CLH Digital - Issue #144

Issue 144

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Economy “Bounces Back” with Surge in Hospitality Spend Thanks to World Cup

Britain's economy enjoyed an unexpected boost November, helped by the Qatar World Cup. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show the hospitality industry helped contribute to the growth as millions went to pubs and restaurants to watch the football tournament.

Analysts had predicted the economy would shrink by 0.3% for November, whereas the economy saw a 0 .1% growth, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

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CLH Digital

Issue 144

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital

And welcome to our new readers for 2023!

I greeted the news that the economy saw a massive boost thanks to hospitality with rather mixed feelings.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

The news comes as no surprise. I have often said, and we have often reported here, how important the hospitality sector is not only to the economy, but to the overall well-being of the general public.

We had a wonderful story last week surrounding “natter and chatter” places, where pubs are dedicating space for strangers to meet in a hospitable place to help combat loneliness.

Hospitality venues have been prime meeting places for family and friends and to meet new people such as dates/couples for a very long time - places to celebrate and commiserate, to meet or just have some quiet time!

However, the sector is as we know facing a crisis not of its own making. The government has in recent years made an absolute dog’s dinner of the economy, particularly with regard to the hospitality sector when it was closed fully and partially for two years during the pandemic, with ludicrous entry conditions, and warnings that people would not be allowed to use them unless they were vaccinated.

Since then, we are seeing high inflation, high energy costs, staffing difficulties and strikes all having a huge impact.

Nevertheless, and that being said, the economy which was expected to go into recession falling by a predicted 0.3% saw growth of 0.1%, thanks largely to the hospitality sector.

This is a sector that is taxed beyond belief, having business rates which take a hugely disproportionate burden almost £2 billion compared to turnover, and VAT of course, with the UK being one of the very few countries in Europe (yes I know we voted to leave) that has not reduced VAT in the hospitality sector. Almost all the others have, with France leading the way over 10 years ago, and has been such a success in creating more revenue, creating more jobs and greater economic growth overall.

And then we turn to excise duty, a tax on producers which always finds its way into hospitality businesses and onto the consumer. Our excise duty compared to the rest of Europe is eye watering.

The above are definite taxes, and we are constantly threatened with the spectre of tourist taxes.

A complete and utter nonsense tax proposed by bankrupt authorities and jobsworths who haven’t a clue how to generate income other than through taxation. (Harsh but true).

Therefore, my concern with the hospitality sector boosting economic growth when we were expecting to fall into recession is that the Chancellor will yet again (like his predecessors) view the sector as a cash cow to be “milked” even more.

Enough is enough is enough. We are hoping here at CLH News to make 2023 the year with the sector fights back against these taxes.

We are hoping to be at the forefront of a major “enough is enough campaign”, so please do watch out for further details!

the sector and the wider public.

The government have cited that there are already existing safeguards in place, but given the issue is cause for going concerns, then the safeguards are clearly not working.

Home Office minister Sarah Dines said a new law is “unnecessary” because there are “already several offences which cover incidents of spiking” and the Government has not found “any gap in the law that a new spiking offence would fill”.

The minister confirmed the Government’s position in a letter to Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson, who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, written in December but published by the committee on Wednesday.

Astounding since the National Police Chiefs Council said at the end of last year almost 5,000 cases of needle and drink spiking incidents were reported to police over 12 months.

Conservative MP Richard Graham, who has previously called for a specific spiking offence, addressed the Government’s response in a Westminster Hall debate on the issue, saying “in almost 13 years as an MP I have not read such an extraordinary letter”.

He called for the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to be amended to make spiking a “named legal offence” and said the letter “puts up various straw man arguments”.

“This could be the Government and the Parliament that makes spiking completely illegal for the first time. That is what other ministers understood, I believe, and I now call on ministers of the Home Office today to finish the job,” he said.

I was very perturbed to see the government reject calls for a specific offence on “spiking”, putting a substance in somebody else’s drink without their knowledge. (See page 5).

This is another topic we intend to rally support for, so please watch out for future issues regarding advice guidance and best practice on the topic and also watch out for comment on how we can lobby the government to create a specific law.

This is something we have reported in recent months quite extensively and is the subject of great concern within

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Economy “Bounces Back” with Surge in Hospitality Spend Thanks to World Cup Issue 144

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sold across the UK, with the average pub serving 430 pints of draught beer or cider on the day.

ONS Director of Economic Statistics Darren Morgan said that for the UK to enter recession in the fourth quarter of 2022, GDP in December would have to contract by 0.6 per cent, but thanks to the the hospitality sector, which has been so badly hit by Covid lockdowns and strikes, the economy saw a welcome lift during the World Cup in Qatar as fans flocked to pubs and bars to watch matches.

Compared to an average Friday, an extra 106 pints were sold in every pub, with England fans drinking an additional 128 pints.

Mr Morgan said: “What I would also point out is pubs and bars, an area of the economy that has been having some really tough times actually, and they did well in November. And they tell us they benefited from the start of the World Cup, as it seems many of us were full of hope when it started in November, and went out to enjoy the games.”

Uplifts peaked at 64% the day of the game between England and Wales. England’s quarter-final against France also delivered another big lift, however as England crashed out sales took a massive hit, with hospitality venues suffering a loss of £199 million as a result of England failing to reach the final hurdle.

“IMPORTANCE OF HOSPITALITY” Kate Nicholls stated, “Today’s GDP figures once again underline the importance of hospitality in driving economic growth and recovery.

“The World Cup provided a significant boost in November, with pubs and bars reporting sales up 30-40% on matchdays. This once again shows the power of big sporting events, even in the winter, and the important role our venues play in bringing communities together.

The World Cup “bounce “continued December which saw sales in pubs up by 8% on 2021. Average sales delivered an eleventh week of year-on-year growth in a row.

QUARTER FINAL LOSS HIT SALES Sales hit £43.6 million throughout the remainder of the tournament as 4.9 million fans watched the rest of the World Cup tournament from their local hospitality venue. However, had England had reached the final, hospitality spend was predicted to hit £243.3 million, with 13.7 million viewers.

Yael Selfin, Chief Economist at KPMG UK, said: “While pubs and restaurants benefited from higher demand partly thanks to the World Cup, consumers reined in their spending on other categories in response to the cost-of-living squeeze. Consumer-facing services were still 8.5 per cent below their level in February 2020, compared to all other services that were 2 per cent above in November.”

“However, the figures also highlight the impact strike action had on the sector and the cost of lost sales is likely to be set out more starkly in next month’s figures.

PLAN TO HALF INFLATION

“While hospitality has yet to recover to pre-Covid levels, in real terms, today’s figures demonstrate the role the sector can play in boosting the economy.

Responding to the figures, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Government was putting in place its plan to help put the UK economy on stable footing for the long run.

'While times are challenging right now, with the right support and investment the sector can both survive and thrive; delivering long-term economic growth, creating jobs and continuing its tradition of investing in our communities,”

He said: "We have a clear plan to halve inflation this year - an insidious hidden tax which has led to hikes in interest rates and mortgage costs, holding back growth here and around the world.

November World Cup sales boost was highlighted last month by market analysts CGA, Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food at CGA, who said: “It was a positive November for pubs screening World Cup matches, and another strong month for London as workers and visitors continue to return to the capital.”

He did however highlight the ongoing issues facing the sector and added “Spiralling costs leave many hospitality businesses extremely fragile, and with little respite in sight there is a strong case for urgent and targeted government support to protect businesses and jobs.”

33% SALES INCREASE IN ENGLAND’S FIRST GAME England’s first World Cup match alone against USA saw pubs and bars across the country enjoy a 33% increase in sales on Friday 25 November.

According to data from the Oxford Partnership Market Watch, on 25 November a total of 13.1m pints were

"To support families through this tough patch, we will provide an average of £3,500 support for every household over this year and next - but the most important help we can give is to stick to the plan to halve inflation this year so we get the economy growing again."

STRONGER THAN EXPECTED ACTIVITY Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said: “This is stronger activity than was expected for November and so will further contribute to the improvement in market sentiment we have seen in the last few weeks.

“Given we know the economy also grew in October — albeit driven by a rebound from the period of state mourning — it is no longer certain that the economy will meet the technical definition of a recession when the final data for 2022 is in.”

Inflation started to cool in November, dropping to 10.7 per cent from a 41-year-high of 11.1 per cent a month earlier, and it is expected to drop further through 2023.

An Immigration Lawyer’s Guide to Hiring From Outside the UK 4

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Issue 144

By Birketts’ Immigration Specialists Sacha Wooldridge and Krishma Bathia (www.birketts.co.uk)

Prior to Brexit, 42% of jobs in the hospitality industry were filled

by EU Nationals, who could previously exercise their free-movement rights without the need for a UK visa. Brexit, compounded by those returning home during the pandemic, has heavily impacted the recruitment of workers. The Migration Advisory Committee (‘MAC’) has identified Hospitality as one of the most impacted sectors due to reliance on EU workers (second only to logistics ). As a consequence, one in seven vacancies remain unfilled (double the pre-pandemic level ), with companies now struggling to keep up with the demands of consumers, which, postpandemic, are growing rapidly and demand now exceeding pre-pandemic levels. As a result, some establishments have completely closed, some are operating at a reduced capacity and others have had to reduce trading hours to maintain service standards.

In a bid to tackle the recruitment crisis, industry leaders petitioned the Government to allow EU nationals to come to the UK to work in hospitality for up to two years. This was rejected. It is understood that the Government was guided by the MAC who identified hospitality as a sector where risk of worker exploitation was a concern, indicating that “Exploitation …may be a problem where the migrant is tied to a specific sector… this is one reason that the MAC has generally not been supportive of occupation or sector-specific visas.” In addition, a report found that 67% of hospitality roles could potentially be automated . The sector however disagrees; noting a desire from consumers for personal service.

Whilst a sector-specific two year hospitality visa isn’t forthcoming, there does remain hope that the UK will negotiate the EU becoming partners in the Youth Mobility visa programme – a two year, unsponsored, working holiday visa for those under 30 years of age which the UK already offers to some commonwealth and other trade partner countries.

In the interim, the industry is getting to grips with existing immigration options.

RETAINING EU NATIONALS In 2019, the Home Office introduced the ‘EU Settlement Scheme’, whereby EU Nationals who were residing in the UK before 31st December 2020, could make an application to remain in the UK. Anyone holding EU Settlement status can be employed without restriction.

The Government expects that the EU Settlement scheme has enabled businesses to “retain their stock of workers” however it does recognise that “this pool of workers will diminish over the long term[which]…may make filling vacancies more difficult…especially for sectors dependent on EEA workers … who are now ineligible for sponsorship” .

OPTIONS TO RECRUIT OVERSEAS WORKERS Immigration Sponsorship Licence Companies can apply for a sponsorship licence. Currently, the Home Office does allow visa sponsorship for: -

Chefs (all levels), Catering and Bar Managers Publicans Customer service managers and supervisors Individuals in such roles can be employed on full-time permanent contracts.

Businesses should however note that not all roles are eligible for visa sponsorship - it’s impossible to sponsor front of house staff and more junior positions. Industry leaders have continued to call for some lower skill roles to be added to the Shortage Occupation List to facilitate sponsorship, including waiting staff and hotel receptionists. It remains to be seen whether these roles will be added.

BENEFITS OF SPONSORING VISAS Sponsoring an overseas national provides a sense of security for employers. Employers typically sponsor someone for up to five years at a time, during which employees would not be able to work for another employer (although employees are entitled to change roles and secure sponsorship by another company).

Another benefit is that after five years, individuals can apply for indefinite leave to remain – meaning costs are time-limited for businesses and employees benefit with long-term stability for their family.

CHALLENGES OF SPONSORING VISAS Cost This route can be costly for two reasons; firstly, the employer will need to pay the employee a set minimum salary and secondly the cost of making the application is expensive.

To break it down, the current application costs are: Visa Application Fee

£610

Immigration Skill Surcharge

£1,000 per year of visa duration

NB. a 64% discount is available for SME businesses

Immigration Health Surcharge

£624 per year of visa duration

Certificate of Sponsorship

£199

Visa appointment

Up to £100

TOTAL

£2,533

For a one year visa

Although some of these fees can be paid by either the employee or employer, it can nevertheless be a costly process. Particularly, as the above does not account for costs for English language tests, dependant family, relocation costs, flights or accommodation, which will all need to be factored in, before making and/or accepting an offer. In addition, all visa fees must be paid upfront and in full.

ELIGIBILITY As well as cost, individuals also need to meet the English language requirement, which could prove to be challenging for certain individuals as written English is tested as well as spoken.

FLEXIBILITY The sponsored work visa largely enables full time permanent positions. Due to cost, minimum salary requirements and visa conditions, its less likely business will sponsor those wishing to work part time hours or seasonal contracts.

ALTERNATIVE VISA ROUTES Businesses may consider alternative visa routes (if eligible) which include: - Graduate route - offers the opportunity to remain in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing a course in the UK - Youth Mobility Scheme - applicable for individuals between the age of 18-30, and from a select number of countries.

- Ancestry – applicable for commonwealth nationals who have British born grandparents

RECRUITMENT Although it is common practice to use recruitment agencies to hire workers, it is important to be aware of unscrupulous recruitment practices, such as the encouragement of modern slavery, which is common within the industry .

CONCLUSION To conclude, currently, there is no short-term solution to the hospitality recruitment crisis. Despite efforts to attract workers in the domestic market, organisations will also need to consider alternative visa routes to recruit overseas nationals in order to keep pace within the marketplace.

Popular Pudsey Pub Re-Opens After Three Year Closure A Pudsey pub closed since January 2020 is set to reopen following a £370,000 investment. The refurbishment will turn The Bankhouse on Bankhouse Lane into a great quality traditional country pub serving excellent food, bringing to an end residents’ concerns for its future.

the batter on the fish – and ingredients will be locally sourced wherever possible. Meat, for example, will come from Broster’s of Lindley Moor. With local walkers and cyclists in mind, the pub will serve barista-quality coffee and cakes throughout the day.

The project is being carried out by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and new licensee Richard Thewlis. Roberttown born-and-bred Richard grew up in West Riding pubs run by his parents. He transformed the fortunes of The Railway at Drighlington when he took it over in 2008. The Bankhouse is his second pub in the area. Luke Morton, manager of The Railway, will help Richard run The Bankhouse.

Says Richard: “The Bankhouse is an idyllic old pub in a picturesque location. I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in. It’s got a wonderful atmosphere but it’s in a sorry state and crying out for TLC and investment. The refurbishment is just what’s needed to bring it back to life.

The Bankhouse has been sadly missed by people; I want to make it an asset to the community once again.”

Work started on 9th January and The Bankhouse is scheduled to reopen in mid-February, creating 20 new jobs. It will fully renovate the outside of the beautiful stone built pub, adding new signage and lighting. The project will also overhaul the overgrown garden – which has stunning views over the surrounding countryside – with new seating for 180 people, pretty planting and festoon lighting.

Richard – who is a trained chef – plans to make food a focal point at The Bankhouse. The menu will focus on affordably priced homemade pub classics and will include customer favourites from The Railway, such as meat & potato pie, lamb suet pudding and Sunday roasts. Dishes will be made from scratch – right down to

Adds Jon Kelly, Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager: “Richard has built a fantastic reputation for The Railway, and I’m confident he will do the same at The Bankhouse. He knows the area and really understands what people want. He’s just the person needed to revitalise the pub.

We’re delighted to be working with him.

“Plans for The Bankhouse were delayed by the pandemic and its aftermath, but it’s reopening will be worth the wait. It will be a fantastic local for those living nearby and a destination country pub with a gorgeous garden for people from further afield.”

Issue 144

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Spiking: No Need for Specific Offence-says Government The Government said ruled out the creation of a specific offence for spiking, despite committing last year to look at new legislation.

powers available to judges in such cases and it would not increase the likelihood of charging or prosecuting an offender for spiking offences.

Home Office minister Sarah Dines said a new law is “unnecessary” because there are “already several offences which cover incidents of spiking” and the Government has not found “any gap in the law that a new spiking offence would fill”.

“We therefore concluded that a new offence is unnecessary and the Government’s focus should remain on non-legislative measures to tackle spiking.”

However, supporters of the a new law argue it could help increase reporting of incidents and improve police data.

MPs on the Home Affairs Committee were among those calling for new legislation to target spiking – when someone puts alcohol or drugs into another person’s drink or body without their knowledge of consent.

Ms Dines confirmed the government’s position in a letter to the committee’s chairwoman, Labour MP Diana Johnson, which was written in December but published on Wednesday.

She said the government had considered the case for legislation but had decided a new offence was not required. “The existing offences cover all methods of spiking, including by drink, needle, vape, cigarette, food or any other known form,” she said.

“Police are yet to encounter a case where they could not apply an existing offence.”

She added that a specific spiking offence would not increase the powers available to judges in such cases or the likelihood of charging or prosecuting an offender.

Miss Dines added: “Introducing a new specific spiking offence would not capture any new criminal behaviour, it would not reduce the evidential burden to prosecute such offences, it would not increase the sentencing

Dame Diana said she was disappointed by the government’s decision as existing legislation was “clearly not working” and not being used.

“Reporting is low, and prosecution rates are very rare indeed,” she added.

Labour’s shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones said: “We should call a spade a spade in this case and introduce a specific offence for spiking.”

Conservative MP Richard Graham also criticised the government’s response, accusing it of “various straw man arguments”.

“In almost 13 years as an MP I have not read such an extraordinary letter,” he said.

Almost 5,000 cases of needle and drink spiking incidents were reported to police in England and Wales in the 12 months to September 2022, according to the National Police Chiefs Council.

It said forces had increased their focus on spiking, with high visibility patrols across town and city centres, following a rapid rise in spiking reports during the autumn of 2021.

Spiking is illegal under current laws, for example the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which says it is an offence to administer a substance to another person without their consent, with the intention of “stupefying or overpowering” them so as to enable any other person to engage in sexual activity with them.

Restaurant Groups Return Profit

Britain’s top 100 restaurant groups have returned to profit last year following four years of losses blighted by the pandemic.

The businesses recorded a cumulative profit of just under £20m in 2022, up from a £673m loss, a £246m loss in 2020 and a £228m loss in 2019.

However, the recovery only provided a profit margin of less than 0.5 per cent on turnover of £5.2billion, according to study from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, with the sector’s precarious finances again at risk due to the cost-of-living squeeze.

‘The industry has done a good job in getting back on the path to profitability but it’s now facing a new challenge,’ said UHY partner Peter Kubik, adding that some of the bounce back was driven by restaurants

scaling back on expansion plans that had been stalled by the pandemic.

However, because the profit margin is less than 0.5% on a turnover of £5.2b, the group raised concerns that the cost of living crisis could slow recovery.

Kubik said: “The UK’s top restaurant chains finally posting a profit, however small, is a welcome surprise.

He added: “It would be wrong to assume that the restaurant sector is now out of the danger zone. The many headwinds the sector is facing means they will still face further challenges.”

Mr Kubik said that better performing restaurant groups were quick to cap borrowing costs through the use of derivatives, as well as fixing long-term energy prices with suppliers.

Beyond The App: How Tech Can Deliver Better Results for Restaurants and Customers 6

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It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that successful businesses will depend on happy customers and this is abundantly evident within the restaurant space where there are direct links between the percentage of positive reviews and the rate of new customer acquisition, says Brian Hickey, CEO and Co-founder at VROMO (https://vromo.io/) Finding success in the restaurant industry is becoming more challenging than ever. Labor shortages and cost increases across energy, raw food materials, fuel, insurance, and more, mean profitability is harder to sustain, particularly when it comes to a restaurant's delivery channel. Add to the mix severe fees from marketplace delivery platforms (with many of them charging an additional 30 percent onto the basket total) and extremely limited support from the government - it’s not difficult to see how independent restaurant operators as well as small chains face a daunting future.

One thing that remains consistent throughout the last few years however, is the continued growth of consumer appetite for convenience and value. With this comes the responsibility of restaurants to keep up with their consumers' increasing demands in order to meet their needs.

Technology has a huge part to play here and there are many examples of new, innovative solutions gaining traction such as QR code payments, automated delivery management, Kitchen Display Systems, marketing automation and robotics for food preparation. All of these solutions help restaurant brands to offer a superior customer experience but they will only achieve widespread adoption if they help to improve the restaurant's bottom line. In turn, restaurant brands must embrace these new

technologies to ensure a more profitable future.

Consumer demand for convenience, speed, and value will also manifest itself in a channel shift as we head into a recessionary environment.

There is solid evidence to support the fact that the restaurant food delivery channel will experience heightened growth at the expense of the on-site dining-in channel as consumers attempt to reduce spending on babysitters, transport costs, and inflated alcohol prices while at the same time refusing to give up the luxury of the meal occasion.

This presents both an opportunity and an obstacle for restaurant brands. The opportunity is to develop their delivery channel by adopting

measures such as adapting their menu, expanding their delivery areas, and listing with all the key marketplace platforms. At the same time, they need to make sure they have their own website and an app to be able to influence consumers. According to the National Restaurants Association, 60 percent of customers said their dining choices were shaped by marketing communications. The obstacle however is that delivery can be loss-making if it’s not managed sensibly. Many restaurant brands outsource their delivery needs to the marketplace platforms that provide them with most of their online orders. While it might make sense for restaurants to accept these online orders as it helps them to reach more customers, in the same breath the cost of the delivery service is usually prohibitive. Many feel locked in as if they cannot have one without the other. As a result, they don’t realize that there are other options available such as in-house drivers or third-party delivery companies.

There is even the option to use your preferred delivery fleet and call in the marketplace platform fleet only when you hit delivery capacity issues. In order to do this, restaurant brands will need a software solution to automate and manage everything under one roof which brings us back to the importance of embracing technology for survival.

It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that successful businesses will depend on happy customers and this is abundantly evident within the restaurant space where there are direct links between the percentage of positive reviews and the rate of new customer acquisition. Restaurant brands that recognise this and indeed the damage of negative reviews, are investing in customer experience personnel to ensure the entire journey is one you would recommend to a friend. Taking this a step further, successful restaurant brands will take control of every aspect of the customer journey and leverage technology to increase speed and value all with a view to securing that lucrative five-star rating.

Home Office Launches Consultation into Late-Night Levy Charges licence holders in relation to premises that are in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR). This reduction is currently only available in relation to premises that supply alcohol for consumption on the premises.

The Home Office has launched a consultation into late-night levy charges ahead of changes aimed at increasing its use by local authorities.

The consultation is aimed at late night refreshment providers, local licensing authorities, the police, licensed premises, members of the public and other interested parties in England and Wales where these proposals apply.

This option is similar to option 1 above, with the difference that licensing authorities will also be able to offer this SBRR reduction in respect of qualifying LNR premises. The Government is mindful of not imposing unnecessary or disproportionate charges on LNR premises as many are small businesses and, by definition, are licensed to be open late at night.

Two proposals for determining the rates businesses would pay under the levy have been put forward within the consultation document, despite trade bodies calling for the tax to be abolished, the options below set out the government’s comments.

Only nine local authorities were implementing a late-night levy in 2022 with several councils having scrapped the tax in support of the hospitality industry.

Option 1 Base LNR levy charges on the current licence fee system as for alcohol venues, with no option for licensing authorities to apply a discount.

The Government does not feel it is justified to bring in any new levy bands as the current system already takes into account the size and revenue of businesses.

As such, the levy charges that will be applicable to LNR premises will be linked to the current licence fees system under the Licensing Act 2003, with LNR premises being placed in bands based on their premises rateable value. Please see paragraph 3 for more information.

Option 2 Base LNR levy charges on the current licence fee system as for alcohol venues, with the option for licensing authorities to offer a 30% discount to LNR premises qualifying for the Small Business Rate Relief.

Under Part III of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, licensing authorities can offer a reduction to

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The ineffective and costly late night levy continues to stifle the recovery of the night-time economy, which was among the hardest hit by the pandemic.

“Now is not the time to extend the levy and the economic harm it inflicts on our late-night venues, taking £365,000 from the industry last year. Instead, the levy should be abolished in order to free up much-needed cash for businesses to invest in their business or, in many cases, simply stay afloat.

“Some cities across the UK have reached that conclusion themselves, taking the decision to remove the levy, and the House of Lords Committee are of the same view; concluding the levy had failed to achieve its objectives and should be abolished.

“The night-time economy is part of the fabric of towns and cities across the country, attracting thousands of visitors and raising millions for the economy. I’d urge the government to remove the levy as soon as possible to allow the night-time economy to flourish, recognising all the benefits it brings to local areas.”

Single-Use Plastics to be Banned in England drive forward action to tackle this issue head on.

Single-use plastic cutlery look set to be banned in England across restaurants, cafés and takeaways, according to reports.

“We know there is more to do, and we have again listened to the public’s calls. This new ban will have a huge impact to stop the pollution of billions of pieces of plastic and help to protect the natural environment for future generations.”

Government figures suggest that 1.1 billion single-use plates and more than four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England every year.

Megan Randles, political campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said that the organisation welcomed the ban but further action was needed.

Environment secretary Therese Coffey will to announce the new initiative which aims to cut down the dependency on single-use plastics which eventually end up in rivers and seas, harming wildlife.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it comes in response to public consultations on plans to ban the supply of single-use plastics from November 2021 to February 2022.

She said: “We’re dealing with a plastic flood, and this is like reaching for a mop instead of turning off the tap.”

She called on the government to deliver a “meaningful” strategy on how to reduce plastic use, which would also include stringent targets and “a proper reuse and refill scheme”.

Ms Coffey said it would have a “huge impact”, telling the Mail on Sunday: “A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose – that is two centuries in landfill or polluting our oceans. I am determined to

Similar bans have already been made in Scotland and Wales, while single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds were already banned in England in 2020.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme “Last Straw” Sector Fears Issue 144

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Sector leaders say the announced cut in energy bill support from April is “unsustainable” and “the last straw” for some businesses

remain solvent and also called for the Chancellor to explore how additional support could be provided to vulnerable businesses.

Earlier this week the government announced new energy scheme for businesses, charities, and the public sector ahead of the current scheme ending in March. The new scheme will mean all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024.

“It is also vitally important that the government works with the regulator to crack down on supplier bad practice, which continues to increase their energy costs and hamper many businesses in our sector,” she added. Representatives called for “a concerted change in behaviour” by energy suppliers, with businesses hit by price hikes and even refused contracts, while UKHospitality added some had experienced “unjustifiable demands for enormous deposits or pre-payments”.

This, the government says, will help businesses locked into contracts signed before recent substantial falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.

The government provided a package of support for non-domestic users through this winter, worth £18 billion per the figures certified by the OBR at the Autumn Statement. This is equivalent to the cost of an increase of around three pence on people’s income tax.

The new scheme therefore strikes a balance between supporting businesses over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion. This provides long term certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said: “My top priority is tackling the rising cost of living – something that both families and businesses are struggling with. That means taking difficult decisions to bring down inflation while giving as much support to families and business as we are able.”

“Wholesale energy prices are falling and have now gone back to levels just before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But to provide reassurance against the risk of prices rising again we are launching the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, giving businesses the certainty, they need to plan ahead.”

“Even though prices are falling, I am concerned this is not being passed on to businesses, so I’ve written to Ofgem asking for an update on whether further action is action is needed to make sure the market is working for businesses.”

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said the reduction in support was “extremely worrying” and that price increases would be “the last straw” for some businesses to

“This scheme is a significant investment from the Government and energy suppliers should not be using that as an excuse to hike up prices,” said Nicholls. “The Ofgem review into the non-domestic market should serve as a wake-up call to suppliers that now is the time to be reasonable with the quotes they’re offering and to abandon unfair demands of businesses to secure fixed deals. They should also consider allowing businesses to renegotiate if they are stuck on previously agreed, inflated fixed deals.”

From 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, eligible non-domestic customers who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier will see a unit discount of up to £6.97/MWh automatically applied to their gas bill and a unit discount of up to £19.61/MWh applied to their electricity bill, except for those benefitting from lower energy prices.

A substantially higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive – predominately manufacturing industries. A long standing category associated with higher energy usage; these firms are often less able to pass through cost to their customers due to international competition. Businesses in scope will receive a gas and electricity bill discount based on a supported price which will be capped by a maximum unit discount of £40.0/MWh for gas and £89.1/MWh for electricity.

Businesses in England will also benefit from support with their business rates bills worth £13.6 billion over the next five years, a UK-wide £2.4 billion fuel duty cut, a six month extension to the alcohol duty freeze and businesses with profits below £250,000 will be protected from the full corporation rate rise, with those making less than £50,000 – the vast majority of UK companies – not facing any corporation tax increase at all.

SEE ALL THE VERY LATEST NEWS FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR AT WWW.CLHNEWS.CO.UK

Drinks Sales End 2022 on a High but Trail Pre-COVID December Issue 144

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of key trading dates in 2019 and 2022.

Britain’s On Premise overcame the cost-of-living crisis and rail strikes to substantially grow drinks sales year-on-year in December— but trading remained well below the last pre-COVID Christmas of 2019.

The data highlights some bumper trading days over the 2022 festive season—including year-on-year sales growth of 20% and 17% on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day vs the same date last year. Another key date, New Year’s Eve, finished 22% ahead. However, sales on all three days were behind 2019’s levels, by between 2% and 3%.

CGA by NielsenIQ’s Drinks Recovery Tracker reveals a strong last three weeks of the year, as consumers flocked to pubs, bars and restaurants for the first ‘normal’ Christmas in three years. Average drinks sales in the week to Saturday 17 December were 11% ahead of the equivalent period in 2021, while the next seven days to Saturday 24 December were 43% ahead. Consumers continued to spend between Christmas and New Year, with sales in the week to 31 December running 26% ahead of 2021.

Category-wise, wine enjoyed a very good end to the year, with sales over the last three weeks up by between 23% and 40%. Beer, cider and soft drinks were all well ahead of 2021’s levels, but uplifts in spirits were more modest. Beer also finished ahead of 2019 in two of the last three weeks, but other categories struggled against the levels of three years ago.

It means the On Premise finished 2022 with 15 consecutive weeks of year-on-year growth. However, trading in late 2021 had been blighted by concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which kept many people away from venues.

December’s figures compare less favourably with 2019, when consumers were enjoying the On Premise as normal. Sales in the week to 17 December were 18% down on the same period in 2019, thanks in part to the impact of rail strikes on town and city footfall. Sales were 2% behind 2019 in the week to 24 December, but up by 6% in the last seven days of the year—though these comparisons are skewed by the different positions

“December trading followed the pattern of the second half of 2022: comfortably ahead of last year’s levels, but well behind pre-COVID figures after adjustments for inflation,” says Jonathan Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “Considering the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of rail strikes on Christmas parties, many operators did well over the crucial festive period—but the negative comparisons with 2019 show trading conditions remain very tough. With no respite to inflationary pressures in sight, the first few months of 2023 will be exceptionally difficult. Government support on energy and other costs is urgently needed to protect businesses that are fragile after three years of turmoil.”

UKHospitality Raises More than £55,000 for Charity The generous donations at UKHospitality’s annual Christmas lunch were raised for charities Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity, in association with the Pedalling for Pubs initiative.

charities that are so deserving, and everyone involved should be proud of the work they do.

Once again, we were pleased to be able to link up with the Pedalling for Pubs initiative that works closely with both charities.

The total of £59,435 is a new record for charitable donations at the annual Christmas lunch, more than doubling previous efforts, and continues UKHospitality’s longstanding tradition of raising money for good causes.

“To more than double our previous fundraising efforts just shows the appreciation there is in hospitality for the support these charities and initiatives continue to offer the sector, which is ever more important in the challenging times we find ourselves in.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “I’m delighted and blown away by the enormous generosity shown by everyone who attended the Christmas lunch.

UKHospitality is continuing its support for both charities with its Chief Operating Officer Jackie Marlow taking part in the Pedalling for Pubs fundraising challenge in Sri Lanka, where a team is cycling 450km across the country. If you’d like to donate, you can visit the Just Giving page here.

“Recognising and supporting charities that work within hospitality has been a fixture of the event for many years. Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity are excellent

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‘A Soft Target For Fraud’: Mitigating Risk In The Hotel Industry 10

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Brian Kinsella, Senior Regional Fraud Manager at global payments provider Elavon (www.elavon.com), shares common scenarios hotels may face during the booking process and ways businesses can improve resilience Hotels are often seen as a soft target by fraudsters. According to industry research, average losses to fraud are around 5%, equating to over £2 billion in the UK hotels sector. Tackling fraud is critical in the current economic climate, as history makes it clear that downturns and crises are the precursors to increased fraudulent conduct.

While a shortage of nearly 200,000 staff continues to plague the UK hospitality industry, many hotels have been left with inexperienced staff, workers returning from prolonged periods of absence, and an eagerness to recoup losses, placing them at greater risk of becoming a fraud victim. As the industry continues to recover and works to protect profitability, understanding how fraudsters attempt to steal money and taking some proactive steps can minimise the risk of fraud.

FRAUDULENT PRE-PAID BOOKINGS Fraudsters often pose as wealthy individuals booking for a friend or as a fake travel agent, using compromised credit card numbers to make bookings at high-end hotels and pay for them in advance. These bookings are then sold on to unsuspecting travellers who pay directly to the fraudsters. This results in financial loss to the hotel when the genuine cardholder raises a chargeback, and potential reputational damage when the unwitting travellers arrive.

Hotels can avoid becoming a victim of fraudulent pre-paid bookings by making sure guests present the card

they paid with, and if they can’t, refund the original reservation and ask for payment by a different means.

Hotels can also consider only accepting pre-paid reservations via an eCommerce account with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), such as EMV 3DS, for added protection. Transactions made through known booking platforms can be excluded to avoid friction in the purchasing process.

HOTEL RESERVATION FRAUD Hotel reservation fraud occurs when organised criminals make large bookings on a credit card followed by a cancellation and refund request to a different account. When the genuine owner of the card raises a chargeback, it will be indefensible, and the hotel faces a double financial loss.

Hotels can protect themselves by remaining vigilant of customers who offer a new credit card number when one is declined, particularly if the cards have consecutive numbers. Additionally, hotels can review the booking details to ensure the email address matches the customer's name.

UNRELATED SERVICES FRAUD Unrelated services fraud happens when criminals order items not usually sold by a hotel when booking for a fake conference, business meeting or private event such as a wedding. Items might include bottles of whisky, high-value souvenirs or tablet computers. Having paid for the goods using compromised credit card numbers, the criminals arrange for delivery of the items or order a freight company to collect them from the hotel.

Hotels can reduce the risk by offering standard services when taking credit card payments, especially for first-time guests.

As criminals continue to target the industry, hotels must be proactive and stay on top of fraud developments to protect their customers, reputation and bottom line.

Sector Reacts to Chancellors Energy Support Reduction of 70%

Sector leaders have reacted with dismay following yesterday’s announcement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt that energy support for businesses is to be cut from Saturday, April 1.

don unfair demands of businesses to secure fixed deals. They should also consider allowing businesses to renegotiate if they are stuck on previously agreed, inflated fixed deals.

The Chancellor detailed a new “Bill Discount Scheme” which will replace the “Energy Bill Relief Scheme” when it expires in March.

“This is an extremely challenging period for the UK’s hospitality sector, which is so important to the economy and communities, and it’s essential the sector gets through it as best it can. If it does, I’m confident we can reach a situation where hospitality will return to generating economic growth, delivering hundreds of thousands of jobs, and investing in Britain’s high street and communities. This is all while it contributes billions to Treasury revenues.”

Businesses paying higher energy costs will see a unit discount of up to £6.97/MHh automatically applied to their gas bill and a discount of up to £19.61/MWh apply to electricity bills however this scheme set to run until March 31, 2024 will not apply to businesses paying lower energy prices.

The reduction has been criticised by sector leaders, UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “It was crucial for hospitality businesses to receive an extension to energy support, which has been a vital lifeline for many this winter.

“While I’m relieved the Chancellor has listened to UKHospitality’s concerns and extended the scheme as a whole, the absence of a sector-specific package that helps vulnerable sectors like hospitality will still result in higher bills. Our analysis shows the new, lower level of support will see a total £4.5 billion hike in bills for the sector compared to the previous scheme.

“This will simply be unsustainable for many. With no further, dedicated support for a vulnerable sector like hospitality, I’d urge the Government to consider other measures it can take to help the sector. One measure in particular that would make a significant difference would be increasing the business rates relief cap. For those suppliers to hospitality in the wider food and drink sector that have received additional support, we expect them to support the sector accordingly in their pricing.

“Now we have some clarity on the future of energy support, we must see a concerted change in behaviour by energy suppliers, who have been unfairly treating businesses with outlandish quotes and unjustifiable demands for enormous deposits or pre-payments. Government must act swiftly if this is not forthcoming.

“This scheme is a significant investment from the Government and energy suppliers should not be using that as an excuse to hike up prices. The Ofgem review into the non-domestic market should serve as a wake-up call to suppliers that now is the time to be reasonable with the quotes they’re offering and to aban-

CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “The prospect of energy bills soaring in April as other costs keep rising and consumers tighten their belts will leave the nation’s pubs, social clubs, brewers and cider producers apprehensive about how they can continue to make ends meet.

“While we want to see energy support reinstated at current levels, it is now vital that the Chancellor uses his Budget in March to announce a wider support package if our pubs are to survive and thrive. This must include proper reforms to fix the unfair burden of business rates and introducing the new lower rate of duty charged on draught beer and cider at 20% below the general duty rate. This would help keep pub-going affordable for customers and give our locals a fighting chance against the likes of cheaper supermarket alcohol.”

Michael Kill CEO NTIA Says: “The announcement today once again outlines how out of touch the Government are with businesses.”

“Even under the current relief scheme, greedy, profiteering energy companies are subjecting businesses to over 400% increase on previous energy bills.”

“All of this in light of the fact that gas/oil wholesale prices in recent months have dropped below the levels prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

“The scaling back of the energy relief scheme by Government at the end of April, will without doubt mean thousands of businesses and jobs will be lost in the coming months.”

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Ending the need for water, the eco-friendly, retro-fit Vortex valve typically saves 100,000 litres of clean water and 105kg CO2 per urinal, per year. It also prevents airborne infections caused by flushing urinals, which have been shown to spread 500,000 germs per inch, per flush, landing on skin, surfaces and clothing, spreading viruses including

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With the ability to be fitted in under a day, Smarti’s waterless urinal solutions offer a great way to cut costs, carbon and water use simply, easily and with the minimum of fuss, enabling hospitality businesses to function even during periods of water shortages.

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Issue 144

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UK Hotel Transactions Reach £3 Billion in 2022 According to international real estate advisor Savills, UK hotel transactions totalled £3 billion in 2022, which is 27.5% lower than 2021, as a result of slowing activity driven by macroeconomic conditions in the second half of the year.

try.”

Activity outside of London proved to be relatively more resilient, driven by the staycation market, with year-end volumes of £2 billion, down 2.1% YoY.

Rob Stapleton, Director, Head of UK Hotel Capital Markets at Savills, comments: “2022 can be summarised as a tale of two halves where volumes in the first half were up 16.9% YoY and 61% lower in the second half of the year YoY, as rising debt costs and a weakening economic outlook caused activity to slow.

Tim Stoyle, Head of UK Hotels at Savills, adds: “While the second half of the year has been challenging in terms of transactional activity, we are seeing stability starting to return to the market as we begin the new year. There are approximately £500m worth of hotel assets expected to complete in January that we are aware of, which would be a positive start to the year and marks the intentions of investors as they look to deploy capital into attractive opportunities. Additionally, the Business Rate revaluation that comes into effect in April 2023 will provide some respite.

“Notable deals in 2022 include Tristan Capital Partners acquisition of Point A Hotels from Raag Hotels for approximately £420m, Fortress Investment Group’s acquisition of Prem Group and KSL Capital Partners acquisition of The Pig Hotels Group from Home Grown Hotels, both deals for an undisclosed price.

These platforms all offer significant scope for expansion and sit in the highest performing and most resilient segments in our indus-

High Demand for Live Music in Pubs and Bars Report Reveals • More than four in five (85%) consumers find the idea of combining live sport with live music appealing.

Live music can help pubs and bars generate extra sales in 2023, according to a new report from research consultancy CGA by NielsenIQ and live music booking platform GigRealm.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “This year is likely to be another challenging one for hospitality and this research confirms the value of live music as an extra source of drinks sales, from younger adults in particular. With technology available to remove many of the hassles that are often associated with staging acts, this is a great time for operators to explore the potential live music provides.”

It reveals that 78% of consumers are more likely to visit a pub, bar or similar venue if it offers live music. Nearly as many (73%) say they are likely to stay in a venue longer if there is live music, and 76% are likely to buy more drinks.

As the cost of living crisis squeezes spending, the report suggests people will prioritise live music when going out. Two thirds (68%) think it provides a great experience with family and friends on a low budget, while 47% say they would be likely to continue visiting venues with live music even if they were short on cash.

The full ‘Live Music in Hospitality’ report from CGA and GigRealm provides many more insights into the demand for live music and giggoers’ demographics and needs, plus interviews with pub leaders to reveal benefits and opportunities for venue operators. It also highlights the value of technology and online platforms like GigRealm, in finding, booking and paying musicians whilst reducing admin and costs. Other findings from the research include: • Two thirds (67%) of consumers typically watch live music in pubs, making them much more popular than large concert venues (31%), festivals (25%) and stadiums (22%) • Half (50%) of consumers say they would like to see more live music events mid-week, rather than waiting for the weekend

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Tom Brady, CEO and co-founder of GigRealm, said: “As we enter 2023, many customers will be laser focused on wanting to experience the best hospitality has to offer, especially as we continue to navigate the cost-of-living crisis. Venues have an opportunity to use live music as a way to enhance customer experience, diversify their offering and providing customers with the one thing that cannot be replicated at home.”

The value of live music is also recognised by the leaders of industry associations. Emma McClarkin OBE, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association and non-executive director at GigRealm, said: “With the market challenges and changes to consumer habits, it’s vital that hospitality venues do all they can to increase their footfall and enhance their customer experience. Diversifying your offer to cater for different consumers and occasions is key. GigRealm makes it easy for venues to book their own live music with zero hassle, helping the sector to flourish.”

The ‘Live Music in Hospitality’ report from CGA and GigRealm can be downloaded here.

Considerations When Making Hospitality Innovations Fit For Purpose 12

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By Sarah Brewster, Director at Stonehouse Court, a hotel nestled in the heart of Gloucestershire, close to Stroud. (www.stonehousecourt.co.uk) mission for 14 new eco bedrooms, a spa, and a restaurant. Amongst many other successes, we have installed light sensors in all corridors and storage areas and are currently implementing an app to control individual room temperatures with the aim of saving, on average, 25% on our energy consumption. Of course, we still have a long way to go to become fully sustainable, but innovating in this area is key to our strategy.

In today’s financial climate, opportunities for innovation can feel few and far between. As a result, the hospitality industry finds itself in the crux of an economic crisis and the need to offer guests truly incredible experiences that are supported by ever-evolving best practices has never been more essential.

Additionally, gaining planning permission for the 14 new eco bedrooms, restaurant and spa after a 10-year process represents another significant triumph for the hotel. Planners were initially against any development on the site, so to win planning for such a fantastic scheme is a real achievement. Our next challenge is to persuade Historic England that Grade II listed buildings also need to be permitted to adapt for the future; without some flexibility on implementing energy-saving technologies, buildings within the top 2% of historic buildings, such as Stonehouse Court, could become stranded assets.

Indeed, the future of the hospitality sector is constantly changing and there is currently a lot of uncertainty for hoteliers given the current cost-of-living crisis and exorbitant energy costs. It’s an incredibly testing time and one where managing consumers’ expectations are vital. It’s our mission, as hoteliers, to absorb as much of the extra costs as we can while reinventing the sector’s appeal as a dynamic and exciting place to work and preserving the bottom line.

food and beverage spending doubling over the summer period.

In my 18 years as director of Stonehouse Court, innovation has been vast. Changing the culture throughout the hotel has been a key priority and we have spent a great deal of time over the years working on the business’s values, brand and strategy; building on our passionate people, excellent service, innovation and sustainability. From a business that was seen as a cash cow to one that values its team, the loyalty and dedication showcased in delivering an excellent product for our guests has been incredibly rewarding.

Reducing our carbon emissions and impact on the environment to promote long-term sustainability has also become a key part of our strategy. Energy costs and adopting more sustainable buildings is a huge challenge for the industry. Capital costs for solar panels and heat pumps are cost prohibitive, so we are caught in this limbo of wanting to act on our climate obligations as business owners but not being able to realistically finance it. Alongside this, high energy costs are preventing growth and investment in the properties, which is why suitable innovation is key.

Through meticulous innovation, the business has grown from a turnover of £1.1million to £2million and now employs 30-60 members of staff both full-time and casual. From a tired mid-market corporate and wedding hotel, we have managed to transform the business to create a leisure retreat for a perfect escape in the Cotswolds, whilst still providing a five-star wedding experience. In 2016, we made the decision to invest £250k in refurbishing the 1980s conference room into a 5-star wedding venue, which saw tremendous success, having increased and then doubled our average wedding spend.

Inevitably, we must move towards a greener economy, both in terms of steering remaining profit into longer-term sustainability and advising consumers on their credentials wherever possible. Government policy and strategy must change to represent climate change as both a climate and humanitarian crisis, but also as an economic crisis.

Last year, we opened the Bar and Terrace 2021, capturing a new local market that worked alongside the wedding business. This was particularly challenging; both markets are unique and equally important. In the same year, we successfully acquired a Scale Up 4 Growth grant that enabled us to transform the beautiful terrace space overlooking the Stroud Valley into an outdoor dining space, and enhance a separate wedding terrace dedicated to our weddings and events. The plan was for the two markets to exist harmoniously together, which proved a great success – with

Furthermore, businesses must also be able to innovate and adapt at the implementation end, too – not just the back end. Currently, there is a huge lack of business grant funding available for front-end implementation of green technology. Grants are steered towards new technologies, which of course are essential, but if businesses can’t afford to implement them, then we can’t move forward towards a sustainable economy.

Despite these limitations, at Stonehouse Court, we recently gained Silver accreditation from Green Tourism in 2019 and are aiming to achieve Gold in 2023. Back in 2018, we were one of the first hotels to implement refillable toiletry bottles, reducing our plastic waste from 47,304 individual bottles per year to 200, which has had a major impact on our business’s bottom line. We also successfully gained planning per-

For the hospitality industry, staffing has always remained an ongoing challenge – and with the current cost-of-living crisis, having an effective team you can rely on has never been more important. During COVID, many people left the sector to guarantee an income and the simple economics of supply and demand has sent wage costs up significantly. With other industries being able to offer greater remuneration packages during the cost-of-living crisis, hoteliers have to reinvest their appeal as a dynamic and exciting place to work. From an innovation standpoint, it’s important to support one another; striving to give more purpose to the place of work rather than just being a job.

Moreover, one of the most effective examples of innovation any hotelier should look to implement is building a dependable team you can rely on. There is nothing more gratifying than when the team comes together to achieve the objectives collectively set. When you get into that flow, it feels that the world is your oyster and there are no limits to what can be achieved. Celebrating that team success spurs you on to that next project – that next idea.

On a wider level, when analysing the future of hospitality, we must continue to adapt and evolve to minimise our impact on the environment; moving towards net zero and striving to support sustainable communities with where lives can flourish and prosper. We as hospitality businesses, need to collaborate to support communities through jobs, training, shared knowledge and connectivity whilst at the same time taking care of our environment and protecting our wildlife. Of course, I hope we can continue to enjoy the wealth of culture, diversity and nature that the world has to offer through sustainable travel, so it only makes sense that, as hoteliers, we strive towards a similar goal.

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

2023 Trends in the Hospitality Industry 14

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Comment by Karim Malak, easyHotel CEO (www.easyhotel.com) 2023 is likely to be another interesting year for the hospitality industry as cost-of-living pressures mean customers gravitate towards better value services, set against a backdrop of rising operational costs. For hotels to thrive in this period of economic downturn, adaptability is going to be key. Brands must tap into the needs of the customer and provide affordable experiences. Too many brands have started out as budget hotels and since gentrified their offer, becoming less affordable in the current market and less clear about what they offer. It’s important to have an offer which still lets customers travel and explore because there is still a demand for travel – a recent poll cited 76% of people surveyed still wanted to travel in 2023.

Research shows that customers are willing to pay more to stay in low-carbon, lowemission hotels. Carbon-zero flights and net-zero hotels will only increase and customers are being more discerning about hotels they choose to visit, looking for places

which will either neutralise or reduce their carbon emissions. Low-carbon traditionally is not always associated with low price, so brands will need to work doubly hard to demonstrate that customers can enjoy affordable prices and low-emission solutions. It is important to implement proactive, and authentic low-carbon solutions, rather than lots of unspecific measures to compensate for higher emissions. And this doesn’t just apply to individuals - as we get closer to key Net Zero deadlines, more businesses will be looking to travel sustainably, from the choice of transport to the carbon rating of their hotel. Hotels that can adapt to the changing landscape and provide concrete low carbon solutions for their guests without compromising on comfort or cost - will be most likely to succeed and attract customer loyalty.

Greene King Brewery Launches Cask Pins with Seven-Figure Investment Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, will be the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins, a 4.5-gallon unit container, to market this summer following a seven-figure investment.

With the effects of the pandemic still echoing and the cost-of-living crisis leading consumers to drink out less frequently, Greene King believes that the introduction of pins containing 36 pints per unit (half the size of the industry standard 9g container) will reinvigorate the sector by helping licensees deliver a range of fantastic cask-fresh beer to customers every time, whilst at the same time minimising wastage.

The brewer will be rolling out the cask pins to all managed, lease & tenanted and free trade customers this summer with its seasonal cask beers calendar, Fresh Cask Releases, which is a rolling portfolio of cask styles and flavours tailored to specific points in the year.

The new investment will provide customers with the opportunity to expand the range of cask ales on their bar, encouraging more people to try cask and broaden its appeal. The Fresh Cask Releases consists of a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations and new and exciting ales, inspired by legendary stories of the people and places associated with beer.

With the introduction of pins, customers will have the ability to manage a lower throughput at quieter times of the week, meaning less waste or risk of serving beer past its best quality. During busier times, cask pins offer the customer the opportunity to provide a seasonal cask ale, providing a wider choice on the bar.

CGA data reports that cask drinkers are happy to pay more for a great quality pint* and Greene King believes pins is another step in positioning cask ale as the premium product, it should be, on the bar.

John Malone, Head of Brewery Engagement at Greene King said: “The launch of pins within our business is one of many ways we are investing in the cask beer sector and in the industry. We have addressed the challenges serving this unique product can bring, and we believe the introduction of pins will help our customers serve our fabulous beers in perfect condition every time, whilst minimising wastage and maximising profits.

“Introducing pins will also provide our customer with the opportunity to expand their range and offer seasonal ales that provide a wider choice of styles and flavours to their guests. Cask ale is at the heart of a great pub, driving footfall and guest loyalty. We aim to support our customers in serving the best range of perfect quality beers for their bar.”

New Data Reveals Confidence Levels are Returning for the Inbound Tourism Industry The latest data from leading travel trade association UKinbound shows that confidence levels for the UK’s inbound tourism industry have returned to pre-Covid levels but high energy costs for attractions, supply side capacity issues for tour operators and difficulties with staffing across the industry are likely to be barriers to strong growth and recovery in 2023.

The association, which represents over 300 UK tourism businesses that service international tourists visiting the UK (inbound tourism), undertook its latest business barometer member survey in December 2022.

Conducted by Qa Research, the survey shows that: • Expected or confirmed bookings for Q1 of 2023 are at the same level or higher than they were before the pandemic for over half of businesses • Nearly two thirds of businesses stated they expected revenue for Q1 of 2023 and booking levels for Q2 of 2023 to be the same or higher than before the pandemic • There is strong demand from US visitors to come to the UK with nearly half of businesses (44%) reporting they are seeing growth from this market In contrast, businesses were asked what they expect to be their biggest barriers to growth over the next 12 months. For 61% of tour operators, it is ongoing issues with supply chain capacity and for 76% of attractions, their biggest concerns are inflation and the cost of energy. Ongoing recruitment and retention of staff remains a concern for nearly half of all respondents to the survey.

Joss Croft OBE, CEO of UKinbound commented “This data currently shows a mixed picture for the UK’s inbound tourism industry.

“It is great to see that many businesses are generally feeling optimistic about this year and confidence levels are returning to levels seen before the pandemic. It is also very positive of course that the UK is experiencing high demand from the US market and the fact that the Chinese market is also now re-opening. Unfortunately however, our members are still experiencing some fairly fundamental problems.

“Unsurprisingly, inflation and energy costs remain a big concern – particularly for attractions especially with the scaling back of support with energy bills from April. Our tour operator members are also telling us that they are experiencing issues with their supply chains such as not being able to secure enough quality accommodation for clients due to a reduction in bedstock because of Government contracts. Furthermore, all parts of the industry are experiencing difficulties with accessing the skilled staff that they need.

“We have some significant events taking place in 2023 in the UK – most notably His Majesty The King’s Coronation in May swiftly followed by the Eurovision Song Contest and whilst these events will generate a lot of positive attention for the UK, we cannot take this for granted.

“International tourism is a competitive business, and if we are to fully realise the economic benefits from these events and help turbo charge the recovery of the UK’s inbound industry – which is still suffering from ‘long covid’ due to being the first industry to be impacted by the pandemic and the last to recover – the Government needs to increase its efforts and spend to successfully market the UK to potential visitors around the world.”

“Community Ties” Changed Since Lockdown Survey Reveals Issue 144

The study, conducted by pub company and brewer Greene King, revealed how community ties have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a national lockdown in 2020

Overall, this means a fifth of Brits (17%) say that a strong sense of community spirit is lacking where they live.

For many towns and villages, the heart of the community is the local pub and encourage people to get together, Greene King offered a free drink including Ice Breaker Pale Ale, to anyone who visited a participating pub with a neighbour on 11th January between 15:00 to 21:00.

Andrew Gallagher, Marketing Director at Greene King Local Pubs said: “We wanted to start the new year by helping locals to rekindle the feeling of togetherness which has been lost since the pandemic was at its height.

When it comes to forging connections with neighbours, Clap for carers (27%), sharing food & supplies (26%) and attending community events such as street parties (24%) were the main drivers of community spirit during lockdown.

On average, Brits claim to know just four of their neighbours on a first name basis, and what’s more, one in five (19%) young people aged 18–24-year-old have never actually met their neighbours at all – a stark contrast to the older generation of 55-64’s, of which only 1% said the same.

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When it comes to why we don’t know our neighbours, over half of respondents (54%) say it’s because they enjoy their privacy, nearly a third (29%) don’t want to invade their neighbours’ privacy and a quarter (25%) feel shy or nervous about doing so.

Almost half of Brits admit to feeling lonely once a week or more since lockdown ended, according to new national research.

However, this didn’t last long, with the research revealing that almost a quarter (22%) are no longer taking part in these community events, and a further 21% no longer feel the need to support their neighbours.

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“Local pubs sit at the heart of the community, and we know many people are having a tough time at the minute, which is why we want to bring people together, to enjoy a drink on us.”

Having only recently started to recover from the effects of the pandemic, local communities are now being hit by worries over the cost-of-living crisis.

In fact, half of Brits (51%) say the cost-of-living crisis has had a significant effect on their local community, and 38% believe there is now an increased need for food banks in their area.

When it comes to financial support, locals are keen for more community focused events, with 44% of people calling for more free events in pubs, and 38% are keen to build a better support network with neighbours.

Tamworth Tap is Named the Best Pub in the Country by CAMRA Tamworth Tap is the jewel in Tamworth’s crown. Since it opened five years ago, ‘The Tap’ has gone from strength to strength.

An impressive brewpub located in a 16th century shop front falling within the shadow of Tamworth’s historic Norman castle has been named the best pub in the country in CAMRA’s Pub of the Year competition.

There’s always new offerings, changes and innovations every time you visit. It has beer brewed on the premises, fantastic, knowledgeable staff and comfortable old-world décor. Add to this an awardwinning rustic outdoor drinking area overlooked by Tamworth Castle and you have a pub catering to all tastes. It’s a friendly, welcoming venue serving ever-changing top quality real ales. To go from empty premises to this iconic brewpub in such a short time is real testament to the hard work put in by owners George, Louise and their staff. This top award is fully merited for a pub that espouses all the aims of CAMRA.

The Tamworth Tap in Tamworth is housed in an elegant building, with Tudor features in the cosy upstairs room and a historic courtyard beer terrace that offers striking views of Tamworth Castle. It went from empty premises to an iconic brewpub in less than five years, and today boasts eight handpulls, including at least one Tamworth ale brewed on site. A ‘CAMRA corner’ at the bottom of the stairs includes a rare, complete set of Good Beer Guides.

Themed events regularly take place in this bustling brewpub, include beer tastings and ‘paint and sip’ sessions. The courtyard features regular live music with local performers, bat watch evenings, and the occasional screening of cult films on a large screen. The inhouse ‘Tap Times’ lists local happenings and forthcoming events.

The judges described their visits as “an absolutely delightful experience” with knowledgeable staff, a friendly atmosphere, attractive decor, and great selection of cask ales and real ciders on offer.

George and Louise Greenaway from the Tamworth Tap said: “We can’t express how much this accolade means to us. CAMRA values have been at the core of everything we have done since we opened our doors, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have won this year’s competition! Pubs are its people, and we are surrounded by the best. We’d like to give a special mention to our amazing customers, affectionately known as ‘Tappers’, and to the truly terrific ‘Team Tap’ who make it all possible!”

John Rowling, Pubs Officer with Lichfield Sutton & Tamworth CAMRA Branch said: “I’m absolutely elated at this fantastic news that the Tamworth Tap has won the coveted top award. For real ale drinkers, the

“It is the pinnacle of achievements to be voted CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year, so on behalf of the customers and the local branch I congratulate George and Louise on their tremendous success.”

Pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, community focus and the quality of the beer. Runners-up in the competition are the Station House in Durham, the Horse & Jockey in Stapleford and the King’s Head in Norwich.

Awards Director Laura Emson said: “The Tamworth Tap shows what passion and creativity can achieve in a short space of time with great beer backing up a wide range of activities in a friendly atmosphere.

“A pub doesn’t have to be a national award winner to be a vital part of a local community and following a tough few years for the industry, our support is needed more than ever. Using CAMRA’s WhatPub website you can find a new pub to try, and meet with friends. Check out your local branch’s social calendar for inspiration, and CAMRA members – don’t forget to add your beer scores via WhatPub too!”

Whitbread Accommodation Sales ‘Significantly’ Above Last Year and Pre-Pandemic Whitbread PLC has reported strong sales growth in its financial third quarter, both in its core Premier Inn business in the UK and in its target growth market of Germany, as it changes group chief executive.

Total sales rose 23% in the 13 weeks to December 1 compared to the same period in 2021 and were up 29% compared to three years ago, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accommodation sales were up 28% on a year before and 45% on pre-pandemic, but food and beverage sales were up just 9.7% and remained down 1.3% compared to three years ago.

Total sales were up 19% in the UK and 158% in Germany from a year ago. On a like-for-like basis, the rise was similar for the UK at 17%. For Germany, it was 82%.

It celebrated a strong performance across both London and in the regions as it said its budget offering at Premier Inn appealed to customers during the cost-of-living crisis.

The group has also been boosted after last year’s result was held back by the Omicron variant of Covid, with many people putting off travelling over the 2021 festive season due to the pandemic.

Chief executive Alison Brittain said: “Premier Inn UK delivered another excellent quarter with a strong performance, both in absolute terms and also relative to the broader midscale and economy sector. The uplift in accommodation sales was driven by a strong performance across London and the regions, with both remaining significantly ahead of last year and pre-pandemic levels and with a well-balanced mix of business and leisure guests. These revenue trends have continued into the fourth quarter, with good occupancy and high average room rates sustaining strong RevPAR growth and UK food and beverage sales remain well ahead of last year. Premier Inn Germany had another robust quarter, led by our cohort of more established hotels that are performing particularly well and are attracting excellent guest scores.

This performance underpins our enthusiasm about the market opportunity and our confidence in being able to achieve a long-term target of 10-14% return on capital. Despite a more challenging period for the UK economy, our winning business model continues to deliver outstanding value and quality for our guests. The strength of our forward booked position, robust pricing, estate growth and efficiency programme all underpin our confidence in the outlook for FY24. In Germany, our potential remains significant, and we are well on the way to unlocking substantial value in this large and exciting market.

Festive Gatherings and Holiday Bookings Boost Hospitality and Travel in December Issue 144

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However, year-on-year growth in spending on Insperiences slowed (4.0 per cent in December compared to 6.2 per cent in November).

This includes digital content and subscriptions, which fell back into decline (-1.3 per cent), as Brits say that they have cancelled or are planning to cancel their film/TV streaming services (16 per cent) and paid-for TV channels (10 per cent) to save money.

Consumer card spending grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year in December – slightly higher than November (3.9 per cent) but well below the 9.3 per cent rise in consumer price inflation.

Hospitality and travel received a boost from Christmas parties, the FIFA World Cup and 2023 holiday bookings, while the cold snap saw growth in utilities spend climb even higher, and postal strikes hampered online retail meaning shoppers headed to the high street for last-minute gifts.

Data from Barclays reveals that spending on essential items increased 5.1 per cent in December 2022, though this was slightly lower than November’s year-on-year growth (7.1 per cent), with spend on fuel seeing its smallest rise (10.6 per cent) since March 2021, as petrol and diesel prices continued to fall.

Spending on non-essential items grew 4.1 per cent year-on-year – the largest increase since July 2022. Pubs, bars & clubs (up 12.6 per cent) enjoyed their biggest uplift since May 2022, as Christmas parties and the FIFA World Cup boosted takings despite the impact of December’s rail strikes. Restaurants, meanwhile, although still in decline compared to 2021 (-3.9 per cent) saw a noticeable improvement compared to the year-on-year growth seen in November (-10.3 per cent). Similarly, the rush to buy gifts and Christmas party outfits benefitted clothing and department stores, which returned to growth in December, rising 1.5 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively compared to -3.0 per cent and -1.5 per cent in November.

Supermarket spend remained in growth (up 5.5 per cent) however this was lower than the 6.5 per cent growth observed in November. Food and drink specialist stores also fell back into decline (-0.2 per cent) – a possible sign that shoppers had already stocked up on festive food and drink, making the most of discounts and deals offered in the run up to Christmas, while also looking to get ahead of any supply chain issues.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Brits reporting concerns about rising food prices remains high at 91 per cent, and almost two thirds (65 per cent) say they have been looking for ways to reduce the cost of their weekly shop – a marginal reduction compared to November (69 per cent). Nearly half of these shoppers (49 per cent) are buying budget or own-brand goods instead of branded goods, and 28 per cent are only buying items that are discounted or on offer.

As holidaymakers booked getaways for 2023, the international travel sector saw significant improvement.

Travel agents and airlines rose 87.3 per cent and 62.4 per cent respectively, compared to 39.7 per cent and 28.8 per cent in November. Staycations also boosted the domestic travel sector, with hotels, resorts and accommodation enjoying a sizeable boost (8.2 per cent) after seeing no growth in November (0.0 per cent).

Overall, the uplift in non-essential spending year-on-year in December 2022 is in part due to the spread of Omicron in the run up to Christmas in 2021, which caused retail, leisure and hospitality to perform poorly at the time, thereby inflating 2022’s growth figures.

On the other hand, one category that performed particularly well in December 2021 was online retail, as consumers opted to avoid the high street. This is one of the reasons why online retail fell -5.8 per cent in December 2022, while overall and face-to-face retail spending grew 1.2 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively. The postal strikes in 2022 also hampered online retail spending, as Brits were dissuaded from shopping at retail websites in case delays meant presents didn’t arrive in time for Christmas.

After the festivities, Brits are feeling both charitable and frugal, with 36 per cent intending to donate any unwanted Christmas gifts to charity, and 27 per cent planning to save money by keeping unwanted presents so they can re-gift them to others.

Despite the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze, confidence in household finances rose slightly to 61 per cent (up from 57 per cent in November), while confidence in the strength of the UK economy remains low but steady at 18 per cent.

Esme Harwood, Director at Barclays, said: “The retail, travel and hospitality sectors all saw noticeable growth in December. Sports and outdoor retailers saw their largest increase since March 2022 as many Brits sought to get a head start on their January health kick. Meanwhile, pubs, bars & clubs benefited from Christmas parties and football fans watching the World Cup. “However, it’s worth noting that these figures look more positive in comparison to December 2021, as the spread of Omicron kept Brits away from high streets and hospitality venues. It seems this year shoppers returned to the high street to make the most of the festive period despite the cost-of-living challenges.”

“The postal strikes hampered online retail due to fears of missing pre-Christmas delivery dates, while rising living costs caused more Brits to cancel their subscription services. Confidence in household finances saw a small jump, suggesting that consumers are feeling slightly more optimistic about their ability to balance their budgets going into the new year.”

Applications Now Open for the Brewers’ Research and Education Fund The Brewers’ Research and Education Fund (BREF) 2023/2024 is now open for applications, with the judging board on the lookout for the brightest and best ideas to benefit the brewing and pub industry.

the Trustee of the fund, the Brewers’ Company looks forward to awarding grants to another selection of valuable industry research projects and the opportunity to further education in beer and brewing.”

For over a decade, BREF has annually supported ideas that seek to improve and support the UK brewing industry, including through awards for projects focusing on the benefits of moderate beer consumption, sustainability, hygiene, hop diversification and educational activities.

Applications will be judged by an Advisory Committee made up of leaders and experts from across the industry, including Richard Westwood (Chair of the BREF Advisory Committee), Andrew Runcie (MCUK), Fergus Fitzgerald (Adnams) Georgina Young (St. Austell Brewery), Miles Jenner (Harvey and Sons). Applications can be made via the BBPA’s website.

The fund is an opportunity for individuals, groups or organisations to be creative in thinking about how the brewing process, breweries and their supply chains could be supported to make their work even better.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: “You only have to look at the diverse selection of beers on offer at the bar to see just how creative brewers are.

Created through funds originally provided by the BBPA, BREF is now administered through the Worshipful Company of Brewers as trustees , with the BBPA promoting the fund and providing the secretariat.

Nick Tindal, Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Brewers said: “The Brewers’ Research & Education Fund is a great example of the Brewers’ Company’s focus on investing in the future of the brewing industry. As

“As an industry we strive for brilliance and this fund seeks to support that passion and enthusiasm for innovation in our craft to develop and keep Great British beer thriving.”

A Real Nation Of Snackers

Snacking is a central part of British eating habits and most people snack on a daily basis.1

For more information or to apply visit the BBPA website at https://beerandpub.com

Importantly, crisps and savoury snacks are the No1 purchase alongside a drink and a sandwich for hospitality venues.2

Whether you offer sit-down or take-away meals, or snacks to accompany a drink, the inclusion of snacks is a must for all hospitality outlets.

Listing great tasting snacks is key, as the main reason for purchasing crisps is as a treat, so there has to be no compromise on taste. After all, a treat is a treat, it’s got to taste great!

THE REAL DEAL REAL premium hand cooked crisps is a hospitality exclusive brand, with award winning flavours that will delight you and your customers.

The right offering of quality branded snacks can help drive more cash through your till.

REAL Hand Cooked Crisps have so much to offer your business and your customers:

REAL TIPS Display the right range of snacks and flavours to drive incremental sales.

Ensuring your snack display is well stocked will help your business take advantage of the 40% of consumers who impulse shop their snacks3.

Snack sales increase by up to 80%3 when made more visible, we know displays is key and have a range of FREE POS to meet your needs.

Snacking offers hospitality venues a rare opportunity in the challenging times ahead. History tells us that snacking increases in a recession - as it remains an affordable luxury. Upselling a pack of snacks to every customer who orders a drink is a fairly simple way to put much-needed cash in the till.

Don’t miss out on incremental impulse sales, stock REAL hand cooked hospitality-exclusive premium crisps now!

1. Mintel, UK Crisps, Savoury Snacks & Nuts Market Report 2022 2. Hospitality Snacking Research, Norstat - August 2022 3. HIM! Foodservice Research 2016 4. CGA Strategy Research - 2016/2017

Fresh Thinking Required To Weather The Staffing Crisis 16

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Issue 144

By Antony Woodcock - Co-Founder and CEO - GIG (www.gigtogig.co.uk) ing flexibly about what you can offer them. Staff are the beating heart of the industry, and offering them employment opportunities that value and respect their time can pay dividends.

One of the defining features of lockdown working was a greater enthusiasm for flexible working routines. The pandemic gave more workers a taste for more adaptable ways of working, and for many, the typical 9-5 moved further into the distance. This can mean thinking outside the box - how can we attract the demographics we’ve long neglected? Can we make it easier to offer work to busy parents, to offer shorter shifts for people around retirement age who may want shorter-term, less frequent shifts?

There’s little more that can be said on the topic of staffing beyond the fact that many industries, particularly hospitality, are still at crisis point.

With shortages leading to around £21bn in lost sales, the problem cuts further than a few busy shifts due to understaffing, and instead has led to businesses limiting their hours or even being forced to close entirely.

It was hoped that post-lockdown, the situation would ease. But with the combination of rising costs and Brexit complications, the picture continued to worsen. There’s no denying that the pandemic saw a haemorrhaging of staff to the sectors which remained open, such as warehousing, so our offer has to be enough to tempt them back.

Attracting the best staff means listening to what they want, and think-

In particular, flexible opportunities, not necessarily linked to long-term contracts or experience periods, can be an attractive solution for workers struggling to get “traditional” jobs after long gaps in their CVs, caused by unemployment, health conditions, maternity or other circumstances. This helps open up the job pool to fresh talent who may otherwise feel excluded from the market.

There’s also now a greater opportunity to embrace technology to its full potential - using it to complement staffing, not threaten it. The growth of the Gig economy model has proved popular due to its adoption of digital technologies that make finding shifts a simple task, with little more than the phone in your pocket.

All of this not only attracts staff through the doors, but keeps them there too. It’s no secret that the more we value staff, the better performance can be.

But even if we adopt this greater flexibility, there is also a huge responsibility on our shoulders to promote a more positive picture of our industry - making sure we show off the very best of what hospitality is

about. There are plenty of long-term career opportunities available and a wide variety of roles to suit a wide variety of people. It’s our job to shout about it, and practice what we preach too.

Hospitality has long had an image problem: low pay, undervalued staff, and a lack of career progression. But those of us in the sector know that doesn’t have to be the case, and the sooner we can promote that, the sooner we can attract fresh talent.

Just as there has been no single contributor to the current staffing crisis, there is equally no single solution. Fundamentally, it comes down to some fresh thinking, looking beyond the status quo and listening to the things that would allow new recruits to consider hospitality as a viable career, and make our existing workforce feel valued.

haysmacintyre Appoints Emma Bernardez as Head of Hospitality Hospitality specialist accountants and tax advisors, haysmacintyre have announced the appointment of Emma Bernardez as Head of Hospitality taking over the position from Andrew Ball who, after more than 15 years in the role, moves to Senior Hospitality Partner.

Over the last 15 years, Andrew has built a team of some 60 people and developed a range of sector specific services that are now delivered to over 140 clients.

Having first joined the firm as a trainee before becoming a partner, Emma has developed specialist expertise across a broad range of topical issues and has established a strong client base within the hospitality sector, ranging from restaurant, bar and hotel groups, to leisure operators and food and drink start-ups.

Emma is an active contributor to leading sector organisations such as Propel Hospitality and Bread & Jam, with an excellent knowledge of the latest developments and needs of the sector.

Emma is now ideally placed to drive forward our strategy for working with the hospitality sector. We continue to listen to the needs of our clients and ensure that our people develop the skills to match those needs. Emma will work with our Hospitality team to shape and implement our strategy over both the short and medium term.

Commenting on Emma’s promotion, Andrew Ball, said: “Emma’s appointment to Head of Hospitality is a testament to her excellent work in the team. She has provided high quality support and advice to both her

clients and colleagues, and it has been fantastic to see her develop throughout her career to date at the Firm. Emma has been instrumental in driving our hospitality sector’s growth and I look forward to seeing her excel in her new role. In my new role as Senior Hospitality Partner I will continue working closely with my clients, attend industry events and work with Emma on the strategic direction of the hospitality team.”

Emma Bernardez added: “As the hospitality industry moves from challenge to challenge, it has been a pleasure to work alongside our clients and dedicated team to seize new opportunities and adapt to changing circumstances as they evolve. I’d like to thank Andrew for all his support to this point and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on the hospitality team’s fantastic work as we continue working with and adding value to businesses across the sector.”

Natasha Frangos, Managing Partner at haysmacintyre, comments: “We are excited to appoint Emma at this time and recognise her contribution to the sector to date. Emma’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the next generation of talent are equipped with the right skills to become future leaders of the Firm. I have no doubt that Emma’s knowledge, commitment and determination will enable us to build on Andrew’s success in the sector whilst bringing a fresh perspective and approach to the ever-changing business environment.” haysmacintyre’s hospitality sector acts for over 140 clients in the industry providing due diligence services, advice on tax structuring and employment shares schemes, cash flow forecasting and compliance and regulatory advice.

OiLChef Wins Prestigious Best Kitchen Innovation Award Congratulations to OiLChef for winning the prestigious Best Kitchen Innovation Award at the Restaurant & Takeaway Expo at the Excel in London.

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OiLChef is virtually maintenance free, takes 3 seconds to install and only needs to be replaced every 3 years. FDA Approved technology, and winner of “Best Kitchen Innovation Award UK 2022”, the OiLChef device is virtually unbreakable and maintenance free.

The OiLChef device is now available for fish pans and can cost as little as one pound per day and guaranteed for 3 years!!

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With OiL Chef in your fryer, your food cooks quicker, becomes a little crispier, absorbs less oil and your food holds its texture for longer which is fantastic news for your delivery and kerb side pick-up!

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Issue 144

How Customer Benefits Will Drive the EPoS Evolution

By Maxwell Harding, Founder and CEO of Dynamify (www.dynamify.com) With the cost of living continuing to skyrocket and food price inflation at a record high, this year consumers will increasingly focus their spending where they are likely to garner some type of benefit. As a result, loyalty programmes will play a hugely important role in attracting and retaining customers in 2023.

At the same time, these capabilities also positively benefit hospitality staff by providing frictionless, convenient, and time-saving transactions for customers. This in turn reduces pressure on staffing during labour shortages that have persisted over the course of 2022 and into 2023, allowing staff to focus on higher value-adding tasks such as interacting with customers and enhancing their experience. This personability element is an important factor when a customer is evaluating whether to return to a restaurant.

Through the use of EPoS systems or white-labelling apps, operators can leverage these benefits to the fullest extent by providing customers with ‘rewards’ and ‘giveaways’ that feel unique to them. This is thanks to the software’s ability to analyse each individual’s purchase history and then promote specific meals and drinks to meet the preference of each customer. This will enable operators to not only stay competitive, but also improve customer service over time, retain customer data for targeted marketing campaigns, and introduce loyalty and reward programmes on an ad hoc basis.

What’s more, businesses might not realise that EPoS offers restaurants the benefit of non-anonymised basket-level data that can help them make better decisions – such as what products to sell, to what clientele, and at what time, to point at just a few. As of today, the only challenge that still exists in this area is the immaturity of the digital ordering market, which has meant the production of poor solutions, giving good ones a bad reputation. Therefore, further education is needed to combat this.

When it comes to the future of EPoS systems, we are already seeing loyalty schemes growing in popularity. We can expect to see a rise in subscription-based schemes – like Leon Coffee Club and Deliveroo Plus – and sustainability-focused loyalty programs – such as giving points for eco-friendly purchases and planting trees.

The next few years will be absolutely crucial in the evolution of the EPoS system, with any probability of EPoS being solely self-service channels (app and kiosks) along with the concept of cashiers and queueing reduced even further. As customers' expectations evolve and demand for quick, convenient, and time-saving transactions grows, we'll likely see more operators go fully digital in 2023.

Further, as disruptions to the supply chain continue, inventory management will remain vital to businesses, but gradually give way to ‘information transparency’. To comply with Natasha's Law, these transparencies include allergen information, nutrition/calorie content, in the wake of the new calorie labelling legislation, and carbon footprint, as conscious consumerism continues to pave the way.

Accor Reveals its Thought-Leading Health to Wealth White Paper Accor hospitality group, has announced the release of its highly anticipated white paper, exploring eight key pathways for navigating business, society and leadership toward a future where human well-being and fulfillment are essential priorities. Titled, “The Road Map Towards a Transformational Well-Being Culture”, the research report is part of Accor’s ongoing and insightful Health to Wealth series, designed to explore the world’s state of well-being and the defining issues of our time. Health to Wealth has already released an illuminating 12-episode podcast featuring leading thinkers as well as an entrepreneurial wellness start-up challenge in Paris in collaboration with VivaTech.

“Accor is seeking to drive transformational change, supporting a shift toward the emergence of a wellbeing economy, with an earnest desire to help people, businesses, and communities achieve their priorities for alignment and prosperity,” said Emlyn Brown, Global Vice President, Well-Being, Accor. “The Health to Wealth white paper demonstrates that well-being must be recognized as an imperative for all if we are to maintain the equilibrium of our lives, our society, and our planet.”

The white paper highlights eight key pathways for businesses, governments and organizations to consider as they plot their own roadmaps toward a culture of well-being, enabling them to thrive in the future economy.

These findings draw on the rich body of insights shared by the speakers in the Health to Wealth podcast series. Key pathways to progress include:

Well-being is body and mind – The link between mental and physical well-being has been widely documented and these learnings are yielding innovative neuroscientific technology with psychological and physiological benefits.

Measurement can optimize well-being – Governments, health organizations, and corporations are called upon to collect more comprehensive and meaningful health data – and act on it to improve the numbers.

Our well-being starts with our finances – With a longer-term goal to achieve a more equal distribution of wealth, it is essential to help people manage money and financial stress, while offering affordable well-being solutions.

Access to well-being needs to be fully democratic – Well-being must be inclusive, available, accessible, and achievable for everyone, regardless of wealth, gender, race, nationality, sexuality, or ability.

Joined-up thinking is required – As organizations, corporations, and nations connect their ideas and actions to a wider eco-system, the improving health of their populations leads to richer, more robust economies.

Technology must become a positive force – Empowering individuals to have control over their data, privacy, and safety, while improving the quality of data that is shared, collected, and used, is a positive force for change.

Our own well-being is entwined with our planet – How we use the world’s precious resources is critical to a sense of well-being in the world, ensuring our air, food and water supplies are safe, nourishing, and sustainable.

Well-being transcends cultural differences – The desire to be well is a universal aspiration and essential to being human; if recognized as a cornerstone of public policy, it can be the engine that transforms the world.

Like the Health to Wealth podcast series, the white paper was curated by Well Intelligence, in partnership with Accor. Well Intelligence is a UK-based international business advisory group that champions the relevance and cultural lifeblood brought on by investments in well-being, guiding corporations in their quest to establish impactful well-being programs, fitter workforces, and healthier communities.

To read and download “The Road Map Towards a Transformational Well-Being Culture” in full, please click Here.

Dispelling the Myths About Good Cellar Hygiene Following the opening of their new 13,500 sq ft Trafford Park facility, sister companies Chemisphere UK and Beer Piper International are working on a drive to educate the industry on the importance of good cellar hygiene and to dispel the myths that it’s a complicated process.

The two companies have a unique proposition – Chemisphere are specialists in providing the hospitality industry with premium detergents and accessories for ware-washing, beverage dispense system sterilisation and kitchen hygiene, whilst Beer Piper provide advanced beer line cleaning systems. This means that complete bar & cellar solutions are available all under one roof.

Chemisphere developed the world’s first purple beer line cleaner changes colour if the line is dirty, when it remains purple you can be confident that your line is absolutely yeast and bacteria free. This product revolutionised beer line cleaning and continues to do so today with both manual cleans and automated cleans.

As publicans and bar managers struggle to maintain their ever-increasing workload in these difficult times,

automated beer line cleaning systems such as Beer Piper have taken the stress out of a little-loved, yet essential, task.

The Beer Piper unit is programmed, meaning it does all the hard work for establishments during their opening hours. One of the distinctive features of the Beer Piper system is the Dispense Line Beer function which gives the option of saving much of the valuable beer that until now, was simply poured down the drain every week when doing a manual line clean.

Chemisphere and Beer Piper continue to invest in new equipment and develop a wider range of products.

Wilf Worsley, Operations Director at Chemisphere said “our research and development department are hard at work and strive to lead the industry through new product development. We are the home of several pioneering products and we continue our mission to educate the industry on the importance of maintaining high hygiene standards of their dispense equipment and glass hygiene to ensure optimum quality of their dispensed products.”

Both companies now look forward to continuing to execute their growth plans with Chemisphere UK focusing on expanding their product range and Beer Piper International on the launch of their new BP5 beer line cleaning machine which will utilise Chemisphere’s game changing powder-based product.

Visit www.chemisphereuk.com and www.beerpiper.co.uk for more information.

Next Step in Keeping Business Costs Down Digitising the Supplier Order Process with Choco 22

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By Alex Kiely, General Manager of Choco UK (https://choco.com/uk/)

process, replacing the ‘gut feel, phone and paper list’ system. All available products are shown on the interface in real time, giving chefs the confidence that in a few clicks they can know exactly what products they are ordering and at what cost. This is hugely important, with inflation soaring and food costs changing on a daily basis, the platform provides transparency to chefs for accurate budgeting.

Food waste on the restaurant and supplier side is also adding to economic worries, and it is also leading to more of a focus on creating more sustainable environments. Currently 30-40% of food produced goes to waste each year and nearly three-quarters of that waste happens in the supply chain before consumers are involved. Waste is the third-largest driver of climate change. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest in carbon dioxide emissions on the planet.

The UK food industry has a real appetite for tech. It’s adventurous.

Many of us know that digitising our business is not optional anymore.

The margin for error with orders being exchanged on pen, paper, voicemail or WhatsApp is too high. Wrong, misheard, or misspelt orders cost money and reputations. If anybody has been watching The Bear, the recent US TV drama about a top chef who takes over his brother’s neighbourhood restaurant in Chicago, you’ll have seen the repeated scenes of increasing frustration when orders are delivered in the wrong quantities.

As our industry prepares for a difficult few seasons, Choco, the industry’s No.1 global ordering platform, has launched to the UK restaurant and supplier market.

Choco can enable both suppliers and restaurants to make every possible financial and process efficiency, improving margins and strengthening the digital food chain.

We estimate that, when using the Choco app, restaurants are saving on average 1.27 kilos every week by reducing their ordering mistakes and saving up to two hours every week by improving their efficiency in the kitchen.

THE SUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

London's Fitzrovia district serving a seasonal menu of modern British cuisine, uses Choco. “I’ve never come across an online food ordering platform for restaurants before, so when I was introduced to Choco I loved the concept. We’ve been using the platform for a few months now and it’s truly transformed the way we do things.

99% of our suppliers use the platform. We can see in real time what is available, and we can select exactly what we want any time of the day. It not only saves me approximately 20 minutes at the end of each service, but it also cuts out the human error, so I now get exactly what I ordered.

Previously, when done by phone, I could be waiting around to speak to someone, then I could read something out wrong or the supplier could have noted it down wrong so with Choco, we both know exactly where we stand so it’s a more seamless, efficient experience.”

Find out more about him and Choco UK at https://choco.com/us/stories/life-at-choco/london-launch https://choco.com/uk/ contact@choco.com

Shaun Henderson, founder of Henderson Seafood, the Brixham-based, sustainable and ethically sourced fish supplier to the restaurant industry is using Choco. “We use it as a platform for our customers to buy online from us. We typically take 50 orders a day. WhatsApp or phone can be prone to human error, but Choco eliminates that. It saves time for our customers as they simply tick box what they want, the order comes through to us, we process it, and the invoice is automated, saving us even more time. Onboarding has been quicker than ever imagined and we were up and running within two weeks - two thirds of our orders are already coming through Choco. Customers have really taken to it.

Choco has really changed the way we do things, and we couldn’t be happier.”

THE CHEF’S EXPERIENCE

Choco’s app allows suppliers to offer customers a fully digital ordering

Chris Bassett, Head Chef at Portland, a Michelin starred restaurant in

CAMRA Encourages People to Use Bus Ticket Cap to Support Pubs Sustainably in 2023 The Campaign for Real Ale has also written to the Government, asking them to make the £2 cap permanent.

The Campaign for Real Ale is encouraging beer and pub lovers to take advantage of capped bus fares to support pubs and social clubs in England through the quieter New Year period.

The scheme, announced last year, uses Government funding to help bus operators cap single journeys in England at £2.

With the cost-of-living crisis causing everyone to consider the affordability of leisure activities, schemes that help reduce the cost of travel, and provide a way to visit pubs and brewers through more sustainable modes of transport, should be welcomed.

CAMRA Chairman, Nik Antona said: “The early months of the year are notoriously hard for the licensed trade. This year, pubs, social clubs, brewers and cider makers are also having to contend with a cost-of-busi-

ness crisis. While early indications are that Christmas trade was returning to pre-pandemic levels, our beloved locals are still in a precarious situation, with a significant rollback in energy support from April.”

“Schemes like this, which help people get to the pub in a more affordable and environmentally friendly way should be applauded, and we encourage everyone to take advantage to support local pubs, social clubs, brewers and cider makers through what will be a tough winter season.”

CAMRA are also asking the Buses Minister, Richard Holden MP, to make the scheme permanent.

In a letter to the Minister, the Campaign’s Chairman, Nik Antona, said: “A thriving public transport network goes hand in hand with a thriving hospitality sector. It is important that people can get to pubs and social clubs using accessible and sustainable methods of transport. Therefore, we would like you to introduce a permanent funding for a fare capping scheme in the Spring Budget.”

Smoking Gun Creates International Business Success…

A DEVICE adding the wow factor to cocktails has taken the international market by storm, after being inspired by the childhood experience of blowing bubbles.

Flavour Blaster Pro, which creates aroma filled bubbles on the top of drinks, is now used by professionals in Michelin Star Restaurants and Five Star Hotels around the world. As well as leading mixologist and Flavour Blaster ambassador Simone Caporale, owner of Sips 3rd best cocktail bar in world.

The professional aroma gun is sold to more than 40,000 customers in 150 countries, thanks to its use of innovative technology.

Other clients include top chains such as The Alchemist, Maybe Sammy in Australia, and it is also currently helping to create the immersive experience at Johnny Walker in Edinburgh.

The company also has a strong foothold in the international market, particularly in the USA where it can be found in venues in California, Florida and Las Vegas to name a few.

It’s success is the result of a collaboration between hospitality entrepreneur Colin Myers and manufacturing

guru, Robert Flunder who came up with the initial concept to add some theatricality to the drinks experience. And the resulting creation was down to Colins fascination with the concept of edible bubbles which would use authentic aromas rather than synthetic flavours.

Australian-born Colin, who previously worked in the bar and leisure industry in the UK, spent four years helping to develop the product which he describes as “an inner child gadget.”

The company uses a leading company in New York to prepare its aromas, which are distilled from actual fruits, herbs and spices rather than being artificially produced.

And it’s not stopping there. Now with a 15-strong staff plus a R & D team, a number of other products for the Hospitality sector are also in development.

“The ultimate in theatrical mixology.”

For further information visit www.flavourblaster.com

Over A Quarter Of UK Adults Find Pub Visits Tough When Not Drinking Alcohol Issue 144

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Despite 1 In 5 Opting For Non-Alcoholic Beers As Drink Of Choice

New research from Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I reveals that over 1 in 4 UK adults (27%) find pubs, clubs and bar visits tough when not drinking alcohol, with almost 1 in 2 adults (49%) who plan to drink less in January cutting out alcohol for at least part of the month[1].

The stats present a fresh blow to the hospitality sector as it continues to grapple economic headwinds, coupled with the impacts of Dry January. But, 13% of UK adults say they’re more likely to go to a social event while not drinking alcohol if there are nonalcoholic alternatives available besides soft drinks. 21% of UK adults also said that they would drink non-alcoholic beer as an alcohol alternative at a social gathering where other people are drinking alcohol. Overall, non-alc beer comes in second behind mocktails (34%) as the top alcohol alternative people would choose at a social gathering.

Against this backdrop, Budweiser Brewing Group is excited to see continued volume and market share growth in the no and low alcohol beverage (NABLAB) category, as Corona Cero became the 5th biggest NABLAB brand in volume last quarter[2]. The brewer has made significant progress to lead the category with its portfolio of no-andlow alcohol beer, including Stella Artois Alcohol-Free, Budweiser Zero, Beck’s Blue, Leffe 0.0 and Corona Cero.

The brewer continues to look at trends in the market so it can cater to a spectrum of consumer preferences. Making sure the category is inclusive with a range of no to low options is critical to help consumers balance alcohol and non-alcohol choices.

Corona Cero has exciting activations coming up to encourage groups of friends to enjoy non-alcoholic Corona Cero while socializing together – in the same way they’d enjoy alcoholic Corona Extra while socializing together.

Marie Fukuura, Future Growth Brands Director at Budweiser Brewing Group said: “There is a clear interest in no-and-low alternatives, and as the category continues to grow, we are seeing more and more beer-drinkers look to moderate their alcohol consumption without giving up beer entirely. As the world’s leading brewer, we are proud to bring people together over their favourite beers and want them to enjoy non-alcohol versions in a similar way – for a future with more cheers.”

[1] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2169 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th - 16th December 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

Arc Inspirations Announces Sheffield First with New Landmark Venue Premium bar operator Arc Inspirations is set to expand its successful portfolio of award-winning venues into a new city with the introduction of Manahatta, Sheffield.

The group currently operates 18 premium bars across the North of England, under the brands of Banyan Bar & Kitchen, BOX and Manahatta. The company has secured planning permission for the new site located in the Yorkshire city of Sheffield and will be transformed into a Manahatta bar launching in February.

Manahatta, Sheffield will be the eighth site for the brand – current locations include Birmingham, Harrogate, Leeds, Manchester and York. Known for being Instagrammable havens, the newest addition is set to bring masterfully-crafted cocktails plus the exciting and unmistakable beat of New York to Sheffield.

Inspired by New York loft bars, the venue will comprise two floors and will be located in the heart of the city. With bookable booths, a 12-metre feature bar with a DJ podium, external seating and a first-floor balcony overlooking City Hall, Manahatta will be bringing the best of the Big Apple.

Arc Inspirations CEO Martin Wolstencroft, said: “We are delighted to continue growing our successful portfolio of brands and it is always such an exciting adventure introducing what we do to new cities and locations. Coming to the new city of Sheffield, we are confident the Manahatta brand will be a popular addition to the already existing nightlife and bar scene.

City Pub Group Appoint New CMO City Pub Group, the owner and operator of 43 premium pubs across Southern England and Wales, has announced the appointment of Richard Myers as Chief Marketing Officer from 1 February 2023 – a key appointment for its next phase of growth.

Richard is an exceptionally experienced and proven marketeer with over 18 years of experience within the drinks and hospitality industries. He joins most recently from Urban Pubs and Bars where he was responsible for all aspects of marketing, including brand proposition development, branding, digital strategy, PR and CRM, across the 40 London-based sites. Richard helped the business successfully navigate through the pandemic, before doubling in size, launching 22 new sites over the last 18 months.

Previously Richard held the role of Marketing Director at Meantime Brewing Company, leading all

brand positioning and development work both in the UK and globally, helping to grow the business exponentially prior to its sale in 2015. Richard has also held senior marketing roles at leading drinks companies SAB Miller, Bacardi Brown Forman and Vita Coco as well for Smart Group, a hospitality and events agency.

Clive Watson, Executive Chairman of City Pub Group said: “We are delighted to welcome Richard to City Pub Group as our first dedicated Chief Marketing Officer. Richard will report to me and join the Executive Committee to evolve and strengthen our business. He has a wealth of experience in marketing, but especially in digital communication, something which City Pub Group believes is critical to today’s customer and therefore to the future success of the business. With Richard’s guidance we are determined to excel in this area to differentiate and augment our business.”

[1] Nielsen Scantrack | 01.10.2022

“Sheffield is a vibrant city, undergoing transformational investment which we want to be a part of. Their large population, with over 17 million visitors annually, makes this the right time to bring the brand to the city as we seek to continue expanding the business over the next three-to-five years.”

Alongside offering a new space for up to 500 guests, the bar will also create 70 jobs in the local area, including managers, bar, floor and kitchen staff.

Top Ten Tips on Interviewing and Hiring the Right Candidate 24

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Emma Alexander, Tylney Hall’s Personnel & Development Manager, offers her Top Ten Tips on how companies can not only deliver a successful interview but can also hire the right candidate…

Much is written about what it is like to be interviewed. What is it like, however, from the other side of the fence – that is, from the interviewer’s perspective? Emma Alexander, a seasoned human resources practitioner who spent eight years with Hilton, and who now heads up Elite Hotels’ Personnel & Development Department at Tylney Hall Hotel, near Hook, in Hampshire, is fully aware of the challenges faced by interviewers today - that is, she and her peers.

the overall business. *Some 47% of interviewers say they wouldn’t choose a candidate who had little knowledge of their company. What if YOU couldn’t answer a candidate’s question about your company…?

The industry continues to be competitive and, although Elite Hotels offers an excellent overall remuneration and benefits package, the existing external factors – including an acute labour shortage and competition from other industries able to offer more desirable working hours – are proving to be an additional challenge when trying to attract the right calibre of employee.

That said, appearance and dress shouldn’t be a barrier to attracting the right candidates – you certainly don’t want prospective employees to be put off, or to feel intimidated. The best strategy is to be clear up front about the dress code required for the interview. *A massive 71% of interviewers will not select a candidate who isn’t appropriately dressed.

Emma says: “Today it’s very much an employee’s market; job vacancies are at record levels, the likes of which haven’t been witnessed for a long time.

Would-be employees are conscious that the pendulum is swinging in their favour, so the interview experience is of vital importance in deciding whether or not the candidate is happy to consider joining your organisation or not.”

Emma is very aware that interviewing skills are now playing a more significant role than ever before when seeking to find that elusive right candidate. To help others in similar situations, she has put together a list of handy tips on how best to conduct a successful interview that will help the interviewer not only to find, but also to secure, the right person for the job in question.

1. SUCCESS IS IN THE ADVERT

5. YOUR PERSONAL APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION Your own appearance sets a standard. If you’re not presenting a smart image, you can’t expect the candidate to follow suit. This is particularly important for junior candidates, who are looking up to senior management for direction and guidance.

6. READ YOUR AUDIENCE ON ARRIVAL To help a candidate to get through the interview as well as they possibly can, make sure that you read their body language. Are they nervous? If so, try to put them at ease; some small talk works wonders, and you’ll get much more out of your candidate if they feel comfortable in your company. *Lack of confidence during an interview is why 40% of interviewers don’t take a candidate past the first interview stage. By helping the candidate to relax, you could well help bring down that percentage – both to your/your company’s advantage, and to the advantage of the interviewee.

7. INTERVIEW SETTING Where you interview the candidate plays an important role in their performance. For junior candidates, try to create an informal ambience, as this will help them to relax and will get the meeting off to a good start.

8. ENCOURAGE AND ENGAGE

Not enough organisations put the required thought into their advertisements, but the ad itself is the key driver that can either attract - or deter - the right candidate. Think of it as your shop window; it really needs to stand out from the crowd. Make sure it’s relevant to the job you’re advertising - include not only the hours, the salary scale and working patterns, but also the hugely important element - your organisation’s culture.

Interviews are not about putting candidates on the spot unnecessarily. Aim to encourage and motivate them with positive affirmations. A smile goes a very long way! *Having a positive interview experience makes candidates 38% more likely to accept a job offer.

2. BREAK THE ICE

9. WHAT’S IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION?

Many candidates find the interviewing process daunting. A good idea is to call them before meeting them; this allows you to get a feel for their communication style, and is also a good opportunity to sell the team in which they will be working - and the wider business, too - before they even come through the door. It also helps to put candidates at ease, ready for what may be a daunting experience for them.

Make sure that the job description is clearly set out, so that the candidate understands exactly what they are potentially signing up to. This is a good opportunity to let them know that your company can help to develop their skills, that you offer training, and that career prospects are good.

3. QUESTION TIME Make sure you are prepared and have a list of relevant questions to ask – not just the run-of-the-mill interview questions. You need to come across as both knowledgeable and confident, as well as genuinely interested in your interviewee.

4. BE ANSWER READY Be ready and eager to answer their questions; you are the hotel’s ambassador, so make sure that you know all about both the department in which the interviewee will be working and also are thoroughly briefed on

10. WILL VERSUS SKILL Attitude is an important factor when it comes to a candidate’s work ethic; although they may possess the right skill set, they might not have the right attitude. Try to ascertain if they have the will to succeed, and whether they have the right attitude for the hospitality industry; it could well make the difference between employing the right - or the wrong - candidate. Skills can be taught - but having a positive attitude, and also the will to succeed, is the very best starting point. *The average interview-to-offer rate is 42.1% *What To Become is a useful website that offers educational information and career advice.

Tickets Now on Sale for Zest Quest Asia 2023 Food and Drink Gala Dinner & Awards Night hope to play our part in supporting the journey of new and upcoming creative culinary talent.”

Tickets are now on sale for the 2023 Zest Quest Asia Gala Dinner and Awards Night on Friday, 17th February 2023 at Radisson Red Hotel London Heathrow.

Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL FIH said, “Asian cooking is a complex art and science. Our competitors will have grasped the challenge, drawing on the culinary traditions and influences of different Asian cultures. The winners will have the chance to physically and mentally immerse themselves in an Asian culture.

Once again, we’d love parents, colleges, suppliers and as many people as possible in our hospitality family to join us on the night. It will be a great celebration, and will show our next generation of chefs how much we value the effort they have put in.”

The event will celebrate the efforts and achievements of the college students and tutors vying for the title of 2023 Zest Quest Asia Champions.

Earlier in the day, finalists would have competed in a live cook-off, helping to fulfil the aims of the competition founded by restaurateurs Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala with the involvement of the Master Chefs of Great Britain, i.e. to raise student chefs’ skills and knowledge of Asian cookery.

The finalist colleges will be revealed on 4th January 2023.

Tickets are now on sale for the Zest Quest Asia 20. Prices are £90pp and £850 for a table of 10. Supporting Partner/Student Admission prices are £75pp.

The Zest Quest Asia Gala Dinner and Awards Night will kick off with a drinks reception featuring Asian-inspired canapes prepared by students of The Sheffield College, current title holders. Cyrus Todiwala, assisted by chef friends, will prepare a 4-course menu with chef friends highlighting different trends in Asian cuisine.

Zest Quest Asia 2023 marks the first time the Gala Dinner and Awards will be held at the Radisson Red Hotel London Heathrow, who have come on board as Gold Sponsors.

Jasbeer Dawar, executive chef at the Radisson Red Hotel London Heathrow, said, “As an executive chef, I am always passionate about supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality students. At Radisson, we are proud to be associated with the esteemed competition, Zest Quest Asia, along with Chef Cyrus. We

To book your tickets, please click on the link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mcculloughmoore/813770 From Monday, 19th December, guests can book rooms for the night of 17th February 2023 at preferential rates by visiting the following websites using the Promotional code CYR23. Please note that there are two hotels found in the same complex. https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-conference-london-heathrow https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-red-london-heathrow

Cost-of-Living Crisis Doesn’t Deter Brits From Future Holiday Hopes Issue 144

Amidst the cost-of-living crisis, British appetite for travel remains undimmed.

Whilst just over a quarter (26%) of Brits don’t expect to go on holiday this year, the majority of Brits are still planning to take a trip in 2023.

Latest research also reveals the expected continued opportunity for domestic travel, as over half (52%) of consumers are likely to avoid overseas due to airport disruption, whilst 55% cited the value of the pound as a factor to holiday within the UK. The research commissioned by Clermont Hotel Group (formerly glh) dives into the considerations impacting decision-making and planning for holidays and short breaks in 2023.

As well as revealing insights to help predict consumer travel behaviour for the year ahead, the survey of 1,500 British consumers also dives into the expectations and preferences of travellers in the wake of the tremulous climate. Whilst technology has revolutionised travel: from researching destinations and accommodation, through to booking, checking in, travelling, the holiday experience itself and returning home to leave a review – it is evident that Brits still place the importance of the human touch in high regard. Holidaymakers admit that they like to take control with tech when it comes to booking and researching their holidays, with 52% choosing this method over any other, however only 8% of people would prefer zero human interaction and to interact with a chatbot/AI at the point of check in.

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Centrally and conveniently located accommodation is also important to most people and influences the decision of 88% of holidaymakers. In fact, this goes up to 90% for those who prefer hotels.

Specifically, people are keen on being based near to bars and restaurants and places of cultural interest – this influences more than seven out of 10 guests – and unsurprisingly we see that 42% of potential travellers will opt for a city break.

Jon Scott, Chief Executive Officer at Clermont Hotel Group, comments; “We are in a period of uncertainty for so many, and whilst we all continue to evolve and adapt to challenges that arise, we remain positive to the future of travel and leisure in the UK. The industry is still in recovery following the past few years, and naturally we’ll remain conscious of what is to come.

“Arguably some positive outcomes of lockdown saw people exploring the best that the UK had to offer in terms of staycations and domestic travel. This was eye opening for many in terms of what is available in the UK, and we can see this continuing. We also cannot underestimate the importance of human touch in hospitality, and this is why we are putting people first more than ever before.”

Last Autumn, glh transformed into ‘Clermont Hotel Group’, revealing a brand-new identity in line with fresh business vision and strategy. The significant rebrand, which marks the culmination of £90 million investment in the past five years, will see the company align more closely with its anchor brand, The Clermont. The move aims to distinctly reposition the company within the travel, hospitality and leisure markets by streamlining and repositioning a number of property assets under three key brands: The Clermont, Thistle and Hard Rock Hotel London.

Search is On for the BII Licensee of the Year 2023 Speaking about winning in 2022, Amanda & Nick commented:

Entries are now open for the 2023 BII Licensee of the Year award.

“Winning LOYA 2022 has been a huge morale boost for the whole team. The competition was an eye-opener for us, it makes you really assess your business. It was good fun to feel part of something bigger and the Summer Event itself was great.”

Returning this month, the competition is open to members and non-members of the BII alike, whether they are managers, lessees, tenants or free traders, with entrants from all areas of the industry.

Steven Alton, CEO of the BII: “LOYA recognises the best of the best from our sector, with key industry experts and operators leading the judging to ensure the standard of finalists goes from strength to strength. This year the competition will look at how licensees have diversified their businesses as they faced the challenges for our industry in recent times, as well as the positive impact they have on their teams and communities.

LOYA is renowned in the industry as the toughest competition of its kind, with a rigorous four month judging process, culminating in the crowning of the winner at the prestigious BII Summer Event on Tuesday 20th June 2023. Every stage of the competition gives entrants an opportunity to evaluate their business, using the free mystery customer visits and feedback from the expert judging team of industry professionals.

Licensees can either nominate themselves or be nominated by colleagues, customers or suppliers on the BII website here.

Entrants must have been operating their business for a minimum of 2 years, hold a Personal Licence and have a food hygiene rating of 4 or 5 at their venue.

The 2022 winners, Amanda & Nick Hemming from The Heron Inn, are fantastic operators, demonstrating excellence and innovation across all areas of their business.

“The whole team are looking forward to once again meeting the very best licensees, discovering how they continue to grow and adapt their businesses as they look to the future.”

Nominate or Enter Now! Nominations are now open, closing on Monday 27th February 2023. Visit the LOYA pages on the BII’s website for more information, or contact the LOYA team on loya@bii.org

SLTA Voices ‘Very Serious Concerns’ for Hospitality Sector Despite Energy Support Scheme The SLTA (Scottish Licensed Trade Association) has expressed “very serious concerns” over the introduction of a new £5.5 billion scheme to support businesses with their energy, announced in the House of Commons.

With the current cap on the wholesale unit cost of electricity and gas for firms set to expire at the end of March, it will be replaced with a new scheme that offers a discount on wholesale prices rather than a fixed price.

Colin Wilkinson, SLTA managing director, said that struggling hospitality businesses were desperate for financial support and queried how effective this new scheme will be, given the vastly reduced reduction in the level of support at a time when businesses are recovering from the pandemic and still paying off debts incurred during Covid.

He said: “Many businesses in the hospitality sector in Scotland have had a bitterly disappointing December – normally one of the year’s key trading periods for the sector – as a direct result of the economic crisis, train strikes, poor late-night public transport and lack of taxi provision in some towns and cities. We’re into the

second week of January and these challenges remain.

“So, to hear that the current energy scheme is to be replaced with one that offers a discount on wholesale prices rather than a fixed cap price means that businesses will receive a vastly reduced level of support – understandably, we have very serious concerns about the impact this will have on the hospitality sector.

“Obviously we are grateful for any government support but this new Energy Bills Discount Scheme does not, in our view, offer much hope for vulnerable sectors like hospitality when you consider that energy costs now account for around 8-10% of turnover for an average pub or bar. Energy is the second-highest cost for hospitality venues.

“The cost of this scheme, at £5.5bn, is not insignificant but when you drill down into the detail, small businesses in particular will not be much better off. James Cartlidge, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said that discount would be the equivalent to a £2,300 saving for a pub and of course every little bit helps. But it’s not nearly enough.

“We said before Christmas that we know of many businesses set to close permanently amid the cost-of-living crisis and other ongoing pressures and there is also that other elephant in the room – the fact that we urgently need meaningful intervention on business rates.”

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Issue 144

The Source Trade Show Preview

Take a Bite Out of the Best the South West Has to Offer With 2023 rapidly approaching, it’s time to plan how you’re going to 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. 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, the Source trade show is for you.

The Source trade show will take place on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th February 2023, at Westpoint, near Exeter. 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 and, in partnership with regional food group Taste of the West, this trade show will delight your senses with the latest flavours and ideas. The Source is easily the biggest and best regional trade show in the country. You’ll discover

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

everything a food or hospitality business could possibly want, from high quality ingredients, the freshest food and drinks through to foodservice, kitchen equipment and designs, stylish furniture and the latest EPoS and other business systems to keep your operation running smoothly.

This is a two day opportunity for you to see what’s hot in the fast-moving world of cuisine, network with colleagues, and pick up on the trends, business challenges and opportunities shaping the sector for 2023.

Meet the Newcomers, who are new companies from the South West that have never done a trade show before. Plus, many exhibitors put on exclusive show offers that you can advantage of!

For more information about the show and to register to attend, visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk/welcome.

You can also follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @SourceFoodDrink.

known by different names depending on their use.

Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns. Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industry. A wide variety of specialist features including autoincrementing guns for batch codes.

The labelling gun market can be complicated. Many products are

HALE EVENTS

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

Visit us on stand H4 to view our products.

The Source Trade Show Preview

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

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

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

Barton Reed & Co is a familyrun business and we have been involved in the furniture industry since 1945. Over the years we have forged strong relationships with our suppliers to give

Devon Distillery

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you the best furniture available with a service that goes above and beyond our customers’ expectations.

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

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

Devon Distillery also produces it’s own award winning Dappa (Devon Grappa) and Devoncello as well as a great Sloe Gin. See the advert on this page for details or visit Stand C15.

Devon Distillery can produce a gin just for you.

Specialising in short run white-label production at competitive prices, we have made award winning gins for a number of clients already. If you want your own house gin or a gin for a special occasion Devon Distillery can produce it for you. You can include your own botanicals and design your own label, all with guidance from our master distillers.

CREATE YOUR OWN BESPOKE GIN SEE US ON STAND C15

T: 01803 812 509 E: info@devondistillery.com www.devondistillery.com /devondistillery

@devondistillery

CLH NEWS - SERVING THE INDEPENDENT HOSPITALITY SECTOR FOR 22 YEARS!

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

range and have even more wonderful glass jars and bottles to show you this year. Please have a look at our website www.frenchflint.com or give us a call on 020 7237 1750.

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

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

See us at The Source Tradeshow 2023 www.catererlicensee.com

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Chef's Buyer's Guide

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It's Time To Get Real

LittlePod’s responsibly-sourced product range includes our innovative, easy-to-use natural vanilla paste Are you squeezed for time? Why not try our quality and organic vanilla Vanilla Bean Paste in a tube. pods, as well as our It has been specially created to provide top-quality extracts of vanilla, vanilla in an easy and versatile form, with no wastage and coffee and chocoless flavour bake-off. Each tube has a two-year shelf life late. These ingrediand contains the equivalent of 20 pods, seeds and all. ents not only Put it in coffee, porridge, smoothies and ice cream, rub support each other in the rainforest, but it into meats like duck and pork, use it in your cakes and bakes, or as a marinade for fish! Sweet and savoury are also perfect alike, LittlePod products are gluten free, suitable for veg- flavour partners in the kitchen. ans and kosher certified.

Visit www.littlepod.co.uk

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

Let Your Dessert Menu Sparkle with Just Desserts

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

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.

When it comes to sourcing, we work closely with our suppliers to develop long-term relationships. This ensures the ingredients we use in our baking is sourced sustainably and responsibly resulting in a quality product that we can all enjoy.

We can’t bake great cakes without looking after our

environment. Reducing our carbon footprint and working towards a greener planet is fundamental within our operations.

We are committed to manufacturing delicious, handcrafted desserts in a way that is environmentally sustainable.

Our vision and ethos of bringing quality handcrafted desserts for all to enjoy, guides, motivates, and is reflected within the desserts we produce. It is our purpose to put into practice traditional baking methods to create a wide range of high-quality handmade desserts whilst sourcing the best ingredients and applying attention to detail.

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/

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Laundry and Linens

Elis UK Partners with Harts Group for Laundry & Washroom Requirements Hart Group was impressed with the thorough preparation and attention 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.

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.

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.

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

Working with Harts Group for laundry & washroom requirements Elis UK are proud to have partnered with Harts Group to deliver on laundry and washroom requirements for all its London restaurants.

For all workwear, catering, food service laundry provider requirements please contact 0808 1685795 or uk-marketing@elis.com

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.”

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 Visit www.kannegiesser.com/uk/en or see the advert on the facing page

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Hospitality Technology

Hospitality Tech - Trends and Priorities for 2023 Infor’s Paul Griffiths looks at what trends and priorities will colour industry technology conversations in 2023 (www.infor.com/industries/hospitality) As we begin the new year, what are the trends and priorities we can expect to see in hospitality technology in 2023?

GREATER CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION – READY FOR CHANGE If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that conditions, landscapes, and frames of mind can and must change and adapt to all kinds of forces that affect business outcomes. Those forces originate from as many different directions. In the past year, businesses – ours and those of our customers – have had to be agile, and adaptive, which is as it should be.

This isn’t just about following new technology in hospitality industry trends, it’s about looking at how perceptions have changed, and how attitudes have had an impact on consumer culture in every industry.

Sometimes, compensating for shifting attitudes and approaches can be just as involved as developing new technology in hospitality industries to meet those demands. But that’s the road we’re all following in pursuit of what the industry will be this year and beyond.

A RENEWED LOOK AT THE GUEST JOURNEY What makes for a great guest experience today may be defined quite differently in the next few years. Understanding this has meant a deeper dive into streamlining and diversifying the booking and ordering processes and examining the various ways guests access menus to get what they want, from restaurant menus in various channels, to more accessible hotel booking processes even before the stay begins.

Building on greater precision of how the guest journey is supported is and will continue to be about long-term relationship building and having insights that come out of it inform strategy. Understanding and accessing guest histories and preferences is the vital guiding star to follow here. After all, the guest experience characterised by warm welcomes and attention to detail when needs arise is the whole reason the industry even exists.

KEY TECHNOLOGY IN HOSPITALITY PRIORITIES

Within a wide spectrum of contexts, here at Infor, we foresee a few important priorities that we pursued this year that will come to greater fruition in the next. Here are some of those.

Precise booking platforms for hotels and related support systems to enhance superior guest experiences Greater intelligence and reporting functionality to know who guests are, what they want out of an experience, and the related revenue opportunities that come out of that Continued emphasis on mobile solutions that empower guests to manage their own journeys according to their own levels of comfort and preferred contexts Solutions and systems to empower teams at all levels of the business to do their best work – greater access, convenience, accessibility, and therefore greater attention to detail Scalability in connecting systems together across properties to enhance operational efficiencies in all of them – with the cloud and SaaS

How To Create A Compliant Labelling Solution To Meet Natasha’s Law

By Ged Cairns, Head of Auto ID at Brother UK

Natasha’s Law has significant implications for all businesses that produce foods pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) to customers on-site. Together with putting customers at risk, those who don’t comply face the possibility of large fines and reputation damage, with longer-lasting consequences for customer numbers.

It’s created a product labelling challenge for food retailers. But while our research found that all agree the regulation will make consumers with food allergies feel safer, many say they are finding it challenging to adapt their labelling processes.

Handwritten labels open you up to the risk of human error, and pre-printed labels can be costly and limit your ability to make any changes to an ingredient list - neither provide the speed, accuracy and flexibility of a digital, compliant food labelling solution.

Brother has a strong track record of delivering tailored systems for the food service and hospitality sectors and creating a solution for full ingredients labelling for PPDS food needn’t be complex or expensive.

Our compact desktop devices make it easy to create long-lasting, high-resolution labels for allergen content, ingredients, barcodes, branding, pricing and expiry dates quickly and accurately, using thermal print technology without the need for inks or toners. For those with multiple sites, our solutions also integrate with menu man-

agement systems Depending on setup and menu size, we offer businesses three types of solutions: a complete standalone solution with pre-built designs and pre-stored menus, a wirelessly connected tablet and app from one of our specialist software partners, or a multipurpose PC-based solution that can be used alongside our free P-Touch label design and print software.

One business benefitting from our multipurpose solution is café Common Ground, in Altrincham in the North West.

After the business started offering takeaway PPDS food for the first time, they used our Brother TD-4520DN professional network desktop label printer, alongside our free P-touch Editor software, which enabled them to design and print custom food labels, alongside logos, images and barcodes. They simply connected the device to a laptop and printed off batches of labels for that day’s products.

To discover more about how to integrate food labelling solutions into your business, visit www.brother.co.uk/food-labelling

Holidaymaker App - The Digital Platform That Powers Your Park Business

• Give your guests all the information they need for their holiday on their smartphone.

• View welcome packs, check pool timings, on-park restaurants details, check-out times, events, special offers, holiday home sales and other guest services • Personal itineraries from your things to do, events and activities • Browse interactive park maps • Send out notifications and special offers

When holiday park guest spending is at a premium it is time to look at new ways of working. Gain a new competitive advantage with Holidaymaker, our integrated Guest Experience platform to upsell holidays, increase on-park spend and encourage direct re-bookings.

Holidaymaker has been designed to help you engage with your guests from the moment their booking is confirmed, allowing you to deliver key information, upsell and market new opportunities to them and provide an exceptional guest experience before, during and after their stay with you.

We have 24 Parks already using Holidaymaker and over 100,000 guest downloads to date.

Our park owner customers are already …

• Earning more from every booking by up-selling services or promoting products or services from local partners • Creating new revenue streams by promoting special offers, caravan sales, and late-season deals with push notifications • Saving staff time and reducing costs by providing all their key information and messaging via their own branded app.

Holidaymaker is jam-packed with functionality, and we integrate with some of the leading park booking systems to personalise app content, including RMS, Elite Dynamics, Prophet, GemaPark, ParcVu, and CampManager, as well as activity booking systems such as

SumUp POS

• Integrate with your booking system

Our mission is to empower small merchants across the globe

• NEW… holiday home sales and digital display screen modules

HOW WE CAN HELP

• 100,000 guest downloads to date across our parks

We give access to financial services to the millions of businesses that 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.

BookWhen.

Holidaymaker app is available for single parks but can also be used by park groups with the multi-park set up.

Manage all the information from one central CMS and allow your guests to select their park (and respective app information) when they download the app.

Here’s just a few examples of what Holidaymaker can provide to you and your guests:• Holiday countdown and payment reminders • Welcome packs and video FAQs • Push notifications – send messages directly to your guest’s smartphone whenever you want to notify them • Things to do, virtual park maps and personalised guest itineraries • Events and special offers • Holiday home sales module – display your lodges and caravans for sale just like RightMove • New - Digital signage module – use one CMS to manage your app and digital signage content and update display screens around your park from your head office.

Book a Demo to see how Holidaymaker technology can help you connect directly with guests and generate new revenue opportunities www.holidaymakerapp.co.uk/discover

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 oneperson show or a team, we’re there for the smallest of businesses.

PERSONAL SUPPORT Do you have questions about the usage of SumUp? We have a dedicat-

ed 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.

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

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Fatstrippa Launches Approved Contractors Network Fatstrippa has been at the forefront of Fats, Oils and Greases (FOG’s) Management for the Catering and Food Manufacturing Industries since the 1990’s when it introduced its patented Fatstrippa Range of non-mechanical Grease Recovery Units.

These units achieved FOG recovery rates of well below 35 ppm eliminating the need for secondary treatment with costly enzymes or chemicals.

Designed by Chief Marine Engineer, Allan Owen, in close cooperation with Water Authorities, Environmental Agencies and Restauranteurs the Fatstrippa quickly established itself as a market leader in performance, requiring little maintenance and a reputation for robustness. Manufactured from 304 Grade 3mm Stainless steel many of the units installed over 20 years ago are still giving peak performance to this day.

Allan who stepped down day to day running of the business still retains an important role as Chief Engineer to the business with his 65 years technical experience.

With over 40,000 units sold in the UK, Fatstrippa continues to lead the way on performance recently winning a

3 year supply contract to a major Pub Chain following an independently assessed, competitive, performance based tender.

Building on this reputation for quality and performance new Managing Director, Dan Owen, this week announced a major new initiative, the launch of a Fatstrippa Approved Contractor Network following feedback from end users.

All contractors are required to demonstrate; • Understanding of relevant Legislation and Guidelines • Different Methodologies of Fog Management.

• Factory Trained Knowledge of Fatstrippa Range of Products and Options.

Fatstrippa undertake audits of each contractor performance with Approved Status formally reviewed on an annual basis.

For further information contact Dan Owen at info@fatstrippa.co.uk or see the advert on page 35.

New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Kitchen Extract Hygiene – A Burning Issue 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.

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

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

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

Fryers and Oil Operators should consider when purchasing a fryer and their oil, the oil capacity against production rate, burner efficiency and recovery rate, as well as a true cool zone in gas fryers to help prolong the oil life. Blue Seal V ray Gas Fryers are our premium fryer and burner system, which come at a higher price compared to some competitors’ gas models. However the fuel efficiency, cost saving, performance and stainless steel high build quality far out way the additional initial cost to the operator.

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By David Chesshire, National Accounts Manager, Blue Seal (www.blue-seal.co.uk) the batter plates from continuous cooking and carbonising, which in turn helps prevent the degrading of oil quality. This all achieves considerable cost saving for the operator with fuel and oil, as well as time efficiency, producing the finished products.

Evolution Fryers and Filter Units

Blue Seal also offer an additional Filtration units that give a fantastic solution to improving oil life, have great mobility and space saving features as well as powerful pumps & full stainless steel construction.

Blue Seal produce high performance thermostatic controlled gas & electric fryers.

Our Evolution range gas fryers GT60, GT46 & GT45 have a premium feature benefit of all using our patented “V’Ray” burner system. This system uses infrared technology radiating the heat into the tank, only heating the area of oil the baskets are sitting in. This promotes incredibly fast recovery rates, high efficiency for limited fuel consumption provides a true cool zone in conjunction with the specially shaped tank. The true cool zone prevents crumb and food debris that drops below

Moisture, fatty acids and food residue contaminate cooking oil, spoiling fried food taste and causing the oil to smoke. Blue Seal Filtamax removes impurities, quickly and effectively, maintaining consistent high cooking quality and considerable extension of oil life.

The Carbon Pads remove sub-micron particles down to 0.5 microns – this is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand. Daily filtering of fryer oil using carbon filters can massively increase the life span of the oil creating large cost savings and create more consistent finish and taste to the food product.

Why MIWE is a Five-Star Choice For Top Pastry Chefs The oven is the cornerstone of any baking operation for caterers, licensees, and hoteliers. Controlling the movement of air inside the convection oven, coupled with the performance of steam generation, ensures perfect heat distribution and the best baking results. Whether it’s a countertop oven to produce delicious snacks or full-scale ovens for busy kitchens, MIWE offers the oven to suit your needs and to provide the bake quality you demand. It’s no wonder that top pastry chefs request MIWE ovens for their five-star hotels.

The MIWE range of convection baking ovens offer excellent quality throughout the entire product catalogue, with the benefit of gastronomic functions and auto cleaning to provide ovens that offer fantastic flexibility and energy efficiency.

With a myriad of clever features to make baking a pleasure, programmable controllers to ensure consis-

tent results and an automatic cleaning system that allows you to clean your baking station overnight and save energy with the auto-start technology, MIWE convection ovens are designed to offer bakers the solutions to meet their needs.

Its ovens also feature a variety of energysaving technology. The MIWE eco mode ensures the right compromise of low energy consumption and baking-readiness is assured in between baking processes.

In addition, MIWE air control technology allows bakers to precisely control the amount of circulated air in convention ovens, allowing you to ensure optimal baking conditions for all baked goods in every baking phase.

EPP is the exclusive UK distributor of MIWE. To find out more, visit www.eppltd.co.uk

The Ultimate Bs EN 1825 Compliant Grease recovery • over 40,000 Units sold.

• separates down to below 35 parts per million.

• Eliminates need for enzymes or chemicals.

• Constructed of 3mm 304 Grade stainless steel.

• 10 Year Construction Warranty.

• manufactured in UK and Ireland.

• sizes from 0.5 litres Per second through 8.5 litres Per second.

Buy with confidence of performance and the back up of The approved Fatstrippa Contractor Network.

www.fatstrippa.co.uk

For further information contact Fatstrippa sales 0207 207 7713 sales@fatstrippa.co.uk

The Premium Fryer and Burner System The ultimate solution for any catering establishment, perfect for pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes and much more.

www.blue-seal.co.uk Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

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Issue 144

Outdoor Spaces 'Your Outdoor Area Begs You To Earn More Money’ The often-used solution, the umbrella or parasol, needs to work betterand last longer.

Our Hospitality gazebos are effectively free because...

Giving your customers a guarantee of being able to relax in almost all weather is a big business bonus.

• By investing in our high-quality all-weather protection will give you a fabulous rate of return.

• According to our pubs, each gazebo typically pays for itself inabout 6/8 weeks!

• We will help you maximise income from your outdoor area.

• This is your essential long-term investment because…

Our Hospitality gazebos are LONG LASTING with 20-year design life, and with their ROBUST DESIGN come with a guarantee to withstand 100 Mph storms.

4 sizes : reduced from £1,666* [ ex vat ] *Lock in your price today - with a 50% deposit.

The Bay Tree, Stillington, York

White Pavilion Hospitality Gazebos

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.

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

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

Outdoor Spaces

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CLH Digital

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

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

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

"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 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

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

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Products and Services

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From Humble Kitchen To A Growing National Brand! gluten free and available in 15 flavours with two vegan varieties Everyone can enjoy their delicious snacks which can cater for Keto, Vegan, Sugar Free, Gluten Free and Allergen Free lifestyles. You won’t find many competitors who can offer the same choices at such good prices.

If you haven’t heard about Robert’s Dorset before, let me update you. Robert’s Dorset is a family run business established in 2011. Robert Parkin, his wife Helen and their two sons Louis and Rorke set about creating snacks in the family’s humble kitchen and started selling at local markets.

“We took our products to markets in and around our beloved Dorset and were thrilled with the response. We knew our snacks were amazing, but we were blown away that everyone who tried them thought so too!” Robert Parkin From that moment, they have worked hard to ensure their products are of a high quality, ethically sourced and incredibly tasty, while keeping prices low.

They continue to develop delicious new flavours and ideas, as well as consistently deliver those firm favourites they started with all those years ago.

All their snacks are handmade in the beautiful county of Dorset, England, and all items are prepared to order to ensure that customers always get the freshest products. They have a 99.9% waste free production process. They are also 100% certified by RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) and buy only from a segregated supply chain. Pretty impressive.

Robert’s Dorset products include: Proper Pork Crackling – Triple cooked with incredible crunch available in 11 flavours, no MSG or artificial flavours Yummy Peanuts – Grade AA nuts, ethically and sustainably sourced, and available in 13 flavours Fabulous Fudge – Made with locally sourced cream,

They remain a family business, ensuring that their steady growth does not compromise quality or customer focus. This is the beauty of a small company like Robert’s Dorset, they can produce big flavours and fulfil big orders, but without the big price tag as they don’t have the same overheads as other brands.

Robert’s Dorset products are available for both retail and the hospitality industry, with the option of recyclable or reusable packaging in various sizes to suit your needs.

Set up a Trade Account and receive the following benefits: • Dedicated Account Manager • Amazing Trade prices • Easy order options - online or by phone • Next day dispatch on orders received before 2pm, delivered by a trusted, trackable courier • Delicious, high-quality products which will keep your customers coming back for more!

See the advert on page 3 or contact Robert’s Dorset to find out more, or to set up a trade account: robert@robertsdorset.com 01208 875280 www.robertsdorset.com

Fire Detection and Emergency Lighting Solutions You Can Trust Trowbridge and Farnham.

Illumino Ignis are independent, professional and highly experienced. We specialise in the design, commission, supply and support of an incredible range of fire safety, emergency lighting and disability products.

With our head office being based in Yaxley, Peterborough we also have other branches covering the UK; these are located in Cannock, Blackpool,

Besides designing fire alarm and emergency lighting systems, Illumino Ignis also focuses on the distribution of stock from our packed warehouses across the country which hold high levels of stock from many of our fire alarm manufacturers.

As well as distributing stock via courier, if you are in the local area you can pick up your equipment from one of our many branches which have trade counters.

See the advert on page 9 or visit www.illuminoignis.co.uk

The Difference in Engaging Food Hygiene Training is Right in the Video

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.

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.

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.”

To find out more: www.thesafetyexpert.co.uk info@thesafetyexpert.co.uk See the advert on page 9 for further details.

For an exclusive use code CLH248.

Offer ends 31/01/2023*

10% OFF

Authentic Spanish Sangria – Now In A Can! spice giving a refreshing and drinkable palate’’.

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 pre-mix beverage sector and a ray of liquid Spanish sunshine to UK consumers!

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.

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 winetasting panel offered the following tasting notes: ‘’juicy cherry and plum palate, with clove and cinnamon

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 @sangriasolsueno See the advert on page 2 for details.

Gas - An Important Role to Play In Achieving Net Zero Operations heaters, and MD boiler ranges are all hydrogen 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.

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.

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 costeffective 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 gasfired applications with the knowledge that Adveco’s instantaneous ADplus and semi-instantaneous AD water

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.

Visit www.adveco.co or see the advert on page 2.

Pod in a Pouch - Being Green Shouldn’t Cost the Earth If we can help you reduce your carbon footprint, the cost of your cleaning products, reduce your single use plastics to zero, and save you a tonne of storage space, all whilst improving the quality of your range, then surely, you’d have to be interested?

for both your staff and your facility.

Introducing our eco-friendly dissolvable cleaning pod range:

Product Name PricePrice Per

SIMPLE, SUSTAINABLE, REVOLUTIONARY Pod in a Pouch allows traditional cleaning products to be more sustainable and easier than ever to use, with its clever packaging and soluble capsule design. Enabling you to clean more sustainably, it is easy to implement

Everything from the packaging to the sachet itself is manufactured in the UK which reduces transport costs and therefore your carbon footprint.

Multi-Purpose Glass & Stainless Steel Bathroom Cleaner Toilet & Urinal Descaler

20 x 750ml 20 x 750ml 20 x 750ml 20 x 1 Litre

Pack SizeStandard £9.72 £9.72 £9.72 £19.35

+ VAT + VAT + VAT + VAT

Bottle 0.49p 0.49p 0.49p 0.97p

Virucidal Disinfectant 20 x 750ml £17.00 + VAT 0.85p Degreaser 20 x 760ml £9.72 + VAT 0.49p Degreaser Detergent 100 x 5 Litre £22.86 + VAT 0.23p Air Freshener 20 x 750ml £17.18 + VAT 0.86p Laundry Pods (Non-Bio) 300 £41.90 + VAT 0.14p Trigger Bottles (750ml) 1 £1.99 + VAT Toilet Cleaner Bottle (1 Litre) 1 £1.99 + VAT We are so convinced about our Pod in a Pouch range that we would like to share it with you. Simply go to the link to access the Purozo shop and add “PIAPSAMPLE” to your basket. At checkout you will need to detail which product you would like to try, and we will send you a free sample together with a screen-printed trigger bottle.

See the advert on page 11 or www.purozo.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1594 546 250 for further details. *Offer finishes 16th January 2023 and is limited to one product per customer.

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Iconic Project Management. Commercial Construction Projects; On Time, On Budget, On Brief. Guaranteed.

Iconic Project Management are on a mission to improve the reputation of the construction industry. We exist to help our clients turn their construction plans into reality. It goes without saying that our clients are our number one focus. We love solving their problems and delivering their projects. What we love even more is to delight our clients by exceeding their expectations.

Everyone has a horror story of that building contractor who over-promised and under-delivered. It’s almost considered standard practice to under-quote in order to secure contracts but we think that’s counter-productive.

Almost all our work comes from recommendations by people we’ve worked with in the past. The reason that they are happy to recommend us is not necessarily that we quote the lowest prices and the shortest delivery times but that we can be relied on to deliver what was agreed, by the agreed date.

Our team has over one hundred years of experience between them. We are experts at delivering restaurant and kitchen fit out projects. Satisfied recent clients include, Tim Hortons, Poke House, Boparan Group and Yolk.

Whether you are opening your first restaurant outlet or have a whole chain of pubs you want to fit out, we can help you achieve your ambitions. We’ll guide you through each step, from establishing your brief, procuring your design and selecting contractors, to managing the fit out.

We promise to keep your budgets and timelines on track so that your restaurant or pub is perfectly ready on time for your grand opening. Call us to talk through your project on 07775 543038 or email info@iconicprojectmanagement.com. If you’d like to know more about us, or would like hints and tips on how to plan your project, check out our website at www.iconicprojectmanagement.com

10 Years of Mayfair Furniture Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 10 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

We keep in stock a huge variety of items ready for immediate dispatch, and can fulfil a wide range of bespoke orders. We deliver to all areas of the UK, Ireland & Europe.

We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like

to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish.

See the advert below for further details.

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

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Design and Refit

Countdown is on for the January Furniture Show!

The January Furniture Show team have been busy working away to provide the furniture and interiors community with another stand out edition of the UK’s premium furniture show. The team have been carefully selecting the best international brands for visitors to source from across 4 sectors; premium Design, Interior Accessories and Furniture, Living Dining & Bedroom and Furniture Upholstery and Beds.

es, panel discussions and interviews with renowned makers and designers from all corners of the industry. This will be an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn from the experts, listen to industry trailblazers and look ahead to 2024 with recognised thought-leaders. Visitors will be able to gain invaluable advice from leading voices on how to overcome potential challenges that may arise in the future for the industry.

From the 22-25 January 2023 the NEC Birmingham will be filled with the latest furniture and interiors accessories for visitors to touch, feel and shop that are guaranteed to help any store stand out from the competition. Explore innovative design concepts from the likes of Baker Furniture, CIMC Ltd, Seconique, Smart Occasional, plus the most stylish interior accessories from Furninova AB, iONE360, Jaipur Furniture, Pacific Lifestyle, Yearn Glass along with a host more!

International, Pathfinder Cutting Technology, UAB Lyra Group and many, many more!

Alongside this, the Furniture Awards will also return in association with Furniture News. The groupd of industry leading judges will crown the best in the industry across the following categories; Sustainability, Global Player, Best of British and Design Innovation. Plus, visitors will be able to meet the rising starts of the furniture industry in the Young Furniture Makers presentation in collaboration with The Furniture Makers Company. This presentation will celebrate the young faces making waves in the industry already and visitors can be the first to discover their leading-edge designs and pieces, perfect for those buyers looking for new and fresh products.

2023’s show will see the return of the Furniture Talks line-up for the second year running. Visitors will be able to enjoy a host of masterclass-

Get your badge now and start browsing our brands online https://thefurnitureshows.com - see you in Birmingham!

Visitors will be able to enjoy the show’s distinctive international flare, with brands coming to exhibit from around the globe so they can connect with buyers from across the pond all under one roof. Discover new pieces from international brands like Amarotto, Atlas Furniture, A.L.F. UNO S.P.A., Aquinos Sofas, Bontempi, ET Elimex-Ivan Radevski, FIM Jiangsu Co Ltd, Furninova AB, Gwinner Wohndesign GmbH, Merlino

Breathe New Life into Your Hospitality Space for Spring As the days brighten, any wear and tear in your hospitality furniture will suddenly seem more obvious. The good news is Trent Furniture has great solutions for refreshing your furniture while avoiding unnecessary waste or expenditure.

Trent’s expert team of upholsters, who also work on our great range of new chairs, can have your chairs looking as good as new, in a wide variety of fabrics and at highly competitive prices. And if your otherwise robust wooden chair frames are also in need of some TLC, we can respray and finish them for a brand new lease of life too.

Table tops usually show signs of wear and tear long before their bases do. That’s why at Trent, we offer a wide range of solid and veneer table tops to keep your dining space looking fresh and polished.

Our veneer range can be cut and sprayed to your exact requirements, making it both a versatile and costeffective option whether you want to refresh your existing décor or create a whole new look.

To find out more about reupholstery, replacement tabletops and other ways to update your pub, café or restaurant for spring, please call us on 0116 2864 911 or fill in our contact form.

Design and Refit Additional Ranges as ILF Continue to Expand 10 Years of Mayfair Furniture 44

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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.

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.

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-

bespoke orders. We deliver to all areas of the UK, Ireland & Europe.

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.

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

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

Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 10 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

We keep in stock a huge variety of items ready for immediate dispatch, and can fulfil a wide range of

We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish.

See the advert on page 33 or visit www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk for further details.

CardsSafe - 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.

your business actually works’’ we can ensure that you are maximising the labour usage in your business.

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.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS

MANAGING PEOPLE

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

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.

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?

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.

What Should a Business Owner’s Focus Be? When starting a business, the main measure of success is often “how much profit is the company making?”. However, should a business owner also be looking at other financial aspects of their business to help them create and sustain a business with longevity?

“Cash is King” and it is vital to keep a steady flow of cash into your business. Without income you can’t cover your expenses, pay employees or run your day-to-day operations. If cash isn’t coming into your business, you won’t think about growing your business and every business owner should be focusing on growth.

Understanding the finances of your business is hard. Especially if you are not familiar with accounting jargon or technical terms. We help and support business owners who are great at what they do but struggle to understand the complexity of business. Knowing where your business stands in terms of “cash in” and “cash out” is vitally important, especially in the current economic landscape.

Of course, every business wants to make a profit, but profit doesn’t automatically make a stable business. All business owners need to know their numbers. You need to know how much is coming in and going out of your

T H E W E S T C O U N T RY S P E C I A L I S T S

LYME REGIS, DORSET

SOMERSET VILLAGE

SOMERSET TOWN

Immaculate Coffee Shop & Café

Guest House With 6 Letting Rooms

Impressive Free Of Tie Landmark Inn

Completely Refitted in 2019

Refurbished To A High Standard

16 E/S Letting Rooms, Owners Flat

Easily Manageable Business

Lifestyle Home & Business

Refurbished To A High Standard

Daytime Hours Only

Gardens & Car Parking

Bar & Restaurant (82+), Kitchens

Well Presented & Equipped

Substantial Six Figure Net Profits

Exceptionally Low Overheads

LH £19,995

2153

FH £549,950

6009

LH £75,000

4829

SOMERSET TOWN

TAVISTOCK, DEVON

DORSET VILLAGE

Impressive 120 Cover Café/Takeway

Quality Delicatessen & Store

Detached Country Inn & Restaurant

Impressive 6 Figure Net Profits

Unique & Well Equipped

Impressive & Profitable Business

Trading Day Time Only

Sought After Location

Bar/Restaurant (60+), Al Fresco Seating (50+)

Outstanding Catering Business

Easily Manageable Business

3 E/S Letting Beds & Owners Apartment

Well Presented & Equipped

Tremendous Potential

Commercial Kitchen, Car Park & Garage

FH £625,000

2147

LH £32,500

2148

FH £625,000

4822

DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

CHAGFORD, DEVON

Detached B&B Set In 6 Acres

Two Businesses In One!

Superb Character Country Inn Sought After Trading Location

5 Letting Rooms, Owners Accom

Successful French Bakery Business

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

New Free Of Tie Lease Available

DUCHY LH £395,000

6012

LH £90,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

2151

LH £49,950

4825

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

business and where it is coming from and going to. You need to know what your income streams are and the company’s expenditure. It’s always good to be thinking about and implementing sales and marketing campaigns to increase revenue. At the same time, you need to review your company’s expenditure and look for ways to reduce expenses regularly. If necessary, renegotiate with current suppliers or look for alternatives. Ask yourself if a particular product or service is working for your business.

We have products which can help with cashflow; Do you need to purchase additional stock for an event or busy time of year? A Working Capital Advance or Overdraft Facility (without the bank) could help.

Do you have a VAT bill which is larger than you expected? Ask us about a VAT Loan. It may be better to retain the capital in your bank.

Are you waiting for customers to settle their invoices but need to pay your suppliers? Invoice Finance could be the solution, receive up to 90% of invoice value in 24 hours, not 30 days or more.

Visit www.businessloansltd.co.uk for further details or see the advert on this page.

CLH Digital

46

Property and Professional

Issue 144

Insurance in the Good Times, Insurance in the Bad Times Independent hospitality businesses play a vital role in the local community across the nation by creating jobs and providing access to essential products and services. When times are bad the last cutback you want to make is your insurance cover, it is the equivalent of throwing parachutes out of a plane to reduce the weight, or throwing life vests out of a ship taking on water to stop it from sinking. In the modern day, insurance is the only truly effective method of mitigating risk.

With over 32 years of experience protecting the hospitality sector, Forum Insurance understands that the key to achieving long-term success is having your business run smoothly and preparing for any unforeseen incidents.

Insurance is designed to do exactly that, protect your livelihood, your assets and your customers – paying the way for your business to truly grow.

WHY FORUM INSURANCE? Over 3 decades we have developed longstanding relationships with insurers and a wealth of insurance broking experience in this sector. We have the access and expertise to provide your business with advice, tailored insurance covers, and competitive premiums. For the most part, we have had great success in understanding our client’s

needs, mitigating the risks involved and when they have a claim, getting them back on their feet with our inhouse claims handling process. We understand that if we look after our clients, our clients will look after us.

Whether you’ve just started your business and are unsure which insurance covers would be beneficial for you, or you’re an experienced business looking for a free insurance review, request a call back using our website or call 0208 909 2899 and our friendly team will be able to help you.

Don’t just take our word for it, we have achieved a 97% satisfaction rate with our clients because we ensure they have the correct cover at a competitive price.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

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.

• Hiring additional staff • Purchasing new catering equipment … or anything else which your business needs.

Unfortunately, business owners are once again confronted with turbulence, thanks to the ongoing cost of living crises. However, there’s still an opportunity to prosper.

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, www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund

If you’ve got exciting business plans in 2023, we can help you achieve them. 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.

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.

Capify’s finance can be used for any business purpose, whether that’s: • Managing short-term cash flow issues • Purchasing seasonal food and drink

To find out more www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.

Hospitality and Leisure: Survival of the Staffed

By Chris Maloney, partner and head of hospitality and leisure at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP (www.menzies.co.uk)

W! NE

PRICE: OIRO £200,000

W! NE

PRICE: £125,000

W! NE

PRICE: £175,000 + VAT

W! NE

PRICE: £1,750,000

TORQUAY, DEVON

• Restaurant Premises in Fabulous Location • Panoramic Views Across Torbay • Internal Seating for Circa 50.

Terrace Seating for 48 • 1st Floor Dining Room with Uninterrupted Sea Views Seating 35+ • Versatile Residential Accommodation

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3778

MORETONHAMPSTEAD, DEVON

• A Popular Daytime Cafe in The Heart of This Thriving Moorland Town • G/F Lock Up with Central Servery & Seating for 45/50 • Outside Seating & Fully Equipped Commercial Kitchen • A Strong & Well-Established Business

PRICE: OIRO £85,000

BRIXHAM, DEVON

REF: 4404

• Delightful Cafe in Sought After Location of Totnes • Quietly Trading to Suit Current Owner/Operators • Profitable Business with Further Potential • Trade Area Seating up to 34, Bespoke Servery, Kitchen • Car Parking for 1 Car

PRICE: £58,000

• Award-Winning Bar/Cafe/Restaurant • Adjacent to Exmouth Marina & The Exe Estuary • Main Trade Area with Seating for circa 70 & Alfresco Seating for circa 64 • Extremely Profitable Waterside Licensed Business Currently Run Under Management

EXMOUTH, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4412

TETBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE

• Stunning Multi-Faceted, Award Winning Business in 4.2 Acres • 6 En-Suite Letting Rooms & Brand New Wedding/Function Venue ‘The Barn’ • 2 Large Camping Paddocks, Glamping Bell Tents • Permaculture Plot, Vineyard, Cider & Fruit Orchard • Stunning Owners Timber Chalet & Managers Flat

FREEHOLD

REF: 4439

REF: 4215

TOTNES, DEVON

• Freehold Commercial Premises in Brixham Town Centre • Of Interest to Owner Occupiers, Investors and Developers • Previously Trading for 18 Years as a Well Loved Bakery • Full Specialist Inventory Included • Opportunity Not to be Missed

FREEHOLD

LEASEHOLD

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4073

• Stunning 9 Bedroom, Grade II Listed Hotel • Situated in the Village of Dunster at the Gateway to Exmoor National Park • Main Bar & Restaurant, Ballroom/Function Room • 9 Beautifully and Individually Appointed En-Suite Letting Rooms • Rare Opportunity to Buy a Substantial & Successful Freehold Business

DUNSTER, SOMERSET

PRICE: £1,300,000

D UCE RED

FREEHOLD

REF: 4302

• Delightful Village Inn, Currently Closed • Large Open Plan Traditional Trading Area • Spacious 3 Bedroom Living Accommodation • Outside Trading Area to the Rear, Barn with Possible Development Opportunity (STP) • Affordable Freehold Property Priced to Sell

KINGSTEIGNTON, DEVON

PRICE: OIEO OF £200,000 + VAT FREEHOLD REF: 4315

It is no secret that the hospitality and leisure (H&L) industry has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years. From forced closures due to pandemic-related restrictions, to staff shortages and soaring energy bills, it is little wonder that some operators are struggling to cope.

The largest challenge facing the industry is that of recruiting and retaining staff. A report by accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, has revealed that a lack of skilled workers from baristas to hotel managers and chefs is holding the industry back, and with staff beginning to look elsewhere for more rewarding work as the costof-living crisis hits, businesses in the sector are struggling to remain viable. In fact, a hospitality and leisure thinktank, led by Menzies, found that most hospitality employers said that they had been forced to close due to staffing issues, and some felt that wage inflation was also a particular issue.

With 1.288 million unfilled roles within the H&L sector, according to data from the ONS, reported in UKHospitality’s Workforce Strategy, it is little wonder that employers are facing significant staffing and recruitment challenges. However, with some innovative thinking around building a brand and implementing a structure that supports staff in a rewarding long-term career, businesses could reverse their situation to become an employer of choice.

To succeed in attracting staff in a climate of low unemployment, employers need to put together a compelling and competitive offer, seeking to implement changes both internally and externally as they do so. For example, with many candidates looking for work that empowers them and allows them to have a positive effect on the world around them, employers need to create career paths with this in mind; adapting practices and developing a brand with a social purpose.

Potential applicants are looking to work with busi-

nesses that not only understand the world around them, but the experience of being an employee within the H&L sector. This can also help to retain employees, as employers seek to understand how they compare to others in the sector. Listening to the workforce and acting on appropriate feedback is one way to ensure that recruits find their new roles motivating and skilled staff feel respected and valued.

Employers should also be aware of external processes that could help to attract and retain staff.

These can be as simple as considering the business’ hiring strategy and reaching out to new employment pools, perhaps to candidates who will require a little more training than originally anticipated. With the right support from their employer, these newcomers can flourish and stay to pursue their careers.

Additionally, changes to immigration policy in both 2021 and 2022 now allow employers to recruit skilled workers from overseas. Whilst the UK may be facing a shortage of staff, the world is made up of people who are willing to work, and there are a number of routes available to employers to engage with them.

For example, the Youth Mobility Scheme visa allows young people between 18-30 years from participating countries to live and work in the UK for up to 24 months. In addition, as part of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, there are pathways for workers from Australia to live and work in the UK for a set time period.

Finally, it is well worth considering internal practices, such as the approach to staff development, internships and partnering with local colleges and universities, which may provide hospitality courses.

Implementing a robust training and development programme will also act as a draw for candidates from all walks of life. Careful career structuring, combined with a sensible approach to pay that allows the business to remain viable, could help employers to build a strong reputation within the industry, attracting and retaining workers over time.

In the face of unprecedented challenges and disruption, attracting and retaining the right staff, in the right roles, is a key ingredient for success. Employers should examine their businesses both internally and externally and focus on building a brand with staying power.

Make 2023 your best year yet áƺ‫ټ‬ȸƺ ǝƺȸƺ ɎȒ ǝƺǼȵ ɵȒɖȸ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀ ˢȒɖȸǣɀǝً Ɏǝȸǣɮƺ ƏȇƳ ȵȸȒɀȵƺȸ It’s a challenging time for business owners

Xǔ ɵȒɖ‫ټ‬ɮƺ ǕȒɎ ȵǼƏȇɀ ǔȒȸ ɵȒɖȸ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀً

in the hospitality industry, with global

ƫǣǕ Ȓȸ ɀȅƏǼǼً ɯƺ ƬƏȇ ǝƺǼȵ ɵȒɖ ƏƬǝǣƺɮƺ Ɏǝƺȅِ

price hikes driving up the cost of products

!Əȵǣǔɵ‫ټ‬ɀ ƏƬƬƺɀɀǣƫǼƺ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀ ǼȒƏȇ ƬƏȇ ƫƺ

and bills. However, we’re here to support

ɖɀƺƳ ǔȒȸ‫ ي‬

you throughout the festive season, leading

• ¨ɖȸƬǝƏɀǣȇǕ ɀƺƏɀȒȇƏǼ ǔȒȒƳ ƏȇƳ ƳȸǣȇǸ • RǣȸǣȇǕ ƏȇƳ ɎȸƏǣȇǣȇǕ ɀɎƏǔǔ • ɖɵǣȇǕ ȇƺɯ ƺȷɖǣȵȅƺȇɎ Ȓȸ ȅƏƬǝǣȇƺȸɵ • XȇɮƺɀɎǣȇǕ ǣȇ ɎƺƬǝȇȒǼȒǕɵ

into 2023 and beyond... !Əȵǣǔɵ‫ټ‬ɀ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀ ǼȒƏȇ ǣɀ ƺƏɀɵ ɎȒ ƏȵȵǼɵ ǔȒȸ ƏȇƳ ƬƏȇ ƫƺ ƏȵȵȸȒɮƺƳ ƏȇƳ ȵƏǣƳ ȒɖɎ ǣȇ Əɀ ǼǣɎɎǼƺ Əɀ ‫ גא‬ǝȒɖȸɀِ

ٌ Ȓȸ ƏȇɵɎǝǣȇǕ ƺǼɀƺ ɯǝǣƬǝ ɵȒɖȸ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀ ȇƺƺƳɀِ

Xǔ ɵȒɖٔƳ ǼǣǸƺ ɎȒ ˡȇƳ ȒɖɎ ǝȒɯ ȅɖƬǝ ˡȇƏȇƬƺ ɵȒɖ ȷɖƏǼǣǔɵ ǔȒȸ ɯǣɎǝ !Əȵǣǔɵً ǕƺɎ Ə ȇȒ‫ٮ‬ȒƫǼǣǕƏɎǣȒȇ ȷɖȒɎƺ ɎȒƳƏɵ

Visit capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund or call us freephone on 0333 880 3665