping and joints are eliminated.

It looks like the New DrainMinor C is a winner and will soon be featuring in combi oven installations everywhere.

Caterquip Ventilation – For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs

Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 22nd Anniversary this year.

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

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design

service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, The Truck Stop at Anglesey, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses.

They ensure their systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

With extensive knowledge of manufacturing and installing ventilation systems, they can help you design the best kitchen within the space available.

Call: 01926 887167, visit: www.caterquipventilation.co.uk, email: info@caterquipventilation.co.uk

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A Special Treat from KEMPLEX and NOWAH KEMPLEX and NOWAH are offering a special treat for customers with a sales offer that includes a two-day pastry masterclass in Milan - Italy, with the current Pastry World Cup champion Massimo Pica.

Anybody that purchases a Belt movement model from the KEMPLEX dough sheeter range, via an approved NOWAH dealer, will automatically qualify for the masterclass with Pastry World Cup champion, Massimo Pica, at his renowned pastry school in Milan.

The package includes return flights and accommodation, with sessions taking place between November 2022 and June 2023. Purchases

must be made before 31 March 2023 to be eligible.

NOWAH’s Michael George said the offer would give end-user customers a unique opportunity to enhance their pastry skills, while also spending a few days in Milan.

“We know that any customer who purchases one of these dough sheeters is going to have a real passion for pastry, so in order to ensure that they are able to indulge that passion – and get the very best from their Kemplex dough sheeter – what could be better than spending two days learning from the current world champion?

Kemplex has been manufacturing a wide range of pastry equipment since 1986.

Dough sheeters remain its flagship product.

For details of NOWAH approved dealers, please contact NOWAH Catering Equipment by visiting https://nowah.co.uk/kemplex-products

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out with Williams

By Malcolm Harling, sales and marketing director, Williams Refrigeration

These days kitchen space is getting squeezed, as foodservice operators look to increase their restaurant areas to get in more customers. The logical result of which is that, despite being smaller, the kitchen has to produce more meals. A new commercial kitchen fit out often has to comply with what the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) calls 20:20 vision: 20% more productivity from 20% less space.

All of which means there’s a big demand for equipment that can help maximise the available space – such as the Chef’s Drawer from Williams Refrigeration. The latest version of these individual refrigerated drawers is the VSWCD1, a variable temperature unit that can be switched from chilled to frozen storage, keeping pace with a business’s changing needs.

The combination of modular, compact drawers with variable temperature controls and a front venting refrigeration system makes the VSWCD1 an extremely flexible option that can be fitted in to the tightest spaces, providing easy access to fresh or frozen ingredi-

ents right where the kitchen brigade need it.

Depending on the selection of castors or legs, the height of the individual drawer can be adjusted by over 70mmm, between 456mm and 530mm.

Each VSWCD1 measures 1100mm wide by 670mm deep.

Despite its compact size each drawer can hold 2/1GN pans up to an impressive 150mm in depth, compared to 100mm for some competitor models, giving it a capacity of 105 litres.

Another advantage is the ability to stack two units beneath a standard worktop, creating an even more flexible storage solution.

The body and removable drawers are constructed from robust, foodsafe stainless steel. The Chefs Drawer uses natural refrigerant and eco-friendly high performance, high density polyurethane insulation, meaning it can operate in ambient temperatures as high as 43°C. To learn more about Williams extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk

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UK agents & distributors of top catering equipment manufacturers We sell heavy-duty, long-lasting, no-frills equipment at sensible prices.

“...we select our products based on Quality, Reliability, Durability and Value-for-Money”

Visit our website: www.nowah.co.uk View our catalogue:

www.nowah.co.uk/catalogues Or call our office: 01772 305161

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Create a Co-ordinated Look with Cost-Effective Furniture Packages Choosing individual pieces of furniture that complement both each other and your existing space can be tricky, timeconsuming and sometimes expensive. That’s why at Trent Furniture, we offer furniture packages designed to give you the perfect seating arrangement for your venue at great prices.

With 20 Mates Chairs, 20 button top Small Wooden Stools and 10 cast iron Girlshead Tables included, our Pub Furniture Package is the ultimate hassle-free way to refresh your tradi-

Archetypely Archetypely is a boutique design and construction project management consultancy that was founded in 2019, specialising in commercial fit-outs & refurbishments. Since then, we have been working on many interesting projects, successfully delivering to the satisfaction of our clients.

We can deliver the projects via the traditional procurement as ‘Main Contractor’ or via the ‘Design and Build’ route, but our biggest strength sits in the ability to also deliver the fit-out projects via ‘Construction Management,’ providing our clients with great control over time/cost and quality of the final product by directly controlling the trade contractors on client’s behalf.

In doing this we provide full support to the client and our team fully manages the entire process. We manage all of the client’s direct packages during the fit-out, from tender selection and interviews through negotiations, appointments and construction, while coordinating all trade contractors

and managing the site and main building works.

Here at Archetypely, we have a holistic and processoriented approach to project management consultancy. We are known for an unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction; we bring together the best architects, engineers and designers within one team.

Every project is unique and comes with new challenges.

That's why at Archetypely we customise our approach and resources to suit the individual client’s requirements.

At Puttshack Watford the new mini golf course uses techinfused ideas to bring a unique twist to the traditional game of golf.

ANAMO Design Studio was employed as the Interior Designer for the project, whilst Archetypely was the Main Contractor. Renata Zywicka, Director at Archetypely, has undertaken all portfolio development-related duties for Puttshack and has acted as the primary representative on their construction projects.

Archetypely has fully managed the entire project from its initial feasibility studies, through the design development, procurement and on-site management of the construction phase of the fit out.

For more information visit: https://www.archetypely.com/

tional pub furniture while making significant savings. For more contemporary venues our Bar Furniture Package includes three of our popular Shaker Poseur Tables, perfectly paired with 12 upholstered Tall Boston Bar Stools.

For diners, our American Diner Package offers amazing savings on our fun and durable faux red and white leather American Diner range, with 10 Vista Tables and 40 American Diner Chairs.

Trent’s bar and pub furniture packages are available in light oak, dark oak and walnut finishes, with an optional upholstery upgrade. We’re also happy to discuss any small tweaks you may wish to make to your package order. To find out the latest on these great deals, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or give us a call on 0116 4735 938.

Top Engraver Supports Hospitality Sector with Swift Service for Etched & Printed Table Numbers & QR Discs One of the UK’s most professional and technically advanced engraving and etching supplier, Brunel Engraving, is providing a rapid response to the growing demand for etched table numbers and QR code discs in the pub and catering industry.

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

The numbers and discs enable customers to link to apps or menus, eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus and making it quicker and more convenient for customers to order.

“Our investment in additional equipment and soft-

ware has ensured that our customers in the hospitality sector can benefit from high quality products with excellent swift service at a fair price. Our ISO9001 accreditation means that every job, no matter how large or small goes through the workshops with this expectation level, and the continuous amount of 5 stars we receive on Trust pilot, highlights this commitment” said Tom Pycock, Sales Director of Brunel Engraving.

In addition to rotary engraving, Brunel offers laser engraving, chemical etching, anodic print, dye sublimation print, flatbed UV print and wide format UV print.

T: 01275 871 720 E: info@brunelengraving.co.uk W: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

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Sparkle Interiors, Interior Design, Professional and Online

and our clients. For example, briefing meetings can take place via video call, with plans, mood boards, etc discussed and edited live through screen sharing. All types of drawings can now be completed within a matter of days, rather than weeks with how easy it is now to share information. Gone are the days of visiting the site every week, holding long face to face meetings with all the contractors and any unnecessary steps that traditionally are there for the sake of it.

Sparkle interiors has been set up to help our clients create fantastic interiors while saving on expensive designer fees.

The interior design industry has been evolving in recent years, companies have had to adapt along with many other professions. One of the main affects is on designers having to work remotely. For us its meant that we’ve been working on projects where actual site visits have not been a possibility, but this actually has had many positive effects on our process for both us

Solutions to on site issues can also be addressed with our new online focused process, as the site foreman can receive all the information and updates they need, any changes immediately handled and issued back by e mail to all that are concerned. All the above changes mean the costs for the client, designer, QS and contractor have been reduced significantly or completely eliminated in some cases. This is why Sparkle Interiors is able to save the client so much on fees. Visit our website today to enquire, or contact us directly to find out more.

Contact Email: andy@sparkleinteriors@gmail.com Tel: 07957762280 Web: www.sparkleinteriors.co.uk

Additional Ranges as ILF Continue to Expand www.ilfchairs.com email;terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

With the continued success of the ILF Chairs comprehensive website, ILF have now added to the 2 chairs already stocked in 7 colours, a stock armchair in 7 different Faux colours, matching the chairs, plus a 6 colour range stock of Egger laminated table tops in a selection of sizes. A full range of table bases are also kept in stock.

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

Divided into Contemporary seating, Barstools, Lounge Seating, Period Seating, Outdoor seating and tables plus Indoor Dining & Coffee height tables, offering a great selection of products to view at your leisure. Also included now an extensive range of stock seating, barstools, table bases and table tops.

Most made to order indoor seating and indoor wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification. Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Also included is a link to priced chairs and table bases plus a selection of priced made to order seating in a selection of Faux Leather upholstery colours and wood frame colours. These products can also be supplied to customer specification, just ask for details.

Enquiries can be sent to them directly from the website and they will reply within 24 hours. They hope you will enjoy the experience of viewing their easy to navigate website and they look forward to helping clients get the best products for their hospitality site.

We are a boutique design & construction project management consultancy focusing on commercial fit-outs & refurbishments.

Over the years, our founder Renata Zywicka had the opportunity to work on a number of incredible projects that have allowed her to grow and establish Archetypely as a client-focused consultancy.

www.archetypely.com hello@archetypely.com +44 (0) 730 61 61 002

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Saniflo Provides a New CPD Offering ing for Public Health Engineers, Mechanical Consultants, Architects, Mechanical Installers and Specialist Resellers.

The hour-long talk, which can be supplemented with a two-hour session of pump curve training if required, is designed to discuss and offer technical training on macerators and lifting stations for commercial and domestic buildings. This CPD is part of wastewater and drainage in the public health sector/mechanical engineering.

Saniflo UK – part of the SFA Group and a leading designer and manufacturer of pumps, macerators and lifting stations – has a new CIBSE-approved CPD offer-

By the end of the presentation, attendees will understand the challenges of gravity-fed drainage systems, be able to identify where and when to use a macerator or lifting station, be able to navigate critical installation requirements and considerations, understand some of the key differences between the lifting station technologies, and be able to use pump curves to help specify the correct pump.

To book a CPD for your organisation, call 020 8842 0033 or email marketing@saniflo.co.uk

No More Time Wasted Cleaning Up Candle Wax One of the issues many restaurants are currently facing at the moment is a shortage of staff. So anything that can reduce workload has to be of interest.

We firmly believe that candles are an essential part of the dining experience, but what comes with them is all the mess, which uses valuable time cleaning up. Time and money that could be better spent elsewhere.

So how do you square that circle? The answer is with oil candles.

There are two types. Glass bodied, refillable ones, and plastic prefilled, disposable ones.

Both do the job fantastically well, while making no mess, having no waste and minimal maintenance.

The refillable ones are very economical while the disposable ones have all the convenience of a tealight.

On top of that, they look absolutely great and will enhance the look and feel of your restaurant or bar.

If you’ve never used, seen or heard of oil candles before, or even if you have, the best place to go to find out more is www.clearcraft-catering.co.uk.

There is an extensive amount of information there, FAQ section, guides to help you decide which candle is best for you and a full e-commerce site.

You can also request a free sample oil candle, with some oil by e-mailing sales@clearcraftltd.co.uk Please state what design you wish to see and include your delivery details Clearcraft Ltd Tel: 01279 731621 www.clearcraft-catering.co.uk

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Navigating Permitted Development Rights for Temporary Structures

By Simon Atha, Associate Director – Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group) (www.boyerplanning.co.uk) The requirements for social distancing during the pandemic opened up the opportunity to utilise wide-ranging outdoor sites for hospitality, and in a rare ‘Covid positive’, that legislation is here to stay.

Under Class G of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2021, the operators of pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants can significantly increase footfall, and thereby profits, by erecting a marquee or gazebo on their premises, running a pop-up bar in a beer garden or any other moveable structure. As a result, popular sports matches, large wedding parties and a wide variety of events can attract greater numbers of patrons for hospitality venues.

The legislation surrounding Planning Permitted Development Rights (PDR) is much misunderstood. Best known for home extensions and the controversy over change of use within the built environment (such as from commercial or agricultural buildings to residential use), it also applies to ‘temporary’ structures such as marquees.

There are some limitations on what is allowed. The first is that the structure must be moveable – easily dismantled or on wheels. It must be less than three metres in height with

a maximum footprint of 50 sq m, or 50% of the footprint of the building with which it is associated, whichever is smaller. In residential areas, the structure must be at least two metres away from nearby homes. There is also a limit of one structure per site and does not apply to the curtilage of a listed building or scheduled monument.

Despite social distancing being relaxed and the summer coming to an end, this announcement is good news.

Even for those venues which don’t have outdoor spaces of their own, the ability for high streets to hold markets and food festivals may assist in attracting footfall. Additionally, commercial spaces such as the landscaped grounds of office blocks can bring life to a site which may be underutilised as a result of changes in working patterns. And outdoor visitor attractions will have additional flexibility to introduce temporary structures on their grounds.

Another opportunity is the likely change to the marriage regulations in England and Wales, which could allow outdoor venues such as the grounds of a hotel or a beer garden to host wedding ceremonies, in addition to receptions. In July the Law Commission recommended that weddings should be able to take place anywhere, providing the presiding official considers it safe and dignified. The potential for a hotel to host one wedding inside and one (or perhaps more) outside, and for a pub to host everything from pre-wedding drinks through to the final dance will no doubt be well received.

Assuming that these proposed changes to marriage laws go ahead there is one important caveat – planning permission: to use a barn, a community centre or a historic building for a wedding could represent a change of use and as such may require planning permission. Whilst permitted development rights have been extended in some areas, such as temporary structures, there remain planning challenges for hospitality businesses to navigate to ensure their operations comply with the appropriate planning legislation.

CardsSafe - Protecting Assets - Lock in Our Old Prices Today!

Until January 2023, CardsSafe unit rental will remain at just £9.95 per month.

We have been helping restaurants, bars, pubs, golf courses and other venues to securely retain their customer bank cards while they run a tab for almost twenty years.

Since we introduced rental contracts in 2008, we’ve kept our prices as low as possible at just under a tenner a month and this has never increased. However, due to significant increases in both our cost of goods and related costs, we plan an increase in January 2023.

Our existing customers will continue to benefit from our low prices, so if you’re considering CardsSafe for your business, or need additional units, lock in at just £9.95 per month (per unit) for the duration of your contract.

There are many benefits to using CardsSafe in bars, restaurants and pubs: • Managing customer tabs • Helping to increase spending, therefore profits

• It is a significant deterrent for walkouts • Offers protection against credit card fraud – helps to build trust!

• Pays for itself by reducing charge-back and walkouts • No data capture required to use • Customers have peace of mind that their bank cards are kept safely, and they keep the unique key!

“Turnover increased significantly after CardsSafe was installed, and the system easily pays for itself.”

Siobhan, The Prodigal London.

CardsSafe is affordable! Each unit contains ten card drawers that can be hired for just £9.95 per month. Each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and a number of free replacement keys. Additional units can be added at any time.

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com Or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040

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Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

With over 30 years of industry experience in the Hospitality sector, The Bowden Group’s Managing Consultant David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements: Profitability, Operational Strategy, Staff Management, Marketing and The Future of your business.

David will also be on hand to give you extra (and this can be without any extra charge) support through our Sprowts4Mentoring system, to analyse, every single week, your business performance figures … giving you weekly analysis and concise reports, with appropriate guidance, to optimise your business’s Sales, Profitability and Staff Management.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS Our experts will analyse your entire operation and also its key operating figures if they are available. We then help you to identify strategies to manage costs and overheads associated with the core Profitability of running a Hospitality business.

The largest overhead, even higher than Cost of Sales, is the Labour cost,

so, with detailed analysis of your wages and being able to understand ‘’the way your business actually works’’ we can ensure that you are maximising the labour usage in your business.

And YES … Covid19 changed a lot of things. We need to learn from those things!

Right now we are experiencing massive increases in the cost of the raw materials that we buy … both Food and Drink. We will take that fully into consideration. When was the last time that you fully and meticulously costed out and priced correctly, every dish on your menu … both Food and Drinks?

Budgeting, Forecasting, Menu Management, Stock Controls, Purchasing, and controlling Variable Costs are just a few of the other areas that David Hunter, your Restaurant Consultant, will work on with you, and improve with you.

MANAGING PEOPLE Managing people brings with it a whole set of new skills that are now needed more than ever. From ‘’Managing the Managers’’ through to Service and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management, Motivation, guidance and Development.

We have a very good record in helping Hospitality business owners to implement processes that improve how they manage their people, which in

turn benefits the owners as well as the Team Members themselves.

We can help you to manage ‘difficult’ people situations, to improve your operational planning, to recruit, train and manage your team better, creating a more productive, pleasant and ‘’retaining’’ working environment.

MARKETING We will help you build a workable, planned Marketing Strategy. We don’t do fancy, posh or expensive … we just recommend what our experience says will actually work for your business.

It’s no longer enough to rely on word-of-mouth and repeat business. You need to employ a wealth of skills in a number of areas to ensure that your Marketing is attracting new customers and engaging with existing customers.

From Digital Marketing, such as Social Media marketing, Websites, eMail Marketing and online advertising, to print design, Promotions and offline advertising, your Hospitality business should be constantly working on ‘’ all things Marketing’’.

If your business is actually struggling, or if you just feel that it could be doing some things better, give David Hunter a quick call on 07831 407984 to arrange a ‘’Free of Charge’’ initial consultation (please quote CLH Offer), when David will discuss with you what could be achieved if you ask us to work with you.

Christie & Co’s Hotel Snapshot Shows Resilience of the UK Market

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has today launched a new report, The UK Hotel Market: New challenges on the road to recovery, providing a snapshot of the UK hotel market in 2022, as it emerges from the pandemic and faces a new wave of economic and operational challenges. The report also shares a market outlook from major industry players, Accor and Pygmalion.

The snapshot suggests that the UK hotel market proved resilient throughout the pandemic and has recov-

ered at a faster rate than first anticipated since January 2022, with overall performance nearing or surpassing 2019 levels since May 2022. However, the coming months may prove more challenging for the sector’s different stakeholders due to the cost-of-living crisis, weakened GDP, and increasing inflation rates.

The snapshot analyses the performance and outlook for the UK’s top ten cities, which includes London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Bristol and Newcastle.

E N IC IO PR UCT D RE

PRICE: £125,000

• Well Established & Successful Restaurant in the Heart of Dartmouth • Dining Area with Spectacular Panoramic Window with Harbour & Estuary Views • 3/4 Bedroom Apartment – Could be Used for Holiday Letting/Staff/Owners • Highly Profitable Business, Ideal for ‘Owner Operator’ Couple • Must be Seen to be Appreciated – Retirement Sale

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4008

• Impressive Detached Tudor Style Property in Fabulous Location • Long Established, Well Appointed Licenced Restaurant with Outside Seating • Commercial kitchen with Prep Area and Wash Up Room • Exceptional Self-Contained 4 Double Bed Accommodation • Private Parking for 4 Cars and Outbuildings

MINEHEAD, SOMERSET

PRICE: £600,000

W! NE

PRICE: £175,000 + VAT

FREEHOLD

REF: 4265

• Light, Spacious & Modern, Award-Winning Bar/Cafe/Restaurant • Adjacent to Exmouth Marina & The Exe Estuary Providing Stunning Views • Main Trade Area with Seating for circa 70 & Alfresco Seating for circa 64 • Well Equipped Commercial Kitchen & Allocated Parking Space • Extremely Profitable Licensed Business Currently Run Under Management

• Elegant Restaurant Premises Offering Fine Dining • Located Close to Town, Major Hotels & Marina • Well Established with Potential for 40+ Covers • Trading 5 Evenings Only Providing Further Potential • Large 2 Bedroom Residential Accommodation

PRICE: £99,955

W! NE

PRICE: £120,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4412

• A Stunning Historic 4 Star Inn on the Beautiful Stourhead National Trust Estate • 5 Beautifully Presented En-Suite Letting Rooms & Two Bedroom Owners Flat • Extensive Outside Courtyard Seating & BBQ Station • A Very Rare Opportunity to Buy a National Trust Pub Lease • Projected Sales for 2022 in Excess of £1million with Very Strong Net Profit

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4168

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4344

• Premium Cocktail & Wine Bar Located Within South Hams • Voguish Interior Decor Creating Laid Back Sophistication • Internal Capacity for Circa 80 Guests • Dedicated Outside Seating Area on Promenade for 26 • Potential to Expand on this Already Successful Business

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4269

• A Stunning 9 Bedroom, Grade II Listed Hotel, Exuding Character & Class • Situated in the Village of Dunster at the Gateway to Exmoor National Park • Main Bar & Restaurant, Tea Room & Period Ballroom/Function Room • 9 Beautifully and Individually Appointed En-Suite Letting Rooms • A Rare Opportunity to Buy a Substantial & Successful Freehold Business

Regional UK markets such as Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool saw the highest increase in RevPAR in H1 2022, surpassing 2019 levels by 6.9%, 8.5% and 7.5% respectively. In comparison, London has been slower to recover as the capital relies on international source markets and business travellers.

Since January, operators have maintained high ADRs in order to balance some of the increasing cost pressures as well as partly protecting their profit conversions. The success of this strategy has been made possible by a change in consumer behaviour in the face of rising costs, with holiday spending being prioritised.

Transactional volumes have remained strong and a total of £1.9 billion was spent on UK hotel transactions in H1 2022, an increase of 32% compared to H1 2021. Interestingly, domestic buyers are far more active in the market compared to last year. In 2021, cross border investors represented 52% of the buyers yet this number dropped to 23% in H1 2022, likely due to international travel restrictions imposed over the past few years due to the pandemic, although this is unlikely to be a long-lasting trend.

KEY FACTORS IMPACTING THE MARKET The report provides insight into the positive and negative factors that are impacting the hotel market.

Following the pandemic, hotels that were considered popular ‘staycation’ destinations have seen increased performance, particularly in more rural areas such as Belfast, Cardiff, and Newcastle. Hybrid hotels have also continued to perform well since the pandemic, as guests seek more flexibility in these spaces.

DUNSTER, SOMERSET

EXMOUTH, DEVON

STOURTON, WILTSHIRE

PRICE: £195,000

TORQUAY, DEVON

PRICE: £1,300,000

W! NE

PRICE: £695,000

FREEHOLD

REF: 4302

• Substantial Hotel & Inn Situated in the Heart of Ivybridge • 14 Well Presented En-Suite Letting Rooms & 1 Bed Owner's/Manager's Flat • Fully Equipped Catering Kitchen, Open Plan Lounge & Dining Area • Back Bar/Games Room, Office & Outside Trading Area & Car Park • A Very Well Established Business & a Genuine Retirement Sale After 30 Years

IVYBRIDGE, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4282

The impact of the Ukrainian war on the rising cost of gas and electricity bills has already affected hoteliers’ financial decisions in 2022, with many maintaining high ADRs to balance increasing cost pressures. Rising interest rates are predicted to directly impact financing options for hoteliers next year.

EMERGING TRENDS AND OUTLOOK Since 2020 with the rising popularity of “staycation” destinations, the UK market has seen an increase in domestic buyers. At present 77% of the UK volume is credited to domestic investors, a number which may continue to rise.

Inflation rates and GDP are expected to have a direct impact to the hotel market, with the BOE base rate expected to rise by 3% by the end of 2023. The market is full of active buyers, which may continue as a trend throughout 2022 as the rising inflation rates will encourage more hoteliers to buy rather than develop greenfield projects. Lenders may also grow more cautious in the next half of 2022 despite the upwards trend in the market over the last 12 months.

Diane Loubeyre, Senior Consultant – Hotels at Christie & Co, comments, “Despite having to navigate a new wave of challenges in 2022, the UK hotel market has remained resilient, and we are pleased to report the encouraging performance levels witnessed across the country so far this year. Inbound international travel is also picking up and might grow further into 2023, and with the pound at an all-time low compared to USD or Euros, the UK is now more affordable to visit. This will only act to further support the sector’s recovery next year.

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Carine Bonnejean, Managing Director - Hotels at Christie & Co, adds, “This publication clearly shows the

“Off the back of this, market sentiment amongst hotel investors remains positive albeit more cautious due to the challenging economic backdrop, and many investors continue to seek out a range of opportunities in the market.

“Christie & Co’s Consultancy team has experienced a busy year so far, and much of our work has focused on feasibility studies, development advice and buyer due diligence. However, we are starting to see more demand for operational and strategic reviews from lenders trying to support their clients facing increased interest rates and costs pressures.”

Laceys Solicitors Whether your business involves supplying alcohol, providing music, or late night refreshment to the public, every hospitality establishment (from restaurants, to hotels and bars, from off-licences to fast-food restaurants) needs to be properly licensed before it can start operating.

However, with the hospitality industry being so highly regulated, if you are looking to buy, sell, change or apply for a new licence in relation to the services your establishment provides, it can be confusing to know which you may need. This is where we can help.

Laceys can assist with all types of premises licence applications in England and Wales, be it to obtain a new licence for a previously unlicensed premises, to transfer, or to vary an existing licence (should you wish, for example, to amend any conditions, approve a new layout plan, or appoint a new designated premises supervisor). We will prepare each application, engage with the responsible authorities, deal with any notice require-

opposite forces currently shaping the UK hotel market, as hotel performance is positive and improving yet significant economic and operational challenges pose a serious threat to the sector’s recovery. The next few months will be another litmus test for the various stakeholders. We are starting to see the first signs of distress but to date there is still a functioning yet cautious transactional market.”

To read The UK Hotel Market: New challenges on the road to recovery, click here: https://www.christie.com/news-resources/publications/uk-hotel-market-snapshot-2022/ ments and help ensure that your business is properly licensed.

Should it be necessary, we have many years’ experience appearing before licensing committees, as well as at licensing appeal hearings at the Magistrates’ Court. We also have a strong success rate of representing clients whose licence has been subject to a review by the local authority and mediating on their behalf.

With our connections, networks and in-depth industry knowledge, our team of licensing solicitors have a national reputation to provide you with reliable, responsive and relevant legal advice, whatever your licensing needs.

If you need any further information, or would like to discuss a particular licensing matter you have, please either visit us at www.laceyssolicitors.co.uk or contact Philip Day directly on p.day@laceyssolicitors.co.uk or 01202 377800 and he will be happy to help.

Capify - We're Here to Support Your Hospitality Business For almost 15 years, Capify has worked closely with the hospitality sector, providing business owners with much-needed funding. We’ve been there through some difficult times – like the 2008 recession and Covid-19, and have continued to lend even when the banks have said no.

We’ve recently conducted a Business Confidence Survey and found that cash flow and cash reserves are key concerns for business owners across the UK. Over half of those who responded also said they lack confidence in their existing banking partners to meet any future borrowing needs.

We’re proud to have created an accessible business loan which is both quick and easy to apply for, and, once approved, the funds can be paid out in as little as 24 hours.

T H E W E S T C O U N T RY S P E C I A L I S T S

DEVON COUNTRY TOWN

EXETER CITY CENTRE

SOMERSET VILLAGE

Manageable Character Café & Tearoom

Stunning Restaurant & Bar Premises

Country Village Destination Inn

Tearoom (16), Catering Kitchen

88+ Covers, High Specification Fit Out

Character Bar & Dining Areas (80+)

2 Bedroom Owner’s Apartment

Fully Furnished & Equipped

3 E/S Letting Rooms, 2 Bed Owners

Easy Daytime Hours, 4 Days A Week

Impressive Turnkey Opportunity

Car Parking, Outside Seating Areas

Tremendous Potential

Viewing Essential

LH £37,500

2150

LH £79,950

New Free Of Tie Lease Available

2145

LH £25,000

4826

SOMERSET TOWN

DORSET VILLAGE

TAVISTOCK, DEVON

Impressive 120 Cover Café/Takeway

Detached Country Inn & Restaurant Award Winning Business Bar/Restaurant (60+), Al Fresco Seating (50+) 3 Ensuite Letting Beds & Owners Apartment Commercial Kitchen, Car Park & Garage

High Quality Licensed 78 Cover Café

Impressive 6 Figure Net Profits Trading Day Time Only Outstanding Catering Business Well Presented & Equipped

FH £625,000

2147

DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK

FH £625,000

4822

Substantial Trade Levels & Net Profits Run Under Full Management Spacious Owner’s/Manager’s Apartment Outstanding Business Opportunity

LH £265,000

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

CHAGFORD, DEVON

2144

Detached B&B Set In 6 Acres

Two Businesses In One!

Superb Character Country Inn

5 Letting Rooms, Owners Accom

Successful French Bakery Business

Sought After Trading Location

2 Lounges, Dining Room, Sun Room

Retail Shop/Cafe & Bakery Unit

Bar Areas (62+), Garden (40+)

Gardens, Paddock, Meadows, Stables

Profitable Business With Potential

4 E/S Letting Rooms, 2 Bed Owners

Idyllic Home & Income. Low Overheads

Full Handover & Training Available

Impressive Levels Of Trade

DUCHY LH £395,000

6012

LH £90,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

2151

FH £475,000

4827

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

The finance can be used for any business purpose, whether that’s: • Managing short-term cash flow issues • Purchasing extra food and drink • Hiring additional staff • Purchasing new catering equipment Our flexibility means we will try and look beyond your credit history when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth.

If you’d like to find out how much finance you qualify for, visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund You’ll be taken to Capify’s website, where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes. You’ll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments.

To find out more visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.