CLH Digital - Issue #17

Issue 17

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BBPA Repeats Call for Government to Cut VAT on Beer in Pubs, as EU Gives the “Green Light”

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The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has urged the UK Government follow the European Union and to extend its VAT cut on food in pubs to include beer as well, after the EU said member states can apply for VAT reductions on drinks served in bars restaurants and hotels.

The BBPA has made the plea as the European Commission confirmed that within the EU’s VAT Directives, Member States can apply targeted reductions on VAT for on trade alcohol, including beer served in the hospitality sector.

According to the BBPA, the UK Government should follow the lead of Italy, Spain and other European nations in extending its VAT cut for food and accommodation in hospitality to beer served in pubs. This would help boost drinks led

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community pubs who are less likely to serve food and so receive less benefit from VAT cuts to it and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as the Eat Out to Help Out scheme which also does not extend to alcoholic drinks.

While the trade association says it fully supports the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, and has been encouraging its members and the wider industry to sign-up to the scheme to give them a much needed boost, extending the Government’s VAT cut to beer sold in pubs would greatly support brewers and community pubs – among the worst affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.

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CLH Digital

Editor's Viewpoint

Issue 17

Welcome to CLH Digital, Issue 17.

Regular readers will recall that I was once “taken to task” at a tradeshow a few years back because of my “constant” reference to the levels of duty in the hospitality and ontrade sector.

To be fair, he had a point. As I said before, at the time the matter had been raised in Parliament and dismissed.

Nevertheless, it is something that eats away EDITOR at my very soul! Our levels of tax and alcohol are eye-watering compared to other countries. I remember an article I did several years back, which revealed that the 5 ½ million people in Essex pay more in alcohol duty than the 82 million people in Germany. Earlier this year we reported that by mid-February UK had paid more in beer tax than Germany would pay for the whole of 2020.

Peter Adams

To put into perspective, per the pint we pay 52.2p beer tax here in the UK. In Germany it is 3.8p, Spain 4p Belgium 8.9p, Poland 9p and the Netherlands 15.3p.

61% of a £5 bottle of wine, and the tax burden on a bottle of Scotch is 74%.

These are ludicrously high burdens on pubs, bars and restaurants and on the public generally.

of home lies in being able to enjoy the company of others away from the stresses and strains of working life and sometimes general life.

Hence the reason these sociable activities, particularly celebrations, often take place in an informal space away from work and home.

However, these past 3 months has seen government rules infringe on that informal, relaxed setting. We have had to abide by the most stringent guidelines and have given up many of our civil liberties.

They prohibit live music performances, a whole summer of televised sporting events, and crucially, in the social distancing rules that is still insisted upon, (while they have been relaxed we live under the threat that they may be reintroduced), minimise any contact between me, you, family, friends, and others.

I said last week that I do think the Chancellor has gone the extra mile to support the industry, and as people return to eating and drinking out since lockdown restrictions were eased , I am hoping to see an even greater upturn in August when the Chancellor’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme is in full flow.

Further details of the scheme can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-helpout-scheme

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YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY

But these initiatives the Chancellor has introduced are time bound.

Furthermore, we live in a political world where the landscape changes all the time, so who knows what next week will bring!

Please be assured that our employees are fully trained to follow strict hygiene rules.

Just imagine how flourishing, prosperous and thriving the industry could be if the playing field was levelled and we were in line with our European counterparts.

That can only be done when the eye watering the high duty the hospitality and on-trade sector has been forced to operate under is relaxed.

So, our front page story, with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) calling for a cut in VAT on alcoholic drinks in the on trade, is a welcome intervention.

On a side note, I have noticed that as the sector reopens that not many businesses are “singing from the hilltops” about health and safety on the premises.

The EU has clearly seized the initiative the directive allowing member states to apply “targeted reductions” in VAT on alcoholic drinks in the hospitality and on sector.

One thing 30 years in publishing has taught me is that if you do something you have to let everybody know!

A great deal of the pleasure and relaxation in eating or drinking out

TELEPHONE:

Download the posters and display them everywhere, get them on your website and social media, let everyone know that you are part of the scheme.

What the industry needs is a long-term gesture to boost confidence and ensure long-term investment.

When it does, we are going to need the hospitality and on-trade sector more than ever. Pubs, cafes, restaurants and bars are about social interaction: eating and drinking together; meeting and talking; celebrating and commiserating falling in and out of love. In short, they allow for conviviality – that is, for people to come together in friendship, love and sometimes disagreement.

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

And I, like those reading I am sure, are concerned that such will be the damage to the sector it may never recover.

About 64% of the UK’s 47,000 pubs are “wet-led”, according to 2019 figures from industry analysts CGA. Meaning they make more money from alcohol than food. Furthermore, pubs have been in decline in the UK for the past 10 years, with 6,000 lost since 2010. However, until the coronavirus there were tentative signs of recovery, with a net gain last year of 320 pubs.

As I write this there are reports of further lockdowns, particularly in northern towns, but sooner or later society is going to have to return to some semblance of normality.

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While I am sure all responsible managers and owners are going above and beyond to ensure the safety of their staff and customers, and are ensuring that standards of hygiene and cleanliness are maintained, you have to LET IT BE KNOWN!

These premises and cleaned and sanitised on a regular basis to protect customers and colleagues.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

www.CLHNews.co.uk @CLHNews CLHNews

EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Shelly Roche Published by

www.catererlicensee.com/hygieneposter.pdf So we have designed a poster for you to download and strategically place just to let people know how hard you are working for their safety!Visit our website for our “Staycation-Your Country Need You” Poster available to download. Only the hospitality sector can put some cheer back into the country, showcasing the wonderful diverse vibrant UK! www.catererlicensee.com/staycation.jpg

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Issue 17

CLH Digital

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BBPA Repeats Call for Government to Cut VAT on Beer in Pubs (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) Earlier this month Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a temporary VAT cut for food and non-alcoholic drinks. From 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021, to support businesses and jobs in the hospitality sector, the reduced (5%) rate of VAT will apply to supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and similar premises across the UK. He also announced a temporary VAT cut for accommodation and attractions .From 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021, to support businesses and jobs, the reduced (5%) rate of VAT will apply to supplies of accommodation and admission to attractions across the UK.

rants remains the same.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “We welcome confirmation from the European Commission that VAT can be reduced on beer served in pubs and urge the UK Government to do so, as it has done for food and accommodation already.

“The cuts to VAT on food and accommodation, and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, have been welcomed by our sector, and we continue to support and promote them. For community led pubs that don’t do food, and brewers, more support can and should be given.

“We urge the Government to extend its VAT cut on food and accommodation in pubs to include beer as well. Such a move will greatly sup-

port our world class brewers and community pubs across the UK that need and are deserving of more support.”

Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: “CAMRA will continue to campaign for greater support for all pubs, including those that don’t serve food. We are calling for long-term support measures — business rate reform and a tax reduction for draught beer — to encourage people back to the supervised setting of the community pub.

“Lockdown has shown just how valuable our pubs are to local communities and the pivotal role they play in tackling loneliness and social isolation. It is absolutely right that they receive extra support during the difficult months ahead to ensure their continued survival.”

Pubs and Restaurant Groups Continue to Nudge Up Sales as More Sites Reopen

However, VAT and alcoholic beverages served in pubs bars and restau-

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups are still trading well below pre-COVID norms, but are seeing a steady improvement in sales as more sites reopen across the country.

Latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker figures for the week beginning July 20 show that collective like-for-like sales in those sites trading were still 28.5% down on the same week last year. But that was a better performance than the minus 31.6% the week before, and the 39.8% level recorded in the first week after lockdown was lifted in England.

Overall, total sales across the managed pub, bar and restaurant market were up 36.8% on the previous week’s trading, helped in part by Scotland reopening. In all, 68% of group-operated sites were open for eating and drinking inside, up from 60% the week before.

“Trading at just over 70% of pre-COVID norms is an improvement on the week before for those businesses operating, but it’s more steady than sensational. Operators are still taking it cautiously as demand edges up, and that’s been particularly true among restaurant chains,” said Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM. Restaurant groups continue to take a more cautious approach to reopening than pubs, only 29% of sites open for business, compared to 24% in the previous week. Those group-run restaurants that were open saw

like-for-likes down 22.4%, compared to 26.7%, down in the first week.

Pub groups, which have generally been more ambitious in their reopening strategies, had 83% of sites open during the week compared to 74% the week before, and pubs that were open recorded collective sales down 29.0% on the same week in 2019, compared to minus 32.4% the week before.

Bars are having a tougher time than both pubs and restaurants, with sales deteriorating. Bars that were open saw sales down 45.7%, compared to 41.3% down the week before. The percentage of group-run bars open increased from 44% to 51% from the week before.

“We are still in the early days of recovery, and the data coming back from companies in the Tracker cohort tells its own story. What will be interesting to see in the next few weeks will be the impact of the cut in VAT, the Eat Out to Help Out campaign and also the holiday season, now that more people are expected to stay in Britain,” added Chessell.

CGA is now reporting trading progress via the Tracker on a weekly basis as the market continues to recover and more sites reopen, including measuring week-on-week increases.

A total of 50 companies provided data to the Tracker.

The Devil Is In The Detail: Can My Business Be Insured If There’s A Local Lockdown?

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CLH Digital

Issue 17

By Alex Balcombe, Partner at Harris Balcombe (www.harrisbalcombe.com)

After Leicester’s local lockdown saw the UK government order the immediate closure of non-essential stores and delayed the reopening of bars and restaurants, hundreds of businesses in the Midlands city are once again in limbo - not just over public safety but also financial security.

Despite the sudden loss of cash flow to businesses, some insurers are hitting people with a double whammy of tightened their terms to explicitly exclude COVID-19 from policies, and there’s no exception for Leicester businesses. There are also currently ‘no plans’ from the government for further financial aid. Some businesses invested money for the brief period they were able to reopen before the new lockdown, and while they are able to re-furlough staff, revenue continues to decline.

With MP Liz Kendall, of Leicester West, urging the rest of the country that “this is a warning for future local lockdowns”, can businesses look to their insurance for cover if their city is closed again? There are grants available, but not all businesses will be eligible for help.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL The pandemic has led many insurers to come under scrutiny for policy wording which often does not provide clarity to businesses as to what

they are covered for. Allianz Insurance Plc, for instance, has faced group action after many business owners were denied claiming on their business interruption policy, which covered loss caused by interruption or interference to the business as a result of a notifiable disease within the vicinity of an insured location.

Insurers say most business policies simply do not cover pandemics.

With Blackburn overtaking Leicester as the COVID-19 hotspot of Britain, and other cities such as Rochdale, Bradford and Luton enduring rising cases, is there anything that businesses at risk of sudden closure can do to claim on their business interruption insurance?

Many insurance companies are not allowing companies to add COVID19 to any existing business interruption policies. In fact, a large number of insurers have issued “mid term policy adjustments” to exclude anything to do with COVID-19, in light of so many people trying to make claims.

HOW COULD I BE COVERED? The pool for insurance compliance has shrunk. But in theory, if you have an existing policy that includes one of the clauses identified below, and your insurer has not issued a mid-term adjustment to exclude COVID-19 then you may be able to make a claim following a second lockdown.

To be considered for cover for COVID-19, there are two types of policy extensions to your business interruption cover that can potentially cover you for this situation: 1 - Infectious Disease Extension Many policies expressly state which diseases fall within the realm of being an infectious or notifiable disease. If this is the case, your policy will not provide cover. As it is a new disease, these policies will not have

included COVID-19.

Other infectious disease extension policies will define the disease with reference to the actions of the government. Since the UK Government has named COVID-19 as a notifiable disease throughout the UK, it is possible that your business may fall into this definition, thus meaning you may be able to make a claim.

However, again, it’s not always that simple. Many policies require the disease to have been on your premises, while others specify a radius from your premises in order to qualify.

2 - Denial of Access Extension (non-damage) Denial of Access Extension (non-damage) policies may cover you if you’re prevented from accessing your property. This could be due to an event, or by the actions of a competent authority, which could cause your business interruption cover to engage.

If covered by this clause, there are often very subtle differences in wording in your policy. This could depend on the insurer or policy. You may well be covered, but it will depend on your particular circumstances, and the specific policy wording.

The risk of infection rate is vastly different across the UK, but as we’ve seen with Leicester, the government does have the power to lockdown a city overnight. It’s hard to establish clear principles when it comes to business interruption insurance, but you may be covered.

If you own a business and are unsure about whether you can claim for business interruption, or are confused about ambiguous wording, get in touch with a loss assessor.

These claims are not simple, but loss assessors will be able to help and guide you along the way, check your wording and work on your behalf to make sure you get everything you are entitled to.

British Foodservice Industry Shows Early Signs of Recovery

or over, spend is still less than 25% of pre-COVID, although this is up from the 9% seen in late March. Spend motivated by the desire for a ‘treat’ has increased sharply and at the beginning of July had recovered to 70% of pre-lockdown levels.

Global information company The NPD Group says there is clear evidence of a slow but encouraging recovery in the British out-of-home (OOH) foodservice market. Weekly spend to the end of week 28 (Sunday July 12th) recovered to 50% of the levels seen before the COVID-19 lockdown. That represents an improvement of 30 percentage points since lockdown in late March.

DINING IN IS STILL MORE POPULAR THAN DINING OUT

Dinner shows the strongest recovery with weekly spend now at almost two-thirds (64%) of pre-lockdown levels, in contrast to the late March low point of 29%. This improved performance for dinner is supported by the continued strength of delivery, which grew during lockdown and is now still 60% higher in spend terms than it was before the lockdown.

Dominic Allport, Insights Director (Foodservice), The NPD Group, said: “While this data on spending shows evidence of some recovery in British foodservice, it is not clear if this reflects the start of a sustainable improvement or the short-term satisfaction of pent-up demand following relaxation measures. Perspex screens, hand sanitizers, masks, gloves, social distancing messaging and other initiatives underline that the British foodservice experience has changed. But it also shows this industry is working hard to recover.

These tentative signs of improvement are welcome and foodservice operators will want to build on this.”

Eating out spend at weekends doubles since the end of June Activity is on the increase at weekends as people grasp the opportunity to socialize. In the three weeks since the end of June, weekend spend has doubled from 29% of pre-lockdown to 57%. And recovery is more evident among younger consumers. Back in March and April, spend among consumers aged 16 to 34 decreased more slowly than for older age groups and is now also recovering faster. For those aged 16 to 24, spend is now at 45% of pre-lockdown and for the 25 to 34 age group it is at 51%. Among those aged 55

The gap between eating out in a foodservice venue and buying prepared food to eat at home is still wide, indicating reluctance among some consumers to eat or drink inside foodservice establishments. Just before the Saturday July 4th relaxation in England, spend associated with eating at home was one third (34%) above pre-lockdown levels. Spend for eating out in a venue is still low and as of Sunday July 12th was 77% below levels seen before lockdown.

Dominic Allport added: “Treating could be an indication that consumers have grown impatient with lockdown and the restrictions associated with it. Operators can tap into this desire for a personal or family treat by offering choice or value to encourage repeat visits. The prevalence of eating prepared food at home is further evidence that some consumers simply aren’t ready to eat out. That’s not surprising given the impact of the lockdown on people’s psyche, especially older people or those who have underlying health conditions.”

Looking ahead, the NPD Group says that as more Brits choose a staycation there will inevitably be more customers for the foodservice industry. The ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme might boost visits, but its shortterm validity won’t allow it to have a big impact. However, the VAT tax cut from 20% to 5% that applies to hospitality and tourism until January 2021 means that with prices already falling it’s likely to provide muchneeded stimulus as operators pass on lower prices to consumers.

SIBA Expresses Disappointment At Small Brewers Duty Relief Review The Society of Independent Brewers (S IBA) has responded to a Written Ministerial Statement and a conversation with the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on the Small Brewers Duty Relief Review, James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive said: “We are hugely disappointed that the Government has today decided to reduce the threshold at which Small Brewers Duty Relief starts to taper from 5000hl of annual production to 2,100hl. SIBA has consistently argued that no brewery should lose any relief as the result of any reform.

This position is now more important than ever given the UK’s small independent brewers have not received the same level of support as the wider hospitality sector during the Covid-19 lockdown. Brewers have not been eligible for the Business Rates holiday or the £25,000 cash grants offered to the retail sector including to many pubs.

the Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the full consequences of their proposals.”

Commenting on the other announcements made today, James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive added;

ON BUSINESS RATES “We welcome the Government’s fundamental review of business rates which we hope will lead to a radical and wholesale changein the way pubs and breweries pay. Under the current business rates system, per pint, a small brewer can pay a business rates 10x that of a global mega brewer and that has to change.”

ON THE WIDER ALCOHOL DUTIES REVIEW

The Minister has confirmed detail on the new scheme will be published as soon as possible, But without this detail we are unable to evaluate accurately who will win and who will lose, and by how much. What we do know is that there are around 150 breweries in the UK who, pre-covid, sat between 2,100hl and 5,000hl of production volume who will under the proposals announced today see the beer duty they pay go up.

“The forthcoming alcohol review presents a long awaited opportunity to fully assess and address the inconsistencies within the duty system, such as why global companies can pay a lower rate of duty on cider than the smallest independent brewer does on equivalent strength beer. We look forward to working with the Treasury to consider ways in which the system can be improved to make it easier for small companies to do their tax returns and ensure a fit and modern duty regime can continue to support our small independent brewers.”

The Treasury has said that ‘a technical consultation will be brought forward in the Autumn’ with the intention of agreeing the fine detail of this reform. It is important independent brewing comes together and lobbies

The Treasury written statement can be read here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/writtenquestions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-07-21/HCWS400/

Pubs Lead Recovery in Openings and Drinks Sales Issue 17

CLH Digital

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Half of the on-trade is now open and trading, with pubs so far faring better than restaurants across reopening, footfall and sales metrics.

ous seven days, and the highest point since mid-March, when the lockdown came into full effect.

Those are among the top insights from CGA’s suite of research sources after two full weeks of post-lockdown operations in England and the first few days of reopenings in Scotland and Wales. CGA’s Outlet Index data to last Saturday (18 July) indicates that 51% of all licensed premises in Britain had reopened, with numbers higher in the managed (60%) and leased and tenanted sectors (62%) than the free (45%) segment.

Footfall has increased across all dayparts, and has recovered faster than average in evening periods. However, large city centres are still lagging behind the countrywide average, indicating the lingering reluctance of consumers to visit very crowded spaces and take public transport—and clearly the figures are well below levels that might be expected at this time of year.

So far, pubs have spearheaded the relaunch of the on-trade: nearly two thirds (64%) of those that closed in March are now open again, compared to around two in five restaurants (42%) and bars (41%). The pace of openings has been slightly slower in London, where just under half (48%) of sites are trading.

Reopenings have helped to encourage more visits to town and city centres.

Wireless Social’s sample of more than 1,000 locations shows that weekly footfall to Saturday (18 July) was 59% of the weekly average in February, the last full month before lockdown. That is four percentage points better than the previ-

Increased visits have translated into increased sales. CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker data for the week to last Saturday (18 July) shows that weekly sales by value were 42.6% down on the same week in 2019, though this represents an improvement of three percentage points on the 45.5% drop the previous week.

Beer and cider (down 29.5%) has performed significantly better than spirits (down 57.0%) and wine (down 66.2%), and its popularity means that pubs are recovering their drinks sales faster than restaurants and bars. Sunday was the strongest day of the week, and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday drinks sales were all up week-onweek.

Torquay B&B Named Best In World In 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards

In the Restaurants categories, The Black Swan at Oldstead was named the fourth best-rated Fine Dining restaurant in the world, and #1 in the UK. The only other UK restaurant to make the world top ten in the same category was Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant The Fat Duck in Bray (ranked #10).

A Torquay B&B has been named the best-rated B&B in the world in the 18th annual Travellers’ Choice® Awards announced by Tripadvisor®, the world’s largest travel platform. “The 25”, an adultsonly boutique B&B, was ranked #1 in the world for the second year running, having previously achieved the coveted accolade in 2019. It marks the first time any B&B has earned the title of world #1 in consecutive years.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be named the best B&B in the world for the second year running. If anything, the second time feels even more special because we know last year’s award raised customer expectations and so we’ve had to work even harder to deliver a great experience for every single one of our guests,” said Andy Banner-Price, co-owner of The 25. “We didn’t rest on our laurels, we’ve tried to look at every little thing we can do to improve, and it feels like that effort has really paid off with this news today.”

There were notable accolades for other UK businesses too.

Lawton & Lauriston Court Hotel in Llandudno was named the Top Hotel in the UK, also ranking #3 in Europe and #13 in the World overall, and that wasn’t the only success for the Welsh seaside town, with The Elm Tree in Llandudno also being named among the world’s best in both the Best Service (#17) and Romance categories (#22).

“It’s an amazing feeling. We’ve been grateful to win a number of Travellers Choice awards over the years, and every year we have used that as the spark to improve and grow the business. To now earn the

The 2020 Travellers’ Choice® Awards celebrate travellers’ favourite hotels, restaurants and airlines around the world, based on the quality and quantity of the millions of reviews, opinions and ratings collected on Tripadvisor in 2019, prior to the pandemic. With over 8.7 million businesses listed on Tripadvisor, these awards are a true testament to the outstanding service and quality that winners consistently provide to their guests.

number one spot in the Top Hotels category against some incredible competition across the UK, and to know that it is all down to the feedback from our own guests, it really does make all the hard work worthwhile!” said Carol-Lynn Robbins, director at Lawton & Lauriston Court Hotel.

Other winners in the Hotels categories included Ascot House Hotel in Torquay, named best-rated Small Hotel in the UK, Doric Hotel in Blackpool, named best-rated Family Hotel in the UK, Hotel CeilidhDonia in Edinburgh, named best-rated Bargain Hotel in the UK, and Hotel 41 in London, named best-rated Luxury Hotel in the UK.

“This has been an incredibly tough year for the UK’s hospitality industry, but with doors opening again to hotels and restaurants across the country, now is the right time to celebrate those businesses that have delivered consistently outstanding service and quality over the last year,” said James Kay, Tripadvisor spokesperson. “With so many winning properties coming from the UK this year, it is testament to the high standards of hospitality we enjoy domestically, and that should give Brits the confidence to venture out and support the industry’s vital recovery.”

New this year, all Tripadvisor awards and recognitions fall under the Travellers’ Choice umbrella to more clearly acknowledge businesses and their achievements.

5 Safeguards to Protect Hospitality Tenants Struggling to Meet their Financial Obligations 6

CLH Digital

Issue 17

By Pranav Bhanot, a commercial litigation solicitor specializing in the hospitality sector at law firm Meaby&Co Solicitors (www.meaby.co.uk) and the founder of the online platform theweddinglawyer.co.uk Whilst the COVID-19 Government lockdown is easing and non-essential shops have been allowed to open, last week saw many hospitality and on-trade tenants struggling to meet their June Quarter Day payments. Whilst it is hoped that the gradually easing will assist businesses from a cash flow perspective, there is no denying that millions of commercial tenants are being impacted by cashflow pressures.

This article explores the assistance available to commercial tenants during these difficult times.

Court Proceedings – Whilst landlords are still entitled to pursue debts through the courts by obtaining a county court judgment and enforcing the judgment against the tenant’s assets, it is important to note that the Government have banned the service of statutory demands and winding up petitions for companies until at least 30 September 2020.

Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) – The amount of rent that must be unpaid to entitle the landlord to serve a CRAR notice or seize goods under the CRAR has increased from 90 days to 189 days. This would mean that until at least 30 September 2020, a landlord would be unable to take action, even where a tenant has been unable to pay anything for two quarters.

Extension to forfeiture restrictions – The Government has extended the restriction preventing landlords from forfeiting a tenant’s lease for non-payment of rent from 30 June to 30 September 2020. Whilst, this may be welcomed news for commercial tenants, it is important to remember that unless agreed otherwise, the tenant will still be liable for any rent and other sums that remain unpaid plus the accrued interest. It should also be noted that a landlord can still pursue forfeiture proceedings for tenant breaches that are nonfinancial (e.g. a breach of the repairing covenants).

Code of Practice – The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have published a code of practice for commercial property relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic which is intended to reinforce and promote good practice amongst landlord and tenant relationships as they deal with the income shocks caused by the pandemic. The code encourages landlords and tenants to work responsibly and collaboratively, particularly in light of difficulties faced by the tenant.

Financial Support – Financial assistance initiatives such as rates relief and bounce bank loans may assist commercial tenants with their cash flow issues and are particularly common in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.

Shepherd Neame Honoured for its Commitment to the Local Community Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame has been honoured for its outstanding efforts to support the local community during the Covid-19 crisis.

The independent family business, which has been based in the historic market town of Faversham for more than 400 years, has undertaken a number of community-focused actions during the past four months, including: • Sending food from all of its closed managed sites to local food banks and to support the homeless • Teaming up with Copper Rivet Distillery to create alcohol hand sanitiser for emergency services • Supporting Kent hop growers with a bumper order • Donating £4,000 to the Kent NHS Community Heroes charity in recognition of the reopening of the online shop • Ordering 3,000 cloth face masks for team members from local company Tillett Racing Seats in Sittingbourne

• Sourcing new pub safety signage from its Charity of the Year, Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) based in Aylesford • Suspending all rents for licensees during the duration of lockdown, and now supporting with ongoing rental concessions She said: “I am so proud of the way Jonathan and the Brewery have performed throughout these difficult times. In particular, I have been inspired by when they were able to produce alcohol for much-needed hand sanitiser, and more recently when hearing directly from tenants what fantastic support Shepherd Neame have provided. We have something really special here in Faversham, and it wonderful to recognise this.”

Jonathan Neame said: “We are delighted to receive this special honour.

Our focus throughout this crisis has been to protect our people and the Company for the long term, and also continue supporting local businesses and contribute to the national effort. This honour is great recognition for our fantastic team members, who have shown great spirit, great dedication to the Company and have been a great support to each other in these challenging times.”

Ways Technology Can Support The Hospitality Sector At This Difficult Time

By Demi Edmunds of TextAnywhere (www.textanywhere.com)

ensure staff and customer safety. More recently however, many hospitality businesses are turning their attention to how to bridge the revenue gap during recovery. Afterall, capacity restrictions and specific role requirements for staff members, have had a significant impact on revenue.

In much the same way as technology helped the industry to reopen safely, it can also help businesses to enhance their recovery and better prepare for the future. Detailed below, are just three of the ways businesses can harness the power of technology during this difficult time.

FAST-TRACK PERSONALISATION

The economic impact of the coronavirus is undeniable. That said, during this continually uncertain time, businesses and organisations have responded to the pandemic in increasingly innovative ways, many of which have moved their business online. While this is also true of the hospitality industry with online ordering, and food and drink delivery services quickly becoming the norm, there is no substitute for in-person service. The hospitality industry is famed for its ability to provide customers an experience through it’s expertly delivered personal service, and of course high levels of revenue.

Prior to reopening, one of the key concerns within the industry was how to successfully implement and adhere to government guidelines, to

Many hospitality businesses have introduced or enhanced existing technologies to enable reduced contact between staff and customers, and apps are just one example. In fact, the same technology which your business has introduced to enable online check-in, manage restaurant table waiting lists and allow customers to order and pay on their mobile, can also be used to fast-track personalisation. Data such as purchase history and location can enable your business to provide relevant, personalised marketing offers to help drive customer loyalty. And with 73% of restaurant goers reporting that technology improves their dining experience, it’s fair to say that this type of technology is already well-received by consumers.

REDUCE NO-SHOWS We’re sure many of you are familiar with Tom Kerridge’s recent Instagram post, where he warned no-show customers, that their behaviour was putting people’s jobs in an increasingly unstable position and forcing very uncomfortable and hard decisions about staffing levels.

Although this can be a large problem within the industry, there are relatively simple technologies which can help. For instance, an SMS reminder benefits from an open rate of 95% and allows you to include any lastminute information, such as enhanced safety measures or limitations to the menu. Likewise, the reminder can also help manage cancellations in advance, allowing the restaurant to offer the reservation to their waiting list. Alternatively, there are also systems such as ToK, which require customers to pay for their meals upfront. While this may not be appropriate for every business, some restaurants experienced a 14.7% reduction in no-shows within just 3 months of implementation.

BUILD BUSINESS AGILITY As the pandemic was unprecedented, many businesses did not have relevant business continuity or crisis communication plans in place to efficiently respond to the crisis. As such, this has been a learning curve for many. Businesses have had to diversify their offering to survive, or have had to scramble to communicate updates to customers and staff.

Consequently, it makes sense to use these learnings to build better business agility. By implementing the appropriate technology for crisis communications, or in the case of hoteliers, an OPEX, which allows hotels to reduce or transfer the number of licenses required, businesses can respond not just quicker, but better.

Despite significant disruption, the hospitality industry must continue to evolve. Businesses should always evaluate both existing and potential technology additions, on whether it will enable them to achieve their business goals. Although this process may seem daunting, technology will be essential to the long-term success of the hospitality industry postCovid19.

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53,000 Sign Up To Governments’ Eat Out To Help Out Scheme More than 53,000 outlets across the UK have so far signed up to the UK Government’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme – and a new official Government online finder is available to help diners locate them.

As Eat Out to Help Out stickers and posters start to appear in the windows of restaurants, cafes, bars and other establishments across the country, customers who want to take advantage of the scheme are advised to look out for the logo.

“Our Eat Out to Help Out scheme is designed to get more customers through the door – protecting jobs by giving businesses the confidence to retain and hire staff.

More than 53,000 businesses across the country have already signed up, and from today you’ll be able to find one near you with the online finder.”

To find out if a restaurant is participating in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme you can use the online restaurant finder now live on GOV.UK. Simply enter your postcode, or one near to where you want to eat out, to get a list of participating outlets within a five-mile radius.

The logo means diners that eat-in will benefit from a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks, any Monday to Wednesday in August – and no voucher is required. Diners can take advantage of the offer as many times as they like during the month.

You can also get in touch with your local restaurant to see if they’re taking part, or check their website.

Participating outlets must wait seven days from registration to make their first claim with all eligible claims being paid within five working days. Claims can be submitted weekly and businesses are encouraged to register before the 3 August to benefit for the entire month in which the scheme runs.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “Our restaurants, cafes and bars play a vital role in our economy, employing more than a million people. They have been hit hard by coronavirus, so it’s vital we do everything we can to help them recover.

Further information for businesses, including how to register and make a claim, is available online at GOV.UK.

Welsh Government Finally Announces That Pubs In Wales Can Fully Reopen All pubs across the UK can now reopen and get back to business, helping sector on road to recovery, says BBPA The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the leading trade association representing Britain’s brewers and pubs, has = welcomed the Welsh Government finally confirming that all pubs can reopen in Wales, both indoors and outdoors.

In an announcement today, the First Minister said that pubs in Wales would be able to reopen indoors from August 3rd. Previously, pubs in Wales could only reopen to serve outdoors, making it the last part of the UK where pubs couldn’t open indoors, stopping them from fully reopening properly.

“Pubs in Wales will now be looking to make the most of the Summer to get back to business and rebuild their trade. Obviously continued support from Government for pubs and brewers across the UK, including those in Wales, is still going to be needed in the short and medium term. Such support will help ensure our pubs get back on their feet properly and play the leading role they can in our economic recovery.

“Our members look forward to welcoming back their customers and tourists and rebuilding their trade.”

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Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “It’s fantastic news that pubs in Wales can fully reopen from August 3rd. The announcement today means all pubs across the whole of the UK can now fully reopen and get back to business.

“This is a moment of excitement and relief for our sector in what has been a very difficult period. We only hope the decision by the Welsh Government hasn’t come too late in avoiding mass closures of pubs in Wales, as they are the last to fully reopen anywhere in the UK - and quite a bit behind other pubs too.

The trade association said that pubs in Wales had been struggling as they had been forced to remain closed for longer by the Welsh Government than other parts of the UK, being able to reopen from 13th July but outdoors only, which for many Welsh pubs was not a viable option. It said it hoped the decision announced today wasn’t too late in avoiding mass closures of pubs in Wales, and that it would hopefully enable Welsh pubs to use some of the Summer to rebuild their trade and start to recover. For many pubs, the summer trade is crucial to see them through leaner winter months.

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Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – How Will They Affect Your Business?

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CLH Digital

Issue 17

By Henry Ejdelbaum, Managing Director of AIMS Accountants (www.aims.co.uk)

The hospitality sector has been hit harder than most over the last few months as a result of coronavirus. With many businesses only legally been allowed to open from 4th July, and the high overheads and staffing costs, it has been a challenging time for the sector as a whole.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, (CJRS) which was introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, has proven to be a lifesaver for many in the industry. It has enabled employers to save on their staffing costs by furloughing employees, whilst ensuring that workers were able to receive up to 80% of their salary.

However, as we are moving into July, the scheme is changing. There has been a high cost to the Government, and they have announced that they are therefore tapering the scheme. So how will this impact your business?

Firstly, the Government announced that furloughed employees could be brought back to work part time, and their employers could still claim

CJRS for the hours not worked. This means that businesses which are opening up slowly, or at a reduced level, can start to bring back staff, without having to take on all the costs with bringing them back full-time.

However, the Government also announced that from 1st August, employees will expect to pay a higher proportion of the staffing costs – i.e. the grant provided will reduce each month. How does this look in practice?

Currently, for the hours staff are not working, the Government pays 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, as well as Employer National Insurance Contributions and pension contributions.

From August, the Government pays 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 per month, but employers will pay Employer National Insurance Contributions and pension contributions.

From September, the Government pays 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 per month, but employers will pay Employer National Insurance Contributions and pension contributions, and top up workers’ salaries to 80% or £2,500 per month.

From October, the Government pays 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875 per month, but employers will pay Employer National Insurance Contributions and pension contributions, and top up workers’ salaries to 80% or £2,500 per month.

It means that the support from the Government is slowly coming to an end, and the percentage of staffing costs which the employer is responsible for is increasing. We hope that businesses will see an increase in demand to enable them to recover from the recent period to be able to meet these costs. But bearing in mind that many businesses will have taken on additional burdens, such as CBILS loans or Bounce Back Loans, which need to be repaid in the future, it means that the next few months might continue to be a challenge for many businesses in the hospitality sector.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? The most important thing to do is to talk to your accountant. In what promises to be a turbulent period you need to make sure that you have received the right advice when it comes to CJRS and other support schemes which are available to your business. But also, you need to ensure that your medium to longer term planning is sufficient for your business to come out of this stronger and with the potential to recover and grow.

Henry Ejdelbaum is Managing Director of AIMS Accountants for Business, a market leader in accountancy services for small, local and independent businesses. With over 25 years’ of experience and 200 qualified accountants nationwide, AIMS provide Business Accountants for Business People. www.aims.co.uk

HMRC Given Extra Powers To Crack Down On Furlough Fraud - What Employers Need To Know SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

By Michelle Sloane, Partner at RPC

INTRODUCTION The Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the CJRS) was announced on 20 March 2020, with the aim of protecting UK jobs during the global coronavirus pandemic. Hastily introduced with scant and complex guidance at the time, the CJRS is, in the words of HMRC's Chief Executive Jim Harra, a "magnet for fraudsters".

The hospitality sector has been hit hard by COVID-19, with the hotel industry more disproportionately affected than others. HMRC published official statistics in June 2020, stating that over 100,000 accommodation and food employers had made use of the CJRS, receiving £2.6bn in order to support approximately 1.4 million furloughed workers.

WHAT IS THE CJRS? Under the CJRS, companies have been able to furlough staff rather than make them redundant. Furloughed staff are able to receive up to 80% of their wages from the Government in the form of a grant, with an upper limit of £2,500 per month. While furloughed employees are not permitted to undertake remunerative activity for their employer, they may take on new work with a different employer, and training and volunteering are permissible. The CJRS is set to end on 31 October 2020.

i. placing employees on furlough and then requesting that they continue to work as normal; or ii. pressuring or encouraging employees to work on a "voluntary" basis; or iii. claiming on behalf of an employee without their knowledge and recovering 80% of the employee's salary, while the employee continues to work as normal; and iv. claiming on behalf of a "ghost" employee – someone who has been dismissed before the CJRS's start date of 19 March 2020, or a non-existent employee who "commenced work" following this date.

IS FURLOUGH FRAUD RIFE IN THE HOSPITALITY SUPPLY CHAIN? The speed with which the scheme was announced and implemented, and the heavy reliance on honesty, has left the CJRS vulnerable to abuse.

On 16 July 2020, HMRC announced that it is considering 4,462 cases of potential misuse of the CJRS, including cases where employers have asked employees to work while on furlough or withholding funds.

The full extent of fraud committed by employers in the hospitality industry under the CJRS is unknown at this stage, however, given over 100,000 sector employers made use of the scheme, accidental mistakes and fraud is anticipated to be widespread. The whistle blower-protection charity, Protect, have stated that furlough fraud is the single biggest issue that they have dealt with in their 27-year history. Further, that that 20% of calls to the charity in relation to furlough fraud have come from those in the hospitality sector .

HMRC reported on 16 July 2020 that it is considering 4,462 cases of potential misuse of the CJRS, including cases where employers have asked employees to work while on furlough or withholding funds. On 8 July 2020, HMRC made its first CJRS related arrest of an individual based in the West Midlands as part of its investigation into a suspected HOW MIGHT THE CJRS BE ABUSED IN THE HOSPITAL- £495,000 CJRS fraud. This arrest sent a clear message that HMRC is ITY INDUSTRY? taking abuse of the CJRS seriously.

Examples of how the CJRS might be abused within the hospitality and WHAT EXTRA POWERS WILL HMRC HAVE TO PURdrinks supply chain include: SUE THOSE WHO HAVE MISTAKENLY OR FRAUDU-

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LENTLY CLAIMED CJRS? Draft legislation, which will provide HMRC with enhanced powers in relation to CJRS, is currently progressing through Parliament as part of the Finance Bill 2020, which is expected to be enacted later this month.

The proposed legislation will allow HMRC to pursue those who have broken the furlough scheme rules and claw back CJRS payments made to businesses who were not entitled to receive such payments, or which have not been used to pay employment costs.

Employers will be given a 90-day window in which to self-report if they have made a mistake. They will then be allowed to repay the sums received without incurring any penalties. However, following this 90-day period of grace, if HMRC considers that an employer has failed to notify a mistake, the employer will be investigated by HMRC and required to prove that they are innocent of any wrongdoing.

Penalties for wrongdoing will start at 100% of the sums incorrectly claimed. If remedial action is taken swiftly this may be reduced but the penalty will not fall below 30%. Where HMRC has already commenced questioning then the minimum penalty will be 50%. HMRC has also warned that it will consider criminal charges in cases of deliberate misuse.

HOW CAN EMPLOYERS AVOID SIGNIFICANT PENALTIES? Given this relatively short timeframe within which to self-report, and the fact that HMRC is already investigating claims, businesses should, as a matter of priority, carefully review their internal records and internal systems in order to identify any discrepancies, before the proposed legislation is enacted.

Employers should ensure any paperwork is up to date and consider collating any documentation which details the business rationale for why certain roles or employees were furloughed. Employers should carefully review any claims they have made and ensure they have acted in line with the law and importantly can evidence this with a clear audit trail. At the end of the day, prevention is better than cure - now is the time to act!

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UKInbound Issues Urgent Plea To The Prime Minister

Issue 17

CLH Digital

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their knees – unfortunately their futures look very uncertain without targeted Government intervention.

“Before the pandemic, these businesses were viable and successful and delivered a large proportion of visitation outside of London. Unfortunately significant economic benefits to the UK’s nations and regions will be vastly eroded if these businesses go under and jobs are lost.

UKinbound has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson pleading for urgent and decisive action to secure the future of the inbound tourism industry – worth £28 billion to the UK economy in 2019.

The Association expressed grave concern that its tour operator and destination management company (DMC) members will need to make around 10,000 job cuts, and over half will fail within the next six months, if the Government does not intervene.

To help save jobs and businesses, UKinbound has asked for the following immediate support: • A Tourism Resilience Fundto help businesses that are wholly reliant on international visitors to survive until the anticipated return of the market in Spring 2021 • Guidance onrate relief and grants should be amended to include tour operators and DMCs • National insurance and corporation tax holidays for these businesses until the market recovers A request for longer term support was also made: • Financial support to promote and ‘sell’ the UK at international sales missions and exhibitions • Additional provisions for VisitBritain to promote the UK as safe and welcoming, when the time is right • A temporary 12-month suspension of Air Passenger Duty (APD) • Introduction of a new five-year UK visitor visa for India and China Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said, “Many tour operators and DMCs across the country, who rely solely on international visitors for their livelihoods, are on

“Immediate support is needed, and we implore the Prime Minister to listen. The creation of a Tourism Resilience Fund for the UK’s 200+ tour operators and DMCs would help to shore up businesses until the market returns in Spring 2021, as would allowing them access to rate relief and grant support. A national insurance and corporate tax holiday would also help ease the significant financial strain.

“Unlike many other tourism businesses such as attractions, restaurants, hotels and bars who can reopen and hopefully benefit from increased domestic tourism this summer, tour operators and DMCs have not seen an uptick in international tourists wanting to come to the UK and instead have seen extensive cancellations over the summer months and into the autumn.

“These businesses will have earnt no revenue since March and are unlikely to until the start of next year’s tourism season. Longer term, we need to entice international visitors back to the UK. This can be achieved through Government funding of international sales missions and exhibitions; additional provision for VisitBritain to promote the UK as safe and welcoming, a temporary 12-month suspension of APD, and the introduction of a new five-year UK visitor visa for India and China.

“The industry is incredibly grateful for all the support the Chancellor has already provided, but now we need a targeted approach that will secure jobs and businesses in the inbound tourism industry, who will be vital to our long term economic recovery, a successful Brexit and the Government’s ambitions for a truly global Britain.”

Hospitality Sector Recovering at Glacial Pace with UK Shifts Still 68.9% Down Since Pre-Lockdown The hospitality industry is missing out on a crucial post-lockdown renaissance as it limps back to life, analysis by income streaming provider Wagestream reveals today.

staff is only increasing at a rate of 3% per week, raising fears that the recovery is not accelerating and underlining the existential threat faced by the industry.

The UK hospitality sector has been floored by the coronavirus pandemic but hopes of a swift return to normality are being dashed, with shift numbers still down 68.9% on pre-lockdown levels, new analysis shows1.

The vast majority of hospitality workers were furloughed under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Wagestream has responded to the Covid-19 crisis by making its income streaming service free to the NHS and its staff, as well as speeding up the client on-boarding process from three weeks to just 24 hours.

Even in England, where pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes have been able to open since July 4, the number of shifts carried out by workers is still down 58.3%.

The whole of the UK went into lockdown on March 23 but the rules on reopening have varied in Wales and Scotland. Welsh pubs, cafes and restaurants have only been able to reopen outdoors since July 13 and in Scotland they were only permitted to open indoors from July 15. In Scotland, the number of shifts being worked is still down 73% since before lockdown.

Novellini launch BeSafe walls to help the UK return to work safely

Peter Briffett, CEO and of Wagestream, commented: “The hospitality industry was uniquely susceptible to the Covid-19 crisis and it is in desperate need of our support.

Unable to continue normal trading, many hospitality firms turned to takeaway and delivery services once they were unable to open. But the sector hit rock bottom in early April, by which time the number of shifts had dropped 98% compared to normal.

“Pubs and restaurants must stage a dramatic fight back if they are to survive but they can only do that if people are willing to get back out there and spend. We know that the vast majority of pubs, bars and restaurants have moved heaven and Earth to make it business as usual as far as the comfort, safety and enjoyment of guests is concerned and we really hope they are rewarded for that in the weeks to come.

Wagestream analysed shift data for tens of thousands of workers for the weekend of the 18th-19th July compared with the 21st-22nd March 2020, the weekend just before the UK lockdown began. This shows that the number of shifts being offered to

“The Chancellor’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which starts in August, is a fantastic way of encouraging people to support these firms. It will hopefully help put the afterburners on and drive more footfall to UK hospitality venues.”

Workplaces around the nation are preparing for when the UK can return to a kind of normality. The Novellini Group presents a solution that will help to create safe working environments that are hygienic and adaptable. The BeSafe wall is a protective device that companies with any office, desk space, trade counters, cafe and restaurants can incorporate going forward.

The primary benefit? Hygiene. Employees will feel protected with the BeSafe wall as it provides a barrier. Constructed from 6mm tempered glass, it’s easy to clean with any alcoholic disinfectant. In smaller spaces where it’s difficult to sit two meters away, the wall is a particularly helpful solution.

Office teams aren’t the only ones who will be happy to see these walls put in place. BeSafe is a smart answer for all industries where contact with the public is required, such as pharmacies, retail counters, restaurants and public offices.

Novellini can customise each barrier to suit the space with three versions (floor mounted, trade counter, and desks) and five different sizes.

UK Sales Manager at Novellini, Stuart West says ‘We are looking to help the UK workforce where we can and these are a positive answer to those concerns about health and hygiene.’

As specialists in showers and design, Novellini are putting their skills to good use and many businesses across the UK will be pleased to find a safe and stylish solution. They are even available in several colours and glass finishes to suit the surroundings.

For more information contact Novellini UK on 01727 229922 or visit the website at www.novellini.co.uk For brochure and advice please email info-uk@novellini.com For large projects or orders, customized solutions can be evaluated. We are available to evaluate and propose BeSafe Wall solutions specific for your protection needs.

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CLH Digital

Issue 17

Support Available for Small Independent Hospitality Businesses

By Ashi Patel, Partner at Oury Clark Solicitors (www.ouryclark.com) GRANTS The Coronavirus Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) entitles businesses in England in these sectors to a one-off cash grant of up to £25,000 from their local council. To be eligible your business property must have had a rateable value of less than £51,000 on 11 March 2020.

If your business property has a rateable value of under £15,000 then you would be entitled to a one-off cash grant of £10,000 from your local council under the Coronavirus Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF).

You cannot claim both the RHLGF and SBGF. For either, you do not need to take any action. Your local council should have contacted you to provide details on how to claim.

LOANS

On the 16 March 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged everyone to avoid social contact and stay away from pubs and restaurants. An announcement which led to thousands of businesses in the hospitality and catering sector to close their doors.

It is safe to say that the hospitality and catering industry has been brutally hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the Government starts to wind down the pandemic restrictions, there is still a long road of recovery ahead for the hospitality and catering industry and with the fear of a second wave on the horizon operators and suppliers need to ensure that they are up to speed with the grants and funding available.

BUSINESS RATES RELIEF Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England will not have to pay business rates for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. You will be automatically eligible if your property is a restaurant, café, bar, pub, hotel, guest house or self-catering accommodation. You do not need to take any action as your local council will apply the discount automatically.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provides smaller businesses with a loan in which the government guarantees 80% of the finance to the lender and pays interest and any fees for the first 12 months. To apply, your UK business must have an annual turnover of up to £45 million and you need to show that your business would be viable were it not for the pandemic and has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus. If you want to borrow £30,000 or more, you also need to confirm that your business wasn’t classed as a business in difficulty on 31 December 2019. There are over 50 lenders participating in the scheme including all the main retail banks.

If you need access to finance more quickly then you should be considering the Bounce Back Loan Scheme which helps small and mediumsized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover (maximum loan available is £50,000). The government guarantees 100% of the loan and there are no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.

You can apply if your UK business was established before 1 March 2020 and has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus. There are 11 lenders participating in the scheme including many of the main retail banks.

For any of the loans, you should approach a suitable lender yourself via the lender’s website.

VAT CUT FOR HOSPITALITY There is now in force a temporary cut from 20% to 5% on supplies relating to hospitality and holiday accommodation. The reduced rate of VAT will apply until 12 January 2021 to help and support the businesses severely affected by forced closures and social distancing measures.

EAT OUT TO HELP OUT This scheme is aimed at encouraging people to safely return to dining out. Restaurants, bars, cafes and other establishments which use the scheme will offer a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, to all diners who eat and/or drink-in throughout August. You need to register your establishment on the Government Gateway website. To qualify you must be selling food for immediate consumption on the premises with a dining area and must have been registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July.

MISCELLANEOUS Businesses in the hospitality and catering sectors should be aware of the following: 1. The Business and Planning Bill 2019-21, includes measures to make it easier for businesses serving food and drink to seat and serve customers outdoors through temporary changes to planning procedures and alcohol licensing. Temporary measures will be introduced so that pavement licences will be cheaper easier and quicker to obtain.

2. Charge to come into effect on 1 September 2020 to the Use Classes Order relating to land in England. The provisions change the use class of retail and leisure (Class A), Offices (Class B1a) and Leisure and Recreation (Class D2), which will now fall within a single new class ‘Commercial, Business and Service’ (Class E).

A change of use within Class E will not constitute development and therefore will not require planning permission providing increased flexibility to help high streets and town centres adapt quick to what consumers and businesses need.

Pubs Code Deadlines Affected By The Covid-19 Emergency The PCA has published a table which sets out how tied tenants can access their Pubs Code rights when the period covered by the Covid emergency declaration ends on the 30 June 2020.

Pubs Code rights have been paused and protected during the Covid emergency period by stopping the clock on many of them. The ending of the declaration period on 30 June means that tenants now need to know when they must act to activate their Code rights, for example to request and receive a Market Rent Only (MRO) option or to obtain a Rent Assessment Proposal due under the Code.

Fiona Dickie, Pubs Code Adjudicator, said: “The opportunity to reopen their pubs will bring a range of challenges for tied tenants. So it needs to be as clear as possible what their Pubs Code rights are and what they need to do to access them. To provide that clarity the PCA has produced a table setting out the effect

Greene King Signs Up To Eat Out To Help Out Scheme Greene King, the UK’s has announced that its managed pubs will support the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, due to launch nationwide next month.

All Greene King managed brands will participate in the scheme, which offers 50% off food and soft drinks up to the value of £10 per person. The discount will be valid Monday to Wednesday throughout August.

Over 1,200 pubs across the country will offer the discount to customers, available to redeem against a range of dishes, including pub classics such as burgers and fish & chips.

A spokesperson for Greene King, said: “We welcome the introduction of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and we hope that it will be a great encouragement for customers to support the nation’s pubs.

“Our pubs are at the heart of their communities and through this discount we hope that it will broaden the opportunity for locals to enjoy a long overdue and well-deserved meal with their loved ones.”

of the declaration on Pubs Code rights, including the deadlines that now apply to tenants pursuing them.

It is now more important than ever that tied tenants are free to exercise these rights as Parliament intended, and that pub-owning businesses demonstrate the Pubs Code principles of fairness and transparency in all dealings with their tied tenants. I will ensure that this happens.”

The declaration was established on the 16 March to protect important Pubs Code rights for the duration of the Covid-related closure. While the declaration has not prevented tied tenants who wished to do so from continuing to exercise their Code rights as normal, it has meant that individual tenants did not have to do so at a time when their focus was likely to be on more immediate pressures impacting their business and their employees.

Reopen in Style with Simon Jersey The past four months has been hard for all businesses, but none more so than that of the hospitality industry. With 3.2 million workers within the sector , and a huge number of employees having been on furlough, the governments job retention scheme, businesses and staff have been waiting for the day when you can reopen your doors and start getting back to some form of normality.

Although life will not be quite the same as it was before lockdown, it has been encouraging to see your businesses adapting during these unprecedented times. Now that restrictions have started to ease across the country, we are seeing pubs, restaurants and bars implementing strict safety measures to keep your customers protected.

But what about your staff? As with other businesses, Simon Jersey has had to adapt during lockdown to the needs of their customers.

They have invested in Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), from face masks and visors, to gloves and disposable aprons, to ensure that their customers have the right equipment to reopen their businesses safely and without fear of cross-contamination.

Equally, Simon Jersey believes that how your staff present themselves is just as crucial in setting reassurance for your customers’ visit, and importantly, how likely they are to return, which is critical for businesses in these times of uncertainty. If your staff look good, they feel good and have a sense of pride in their work – a stylish uniform tells the tale of a successful establishment.

Whilst your teams are busy greeting customers, serving, lifting, carrying and beavering away behind the scenes in kitchens, they really need to be wearing a stylish, comfortable and functional uniform. Simon Jersey understands the demands on the hospitality sector and the uniforms they need

to work in and have an array of products, perfect to kit out your entire team.

APRONS Simon Jersey’s range of aprons serve as a perfect finishing touch to your hospitality uniform, whether you're kitting out staff for a bar, restaurant or catering service. Their aprons are made from durable fabric and come in an array of different styles, lengths and colours to suit your requirements.

CHEFSWEAR With a wide range of chefswear, Simon Jersey understands that busy kitchen workers need to keep cool and look smart during service. Comfort is key in hot kitchen environments, which is why they have designed a range of perfect culinary outfits that are practical and easy to care for.

FRONT OF HOUSE Simon Jersey offers a large variety of professional front of house uniforms for the hospitality industry. They have a stylish collection of suiting, blouses and shirts in various styles, patterns and colourways, so you are sure find uniforms to suit your business branding and to ensure a consistent appearance across your front of house team.

Why not add a personal touch with embroidered logos or staff names which can really set your business apart and add a bespoke touch to your uniform? There’s no better way to promote your brand!

With over 45 years’ experience, Simon Jersey have the knowledge, expertise and cutting-edge design to supply your business with a uniform that’s modern, stylish, fits perfectly, washes well and lasts.

Find more out about what Simon Jersey can do for you and your staff by visiting www.simonjersey.com or see the advert on page 13.

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Issue 17

How To Navigate The Confusing Ordering And Payment App Landscape

By Nick White, head of alcohol at SHS Group, owner of WKD (www.shs-group.co.uk) The hospitality industry hasn’t always adopted technology as quickly as it might*. After all, going to the pub is about meeting people and having personal experiences.

Adding screens, apps or automated processes into the equation has been considered a quick way to kill the ambience.

are investing heavily in self-promotion. There’s app2table, Dines, Hungrrr, KitchenCut, OrderPay, Pepper, Sort-It, Swiftly, Tabology and Yoello to name a few.

Key functions to consider are: does it allow people to order food and drink? Can customers make payments? Can they book tables? The first two should be considered absolute musts. The third is something to think about, but not all apps offer this. Swiftly, launched by Heineken, does all three. It doesn’t require businesses to serve Heineken, although those that do receive preferential pricing.

It’s crucial to factor in costs. There’s a mix of options, including upfront payments, registration fees, monthly subscriptions and commissions on sales. Each app has its own offering. For example, Dines has no set-up fee or contracts and its basic package takes 2.5% commission, plus 20p per transaction.

However, COVID-19 has disrupted the industry hugely. With establishments serving tentatively, they must think about technology to meet government guidelines.

These require table service where possible, and encourage use of contactless ordering through an app**.

Meanwhile, SortIt starts at £25 per month with a £99 set-up fee.

Ultimately, the decision is in the hands of establishments and will depend on customer numbers and fixed or variable cost preferences.

This presents a challenge – especially for smaller businesses and independents, which might’ve rushed to choose an app, or are still attempting to find one. While big players have their own, not everyone has capacity to build software from scratch.

Next on the check-list is whether you can “whitelabel” the app. Can you add branding to make it look and feel your own? While not essential, it can enhance customer experience. app2table and Tabology offer this among others.

So, what are the options, and what factors should the on-trade consider as we settle into the new normal? Also, what benefits come with apps and can these be seen as opportunities rather than a threats?

It’s worth knowing if the app allows additional services - such as toilet requests – or if it can integrate with other systems, such as tills and printers. Many offer this functionality, but it’s worth checking your existing technology and how it might fit in.

CONSIDERING THE APP MARKET The first challenge to face is the volume of apps available. Plenty have been around for some time, but many more have come to market and

Also consider whether you need an app at all. It might be easier to have a browser-based system or one with QR codes. Some customers just don’t want another app. Dines work both as an app and from smart-

phone web browsers. Yoello requires no app download.

The most important consideration is security. Remember, any business using apps will be entrusting customer information and payment details to them. All of those available meet certain standards, but look for ones proving their trustworthiness.

For example, Yoello is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a secure and trusted Payment Institution. Ensure you check any app’s credentials – especially if it’s newer, relatively unknown or free.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE With apps creating a new relationship between customers and the ontrade, consider how this might be an opportunity rather than a hurdle.

Many can offer customer insights and databases, which present marketing opportunities and the chance to create personalised offers. While high-quality staff and service will always be important, perhaps it’s time to start attracting customers with deals you know they’ll love. What’s not to like? An establishment that knows what its clientele love and is willing to provide discount and a friendly welcome?

Equally, apps can link sales to your supply chain more effectively. It sounds over the top for independents, but could spell the end of certain drinks running out mid-shift. It can also help manage food wastage, maximising profits and building a more robust business.

To conclude, apps are new to the majority of the industry, and hasty decisions might need to be reconsidered later. Keep an eye on how things progress, monitor how effectively apps work and look for opportunities rather than threats. Good luck – we’re rooting for you. * https://www.hospitalitynet.org/panel/125000007.html

Travellers Confused By Inconsistent COVID-19 Travel Rules and Advice Across Europe

** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pubs-restaurants-and-hairdressers-to-reopen-from-4-july

“It is urgent that governments learn from the past and take quick and effective action to coordinate and harmonise travel rules and border requirements to bring consistency for everyone across Europe. Previous crises, including the 2008 financial crash, shows where governments coordinate to align policies, their leadership resulted in a quicker recovery.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called for more consistent travel rules and COVID-19 advice by European countries to counter confusion by travellers and holidaymakers.

Those journeying to Europe for the first time since travel restrictions began to ease have faced a baffling array of different types of travel rules and advice – with each country across the continent emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic at different stages, which is delaying the recovery.

“We are encouraged to see that more travellers are spending time searching for holiday destinations across Europe following the easing of travel restrictions. Unfortunately, the lack of coordination among countries has created inconsistencies which means we are failing to rebuild the trust of potential travellers.

The uneven patchwork of COVID-19 national border restrictions and rules across a supposedly single Schengen zone is an obvious deterrent to cross-border movement.

“Anyone travelling from one European country to the next faces a bewildering difference in travel advice, covering masks, testing and contact tracing which could seriously hinder the return of the Travel & Tourism sector.

Unnecessary and inconsistent border constraints are deterring travellers and suppressing the resurgence of Travel & Tourism. The sector’s return is urgently needed to regenerate destinations and act as a catalyst for the global economic recovery.

WTTC research shows that every 2.7% increase in travellers would generate or recover one million jobs in the sector. Governments working together with the right coordinated measures could stimulate an increase in travel by as much as 27%, recreating a massive 10 million jobs in Travel and Tourism.

Consumer confusion over travel rules such as the wearing of face masks is evident. It is mandatory on public transport in some countries, such as France and Germany, but not in others such as Norway and Sweden. Meanwhile in Italy, masks must be worn in all enclosed public places whereas in Switzerland, for all enclosed public spaces other than on public transport, it is only a recommendation that people should wear masks if they can’t maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from others.

Medical advice, including from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is clear that the use of face masks helps reduce the risk of transmission up to 90%, protects the user and those around them, as well as reintroducing a greater sense of normality for travellers.

However, WTTC warns that unless European governments make a greater effort to align their policies it will cause the fragile recovery to stutter and slowdown, putting 16 million jobs in Travel & Tourism at risk.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “WTTC calls on all European heads of state to unite for the benefit of the millions of people who depend on this sector in Europe; both travellers and workers.

“This climate of uncertainty for travellers and holidaymakers is the last thing they need at a time when the Travel & Tourism sector is crying out for consistency. The restoration of consumer confidence, during the most important season of the year in one of the world’s largest regions for Travel & Tourism cannot be understated.

“The time to work together is now. The Travel & Tourism private sector wants to work in partnership with governments and destinations using WTTC’s carefully devised Safe Travels protocols to bring clarity and wipe away consumer confusion.”

To align policies, governments need take into consideration more than just mortality rates. Wider country measures, including infection rates, the percentage of tests and contact tracing, the health system’s ability to cope with COVID-19 and the public’s acceptance of mask-wearing and observance of social distancing is also important.

The Travel & Tourism sector contributes a massive 9.1% of Europe’s GDP, worth US$2,018.2 billion to the continent’s economy. Last year, according to the WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report 2020, the sector was responsible for 37.1 million jobs (9.7% of Europe’s total employment number).

WTTC has recently issued a ten-point Traveller Guideline for Safe & Seamless Travel including testing and contact tracing to ensure people can enjoy Safe Travels in the ‘new normal’.

Liverpool Hotel Bed Specialist Restfull Nights Appoints Graham Carberry as Sales Director Liverpool-based bed manufacturer Restfull Nights is marking the end of lockdown with the appointment of new Sales Director Graham Carberry.

Specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of beds, mattresses, sofa beds and comfy chairs to the hotel and contract sector, Restfull Nights counts some of the biggest names in the hotel business among its clients and is looking forward to supporting the industry in its post Covid-19 recovery. Graham will steer the company’s sales and marketing efforts and will also lead on the launch of an exciting new product range later in this year.

Graham’s experience spans 32 years in the bed industry with the Silentnight Group, and has covered manufacturing, product development and sales; giving him unique industry insight which will prove invaluable in his new

role. Managing Director, John Law, says: “We’re delighted that Graham will be joining the Restfull Nights team. We have worked alongside Graham on a number of projects in the past, and his experience both of the sector and the sales function is second to none. He is perfect for the role and ideally placed to help us drive the company forward whilst maintaining our core values.”

It is these core values that most inspire Graham as he takes up his new role, as he explains: “Restfull Nights is a company that still believes in the personal approach to business; where relationships are built around quality of products and the standard of service available. The hospitality business is all about caring for your customer and I truly believe that Restfull

Nights is the only manufacturer within the industry today that maintains this approach with a 100% focus on the customer.

“Restfull Nights will say ‘yes’ when larger brands say ‘no’ because the volumes or product types do not fit with their business model or they add complexity to their retail-focused businesses. Restfull Nights’ mission statement is that ‘quality doesn’t have to be expensive’ but I would also add that you shouldn’t have to pay extra for customer service. It is this combination of commitment to service and flexibility that I find so inspiring, and these core values will remain central to the company’s future growth.”

For further information on Restfull Nights’ range of products and services, head to www.restfullnights.co.uk

'We Hear You' Campaign Offers Eating Out Venues Real-Time Customer Feedback To Help Rebuild Business An overwhelming number of consumers (94%) who have visited pubs, restaurants and bars in England in the two weeks since reopening were satisfied with the safety steps in venues they visited, with 96% being likely to recommend a visit to friends and family.

While 48% of customers accept their eating and drinking out experience feels ‘different’, it is reassuringly so, according to responses via the new ‘We hear you’ initiative, designed to gauge consumer feedback and identify ways to increase consumer confidence and footfall.

CLH Digital

service style, which will be fed back to Government.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls, commenting on the launch of ‘We hear you’, said: “We know the next six months will be crucial for hospitality and survival will depend on a concerted and joint effort from everyone within the industry.

“We’ve worked closely with the Government to ensure safe venues upon re-opening and the ‘We hear you’ tool, with help from operators, will ensure their customers are happy, comfortable and more importantly confident that the industry is listening and doing what it can to make them feel safe.”

The responses reveal that around 65% of customers had visited more than one venue since the re-openings and from the 4,866 customers who provided feedback 52% felt that their experience was not compromised by safety precautions. Of those that felt their experience was compromised, 88% understood that the precautions were necessary.

While feedback on eating out experiences have so far been positive, CGA research reveals that only one in three consumers who previously ate out regularly have returned to doing so, giving the hospitality sector a challenge to rebuild customer confidence and re-establish the going-out habit.

The research confirms that the level of protection put in place by operators is an important factor when it comes to how confident consumers feel, with 77% of diners stating that they considered the precautionary measures being taken before visiting a venue, while nearly half admitted to pre-visit nerves. The majority of those that have eaten out since establishments re-opened have stuck to places they know well, with just 14% of consumers trying new places.

However, 91% stated that their overall experience made them feel reassured enough to visit again.

Gary Goodman, CEO and founder of Yumpingo said: “As an industry, we must unite to support 120,000 plus restaurants, bars and cafés in the UK to make sure the industry rebounds as quickly as possible. The sector responded brilliantly at the start of the pandemic, but the re-opening phase now offers up a new challenge. We hope that ‘We hear you’ will not only provide customers with a sense of confidence, but will also relieve some of the pressure operators across the UK are facing with new guidelines and rules.”

‘We hear you’ has been launched by guest insights platform Yumpingo supported by trade body UKHospitality and data and research consultancy CGA. It allows the real-time monitoring of customer sentiment via several methods including QR codes, integration with wi-fi and order and pay platforms.

Diners complete a one-minute review on their experience enabling operators to monitor and act upon consumer feedback on Covid-19 precautions and customer satisfaction (net promoter scores) at brand, store, shift and dish level.

Gavin Adair, CEO of Rosa’s Thai, said of the initiative: “We are delighted to be supporting the ‘We Hear You’ initiative. There is nothing more important than understanding how happy and safe our customers feel as they return to our restaurants. The more we pull together as an industry to balance the need for safety and hospitality, the faster we all build confidence and custom.”

The scheme’s partners are urging operators to sign up for the free service, following the lead of some of the UK’s biggest brands including YO! Sushi, Zizzi, Loungers, Robinsons Brewery, Pizza Express and LEON. In the first two weeks of opening several thousand consumers have already provided real-time reviews of their experience, giving valuable insight for operators ahead of the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme to drive customer visits in August.

The results also provide a benchmark of progress on consumer confidence nationally, regionally and by

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“The early results indicate that the industry is taking the right steps to increase hygiene standards and effectively communicate them to guests and will be particularly important in generating word of mouth about the safety of venues, with nearly all survey respondents now very likely or likely to recommend venues to family or friends,” said Karl Chessell, director of food and retail at CGA. ‘We hear you’ is a free service to all hospitality venues click on to https://www.yumpingo.com/wehearyou to find out more or for the full report click onto yumpingo.com/single-post/We-Hear-You-Two-Weeks-In

Brains Announce Support Package For Its Partnership Pubs Welsh brewer and retailer SA Brain has launched an additional support package for its pub partners, “all the way into 2021”, which will include a phased rent plan, discounted draught pricing and an enhanced staff training programme.

The move comes ahead of venues in Wales being permitted to open fully on Monday, 3 August. Brains said it would initially reopen 40 of its managed pubs on the day and expects the majority of its 60 partners to follow suit.

In a statement the group said “The hospitality industry, like many others, has faced huge amounts of disruption over the past four months. Now there is light at the end of the tunnel with pubs in Wales expected to be permitted to open fully on Monday 3rd August. On that day Brains looks forward to reopening 40 of its managed pubs and anticipates that the majority of its 60 partners will also open their pubs.”

“In order to support our partners, we have announced further measures to support their businesses well into 2021. As we entered lockdown we immediately suspended all rents for our partners

and our intention is to support them all the way into 2021 as they adapt to the “new normal” and its impact on trading. Our support is tailored to give us the flexibility to ensure that both our partners’ businesses and our own business will be sustainable in the long term. Our intention has always been and will always be to ensure we have a long term viable and sustainable business relationship with all our partners. Our partners’ success is critical to our success.”

Tel: 01495 772164 I 07967 402995 www.shophygiene.co.uk

15

Hospitality Businesses and the Late Night Levy 16

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Issue 17

By Michelle Craven-Faulkner, partner at Geldards LLP (www.geldards.com) Hospitality businesses and others have called for changes to the law on late night levies. As the easing of some lockdown restrictions take effect, businesses and others in their communities will need to find ways of working which enable them to protect public health and safety, whilst maintaining strong local economies with thriving businesses.

This will be a particularly challenging time for businesses in the hospitality industry. The operation of their businesses depends on providing services to people and engaging with them. They could not operate when lockdown requirements meant that they needed to close premises and keep people away. Even now, when the restrictions have been eased and hospitality premises are able to open, the need for social distancing could limit the extent of business they can generate.

Businesses are therefore concerned about the impact that the late night levy could have on their resources at this difficult time. Local authorities have power to apply a levy to businesses which have licences to provide alcohol and refreshments late at night. Some local authorities decided to do so when businesses operating at night were having an impact on local areas and local authorities needed to find ways of funding action taken to address that impact, such as cleaning streets more often. In recent months, when premises have been closed, hospitality businesses have not been causing the same issues and have not been a position to generate the same amount of income to pay the levy.

Local authorities themselves have recognised the difficulties that the hospitality industry is facing and have seen the merits in arguments for relaxing or suspending levy requirements. However, local authorities themselves are not in a position to make these changes because once a levy has been introduced, the amount is based in legislation and Government approval is needed to alter it.

Local authorities have therefore joined businesses in suggesting that there should be a change in the law, to give local authorities powers which would allow them to alter or waive late night levy fees. This could be very useful in helping local authorities to make arrangements which will encourage strong and stable local economies and meet the needs of local communities effectively. The need for this will be obvious during the time of crisis caused by the coronavirus but the ability for local authorities to exercise their powers and discharge their functions effectively is important at any time.

If local authorities are given additional powers relating to late night levies, they will need to act reasonably in exercising them, applying the usual principles of lawful decision making. The reduction in problems that local areas might have experienced previously and the drop in business of those liable to pay the levy will be relevant but local authorities will need to consider all relevant matters. This will be important both when taking decisions to address the current crisis and when reviewing arrangements and, if appropriate, changing them in the future as circumstances change. It is to be hoped that better times will come for hospitality businesses and their customers. When that happens, local authorities should consider how best to make use of any powers they have relating to late night levies.

Top Chefs Team Up To Get Young Chefs Cooking This Summer A line-up of top chefs are creating special video cookery demos, to show young people how to prepare one of their favourite recipes, including expert hints and tips.

and a judge. I have seen first-hand how this competition not only builds confidence in young people, but also teaches essential life skills and opens up the amazing world of the hospitality industry.”

A new video will be released every Friday, giving newbies the chance to ‘glow up’ in the kitchen, with celebrity chefs Richard Corrigan, Ruth Hansom and Gary Maclean providing the first three videos.

The campaign is backed by the hospitality industry job board Caterer.com, and Head of Marketing Kathy Dyball said: “We want as many young people and parents to have access to free, useful and fun online resources throughout the summer holidays – to enjoy and get comfortable with cooking, inspiring the next wave of FutureChef students.”

Corrigan, who runs Corrigan’s Mayfair, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill and Daffodil Mulligan in London, said he’s backing the campaign because it’s never been more important to showcase the chef craft to young people.

Springboard is inspiring young people to venture into the kitchen during the school summer holidays and learn the invaluable life skill of cooking with FutureChef’s Summer Kitchen.

Hansom, meanwhile was a former FutureChef participant and featured on BBC Two’s Million Pound Menu, before recently joining the Princess in Shoreditch, London.

FutureChef’s Summer Kitchen is designed to ignite a passion for food and present younger generations with further career opportunities. Those who enjoy picking up new skills and knowledge will be inspired to take the next step and participate in Springboard’s FutureChef Programme for 2020.

MasterChef: The Professionals 2016 champion Gary Maclean said: “I have been involved with Future chef for over 15 years as a mentor

The first demo video will be released this Friday 31st at https://futurechef.uk.net/summer-kitchen-glow-up

Mandatory Calorie Labelling As New Legislation Described As A ‘Slap In The Face’ For Hospitality Sector lockdown, feeding and accommodating vulnerable people and key workers. Now, as we focus on securing jobs and helping the economy and communities to recover, a raft of costs and regulatory burdens would be a slap in the face.”

Itemised Calorie listing on menus will be mandatory for out-of-home businesses including pubs, restaurants, cafés and takeaway businesses with over 250 employees under new laws being drawn up by government, after several years of speculation.

Tim Rycroft, Chief Operating Officer at the Food and Drink Federation said:

As the coronavirus death rate increased return to has revealed that being overweight or obese increases risk which many observers believe has galvanised the government into action. Currently the United Kingdom has one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe, with over 60% of adults in the United Kingdom currently overweight.

“The UK’s food and drink manufacturers and the half a million people we employ – so recently the heroes heralded by government for feeding the nation during the Covid crisis – will be reeling today from this punishing blow.

“As the economy struggles to recover, new restrictions on promoting and advertising everyday food and drink will increase the price of food (1), reduce consumer choice and threaten jobs across the UK. And all to save 17 calories a day (2).

The government has said its plans around calorie labelling follow research that people consume around 200 more calories a day if they eat out. However, UKHospitality has warned it could cost businesses a staggering £40,000 a menu.

UKHospitality’s CEO, Kate Nicholls, commented: “Hospitality shares the Government’s commitment to public health objectives, and the focus on public education and information is certainly a welcome strategy. Britain’s eating out sector has made great strides in providing healthier and lifestyle choice options on their menus, responding to consumer demands and nudging healthier behaviour, as evident in the rapid growth of catering for veganism, for example.

Photography by James Palinsad

“Millions of Britons have rediscovered the joy of cooking from scratch during lockdown, a trend that has been rightly and roundly applauded. We should embrace this by embedding more nutritional education in schools. Cooking from scratch is what restaurants do every day, and it’s how many of them manage to keep their offers attractive, with changing daily specials and locally-sourced seasonal dishes. Menu labelling could cost as much as £40,000 per menu run for some businesses, disincentivising such innovative and sustainable approaches, and stifling the efforts to offer exciting and healthy meals to customers.

“A well-intentioned targeting of child obesity is at risk of evolving into an interventionist approach that heaps burdens on hospitality businesses just when they are at their most vulnerable and fighting for survival.

At-risk sections of society need specific targeting but the most constructive approach with most of society is to provide effective and credible tools to allow people to make informed decisions about their lifestyles, nutrition and exercise, from as early an age as possible. The sector is keen to play an active and positive role in helping to deliver and support initiatives in schools, to better communicate the benefits of healthy cooking and eating – there is simply no question that education has an enormous role to play in reducing obesity in the long term.

“We are genuinely keen to work with Government to address obesity but the extra regulatory and cost burdens of measures like menu labelling could not come at a worse time. Hospitality has played its part in

On a missed opportunity: “A new government focus on the promotion of physical activity is welcome, but this package looks like a terrible missed opportunity.

After months in which people have thought more about diet and exercise, we could have embarked on a bold programme to promote healthier lifestyles and better diet choices – encouraging consumption of fibre, fruit and vegetables.

Instead, at the heart of this programme are old and discredited policies that will raise prices, limit choice and hit two of the UK’s most successful industries.

On proposed promotions and advertising bans: “It is extraordinary that the government is proposing a ban on promotions of food and drink in retail at such a precarious economic time. With household budgets more stretched than ever before, the Scottish Government recently reversed its decision to press ahead with promotional restrictions. They said the Covid crisis had rendered their impact assessments meaningless. Why are things different in England?

“Government is pulling in different directions. From August the Chancellor is paying for people to eat out whilst the Health Secretary is proposing banning promotions on the same foods in supermarkets.

“Further, there is very limited evidence that these measures will effectively tackle obesity. The UK Government’s own figures suggested that proposed bans on advertising and promotions combined would only reduce children’s average calorie consumption by 17 calories per day (2).

“For more than a decade, our industry has worked willingly with successive governments to reduce salt, fat and sugars. Government is right in its renewed ambition for a healthier, more active population, but it is also time it put real money behind specific, targeted measures to help those most afflicted by obesity, rather than relying on headline chasing measures."

Using Technology to Streamline Alfresco Dining 18

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Issue 17

By Dil Hussain, CEO and Co-Founder, Dines (www.dines.co.uk) “The hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and has had to change the way it operates drastically over the last few months in order to survive. While across most of the country now restaurants, bars, cafes, pubs, hotels and everyone else in the hospitality can open or is planning to open to some degree again, for the foreseeable future alfresco dining will be a popular way forward for venues that have the space to use.

“So, what can the industry do to create a safe environment whilst not compromising on customer experience?

Switch To Digital: “Technology is a venue’s best friend when it comes to social distancing. For example, venues should be thinking about stopping the use of hard-to-clean but traditionally re-usable items, such as menus. This could mean a switch to paper disposable menus or the use of a mobile platform for a digital menu. The benefits of using a digital menu are many – it’s is less wasteful and ‘greener’, there is no chance of cross-contamination or it being accidentally re-used, and it can be easily and instantly amended as dishes change. What’s more, a recent survey found that 56% of customers said being able to view menus on smart phones would give them confidence in eating out again*, so it is already a popular choice with customers.

“Once a menu is digital, it can be taken one step further with contactless ordering and payments. Table service only is a legal requirement of the hospitality industry being open, but moving to an online system which can take an order, send it to the kitchen and take the payment seamlessly cuts means staff only need one visit the table rather than three.

This way, there are no shared terminals, no touching buttons on chip and pin machines, and no having to hand over the bill - all that needs to be done is deliver the drinks and food from the bar or kitchen to the table.

MAKE THE SMALL CHANGES: “Don’t forget though, it’s not all about the technology. There are lots of small changes a venue can implement to help create a safe alfresco dining experience. For example, in traditionally informal and shared dining spaces such as the Time Out Market in Lisbon, the ‘sharing tables’ have Perspex partitions to keep guests safe and separate. Other venues are simply not putting cutlery, condiments, or other tableware out in advance but waiting until food is served. Some are taking it to the extreme with ‘bubbles’ previously only seen during the winter months and Christmas. And, for those with lots of open space, it’s as simple as spacing tables more two meters plus apart.

IT WILL GET EASIER: “While sometimes change can be scary and inconvenient, the public are behind the reopening of the hospitality industry and so are many companies that have been working hard to create solutions to enable safe re-opening. We may never go back completely to how we were, but we definitely will be moving forward.” * Survey undertaken by Black and White Hospitality, June 2020

See the Hospitality Technology (pages 2-27) and Outdoor Spaces (pages 3941) features in this issue for further information.

Heinz Celebrates Nation’s Food Heroes Winners To Be Awarded With Supportive Prize Package In a new initiative – ‘Heinz Food Heroes’ – Heinz, in collaboration with Arena – the hospitality networking association, is launching a new awards programme to recognise ‘foodies’ who have gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on their community.

Open to the whole food industry, from delis to diners, caterers to columnists, manufacturers to marketers and scientists to sandwich makers; the awards will celebrate and spotlight both individuals and companies who have stood out from the crowd and really gone the extra mile to make an exceptional difference to their community.

Jojo de Noronha, Kraft Heinz Northern Europe President, says: ““Here at Heinz, we have long been in awe of the outstanding work of people across the food industry – it’s something our founder Henry J Heinz recognised since the very beginning, and making a positive con-

tribution to the world through food, is something that still drives the Heinz business today.

“This philosophy is why we started the Heinz Food Heroes awards; to recognise the dedication of individuals working hard and going above and beyond to make a difference in their communities.”

The winners will be selected by an esteemed judging panel which includes Leo Kattou, head chef at Simpson’s restaurant and 2019 MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, Candice Brown, winner of The Great British Bake off and owner of The Green Man Pub, Lorraine Wood, Director of Arena – The Hospitality Network and Jojo de Noronha, Kraft Heinz Northern European President.

The two award categories are; Most Heroic Individual – celebrates someone who works in food and has gone the extra mile to make things better in their community in the last 12 months.

Most Heroic Team – celebrates part of or a whole team working in food who go the extra mile to make things better in their community in the last 12 months.

The winner of each category will receive £5,000 each to go towards a training or mentorship programme of their choice.

The 2020 Heinz Food Heroes initiative builds on last year’s Hospitality Heroes competition which celebrated hospitality individuals

under 35 who went above and beyond to help their communities.

Candice Brown, winner of The Great British Bake Off and owner of The Green Man Pub, said: “The hospitality world, like so many of us, is having one hell of a year. Yet the great and the good across the industry have been pulling out all the stops to support their communities and the country through this time. Therefore, I feel that it is more important than ever to celebrate those in our industry who are doing amazing things to support not only themselves and their teams but their communities too, so I couldn’t be happier to be teaming up with the nation’s beloved Heinz to do just that! I can’t wait to see what stories are submitted to Heinz Food Heroes and would encourage as many people as possible to get involved and nominate someone who has made life better!”

Lorraine Wood, Director of Arena adds: “There has been so much positivity and many ‘good news’ stories over the last few months, despite the very challenging circumstances. I’m looking forward to reading about the great work, passion and dedication that both individuals and companies have shown.”

Anybody can nominate a person or team of their choice who works in the food industry. Individuals and teams can also enter themselves.

Entries for the Heinz Food Heroes competition need to be completed online at www.heinz.co.uk/heroes.

The closing date is Friday 18 September 2020.

Coronavirus Costs Fullers Over £10million in Trading Fuller’s has estimated the impact coronavirus has had on trading to be in the region of £10m. In a financial statement the company reported over 75% of its managed pubs and hotels and almost all tenanted inns have already reopened. It said it was ‘too early to draw meaningful conclusions for the longer term, but (it was) comfortable with current levels of trade’.

Fullers financial results for the 52 weeks ending 28th of March 2020 revealed strong pre-pandemic sales growth across all areas of the business with drinks sales up by 1.7%, food sales up by 1.9% and accommodation sales up by 5.9% for the 29 weeks up to March 7. Fullers also saw like-for-like sales growth of 2.3% across its 215 managed pubs during the same period however like-for-like profits in its tenanted inns fell 3%.

Chief executive Simon Emeny (pictured) said: “When we released our interim statement in December 2019, we were on track to finish the financial year in a good position having received the proceeds from the sale of the Fuller’s Beer Business and with a clear future path laid out before us.

It had been a transformational year for Fuller’s – but we would never have anticipated that we would end it in March with the whole hospitality industry in a state of closure and with no income stream. Against this backdrop, it is easy to forget that the financial year started in April 2019 with the sale of the Fuller’s Beer Business to Asahi Europe Ltd for an enterprise value of £250 million, followed in October 2019 by the acquisition of Cotswold Inns & Hotels – seven stunning hotels in the heart of the Cotswolds – from existing bank facilities.

The decision to sell the Fuller’s Beer Business at that time has proved fortuitous and ensured we were in a strong position, with substantial liquidity headroom, when the coronavirus pandemic struck. While it is still early days, it is pleasing to see our teams welcoming guests back and we have taken a range of actions and measures to ensure our pubs are safe and inviting. The first stage of our three stage plan saw 27 pubs open

on 4 July 2020 and another 136 since – meaning over 75% of our managed pubs and hotels are now open.

“Almost all our tenanted inns have also reopened. While it is too early to draw any meaningful conclusions, we are comfortable with the level of trade and we continue to monitor footfall in those areas where our pubs are not yet open. While we are prepared for business, particularly in London, to take some time to return to normal, we are well placed to satisfy the uptick in demand for staycations as many customers holiday closer to home – an opportunity we are supporting with marketing activity for our Beautiful Bedrooms. We continue to focus on minimising cash burn and returning to profitability.

“During August, we will gradually reintroduce rent for Tenants – but on a tapered basis to help with their own return to sustainable trading levels. In these uncertain times, it is challenging to accurately predict the future. But having begun reopening our pubs nearly four weeks ago, it is encouraging to see customers returning to our pubs and this steady growth in consumer confidence will be the key to success – not just of our company or our industry but the economy as a whole.

“We have a well-balanced estate geographically and that, combined with a freehold asset base and the calibre of our people, puts us in a stronger position than many to build towards sustained profitability in this full year and a strong start to the FY2022 financial year. A freehold approach is a fundamental foundation of our long-term business. It is not always fashionable, but yet again it underpins our ability to survive the toughest of times. We are proud to be 175 years old this year and with our balanced and well-invested estate, prudent approach to finance and amazing team of dedicated people, we will still be here for generations to come.”

The company reported profit before tax of £174.5m in the 52 weeks ended 28 March having sold its beer division to Asahi for an enterprise value of £250m in April 2019. The company has also sold the freehold of The Castle, Acton for £10.3m.

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UKHospitality has welcomed the publication of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report into COVID-19 and food supply and urged the Government to act positively on its recommendations.

The report identifies the difficulties being faced by the hospitality and supply chain businesses and recognises that these sectors will take time to recover. The report recommends the Government ensures that businesses thriving before the crisis be supported to ensure they remain economically viable. It also highlights the critical importance of hospitality to every section of the farming and food manufacturing industries.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls gave oral evidence and UKH provided written evidence.

Commenting on the report, UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The report acknowledges the scale of the crisis that has hit hospitality and supply chain businesses. It also recognises that it is going to take

considerable time for our sector to be operating back at pre-crisis levels, more than a year in some cases.

“It’s crucial that we have a comprehensive plan for supporting food and drink suppliers, and the wider hospitality sector. The future of the sector is still uncertain, and businesses will still fail, with jobs lost, even at this point.

Failures, or even delays, in the supply chain could have a devastating effect for hospitality businesses. That is not just pubs, hotels and restaurants, it is also catering businesses who supply our schools and hospitals. A cohesive plan of action to secure the future of the supply chain, and therefore the whole sector, is a must.

“We hope the Government acts on the recommendations of the Committee. The need for foodservice and hospitality businesses to be back trading at pre-crisis levels is evident and outlined in the report.

UKHospitality is happy to support in order to achieve this, but robust and decisive support from the Government will be needed.”

Scotland Announces £14m Hotel Recovery Programme The Scottish Government has thrown a lifeline to the struggling hotel sector with a funding package worth £14 million. The programme is estimated to safeguard up to 3,000 jobs at Scotland's larger hotels until the start of the summer 2021 tourism season.

Eligible businesses can apply for individual grants of up to £250,000 in addition to a suite of wrap-around business support and advice.

The programme will be jointly overseen by the Scottish government's enterprise agencies and builds on the existing funding and support for tourism businesses through the creative, tourism and hospitality hardship fund and the pivotal enterprise resilience fund.

VisitScotland will also contribute £1m in grants to self-catering businesses that have not received any other Scottish government Covid-19 support.

Businesses will be eligible for a one-off £10,000 grant to support them through the winter season.

UKHospitality welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of its Hotel Recovery Programme and the confirmation this provides of the importance of, especially larger, hotels to the country’s economy.

UKHospitality has, however, expressed concern that the programme is not sufficiently resourced to deliver the scale of support required by the hotel sector.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes today announced a hotel recovery programme worth £14m to help support the Scottish tourism industry.

The scheme, which will be managed by the enterprise agencies and VisitScotland, aims to protect larger hotels which have been especially badly hit by the impact of the pandemic. The fund is due to be open for

expressions of interest by the end of August.

Commenting on today’s announcement, UKHospitality Executive Director for Scotland, Willie Macleod said: “The £14m programme is a positive sign of intent, but it is going to be a drop in the ocean for the sector. The reality is that any programme of recovery intended to keep hotels in Scotland open and staff in jobs, will need to be much bigger and much more wide-ranging. It must be hoped that this is an initial step in supporting these businesses and that further resources will be made available in the likely event that the programme is oversubscribed.

“These are businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic. Almost all of Scotland’s tourism and hospitality businesses ground to a complete halt over the Spring. Not all businesses are yet open and those that have opened are operating below capacity and have concerns about medium-term profitability.

The future of many hotels and so many jobs around the country is still in the balance.

“Support will need to be much more extensive to ensure it reaches all businesses who need it. UKH estimates that there are around 950 larger hotels in Scotland, with a rateable value over £51,000, which did not qualify for grants that were available to smaller businesses. Many were unable to access government-backed loans or the Hardship and Pivotal grants provided by Scottish Government. On average, hotels had to meet £60,000 each month during lockdown to cover fixed costs.

“As the Government has identified, these businesses employ lots of people and support a long supply chain. A budget of £14m may mean that only 50 businesses, 5% of larger hotels, will be supported if each qualifies for the maximum sum. This is not enough to avert the crisis facing the sector.”

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Imposing Restrictions Once Again: Can the Second Wave Ravage the Remains of the First?

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk)

When all seemed going well with the easing lockdown which witnessed people coming out of isolation and the government gearing up to rebuild the economy, a sudden rise in coronavirus cases in some parts of the world has again dashed all hopes of normalcy. In times when even the reference of the second wave of the pandemic has been wreaking havoc on the hospitality industry, businesses foresee even tougher times.

TUI, First Choice and Jet2 etc. reacted to the government advisory, promptly cancelling their bookings, but It seemed a step taken out of compulsion rather than a business requirement. Most airlines like Easyjet, British Airways, Ryanair though have not cancelled all flights. The industry needs to be very vigilant now about the domestic as well as international developments regarding the social distancing and new health regulations and any untoward happening in the sector, as apart from Spain there are reports of spurt in cases from Belgium, France and Germany as well.

THE TRAVEL BAN TO SPAIN

Be it pubs, bars, restaurants, airlines, everyone within the industry will have to be prepared for uncertain demand and occupancy rates. The staff should not be put on false hopes and must be prepared for all eventualities while the companies are on their toes. In last one week, there has been a double-digit decline in various stocks of the hospitality sector like JD Wetherspoon Plc, Carnival Plc, TUI AG etc. with fears rising that hospitality venues could be forced to close again.

The British government’s effective ban on travel to Spain following an upsurge in new infections has led the industry to think about the future again. All travellers arriving in Britain from Spain will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine. Though, it was a swift action from the government’s point of view but has filled the industry with a lot of apprehension on how the authorities are planning to deal with the second wave, if indeed it happens.

THE UNCLEAR GOVERNMENT APPROACH Government's travel advice was required, but it can clearly be called a piecemeal approach to deal with the virus from the hospitality industry’s point of view, as there was no further direction on mitigating the suffering. Now we are having much more information about the virus and the rise in positive cases may not necessarily be a sign of the second wave and could be a result of more testing. It’s the increase in hospitalisation and the death count which should be closely watched.

THE IMPACT OF CHANGING GOVERNMENT STANCE

BUT NO TIME TO GIVE UP But this is not the time to give up, and the whole industry needs to focus on the bright side while keeping their chin up. In the month of July, hotel profitability showed signs of improvement month over month in most parts of the globe, while the airlines were also witnessing an increase in flyers. Adapting operational processes to the new needs is what is required in the present circumstances like the domestic patrons will have different needs and service expectations as compared to international tourists.

There is still no clarity on any cure for the disease, and the whole world is embroiled in conflicting scientific prognosis about the second wave, but the industry needs to be on high alert with hopes that there won’t be a second wave of Covid-19, and if there is, the industry should be well prepared to keep the impacts under control more effectively this time.

Cheers! Swansea Licensee Toasts Reopening of Pubs in Wales With pubs in Wales set to reopen on Monday, one Swansea local is going all out for a sociable, safe reopening with a revamped garden and stringent health & safety measures.

Licensee Hayley Lewis gave the garden at The Wern Inn on Siloh Road in Landor a £20,000 makeover during lockdown using money set aside for her daughter’s wedding, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Family and friends pitched in to create a stunning alfresco space with two covered areas, astro turf, a bar, big screens for watching sports and seating for 80. A myriad of lights – including a light-covered tree – bring a continental feel to the Landor local, whilst free rain ponchos are on hand in case the Welsh weather fails to cooperate.

Says Hayley: “We wanted to give the garden the wow factor. It has proved a real hit. People in Swansea are desperate to go out; they’ve been coming from across the city. We’ve reached maximum capacity most days even when it has rained. As so many travel plans have been jeopardised, people are really appreciating the garden’s holiday vibe.”

Hayley says regulars and staff can’t wait for the inside of the pub to open as well. “The Wern is the heart of the community, so residents were gutted when we had to close. We’ve got a loyal following of older regulars who’ve been coming to The Wern for well over 20 years. Many of them are cautious about going out and will be more comfortable inside the pub. They’re looking forward to coming back and enjoying some much needed laughter and banter.”

The pub has host of new measures in place to ensure customer safety and meet health & safety guidelines when it opens up inside. Customers will be greeted at the door, shown to a table and receive table service.

There is also a one-way system with floor markings, sanitiser stations and a Perspex screen at the till. Staff will wear visors, hairnets and gloves. Adds Hayley: “High safety standards are as important as great service and a good product for people when they’re choosing where to go out now. We’ve gone above and beyond what’s required to reassure our customers.”

Swansea born-and-bred Hayley took over The Wern Inn four years ago and contributed to a £220,000 refurbishment with Star Pubs & Bars last year. To support the elderly and vulnerable and cater for those in need of a treat, the pub provided food takeaways and deliveries throughout lockdown. It also donated 50 Sunday lunches to staff at Singleton Hospital as a thank you to the NHS. Continues Hayley: “I’m usually here seven days a week. I was devastated when we had to shut and missed all the customers dreadfully. Keeping busy was the only way to cope and it’s helped keep the pub afloat, too. The Wern has served the community for 150 years, and I’m determined to keep it thriving for the long term.”

Adds Caren Geering, Star Pubs & Bars’ operations director for Wales: “It has been a tough few months for Welsh pubs, and it’s fantastic be able to open the doors again. Licensees like Hayley are an inspiration; we wish her well for the future.”

Stonegate Streaming Exclusive Nationwide Pre-FA Cup Final Football Quiz The UK’s biggest football quiz – Saturday 1 August 2020, 4pm

Stephen Cooper, Sports Marketing Manager of Stonegate Pub

Ahead of the FA Cup Final on Saturday 1 August 2020, Stonegate Pub Company will be streaming an exclusive pre-final football quiz at 3:30pm hosted by sports commentating legend Clive Tyldesley.

Company, said: “I am so excited about this event. Clive Tyldesley is the

Streaming across a number of Stonegate’s sports sites, this pre-match quiz will be dedicated to football with £2000 up for grabs for the national winner and £20 bar tab for each site winner, to be redeemed for the final itself. It will be available for customers to enter via the WeLoveQuiz app, on which Stonegate has been hosting exclusive weekly online quizzes throughout lockdown.

was how to be innovative in the use of technology across our estate.

Jobs At Risk As Pizza Hut Considers CVA Pizza Hut which trades in the UK under a franchise of its US-based owner, has become the latest restaurant chain to consider financial restructuring as it hires advisers, Alvarez & Marsal, to explore the possibility of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), according to reports.

A final decision is yet to be made but a CVA, which if taken would lead to significant job losses. At Present, Pizza Hut, which employs 5,700 people has 244 restaurants around the UK, of which 213 will be back up and trading by 10 August, following the sudden closures it faced from lockdown.

perfect match to host this quiz, it is a privilege to be working with him.

“One of the many learnings we had from the COVID-19 lockdown Our weekly quizzes hosted on the WeLoveQuiz app worked so well and we had fantastic feedback from our customers, it provided a brilliant opportunity to connect all our football fans ahead of one of the biggest sporting fixtures of the year.”

It is unclear how many sites or jobs might be at risk under any restructuring process.

A spokesperson said: ‘’Despite government support, and entering lockdown from a place of strength, the cost of lockdown combined with reduced trading levels has had a substantial impact on the whole restaurant sector. Along with many other businesses, we are looking at ways to minimise that financial impact, while continuing to trade as usual. Whether this will require financial restructuring in the form of a CVA or otherwise is as yet undecided.’’

Pizza Hut is the latest causal dining chain forced into looking at insolvency procedures to try and secure rent cuts with landlords and do what they can to survive. Earlier this month Casual Dining Group, who owns Café Rouge, Azzurri Group, who owns Bella Italia and Carluccio’s have already fallen into administration. Byron, Prezzo and Itsu are among the many having to hire advisers for assistance in examining their financial positions. Pizza Express, the biggest rival of Pizza Hut, is also expected to close of 75 outlets under a projected CVA.

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while some parts of hospitality are still legally required to stay closed. We are only on the very first steps in a long recovery. These figures substantiate our message that businesses still need support from Government, if we want to avoid more business failures and job losses.”

The UK’s hospitality sector saw sales plummet 87% in the second quarter of 2020, the latest UKHospitality Tracker collated by CGA reveals— equivalent to nearly £30bn in lost revenue.

The catastrophic collapse in sales followed the widespread lockdown of restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels, attractions and other hospitality venues from mid-March. As a result, sales from April and June totalled just £4.6bn, down by £29.6bn from £34.2bn in the second quarter of 2019.

Phil Tate, Group CEO of CGA, said: “Our Tracker data is the clearest picture yet of the calamitous impact of the pandemic on hospitality. Hospitality was one of the first sectors to go into full-on lockdown and one of the last to come out, and the result was a virtual wipeout of sales in the second quarter. This is a resilient and dynamic industry, and its reopening in July has given the whole country a lift, but COVID-19 has brought unprecedented and existential challenges. Hospitality needs and deserves the support of the Government and public as it begins the long road to recovery.

The UKH Tracker combines data from all segments of hospitality, and its data confirms the enormous and disproportionate impact of lockdown on the industry. Hospitality contributed £133.5bn to the UK economy in 2019, following 3.9% growth—but the rolling annual value of the sector has now dipped below £100bn, with 12-month sales to the end of June totalling £97.2bn. The cliff-edge drop signals the pressing need for extensive and sustained support over the rest of 2020 and beyond.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “These latest figures highlight how precarious the present situation is. While it’s great that some businesses are trading again, for many opening their doors remains unviable,

The UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker is compiled by CGA and based on its Trading Index and OPM data on food and drink sales across the on-trade. It is combined with hotel data supplied by STR, fast food market data supplied by NPD Group’s Crest Panel and direct company contributions,and is complemented with ONS statistics.

Azzurri Group Acquired by TowerBrook Capital Partners

Azzurri Group, operator of the ASK Italian and Zizzi restaurant chains and Coco di Mama food-to-go outlets, has been sold out of administration to TowerBrook Capital Partners in a deal which will see around 225 of the Group’s sites continue to operate.

Will Wright, Chris Pole and Steve Absolom from KPMG’s Restructuring practice were appointed joint administrators to Azzurri Group on 17 July 2020.

Like many other companies across the casual dining sector, the Group has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and result-

ing lockdown.

Immediately following their appointment, the joint administrators sold the brands and certain assets of the Group to TowerBrook Capital Partners, securing the future of approximately 225 restaurants and shops, and safeguarding the jobs of circa 5,000 employees.

Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, commented: “Azzurri’s three brands have been popular fixtures on our high streets for many years so we are pleased that, following a competitive sales process, we have been able to conclude this transaction which preserves the majority of the Group’s restaurants and shops.

However, approximately 75 sites fall outside the scope of the transaction and will subsequently close. The joint administrators have confirmed these closures have resulted in circa 1,200 redundancies.

“Our immediate priority over the days ahead, however, will be to liaise with those employees affected by redundancy to provide them with any support they need.”

Cardiff Council Launches Outdoor Food Court in Support of Local Eateries This Friday (31 July) the brand new, 240-seater outdoor, covered food court, will open to the public, bringing a wide variety of the area’s favourite cafes and restaurants together under one virtual roof.

ly-distanced, outdoor space they need. We're confident that it will encourage plenty of people out into the city to enjoy some of their favourite eateries again.”

The new area will be using Yoello’s online ordering and payment platform to help comply with social distancing while delivering an enjoyable experience to the city’s diners.

Sina Yamani, CEO & Founder of Yoello, said, “It’s been incredibly exciting working with Cardiff Council and FOR Cardiff on this solution to help the city’s hospitality sector get back in business. Social distancing has caused huge problems for the hospitality industry, so it’s great to be able to help increase capacity and trade through these initiatives.

Diners will be able to choose seating across 75 tables and order from a wide selection of their favourite city centre eateries for delivery to their al fresco table via the Yoello platform at the URL address Cardiffcastle.yoello.com, and by scanning the QR code on site – no app needed.

“The council had the space in one of the most picturesque parts of town, and we had the means to connect all the fantastic local restaurants and cafés together on one platform. This gives diners access to food and drink from all their favourite eateries right there on their phones at the push of a button.

Everything customers need, from boxes to drinkware and cutlery will arrive with their order.

Local operators who will be open and ready to trade on Friday include: Wallys, Dusty Knuckle, Bwyta Bwyd Bombai (3B's Café), Marco Pierre White, Fab Burgers, Grazing Shed, Zero Degrees, Wok to Walk, and Park Plaza Hotel, with many more merchants expected to join over the coming weeks.

the city centre. We hope it plays a major part in helping businesses in the city centre survive the fallout from the pandemic.”

Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Sarah Merry said, “We wanted to create an attractive space which residents and visitors will love to use and one which can help local hospitality businesses get up and running again.

Phill Lewis, owner of local wood fired pizza restaurant Dusty Knuckle, added, “Like so many restaurants and cafes in the area we couldn’t wait to reopen for business after lockdown, but we were concerned that the small size of our venue and lack of outdoor space would mean we wouldn’t see the business we needed coming through our doors.

'We want as many people as possible to enjoy the new space which will give customers a stunning view of our iconic castle in the heart of

'The Castle Quarter Café is a great idea as it provides us with the means to serve customers our delicious food in the comfortable, social-

Up to 400 Travelodge hotels could become Ibis as landlords’ rebel against the chain’s Creditors Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) terms.

Hotels, which will see landlords exercise said break clause and rebrand under Accor’s Ibis brand.

A group calling itself “The Travelodge Owners Action Group”, which represent more than 400 Travelodge’s, said that landlords could take advantage of the break clause in leases to switch operator.

AGO Hotels has been designed as a hybrid lease platform, offering a major equity stake, including 25-year leases. Accor has been selected as a favoured brand partner.

Travelodge has had fractious relationship with its landlords in recent years, dating back to the company restructuring in 2012, which under CVA rules Arrangement’ can result in landlords accepting unfavourable deals. Other creditors can outvote them because the banks are owed more than the total of unpaid rent.

The full Ago Hotels offering will include a 25-year lease term from Ago Hotels on a full repairing and insuring basis (capex, repairs and maintenance fully managed by Ago Hotels); RPI-related base rent at 50% of current Travelodge rent, adjusted for inflation since last rent review with five-yearly rent reviews, plus 50% of individual property Ebitda to landlord, and 50% of total Ebitda paid into Ago Hotels and redistributed to landlords as a diversified income stream and “major” equity stake in Ago Hotels for incoming Travelodge landlords.

'Groups can all order from the same venue or pick and choose from different operators, but with the ease of ordering and paying on one site. Then they can just sit back, relax, enjoy the atmosphere and wait for their food to be delivered direct to their table.”

The Castle Quarter Café is part of a range of measures being put in place by Cardiff Council and fintech start-up Yoello to increase useable, outdoor space for the hospitality sector which is trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic and trying to operate profitably under the two metre distance regulations in Wales

Accor in Discussions to Rebrand 400 Travelodge Hotels as Ibis

Under the June CVA, however Travelodge’s landlords voted to approve a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) restructuring leases, subject to a major concession. A break clause was inserted into leases of the hotels where Travelodge is no longer paying full rent, in effect giving them the upper hand in future negotiations.

This week The Travelodge Owners Action Group, unveiled AGO

Viv Watts, who is co-ordinating the landlords group, said in a statement: “A majority of creditors took the difficult decision to support

Travelodge’s CVA, an insolvency deal which will have a profound impact on many savers and investors across the UK, including employees, individuals, charities, pension funds and local authorities.

Following the inclusion of a landlord break option for over 500 Travelodge hotels within the terms of the CVA, we are in talks with a number of leading global hotel brands aimed at providing savers and investors with the long-term stability they require. Advanced discussions are ongoing with major operators such as Accor, Marriott, IHG, Hilton, Jury’s Inn, Magnuson Hotels and others. The purpose of this is to present a range of alternative options to Travelodge landlords, so that they can decide which structure would work best for them.

Travelodge’s conduct over the years has demonstrated a willingness to exploit landlords and ignore contractual lease obligations. This makes it necessary for landlords to seek a more equitable structure. The Travelodge Owners Action Group will continue to fight for a fair and just outcome for the savers and investors that underpin Travelodge but have been forced to subsidise the business”.

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Technology and Software

Sentinel Check-In: A Unique Contact ROUND - The Order, Pay and Loyalty App Tracing Solution for Pubs and Bars The government is asking pubs and bars to keep a record of their customers.

Sentinel Check-in gathers verified information and processes customers in seconds.

LANDLORDS • Want customers to get drinks quickly • Want customers to register without delay • Want an ability to check if a customer has registered • Want immediate notification if a customer has contracted Covid-19 CUSTOMERS • Don’t want to disclose personal information • Don’t want a complex process to get a drink • Don’t want pub staff accessing their data • Don’t want their data used for marketing Sentinel Check-in delivers on all the above for Landlords, Customers and the NHS. HOW SENTINEL CHECK-IN WORKS. IT’S SIMPLICITY ITSELF. • Each pub gets a unique QR code and phone number displayed on posters and postcards.

• Customers scan the QR code to call the number.

• Those without smart phones just call the pub’s displayed

number.

• The customer hears a message and receives a text saying they have ‘Checked-in’.

• The customer’s mobile phone number and date and time of registration is stored in the pub’s Check-in database.

• No names, no email addresses, no apps, just a verified mobile phone number that’s 100% accurate.

• Customer numbers are encrypted and only available to the NHS test and trace team on request.

• Sentinel Check-in is ISO27001 and GDPR compliant.

For more information and to register your pub, visit our Check-in webpage: www.yudu.com/sentinel-check-in/register Try a demo at www.yudu.com/sentinel-check-in/demo Here’s our explainer video: https://vimeo.com/432806850

The Role Of Tech In Consumer Reassurance The 4th July brought cause for celebration and marked the UK’s biggest step in our journey back to some form of normality. However, hospitality businesses have had to change face dramatically to accommodate the required safety measures and to reassure consumers. But does even more need to be done?

We’re not out of the woods yet but, as ‘super Saturday’ showed, consumers are desperately missing eating and drinking out of home. That being said, 2020 has certainly been the year to shout loud and proud about cleaning protocols and hand sanitiser - and research conducted by CGA has shown that 68% of consumers prioritise feeling safe in a hospitality ven-

ues above their normal pre-Covid experience (1).

When asked which were the most important safety/hygiene precautions to implement, technology solutions such as contactless payment were third in the list of priorities for consumers (1). It’s fair to say that no-one wants to be touching anything they don’t need to be in the current climate. In a recent study of 1,000 consumers conducted by Ordamo, 73% said having contact-free ordering and payment in restaurants would make them feel safer and cleaner (2). The good news for operators is that implementing such solutions in their business has never been easier.

Contact-free order and pay systems not only enable

Round is the brainchild of Ethan Martin, who, whilst still at university, wanted to develop a simpler, more accessible means of transacting digitally, on university campuses as well as high street bars and coffee shops. Like many of his generation, life for them is online, they don’t want to carry cash and they don’t want to have to download a plethora of individual apps. Most of all, Ethan & his cofounder, Harry, felt that you shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to order a pint or a coffee over your phone.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brighton, ROUND is at the forefront of the digital revolution that is shaping the hospitality industry. Launching at Northfield Bar at Sussex University, the free to join app is enables our community of pubs across the country to accept mobile payments, helping them keep their staff and customers safe.

ROUND has signed a partnership agreement with EI Group and Greene King Pub Partners to allow their Leased and Tenanted estates and free trade customers to take advantage of our affordable and easy to use mobile ordering system. The app has been developed over the last two years from a university bedroom to a shipping container to a thriving start-up with our central Brighton office. Whilst the app launched successfully at the University of Sussex before lockdown, ROUND has been helping publicans across the country

customers to pay contact-free, but can deliver an almost entirely contact-free dining experience end to end. With Ordamo, the most user-friendly contact-free order and pay system, customers arriving at a venue simply scan a QR code or go to a custom URL on their mobile. From there, they can browse an entire branded menu, place their orders and make tailored requests. They can also securely pay the bill and be given a receipt; all integrating seamlessly with businesses’ existing EPoS systems.

Not having to download an app is also a plus for consumers, with Ordamo research showing that half would see having to download an app as a barrier to ordering and paying using technology in a restaurant (2).

Insight clearly demonstrates that consumers want to view menus, order and pay using their own device and the Government’s most recent guidance, published on

reopen their venues and start serving customers again.

There are now hundreds of ROUND enabled venues across the UK & we are constantly adding more but at the time of print the following are accepting ROUND orders in Brighton & Hove: The Mucky Duck, The Foundry, The Crescent, The Montpellier Inn & Sussex University (Northfield Bar & Falmer Deli).

BENEFITS OF ROUND: 1. Allows consumers to order safely and adhere to social distancing guidelines 2. 1 click payment as is easy to use, there is no card or cash handling 3. Presence across universities, pub groups, coffee shops and independent venues so there is a diverse demographic of users on our platform Ethan Martin CEO comments: “Over the past two years, we have focused on developing a platform to digitally transform hospitality in a way that is accessible to all. Whilst we fully understand the need for pub closures, we are excited for the plans to reopen and are particularly excited that ROUND will be part of the solution in navigating what ‘new normal’ will look like in terms of business and social life.”

Sign up today at www.round.app

23rd June, supports this need. With the ambition of safely managing service interactions at hospitality venues and endorsed by UKHospitality, the Government’s most recent guidance suggests that the use of contactless ordering and payment to minimise staff and customer contact should be encouraged.

INTRODUCING ORDAMO Ordamo is the most user-friendly contact-free ordering and payment platform, with no app download required. Ordamo has been designed and created by hospitality experts with decades of development experience and owns patents around the globe for its technology. There are no upfront or ongoing fees, just a small commission per transaction, and businesses can have the system up and running within 48 hours.

Sources: 1. CGA 2. MCA for Ordamo June 2018, n=1000 UK consumers

Technology and Software

Issue 17

CLH Digital

Game-Changing Tech Helps Hospitality Venues Navigate Data Minefield Magenta Data’s Affixr solution takes the pressure off licensees, hoteliers, restaurateurs and caterers burdened with data control responsibilities.

work with a simple click • Collect feedback • Set up guests lists and RSVPs • Send thank you/invitation emails Affixr allows data to be stored safely, GDPR compliantly and securely yet be easily retrievable.

Affixr uses technology in a new, cutting-edge solution with smart QR codes for easy-to-use and GDPR compliant data capture – without the need for an app or website.

Its unique system eliminates the need for an app and no hardware, such as a tablet, or website is required although QR codes can be pointed towards existing websites if required.

Game-changing COVID-19 ‘track and trace’ technology has been launched for the food and drink industry.

Customers simply point their mobile phone’s camera to scan bespoke QR codes which takes them to a screen to easily and quickly leave their contact details.

Director Daniel Jain said: “This is game changing technology which allows both customers and licensees get to grips with the new regulations in the easiest way possible.”

With a bespoke dashboard, Affixr also allow licensees and caterers to:

Prices start at £9.99 with our introduction plan absolutely free. Contact director Daniel Jain at daniel.jain@ magentadata.com, and 0208 996 5182. Or visit www.affixr.com to get started today.

• Compliantly record data of all customers, not just the bill payer • Share menus – reducing the need for paper versions • Let customers join a wi-fi net-

Caterbook - A Software Solution for the 2020s

This Spring - Hotels, B&B’s and pubs like yours are migrating to Caterbook - a modern, cloud-based hotel software solution for the 2020’s.

• Batch create, print and email invoices in a single click.

• Post food & drink items from your EPOS to the room bill for settlement on checkout.

• Use yield management to automate pricing changes based on availability.

• Create and schedule custom guest email and SMS messages.

• Role based access control restricts staff privileges to features based on their needs.

• Responsive, customisable booking engine embeds on your

own website.

• Configure and assign unique per-rate deposit and cancellation policies.

• Housekeeping report shows cleaning type, linen and towels required each day.

• Industry standard reporting metrics of RevPAR, ADR etc.

• Take payments in real time using our built in PCI compliant payment gateway.

• Channel Manager links to booking.com and Expedia.

Call 01840 298298 or visit www.caterbook.com and sign up for a free 14 day trial account.

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

A smart solution for easy COVID-19 track and trace data Easy to use for you and your customers in pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, food outlets and hotels.

Customers scan QR codes with phones to leave contact details, view menus, join wi-fi, collect feedback and more:

• GDPR compliant • No hardware or app needed • Zero set-up costs • Record all customers details, not just the bill payer • Quick data access • Track covers in real time

Prices start at £9.99/month with a

FREE introduction plan Contact us now to set up your Affixr system today.

Contact us to get started today by visiting our website

www.affixr.com

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Hygiene and Infection Control

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CLH Digital

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Creating a Safe Washroom When Re-Opening After the Coronavirus Pandemic Astreea - The Pedal Hospitality businesses across the country were naturally excited by the Prime Minister’s announcement that pubs, cafes and restaurants could re-open on July 4th. No doubt most want to get back up and running as quickly as possible and are busy working to ensure they comply with the government guidance. One area that cannot be ignored is the washroom.

It’s already been reported that anxiety surrounding public washrooms could be holding some people back from enjoying the activities they could do prior to lockdown and this potentially isn’t an unfounded concern.

Washrooms represent one of the greatest hygiene challenges following the pandemic, as they are spaces in which social distancing could be difficult to maintain.

They also contain many shared touchpoints and hard surfaces on which Coronavirus can survive and become vectors for transmission.

But there are many practical steps businesses can take to eliminate the fear and anxiety that people may have around using

By Jamie Woodhall UK Technical and Innovation Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene: washrooms after the lockdown. It all starts ing facilities is vital to help give consumers social distancing. Electronic display systems with identifying the key hygiene hotspots peace of mind. To maximum control over such as Initial’s Rapid>Count accurately within the washroom and developing a cross contamination risks, opt for no-touch counts how many people are in the washstrategy to maintain best practice hygiene soap dispensers and hand dryers with High room, and gives users a green or red light as well as reducing, where possible, the Efficiency HEPA filters, which trap airborne if it is safe to enter. This helps to eliminate number of shared touchpoints. Key areas microbes during filtration, helping ensure queues near the washroom and it also to focus on are the cubicle, washbasin, that clean air is provided. helps identify cleaning activities and schedshared facilities (such as the circulating air Hand sanitiser provides a vital third step in ule reports. Hand sanitiser stations should and door handles) and the immediate vicin- hand hygiene. Dispensers should be installed be placed just outside the washroom proity outside of the washroom. vides users with an opportunity to sanitise in the washroom to provide ongoing hand protection for users after they have finished before returning to their tables.

THE WASHROOM CUBICLE washing and drying their hands.

FINAL THOUGHTS People expect the washroom cubicle to be a personal space, even if it is within a public facility. It also contains several shared touchpoints. We recommend providing surface disinfectant or toilet seat cleaner in every cubicle to provide patrons with some peace of mind. You should also look to provide a toilet paper dispenser that seals away the paper so that people can’t touch the entire roll and a no touch FHU with a modesty flap that is sensor activated, ensure there is no need for users to touch the unit.

Removing waste from the cubicle is also a vital consideration. Best practice is to safely remove washroom waste and sterilise washroom equipment in-situ rather than swapping out units and risking units being contaminated as they are transported to site or carried to the washroom.

SHARED AREAS

Providing surface disinfectant dispenses near critical touchpoints – including baby changing stations is a key step in reducing the risk of cross contamination in shard areas. Also consider installing air steriliser units to remove potentially harmful germs from the air and reassures users that the air being circulated is clean. You could also install contactless vending solutions to distribute products such as face masks, PPE or sanitiser.

Where possible, use urinals with automatic flushes to remove the need for communal touchpoints. Urinals may also breach physical distancing guidelines, and therefore some may have to be closed to maintain social distancing measures.

OUTSIDE THE WASHROOM

AT THE WASH BASIN

The area outside the washroom is an Providing adequate handwashing and dry- important consideration in the context of

Businesses will be very busy in the coming weeks as they prepare to create a safe and pleasant experience for their returning customers. While the washroom has to be one area of focus, it is important to remember that consumers have an important role to play too. The simple act of thoroughly washing your hands can significantly reduce the risk of cross contamination, so be sure to provide consumers with the facilities they need to play their part in reducing risk.

Based on over 100 years’ experience, Initial Washroom Hygiene has developed a plan to help create a safer washroom experience for pubs and hospitality businesses, that is rooted in latest government guidance and HSE directives on Coronavirus. For more information about Initial Washroom Hygiene and how it makes washrooms safer, visit: www.initial.co.uk/?utm_source=PR

Innovative Managed Tech Solutions for Covid-19 Launched tomers in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Utilising technology most often seen in acute healthcare settings, the THOR UVC® terminal cleaning device kills viruses quickly and efficiently. The remotely operated system uses ultraviolet to decontaminate both the air and A first-of-its-kind suite of smart tech surfaces in a room, killing 99.9999% of solutions has been launched by Contrac pathogens. An entire room is cleaned in IT to help businesses in the hospitality minutes and the network-connected sysindustry protect their workforce and cus- tem provides certification. Nanoclave cab-

inets use the same UV technology to clean smaller items such as menus, remote controls, equipment or uniforms.

To ensure social distancing is maintained within the workplace, Contrac IT has also worked with partners to bring together a range of wearable tech.

Available as a lanyard, wristband or vest, the technology alerts the wearer when they get too close to a colleague.

A third piece of technology can moni-

tor people as they enter premises with thermal imaging cameras, detecting anyone experiencing a higher than normal temperature.

All the devices, which are GDPR compliant, can be monitored by Contrac IT to enable corrective action.

For more information: www.contracfm.com/covid-response / info@contracfm.com

Hand Sanitiser

As the 4th July reopening date has been confirmed, businesses need to plan and implement strategies to keep their visitors and employees safe. Where cleanliness and efficiency are key for the hospitality trade, a simple and safe way of sanitising is the way forward. Introducing the Astreea® pedal hand sanitiser.

Touchless, fully mechanical and made entirely from medical stainless steel, this revolutionary dispenser requires no assembly, electrical outlet, or maintenance. It’s designed for both indoor and outdoor use, making it ideal for any public space.

The Astreea® dispenser is different from typical plastic wall or post-mounted products. Its seamless steel body and mechanical operation make it almost indestructible. Units are maintenance-free, arrive fully assembled, and use any hand sanitiser product, making them an ideal solution during these uncertain times.

Astreea®'s many virtues have made it an easy choice for businesses as lockdown eases.

• 12 month warranty • Anti-theft • Hands-free • Genuine usage increase where installed • Medical stainless-steel construction • Developed in an aerospace factory • No electrical outlet needed • Visitors see you are proactively making site safe • Highest quality materials • Universal use, can be filled with any hand sanitiser To learn more, visit www.astreeauk.co.uk or contact info@astreeauk.co.uk.

Innovative Managed Tech Solutions to Help Hospitality Businesses Protect Employees and Customers from Covid-19

Hand sanitising just got simpler and safer with the Astreea® touchless pedal operated stylish sanitiser dispenser.

• Revolutionary dispenser • 12 month warranty • Anti-theft • Hands-free • Genuine usage increase • Suitable Indoor or Outdoor • Medical stainless-steel • No electrical outlet needed • Use any hand sanitiser

astreeauk.co.uk | info@astreeauk.co.uk

• THOR UVC® terminal cleaning device safely kills viruses in the air and on surfaces in minutes • Nanoclave cabinets use UV lights to disinfect items such as menus, remotes and shared equipment • Wearable tech alerts colleagues if they breach social distancing – available as lanyards, wristbands and hi-vis vests • Thermal imaging camera detects higher than normal temperatures

www.contracfm.com/covid-response For more information contact: info@contracfm.com

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Hygiene and Infection Control

InnuScience Urges Hospitality Sector To Practice ‘Justified Disinfection’ Post-Lockdown To Keep Businesses Clean InnuScience, a global leader in commercial cleaning systems based on biotechnology, is urging the hospitality sector to adopt high levels of hygiene with an emphasis on effective cleaning using high performing detergents rather than an over reliance of disinfectants that do not clean and risk negative impact for the environment.

The biotech company with a vision to change the way the world cleans is advocating a cleaning regime called ‘Justified Disinfection’ which encourages disinfecting only where and when it is useful and relevant and which it has championed for over 20 years.

Steve Teasdale, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Scientific Affairs at InnuScience, explained: “Justified Disinfection is the principle that effective cleaning with high quality detergents across all non-critical touch surfaces is as effective, if not more so, than the widespread systematic or abusive use of disinfectants.

“There is also a need to continue to look after our environment. This has been at our heart since we began”.

InnuScience warns that regular and widespread use of disinfectants does not provide a clean surface as disinfectants do not clean per se promoting the development of bacteria, and recommends they should only be used on critical “high frequency” touch surfaces such as door handles, taps, toilet flush handles, keyboards, lift switches and handrails as these are surfaces that are most likely

to cause transmission of bugs.

It suggests effective regular cleaning is most appropriate for all non-critical surfaces such as floors, urinals, ceilings and most walls as these are areas that are not typically touched and do not represent a real biological risk to health. Scientific reporting demonstrates that the coronavirus is effectively rendered inactive and noninfective when detergents are used.

InnuScience, which has a UK base in Milton Keynes, Bucks, sets out its strategy in a 24-page document entitled: “RESTART program: Guide for hospitality reopening post lockdown”. It advises the hospitality sector how to apply its ‘Justified Disinfection’ methods in settings such as reception areas and lobbies, guest rooms, communal areas, spas and wellness areas.

Planet conscious InnuScience also warns of the potential disadvantages and risks associated with large-scale disinfection such as creating a false sense of security with some people believing a disinfected surface becomes safe from bacteria triggering bad habits that could pose a risk to health.

Other factors that concern InnuScience are an increase in pollution as hundreds of thousands of tonnes of disinfectants end up as environmental waste while overuse of disinfectants has been linked to an increase in the number of allergies as well as skin complaints, eczema, asthma and eye irritations.

InnuScience’s portfolio of products includes - but is not limited to - cleaners and degreasers, industrial cleaners, warewash and laundry, and personal care products.

Backed by nearly 30 years of research, InnuScience has a reputation for being a disruptor in the professional cleaning market bringing biotechnology to the hospitality, facilities management, building and care sectors.

Visit www.innuscience.com for details

WaterCare Proudly Introduce the New iX Water Range

Temperature Testing - The New Normal The pandemic has taught us that information is power.

When it comes to testing it has rarely been out of the news. Manufacturers that continued to work during the lockdown on essential goods and services often led the way in adopting testing measures – on their staff.

Temperature testing is recognised as a powerful tool in the employer’s toolbox to assist in preventing the virus potentially wreaking havoc and worse with the workforce and the business. Any person in a manufacturing environment that tests positive for the virus is a personal tragedy but also will probably result in all colleagues in their workspace self-isolating.

One MD of such a company claimed on a recent webinar that testing staff temperature at the beginning and end of every shift had been helpful to their business, and staff were very comforted by it. To know your work colleagues don’t have one of the major symptoms is comforting.

Obviously, an instant cheap test for the virus is not yet with us but temperature testing of staff and potentially customers is now being adopted by many large employers too as workers return from “Lockdown”.

At a basic level it is easily put in place; getting staff permission to take their temperature has rarely been refused but is essential. If using a handheld device like a “gun” the operator has to wear full PPE. Then the need for clear procedures as to what happens if someone is over temperature – absolutely essential for all involved. The “gun” and the member of staff in PPE is somewhat unfriendly and many companies have moved up a level in their approach to eliminate both.

New equipment allows employees to walk up

to a screen – which can welcome them and give them any message for the day. Without contact, the screen will identify the person, take their temperature and create a record for management. It will sound an alarm if the person is outside the set temperatures and can remind employees if they need to wear a mask and will allow for masks in the facial recognition. Ford, Amazon, Walmart and others are now running such equipment often linked to their time and attendance software.

Others have introduced such a contactless temperature checking system for customers too. With both face or wrist temperature measuring options temperature testing customers can be reassuring for them as well as for your staff.

Some hospitality organisations like Handpicked Hotels are letting their customers know that they will get a temperature check on check-in.

Others are advertising the fact their staff are tested. Temperature testing will not in itself defeat the virus, but it is reassuring for all.

The equipment to do so is now available in the UK and many technology companies now offer these services. One such IT support company is TIO, whose Director, Peter Lowe, states that professional temperature testing equipment that is several levels up from the unfriendly “gun” is a new service his company provides with managed installation and user training. “The level of integration is determined by the customer as some prefer a simple plug and play device that can be moved around the business, and it’s fast becoming the new normal for some of our customers.”

Information and details of the different systems with indicative costs can viewed on our website. www.tionet.co.uk

The iXWater range now has a newly designed head for ease of maintenance. The iXWater head has quick shut off, flush valve and an optional digital flow meter. The head also has a variable bypass to allow some untreated water to be dialled back into the water supply which is essential for better coffee extraction and taste. iX Water filters are the first truly eco-friendly, 100% recyclable cartridge filter in the market, offering Insert Refill Technology to provide a genuinely sustainable and cost-effective alternative to mainstream cartridge water WaterCare are passionate about providing cost effective, eco-friendly filters. For use on coffee machines, water coolers, ice machines, vending machines, and catering applications. The solutions to water treatment. Their NEW, improved iX range of water iX range offers a comprehensive product in a cost effective, efficient, flexible, and stylish package. filters, along with our Replace & Return Program provide an easy, WaterCare are extremely aware of the negative impact that waste plastic has on the environment, plus with the responsible, and cost-effective alternative to current one-way systems. uncertainty of where the hospitality industry will be in the next 12 months following Covid-19 pandemic, Discover the full iX Water range at www.watercare.co.uk/ecoWaterCare have created a product and program designed to not only reduce your costs significantly, but also friendly-water-filters/ or call 01279 780250 to speak to a sales reprerecycle 100% of the expired media inserts and return these back into the marketplace – keeping costs & waste sentative. down, whilst creating measurable control.

Commercial body temperature testing equipment for use in hotels, bars and restaurants.

Fully installed on premises, with staff training provided Face Recognition Access Control Terminal with Digital Detection Module

Temperature Measurement with Face Recognition and Access Control Terminal

Standing Temperature Measurement Terminal

www.tionet.co.uk contactus@tio.uk.com 020 3301 2729

Handheld Thermal Imager

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Hygiene and Infection Control

Temp.com - Protect Your Staff and Customers

As part of the strategy to reopen after the lock down, temperature monitoring of staff is encouraged and highly recommended for customers. It should of course be implemented along with other safety measures recommended by the government.

There are many temperature monitoring products now available on the market. However, in the absence of official guidance, it is difficult to establish which solutions are fit for purpose. Handheld infrared thermometers are notoriously inaccurate and high-end thermal imaging systems can cost a small fortune. temp.cam offers a practical and effective solution with functionality ideal for both staff and visitors. The product is completely stand-alone, contactless, gives quick readings, requires no human intervention at point of test and records the data via secure UK servers.

The temperature monitoring with a temp.cam works as follows:

• Reduce costs • Improve operational efficiencies • Raise bottom line profitability • Improve Quality

Specially formulated Eco-

Flow and temperature

electronic smart box

friendly beer line cleaner

sensor based dispense

Decontamination

which keeps beer

that uses active oxygen to

monitoring system,

Kills 99.995% of Bacteria,

lines cleaner for longer.

clean safely - replaces

offering the very best in

Viruses, Fungi and Spores

reducing cleans from 52

caustic cleaners.

terms of quality, reliability

100% biodegradable.

High-performance

to around 13 per year.

Easy, Effective

and value.

Tel: 0800 170 1564 | Email: enquiries@lineclenze.com

www.lineclenze.com

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

- A member of staff or guest stands in front of the tablet

- Temperature check is done in an instant and reading displayed on the screen - If a high temperature above 37.5 C is detected, the tablet gives an audible alert and sends an email alert with details of the check - The data is available to view remotely online through a dashboard. You do not need a staff member standing around to watch the temperature checks.

- You can have the system configured to log staff temperature checks with names or employee numbers - All other public checks are recorded and displayed on the dashboard with a date time tag / site name / device name and the corresponding temperature readings. temp.cam is being used by the NHS, TFL, National Grid, Veolia, UK Power Networks, Kautex Textron, National transport operators and numerous hospitality sector businesses in the UK and Europe.

All their systems are provided with a 12month warranty and ongoing technical support.

Make Your Premises Safe for the Environment, Staff and Customers LineClenze have the ultimate solution to make any hospitality and licensed on trade environment safe for staff, customers and at the same time protecting the environment.

Our innovative decontamination process involves distributing superfine droplets of disinfectant into the atmosphere, to kill the bacteria and viruses in the air and, when the droplets land on any surface, it also kills the bacteria and viruses on that surface.

DEW Disinfects only active ingredient is the same as our body produces when fighting an infection, so it presents no danger to humans, animals, plants or the environment.

There is no need to evacuate an area being fogged, or to wear PPE. DEW Disinfect is highly effective at killing bacteria, viruses and fungi, without damaging the environment and it is entirely human-compatible, it can be used almost

everywhere where disinfection or sanitisation is required.

DEW Disinfect leaves NO residue, in fact, it destroys biofilm and hormonal residues, then simply evaporates.

We offer a number of different dispense mechanisms to enable DEW Disinfect to be used throughout your venue. These include:

• Fogging Machine for large areas • Room Mister • Vehicle Mister • Handheld Spray for localised use • Wall dispensers and small spray bottles for hand sanitisation For further details visit www.lineclenze.com

Hygiene and Infection Control CTU Services' Thermal Access System With the introduction of various measures to constrain and manage the emergency of COVID-19 in the UK, CTU Services Thermal Access System presents the ideal solution. To address the challenge of social distancing many public places are implementing restrictions on customer flow. This includes locations such as the hospitality industry and the retail sector.

CTU Services perfectly resolves the problem of "how to accurately and efficiently control customer flow in a premises" Their system detects how many people are present in the targeted area and display the figure in real-time. If the capacity is reached the system's display immediately indicates no more people should enter.

The two systems that CTU Services supply can be merged together to give you more security and social distancing. The Thermal camera can be wall mounted or comes on a sleek stand. It will also notify any number of

members of staff of any issues with potential clients entering the premisses via text or email.

• Facial recognition is fully integrated with body temperature monitoring. This means no additional sta are required.

• The solution is contactless, reducing the risk of cross infection.

• Extensive storage of facial images and temperature information enabling easy historical access.

• Fast facial recognition and temperature monitoring reducing access congestion. In Scotland will detect if you are or are not wearing a mask / face covering.

• Integration with third party products such as turnstiles and VMS. See a demonstration of the system at https://youtu.be/lcQllOytA7Y For further information, see the advert this page, call 01257 477060 or visit www.ctuservices.com

Sanozone. The Easy Way To Sanitise Your Indoor Spaces SANOZONE, which delivers the most efficient sanitisation performance in indoor spaces, is now available from Barbel.

Manufactured by Vitaeco S.r.l., the world famous manufacturer of the highly regarded HotmixPro thermal blender range, SANOZONE sanitises rooms of many sizes in enclosed HRC sites, hotels, restaurants, bars, conference rooms and similar establishments where totally reliable and regular sanitisation is needed.

SANOZONE is particularly suitable for hospitals and care home areas, where absolute cleanliness is mandatory, and in areas where it is difficult or impossible to deliver effective sanitisation throughout.

The SANOZONE range of

machines use Ozone (O3) technology, a gaseous form of Ozone that fills the room, reaching every corner of the space, santising surfaces and critical hard-to-reach corners homogenously, consistently and safely.

The SANOZONE range of sanitisation machines are all equipped with the latest technology and customised disinfection programmes to suit your specific requirements.

The running costs are considerably lower than any traditional disinfecting programmes and most importantly, there is no manual labour involved.

For further information about the SANOZONE range, please contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net, or visit the website at www.barbel.net

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Pub Loving Entrepreneurs Launch New Play It Safe App The new PlayItSafe app has been designed to collect visitor contact details so that, in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, NHS Test and Trace teams can quickly get in touch with anybody who might have been infected.

Entrepreneurs Tim Joyce and Justin Smith designed the app to make it as easy as possible for pubs, cafés, restaurants and visitors to use. They said: “We love a good pint – it’s something we’ve both missed in lockdown. We know COVID-19 has hit everyone hard – families, friends and businesses, so we understand people wanting to go out and meet up. But a second wave of COVID-19 is a real threat. We want to help businesses to be safe and compliant when they open back up – and in doing that, help our NHS heroes. We want people to be able to meet up and have a good time but still feel that if there was an outbreak, they could be safely traced. We care about pubs and people and we have the skills to make a difference.”

cally after 21 days.

Software developer Tim Joyce from Happy Tickets, and Director of creative agency Orbital Justin Smith, have been working on projects together for the last three years. When they heard the news about the pubs opening, and the issues around the Government’s own track and trace app, they knew they wanted to help out businesses, the NHS and their community with a solution. They put together the app to ensure the design was tested, compliant, secure and launched in time for the reopening of pubs and restaurants.

Early feedback has been encouraging with take up from cafés and pubs from Dorset to Scotland. Martin, from Velo Lounge in Wool, Dorset said: “For customers the great thing is that you don’t even need to download an app.

Just point your phone camera at the poster and it brings the link up. It’s so easy, there’s no reason not to use it. It makes it quicker, easier, and for those customers who don’t have a smart phone we just type it in on our ipad.”

Play It Safe is free for visitors to use and costs businesses just 2p per visit. Customer data is securely stored, GDPR compliant, deleted automati-

When asked about the set up and management of the system, Martin said “I had a quick look Friday, logged-in, completed it last night and printed off the poster. It’s definitely taken a lot of pressure off us, not having to write things down or record it on a different format.”

Justin and Tim said it was peace of mind for businesses and visitors alike.

They said: “You just show your phone screen to pub staff so they know you’ve signed in. It is your Passport to a Pint! It saves staff time, no taking down details on bits of paper, storing them securely and then finding all the relevant details if they ever need it.”

They added: “Let’s not be naïve about this. This app will be used – there will be people who get tracked through this app. It is needed. We now know from Melbourne and Texas that when pubs and restaurants reopened, they had a jump in cases, and we can all see what’s happening in Leicester! This is not a ‘nice to have’, this is vital – we are at the most critical time in the UK’s COVID-19 journey so far, as social distancing is relaxed. Play it Safe is a simple, cheap and effective way to keep your business and clients safe – to keep our communities safe.”

For more information visit www.playitsafe.uk or see the advert on the facing page.

HI-MACS , the Ideal Material for the Hospitality Sector ®

GERMS DON’T STAND A CHANCE

In tests carried out in accordance with the U.S. EPA OCSPP 810.2000 (2018) and 810.2200 (2018) product performance guidelines, it was demonstrated that HIMACS® can be decontaminated in just 30 seconds after contact with the HIV virus, using a solution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol*.

The current health emergency reminds us how important hygiene and cleanliness are. And naturally in public areas these are essential characteristics that require the use of only the best materials. HI-MACS®, thanks to its resistance to dirt, viruses, bacteria and numerous chemical agents - internationally certified - is the perfect material for wall coverings, furniture, work surfaces and other applications, where hygiene really counts.

In addition, tests conducted on HI-MACS® Alpine White S028, conforming to EN 16615, have demonstrated an excellent resistance to the staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In addition to this, Alpine White S028 demonstrated a good resistance to the cleaning products which contain the disinfectants published in the “disinfection capacity” – see our brochure for more details.

With a 15 year guarantee when installed by a member of our Quality Club, HIMACS® offers excellent price to performance ratio.

HI-MACS® by LG Hausys T: +44 (0)1732 897820 W: www.himacs.eu

Spotless meets seamless.

An almost seamless appearance and a non-porous surface make for a surface that‘s easy to clean and meets the highest standards for hygiene. The seemless property of HI-MACS® means there is nowhere for germs and dirt to linger.

Perfect for installation in restaurants and pubs.

OUTSTANDING SANITARY PROPERTIES

Safe Distance Signage KINEPROTECT Ensures Safe Social Spaces from Amenity Warehouse screens and panels to ensure the safety and welfare of staff and the public.

Designed specifically for Hospitality, Amenity Warehouse have launched their ‘Safe Distance’ signage range.

By focussing on a safe distance message, they won’t go out of date - even if government distancing rules change again!

With a choice of SIX colour options now available on the shelf, AW don’t believe that social-distancing signage needs to look so industrial.

Their extensive range addresses the operational needs of hotels, restaurants and bars – including queue management, guest movement and customer reassurance.

Aside from floor stickers for receptions, the most popular items for hotels appear to be Elevator Signs (£8.74 for a pack of 10) that advise customers not to share lifts. These can be paired with ‘stairs this way’ signage to guide guests towards the stairs when needed.

Restaurants and Bars can use their Table/Seat Not In Use range (£3.58 for a pack of 10 stickers or £4.32 for a pack of 10 tent cards) to manage their seating area, without resorting to the dreaded yellow and black tape! www.amenitywarehouse.com

As the hospitality sector opens up to visitors and customers following lockdown many organisations are installing protective screens and panels to eliminate any risk of virus transmission.

Shower brand, Kinedo, a highly regarded European manufacturer of cubicles and enclosures and sister company of leading plumbing brand, Saniflo, has re-purposed its French factory to design and launch a new range of high quality glass protection

Using existing stocks of scratch-resistant glass the new Kineprotect range includes table mounted options in 75cm and 100 cm heights and a choice of five widths from 80 to 160cm. A useful countertop option features a wider space at the bottom to pass drinks and consumables. A choice of highly portable, floor mounted options includes tall, selfsupporting panels available in three widths – 80,100 & 120cm and four heights – 140, 160. 180 and 200cm.

Free-standing or drillable feet can be

Staysafe Visor - Showing the New Face of Hospitality and agility to switch their production to essential PPE. Staysafe Visor was created as a specialist subsidiary operation and across one weekend in April, its team created the necessary tools to manufacture high volumes of protective visors. The first week of production delivered 65,000 units (a number that has since risen to more than 250,000), the bulk of which went straight to frontline healthcare workers.

Managing Director Clive Hawkins explains: “Some fantastic efforts were made by small producers in the early days of the crisis, but a clear shortage of PPE meant there was an urgent need for the situation to be addressed by specialists in large-scale manufacture.

We hold high stock levels of raw materials, have a strong supply chain, and by making the products directly available to organisations and end-users, were able to ensure swift delivery and keep costs as low as possible.”

The return to work in the post-lockdown hospitality sector presents many challenges. Staysafe Visor addresses one very important issue...

When the true scale of the unfolding crisis of COVID-19 became apparent to leading UK plastics manufacturer 1st Packaging Limited, the company’s response was swift. Specialising in the large scale production of die-cut P.E.T for products in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical sectors since 2002, they not only recognised the urgency with which PPE would be required across the country, but crucially, had the capacity

Initial orders for Staysafe Visor came almost exclusively from the health and care sectors, but as the extent to which the pandemic would impact every aspect of working life in the UK was laid bare, the company received a much wider range of enquiries. The value of visors as a primary element of PPE is well illustrated by the Faculty for General Dental Practice who state that ‘A full-face visor will reduce the amount of exposed skin on the face and neck that may be subject to splash or droplet contamination.’

Clive Hawkins continues:

specified along with a range of side panels.

Manufactured from 6mm tempered glass the screens and panels will not warp or discolour and are easy to clean and maintain.

Highly durable, the Kineprotect range provides an upmarket, professional solution that won’t diminish the aesthetics of the hospitality environment. All items are available for quick delivery and can be ordered online https://kinedo.co.uk/kineprotect-glass.

More information is available from the technical sales team on 020 8842 0033 or email: info@kinedo.co.uk.

“As lockdown is relaxed to allow economic activity to resume, employees in a broad range of service industries where social distancing is not always possible, require protection. In the hospitality sector particularly, where masks are not always appropriate, a visor can preserve the human touch and still offer a high level of protection to the wearer and customer. We produce a range of BSI CE-certified visors which protect against splashes, droplets and sprays, can be easily cleaned and are comfortable to wear. The visor doesn’t just protect - it helps to inspire customer confidence and that’s going to be a key factor in helping business to regain momentum.”

As bar, kitchen, security, waiting and other support staff prepare to resume service in a post-lockdown hospitality industry, Staysafe Visor offers available and affordable protection that offers the following features: • Full face protection from liquid droplets, sprays and splashes (visor is 314mm wide x 240mm long) • CE-certification • Optical-grade clear recyclable 300micron P.E.T for clarity • Soft medical-grade foam headband • Adjustable non-elasticated strap to prevent slippage • Printed white label area to identify user • Anti-fog • Suitable for use with prescription glasses and face masks • Disposable and recyclable Visit https://staysafevisor.co.uk for details and to order or see the advert on page 26.

Hygiene and Infection Control

Issue 17

CLH Digital

A Clean Start - Integrated Sanitising Solutions

With over 50 years of experience, ICE is the UK’s largest independent provider of industrial cleaning machines.

We bring a simple, reliable brand and offering to the industry with straightforward equipment purchase, rental, service and approved-used solutions designed to meet the needs and demands of every customer, however small or extensive their budget.

We have a huge range of scrubber dryer and sweeping machines suitable for all types of environments, from

standard robust equipment or high-end machines equipped with the latest technology, to robotic floor cleaning machines.

Our ICE Co-Botics line is the industry’s first comprehensive range of robotic cleaning machines. We believe these innovations will help shape the way cleaning operations and functions are carried out in the future, but in a collaborative and cohesive way.

The equipment has been designed to integrate into cleaning team operations, picking up the manual and repetitive tasks, which will then allow operators to focus on hygiene and sanitising activities to promote cleaner and safer environments. It’s not about replacing people it’s about embracing technology to deliver higher cleaning standards, infection control and ‘proof of clean’.

Other innovations include our new sanitising and fogging equipment, which effectively sanitise and disinfect floors and the surrounding air, ensuring a safe and hygienic working environment.

Contact us: 0800 389 3869 enquiries@ice-clean.com www.ice-clean.com

Northumberland Firm Helping to Clear the Path Out of Covid-19 Lockdown with Environmentally-Friendly Fogging Range Hospitality businesses will be able to offer customers an extra layer of reassurance thanks to Northumberland company Clear Fog’s newly launched collection of environmentally-friendly fogging systems.

Promising to eliminate Covid-19 from indoor environments of all sizes, the Clear Fog range allows businesses and homeowners to take charge of their own fogging procedures by equipping them directly with industry standard kit.

As business owners across the UK commit to making their premises Covid-19 secure and give confidence to customers, staff and visitors that their surroundings are as protected as they can be, Clear Fog offers an environmentally safe and cost effective option.

Used extensively in the food industry, this environmentally-friendly solution is harmless to humans but deadly to bacteria and viruses, making it an invaluable addition to hygiene protocols in a post-lockdown world.

Clear Fog offers customers three options: The industrial Dry Fogging trolley unit can fog up to 500 cubic metres in just 30 minutes – perfect for large venue spaces, sports halls, conference centres etc; The handheld CF35 is used in conjunction with regular cleaning and applies the anti-bacteria/anti-viral CFLD to all spaces and surfaces including hard-toreach places. This is the popular choice for pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and Holiday lets.

The mini-diffuser is ideal for personal protection throughout the day, whether at work, at home or out and about.

Refillable and rechargeable, the pocketsized unit allows the user to apply a fogging layer of CFLD to anything they are using – steering wheels, chip and pin machines, door handles, telephone receivers, cash, pens, cutlery etc.

For more information on Clear Fog, visit www.clearfog.co.uk

Take charge of your disinfectant fogging and offer customers an extra layer of confidence As hospitality businesses commit to making premises Covid-19 secure, Clear Fog provides an environmentally safe and cost-effective solution - eliminating Covid-19 from indoor settings of all sizes.

From large-scale

equipment to handheld units, order now at

www.clearfog.co.uk or email

info@clearfog.co.uk

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

37

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CLH Digital

Issue 17

Products and Services

Life Systems For Lobster and Shellfish An homarium is a life system for shellfish. Due to a chilled and filtered closed water circuit, the animals are stored in optimal conditions in a fresh or seawater environment. In many places it is even a common tradition to pick the lobster of your choice out of the homarium tank!

Not only lobsters feel 'at home' in an homarium, also rants, fish mongers, fish wholesalers, fishermen and crab, langoustine, crayfish, crawfish, spiny lobster and supermarkets, from our offices in Southampton, rock lobster do. Even fish such as trout, eel and turbot throughout the UK. can be held in the perfect condition of an homarium.

Visit www.lobstertanks.co.uk or Tel 07711 188045 or At Lobster Tank UK, we supply homariums to restausee the advert on page 7.

JURA JX10 - Speciality Coffee From A Pro The JX10 impresses with its versatility, user-friendliness and individuality. Offering 31 different speciality coffees, this master of its art covers both the full range of coffees finished with milk and milk foam and the entire spectrum of black coffees.

maintenance products, ensure TUV certified hygiene and cleanliness.

Even the milk system in the JX10 is cleaned automatically at the touch of a button.

The machine also has a JURA Smart Connect integrated allowing state of the art automatic coffee

Easy to understand modern graphics mean that even first time users will be able to navigate to exactly what they want. Different speciality coffees can be programmed and given names according to your needs.

Maintenance of the JX10 is just as easy as operation. Integrated rinsing and cleaning programmes, used in combination with original JURA

machine operation via Smartphone and the free J.O.E.* app. Available accessories include Waste Water and Ground Eject, a Nayax Cashless System, a Cup Warmer Professional and a Data Communicator.

The machine comes with a 12 month on-site warranty, parts and labour and prices start with the JX10 Package of machine with Cooler Housing and 2.5ltr Cool Control at £3050.00.

MODEL shown is JX10 in platinum with Cooler Housing and Cool Control inside.

Visit uk.jura.com for further information.

*Registered.

rexmartins Induction Technologies The very real financial benefits available to your food service business when you use the latest in rexmartins Induction Technologies.

By leasing a rexmartins induction catering fryer or griddle you can achieve savings on energy and cooking oil that covers the monthly leasing costs, so your fryer or griddle effectively pays for itself!

The energy-saving benefits of induction equipment are well-known and used in countless commercial kitchens throughout the world. You can now benefit from induction technology in a range of exclusive and cost-effective rexmartins catering equipment, including fryers, griddles, pasta cookers, large bratt pans and much, much more!

Not all induction equipment is made the same, the rexmartins range has numerous exclusive patented parts and is built to last for many years, even in the most hos-

tile and demanding conditions. All the working components are water resistant; reducing the incidence of costly and inconvenient failure meaning we have some of the lowest failure rates in the industry.

Not all quality induction catering equipment has to be expensive. The rexmartins induction range is high on quality but the most cost effective option available on the market today.

LEASE TO CONSERVE CAPITAL COSTS Upgraded Technology Leasing provides companies with the ability to keep pace with technology. Leasing offers the option of deducting 100 percent of the lease payment as a business expense & 19% Tax relief.

To order, or for more information, please call 01892 543222 or email info@rexmartins.com or see the advert on page 24.

Re-Inventing Bar And Table Service After Lockdown As venues begin to reopen, the biggest challenge is how to maintain social distancing and safety for customers and staff, while still delivering a great experience.

The PortaBrands range from Tri-Star Packaging enables the easy and safe carrying of multiple drinks while speeding up service, saving space, and converting more sales with fewer trips to and from the bar.

“Our PortaBrands solution creates the opportunity to re-invent bar and table service,” says Tri-Star Packaging Sales Director Lee Richards. “To minimise waiting times and queues, drinks will need to be served

quickly and safely with minimum contact between staff and customers. PortaBrands is a great range of quick-service drink carrier solutions which enables safe multi-drink serving under social distancing guidelines, as an individual can collect drinks for small groups of people.”

All PortaBrands products can be fully branded and printed with additional messages such as social distancing guidelines, how to use a drinks ordering app, or how to recycle them. All PortaBrands products are 100% plastic-free and are made in the UK, from FSC® certified paper which is fully recyclable in dry mixed recycling.

See more at: www.tri-star.co.uk/portabrands/

Who are Tudor Tea and Coffee Ltd? We are an Award Winning Supplier to the hospitality and licensed on trade and have been for over 36 years.

Tudor’s success was established upon a highly successful range of high quality catering and specialist tea’s that it produces along with its outstanding coffee offering and

associated products.

What makes us different?

We understand that you want to provide exceptional tasting coffee, tea and other beverages, using cost effective and reliable machines. We roast all our own coffee beans so you can serve coffee at its best. We also supply our award winning tea plus all the sundries you might need, from grinders and crockery to syrups and disposable cups.

With over 36 years of experience in the industry we are able to advise you on the most appropriate equipment for your needs and give you the full Barista training that you need from beginners to experts we can all

Hats Off to a New Mr Porky – The Nation’s Favourite Pork Scratchings

A butcher’s smiling face has long been a sign of quality and so it has for many years been synonymous with Mr Porky - the No1 pork snacks brand with a 45% market share1.

But, there comes a time when every butcher needs to hand over his apron to the next generation, and our beloved Mr Porky is no different. After 60 years of making the finest pork scratchings, Mr Porky is handing over to his son to become the trusted face of the nation’s favourite pork snacks.

The younger Mr Porky has already put his stamp on the new look range, introducing some exciting changes.

The range now comprises of three products: ‘Mr Porky Hand Cooked Scratchings’ - A NEW PRODUCT With a delicious Great Taste award-winning recipe, this new, premium product is hand cooked in small batches to be the ultimate pork scratching!

(This product scored highest in blind testing2 and the packs had the highest purchase intent of any pack in consumer research.)

Pack sizes and RRP: 65g RRP £1.49

40g RRP £1.00 ‘Original Scratchings’ - THE UK’s BEST-SELLING SCRATCHING RENAMED AND WITH REFRESHED PACKAGING. Previously called ‘Crackles’, the leading scratching in supermarkets has been re-named ‘Scratchings’, in line with consumer feedback but the triple-cooked product is unchanged and packs retain their distinctive gold look.

Pack sizes and RRP: 65g RRP £1.00 6pk (6x16.5g) RRP £2.00 ‘Crispy Strips’ - THE SAME PRODUCT BUT UPDATED PACKAGING. The pork snack with a lighter bite that is attracting new consumers and opening up new pork snacking occasions.

Pack sizes and RRP: 35g RRP £1.00 The updated design performed strongly with consumers with increased purchase intent across the range, promising a sales uplift from the refresh. The new range launches first in Sainsbury’s in mid-July before rolling out across all major mults, as well as Convenience and Ontrade, over the following weeks.

The packs may look different, but young Mr Porky assures us, the terrific taste and quality we’ve all enjoyed for the last 60 years will not change and will remain the same for generations to come!

See the advert on page 19 for details.

Sources: 1) Kantar WorldPanel | Total GB | Pork and Mr Porky | Spend (£000) | 52 w/e 11-Aug-19 2) Wirral Sensory Services | Jun 18 2) Norstat | Dec 19

Say ‘Pasta la Vista’ to Plastic and Paper Straws A pasta straw company, Stroodles, has launched to provide an environmentally friendly solution to the single-use plastic crisis and rise of greenwashing from the paper straw industry.

In comparison to soggy paper and plastic straws, Stroodles are an improvement as they provide greater durability, are flavourless, vegan, 100% biodegradable and are edible raw or cooked after use.

A core principle for Stroodles is their ‘drink-easy’ ethos, meaning drinkers don’t have to change behaviour or compromise on drinking experience to do good for the environment.

Speaking about the inception of his pasta straws, Chief Stroodle and Founder, Maxim Gelmann, says: “While we’re a very logical and effortless solution to the plastic problem, Stroodles is not just a straw company. Our driving goal is to become a vehicle for change and we hope that Stroodles can act as

an enabler, subtly inspiring people to question how they consume everyday items. We hope these incremental changes will lead to a ripple effect and create a greater shift in behaviour, one Stroodle at a time.”

Stroodles caters to both, the on-trade and Direct Consumers (so-called ‘Stroodlers’) As of End of June 2020, Stroodles is changing their retail offering. 20cm Stroodles will then be available to purchase online and in-store at an RRP of £2.99 for a pack of 40 + delivery.

The concept of conscious consumerism also extends to Stroodles’ business model and operation. A share of each sale is donated to local charities. For the hospitality industry, Stroodles are also available in bulk orders of 775 per pack.

Stroodles are available online at www.stroodles.co.uk. Instagram: @stroodles_straws Facebook: @stroodlesstraws Twitter: @stroodles_straw

Grey Simmonds Food Service Equipment As a leading design house specialising in the design, production and installation of commercial bars and kitchens, Grey Simmonds Food Service Equipment have worked with a variety of clients ranging from small cafe restaurants to large pub and hotel chains.

The company’s CAD manager Oliver Hardwicke says ‘Every single project we undertake is unique.

Whether it be a small cocktail bar or a large scale restaurant kitchen refurb our job is to create bespoke, functional and cost effective catering

spaces.’

‘Our company credo is ‘Consult, Design, Install’. We see each project through from start to finish including site survey, preliminary sketches, CAD drawings, Design and budget approval, equipment sourcing and final installation. This means our clients have one point of contact for the entirety of the job making each stage as seamless as possible.’

Whilst Grey Simmonds Food Service Equipment are experts at commercial warewashing solutions,

learn something new. Our team is on hand to help you every step of the way, including our own ‘factory-trained’ engineers to maintain and repair your machines.

Please do not just take our word for it visit our website at www.tudorcoffee.co.uk and read what our customers have to say such as Mark from Caffe Lee who wrote “I just wanted to drop you a note to thank Tudor coffee for all their support through the covid-19 pandemic. Since we have moved over to you 6 months ago we have had nothing but first class service. Tina and John have helped us through the purchase of a new coffee machine to the supply of a quality coffee bean at a competitive price. Thank you once again and look forward to resuming business with you very soon.”

THE PRODUCTS! Award Winning Tea along with Award Winning Espresso Coffees! Indeed, with over 20+ blends our

they also supply the leading brands of commercial catering equipment, from cookers to refrigeration and everything in between at a competitive price. They can source bespoke and specialist equipment to ensure you find the perfect product for your kitchen or bar.

The company has a vast portfolio of successful installations from the smallest glasswash station to full commercial kitchens. You can see examples of their case studies at www.gsfoodservice.co.uk

most popular six have all proudly won Gold in the Great Taste Awards, these include our Rainforest Alliance (100% Arabica & R/A Coffee), our ever popular Milano Coffee Beans, along with Roma, Latte, Espresso, and the Artisan’s choice - our Rocket London blend. We also offer a comprehensive range of exciting, rich and delicious Single Origin Coffees. If you prefer we can roast to Order for maximum freshness.

We hope this has given you a flavour of what we can do so if you would like a first class supplier to help and advise you to enhance your business further, then please give us a call and we can build our businesses together!

Phone: 01708 866 966 Email: sales@tudorcoffee.co.uk Web: www.tudorcoffee.co.uk See the advert on page 21 for details.

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 17

CLH Digital

Natural Swimming Pools by Matthew Stewart tiful planting, the dividing wall means that plants and wildlife are left undisturbed. These plants are carefully selected using native species to create colour and contrast, combined with their ability for filtration and absorbing nutrients leaving nothing behind for algae or bacteria.

Natural pools are a great way to swim or just enjoy the scenery around you. Our aim is to promote Matthew Stewart natural swimming pools using a tailored design service to allow the construction of a bespoke swimming pool to suit all of your requirements and budget.

Natural swimming pools combine the best of swimming pools and beautifully landscaped ponds to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation.

A dual filtration and pumping system along with the natural filters from aquatic and marginal plants rooted within gravel and shingle banks create a pure water swimming experience unrivalled by its chemically loaded counterparts.

Whilst you feel you are swimming amongst the beau-

Matthew Stewart has over 30 years landscape experience and offers a complete design and build service for your natural swimming pool.

You can be assured of a comprehensive service and exquisite results. Each project has its own unique criteria and as such our service will be tailored to your needs.

Call today on 01425 280 599, email matthewadamstewart@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.naturalswimmingpoolsbymatthewstewart.co.uk

CambridgeStyle Canopies

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

Our product range includes: • Wall mounted non-fragile or glass roof canopies with up to 6m projection and unlimited length • Free standing canopies with up to 12m projection and unlimited length • Solisysteme Bio Climatic Pergolas with the latest Somfy

technology and up to 7.1m post span • Zip Screens and Sliding Glass doors • Heating and lighting upgrades for all canopy systems Contact us to discuss your needs and arrange a site survey so we can help identify the right solution for your business. We have all the necessary accreditations within the construction sector and provide a no quibble 10-year guarantee on all products to give you peace of mind. Together we can help get business going again!

Emails office@cambridgestyle.org or visit www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk

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

Our product range includes:

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

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

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

Previous Clients Include:

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Outdoor Spaces Outdoor Events to Reengage Customers 40

CLH Digital

Issue 17

With the opening day for pubs approaching closer and closer, we can almost taste the excitement felt by many to go back to beer gardens with their friends. In my experience of events and hospitality, we will see some people flood back, craving to get their summer Aperol spritz, but others will be more cautious. But if sufficient social distancing measures are in place and safety is prioritised, how can we encourage those more cautious customers to return?

Holding an outdoor function creates an incentive for customers to attend and spend.

Having outside space is an enormous advantage right now, as we know the infection rates significantly reduce outside. So how can you safely use your outdoor space for social events over the next few months?

BEER FESTIVALS Providing you have the right contacts to obtain traders, a beer festival is a great way to draw in customers. The weather need not be an issue; gazebos will solve that problem. A socially distanced beer festival will look different from usual, a reoccurring theme across all areas of hospitality. Consider asking customers to order from their tables rather than queuing for a drink to manage social distancing.

MUSIC

It’s been months since anyone has seen music live. Many people are absolutely gutted that all of their festivals, gigs and open nights have been cancelled or rescheduled. Creating a mini socially distanced festival using your outdoor space could be a great way to entice music fans. Plus, it’s been so long since musicians have had any live jobs, they’ll jump at the change to play again.

OUTDOOR FILM NIGHTS Projector screens, blankets, warm drinks and food. Doesn’t that sound cosy? An abundance of outdoor cinemas are opening, but some people are concerned about being in such large groups of people. Smaller films nights will make those people feel more comfortable. The equipment is easy to come by, so tells guests to bring blankets, and make sure you have the hot chocolates ready.

BINGO Bingo is no longer just for pensioners. Since lockdown began, we’ve seen all ages suddenly take up bingo. With the addition of drag queen callers and attractive prizes, bingo can be an entertaining event. Again, the equipment isn’t difficult to come by; there are many callers online. Plus, as this is an activity which takes place seated, it’s easier to keep people apart.

SILENT DISCO Clubs and bars will be closed for some time, so why not bring a safe version of this to your outdoor space? If you can find a suitable way of sectioning off your space so customers can be socially distanced, this is a great

option. Silent disco kits are easy to come by and can be hired for a small cost.

WEDDINGS Many couples have cancelled weddings due to COVID, and are therefor getting married with fewer family and friends around. It isn’t currently legal to get married outside in the UK, but you can offer your outside space as a place to celebrate a couple’s wedding with their family and friends safely.

FOODFEST Again focussing on the elements people have lacked over the past few months, many are craving restaurant meals. With smart but straightforward technology such as QR codes, ordering food from a variety of different vendors while remaining safe is easy. Consider theming your food fest to a particular cuisine, maybe you have an Asian food-themed day and invite street food vendors from your local area.

Owners and managers have the difficult task of managing alcohol intake, knowing that social distancing and safety measures are likely to slip as people have more to drink. Tokens or limits should be considered, with managers using their discretion on safe contact.

With all of these suggestions, it’s paramount that the marketing of such events is right. The hospitality industry has a huge challenge ahead to shift the attitudes of customers, as many people will still be concerned about safety. By addressing those concerns from the forefront, we can make customers feel comfortable in the knowledge that social distancing has been adhered to, and their safety is the paramount concern.

For more information, pase contact Rebecca Brennan-Brown LTD Website: www.byrbb.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byrebeccabrennanbrown

Garden Furniture In Stock Now! Capitalise On Your Outside Space In these troubled times, many of you will be looking for garden furniture to enable you to spread out more outside, to meet Government requirements re social distancing. Look no further than LeisureBench Ltd. for quality commercial grade outdoor products.

We have a huge range in stock now, thanks to our 50,000 sq. ft. of storage space. We have A Frame and round picnic tables, that includes heavy duty pressure treated designs, benches, parasols, chairs, tables, dining sets, Rattan furniture and much much more.

You are sure to find something that suits your requirements.

Make sure you order now while stocks last and take advantage of our trade only volume

discounts.

Any purchase over £500 will save you 5% off our trade prices, £1000 plus orders, 10% off and £1500 plus orders will save you a massive 15% off.

On top of that readers of this magazine can claim an extra 5% off selected products, by using the discount code CATERER19 when ordering on our web site at the check out.

LeisureBench Ltd offer a speedy delivery throughout the UK. To view our full range of outdoor furniture, visit our website at www.leisurebench.co.uk.

You can also contact our dedicated sales team by emailing sales@leisurebench.co.uk or by telephoning 01949 862920.

with a Broadview Shading Solution

A common source of lost revenue for pubs, cafés and restaurants, even without the covid-19 social distancing rules, is under-utilised outside space.

Installing a retractable awning or louvred roof pergola is the simplest and easiest way to create a sheltered area that boosts your establishment’s capacity all year round, come rain or shine. This means your customers will be able to enjoy a delicious dinner or their favourite tipple in style and socially distanced safety no matter what the ever-changing British weather is up to.

Not only will outside shading

allow you to safely serve as many people as possible while social distancing is in effect, but also long into the future when coronavirus is a distant memory, so it's an almost guaranteed return on your investment.

With a range of shading solutions available, from stylish awnings perfect for patio areas to impressive louvred roof outdoor structures that provide the ultimate in flexible dining space, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your business’s needs at Broadview Outdoor Shading.

To learn more and to book your free design consultation, get in touch with Broadview today

Outdoor Spaces

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.

made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement. If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz

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

EcoTensil Launches Plastic-Free Paperboard Utensils Across Europe European-based team, and distribution centre in Rotterdam.

The award-winning multi-functional EcoTensil utensils have a more pleasing “mouth-feel” than wooden spoons and forks. The sturdy EcoSpoon® is formed with one simple “bend to touch dotsTM” fold.

EcoTensil has designed its current product line for single-serve packaging, foodservice and sampling applications and supplies its utensils formatted ready to fit into existing packaging.

EcoTensil announces the European launch of its plastic-free single-use cutlery. The range of folding multifunctional paper utensils was developed to replace small plastic spoons in food packaging. The range is available to order through EcoTensil.eu.

Addressing the upcoming EU ban on single-use plastics, California-based EcoTensil brings its trusted sustainable paperboard solutions through its

All EcoTensil products are made from materials from well-managed FSC®-certified forests* and use 50-80% less material than plastic, bio-plastic or wood cutlery. . The GreenDot© line is made from a similar material to a coffee cup, but fully compostable, recyclable and contains no plastic. There is no taste, after taste, dissolving of the coating in one's mouth, or falling apart after a few bites.

Order online at www.EcoTensil.eu

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Capricorn Contract Furnishings Capricorn Contract Furnishings are now firmly established as one of the country's largest stockist and supplier of quality contract furnishings to cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels.

Capricorn are based in a 40, 000 square feet showroom and distribution warehouse on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon. From within the distribution area we are able to offer a next day delivery service on thousands of products including tables , chairs , stools

and lounge furniture.

Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market.

Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements.

Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

For more information or a Capricorn Contract Furnishings catalogue and price list contact Brian Pengelly on 01395 233 320, or visit www.ccf-ltd.uk.

Caterquip - For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year.

The Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs - free site surveys, quotations & designs (CAD), quality bespoke & standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems (including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation. Affiliated members of Constructionline, CHAS & B&ES Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilations systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

They have strong relationships with all lead-

ing kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you to build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, Dock Gate 4, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses. Ensuring that all systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

With extensive knowledge of manufacturing and installing ventilation systems, we can help you design the best kitchen within the space available.

Call today on 01926 887167 or visit caterquipventilation.co.uk

ILF Chairs - Seating with Wider Appeal ILF have been supplying top quality indoor and outdoor chairs and tables for over the past 30 years to the hospitality market. We offer a wide selection of products to suit all tastes and as importantly, budgets!

We pride ourselves outstanding personal service with the motto ' No job is ever too big or too small – it’s customer satisfaction that counts'.

In this demanding Health & Safety led market place we guarantee that all our fabrics and fillings meet the exacting BS5852 Crib 5 fire reg-

ulations.

The majority of our products are available in a choice of frames, colours and we can offer an extensive choice of fabrics including real Leather and Faux Leather. In addition, we also able to offer a full service on bench seating and re-upholstery.

Delivery times are generally 4 weeks from order, but we can also offer a "fast track" service for certain products.

Why not contact us at sales@ilfchairs.com or on 01293 783783 and find out how we can help you fulfil your seating and table needs.

Design and Refit

Engraved Table Numbers and QR Discs Facilitate Social Distancing as Pubs and Restaurants Re-Open The hospitality sector has begun to open its doors after the long lock down faced with a major challenge to maintain social distancing. Government guidelines stated that from 4th July pubs and restaurants should encourage the use of contactless ordering from tables and should adjust their service approach to minimise staff contact with customers.

It’s a huge ask and one which Brunel Engraving, one of the country’s leading commercial and industrial engraving specialists, has been working on to kick start the industry.

Brunel has made a substantial investment in additional state of the art engraving equipment in order to produce individually etched table numbers and QR code discs which will provide clear markings and information for the public in order to satisfy the requirement for social distancing.

The individually engraved table numbers and discs will enable customers to link to Apps or menus, reducing staff contact and eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus.

“We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that we can

SD Screens

SD Screens is a new division of Sims Contract Furniture and our solution to support the hospitality sector in recovering from the aftermath of a global pandemic. Our aim was to manufacture a high quality, British made solution at a fraction of the price of our competitors.

During lockdown we developed a range of Social Distancing screens to enable commercial premises to open their doors with ease, allow customers to return in a safe environ-

answer the increasing demand for our engraved products”, said Martyn Wright, managing director of Brunel Engraving and founder of the company.

“Many pubs and restaurants have been undertaking major renovations during the lockdown period and we have assisted with their efforts to maintain social distancing by supplying table numbers, QR code discs, signage, PPE Visors and distancing floor stencils which will be used in the new public areas as businesses open their doors to the public once again.”

Established over 30 years ago, Brunel Engraving is a pioneering engraving specialist which leads the way in technical innovation. The company has ISO9001 accreditation and its highly skilled team of professional engravers is trained to the highest standards in the UK. In addition to rotary engraving Brunel offers laser engraving, chemical etching, anodic print, dye sublimation print, flatbed UV print and wide format UV print.

For further information please contact: Martyn Wright, Managing Director, Brunel Engraving Company Limited Tel: 01275 871720 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk ment with some boasting up to 95% capacity.

The range is available in 2 different sizes, in 3 colourways with an optional wing to complement our well established Modular Banquette Seating range. Made from real wood, stained to your preferred choice of 3 colours and coated using a polyurethane lacquer, the screens are easy to wipe clean making turnaround time in-between covers an easy task.

The screens arrive to you preassembled, all you need to do is screw on the feet and you are ready to open your doors.

To order or to discuss your requirements please contact our sales team on 01945 450957, email us at sales@simscf.com or buy online at www.sdscreens.co.uk

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Create a Cosy Feel with Upholstered Seating from Trent Furniture Leather sofas, fully upholstered chairs and padded bar stools don’t just make your restaurant or bar area look welcoming, they offer a relaxing environment for guests to unwind in.

atmosphere and furnish every available nook and cranny. Bar stools are a great option for corners and awkward spaces, while leather or faux leather sofas like our popular Manhattan style create a focal point for friends to gather.

For any hospitality setting practicality is as important as looks. That’s why our fully upholstered furniture, like our versatile and stylish Abbruzzo chair, is made from contract grade foam and sturdy wooden frames. The Abruzzo chair is available in Brown Faux Leather, Mulberry, Mink or Carbon Chenille and checked Autumn and Cappuccino options.

Trent’s fully upholstered furniture is cost effective as well as stylish. The Abbruzzo chair in brown faux leather is £40.90, Autumn and Cappuccino are £48.90 and Chenille is £52.90.

Choosing a mix of different seating options is an easy way to create a convivial

Square One Interiors

See the Abbruzzo Chair range and more great upholstered furniture for your pub or restaurant at www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call us on 0116 2986 286 to find out more.

well as several different wood finishes which would compliment the overall design.

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

Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furni- with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture ture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years. Having had a history in companies and high street names. Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very design and furniture design, an idea was born and he decided to run with it. He loved the idea of a rustic looking, industrial range which was also eco friendly and sustainable. He soon excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space! found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as Visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk

Emergency Solutions Service Launched for Hospitality Sector to Re-Open Under Covid-19 Restrictions Hospitality outlets planning on how to re-open with social distancing and new safety measures in place can now receive support straight through their letterbox thanks to the introduction of a new service.

Design Equals, an agency network of creative experts for the hospitality industry, has launched a support service which will provide on-going business advice from its community to the industry as it navigates the roadmap of re-opening now we are on the ‘downward slope’ of the Coronavirus.

Katie McCarthy, founder and design director at Design Equals, said: “The industry has unexpectedly evolved, almost overnight, due to Covid-19. The way our customers must experience dining out will not be the same for some time, maybe never even the same again. We urgently need to know what regulations will be put in place by the Government and until then, we are learning from our European counterparts who are a few weeks ahead of us and working to cascade that information to businesses in a simple, creative way.”

There are three boxes for businesses to choose from with each offering different levels of guidance, each addresses the main areas of priorities being safety, space and style.

The entry level ‘Help Hospitality Heal’ support box (RRP £111) is a one-off purchase which provides an extensive guide on preparing and prioritising your space for re-opening.

This includes access to a one to one consultation with a designer to discuss space, cost effective solutions such as revised use of seating arrangements, flow of operation safe spaces and flexible partitions for creating safe distancing.

The full-service support kit (RRP £999) is a fully personalised business solution which is developed with you by a team of experts. Customers will receive three meetings with a dedicated DESIGN=creative team specifically selected with skill sets considered to the venue type.

The team will define solutions as well as fast-track a programme of works tailored to your individual business needs.

For those wanting to keep abreast of the latest guidance and advice regarding Covid-19, the company will be working with partners in the hospitality industry, to provide a monthly ‘Back to Business’ subscription box (RRP £59.99 per month) that will land directly on your doorstep. This will include research and examples from European countries who are re-opening establishments with new laws in place, with the UK expected to follow similar

measures.

Each month will provide up to date advice guide covering the latest changes, provided by a team of experts. It will also share details of design, products and discounts to help you prepare for your re-opening. Advice will range from interior design advice to operational guidance and insights into individual business’ plans.

Katie added: “We wanted to launch a solution that would help hospitality owners prepare for re-opening, including being ready to open their doors whilst adhering to new guidelines. With little yet known about an exact return date from the Government, we need to act now to be ready to successfully re-open. Our message to outlets is whilst your doors are closed be open to change.

“We have an army of creatives who are working together to provide sensible, educated and affordable ideas for the industry which will arm them with the knowledge and products to a successful re-opening.

“The industry has been hit hard, but we can’t dwell on that now, we can only be ready to welcome guests back through the door and for them to feel safe when they return.”

For more information on the ‘Design Equals in Box’ solution enter your details at https://weare898548.typeform.com/to/bl3B9x to receive information or email weare@designequals.co.uk.

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CFG Capabilities Inspire Customer Confidence Thousands of pubs, bars and restaurants up and down the UK have safely reopened thanks to the quick thinking and supply chain capabilities of the Contract Furniture Group (CFG). As the pandemic spread and lock down forced many to down tools, the team at CFG sprang into action to design, source and manufacture the range of PPE screens, sanitiser stations and safety signage it knew would be needed to get the hospitality sector back in business.

The first few weeks of lockdown subsequently felt out of step with the rest of the country for the UK’s leading supplier of contract furniture, as CFG managing director Richard Bellamy confirms: “As most of the nation’s businesses effectively prepared to go into hibernation, we were frantically working to create products we knew would be essential to get this sector trading again. While others were forced to wind down at work, we were winding up the product development and production activity for our social

Protecting Assets

The CardsSafe® system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab or uses a service.

CardsSafe® has revolutionised the way hospitality and leisure businesses manage their assets. It protects against theft and walkouts, streamlines services and reduces losses, which means it pays for itself!

There are numerous benefits of using CardsSafe® for your business and over 5000 outlets in the UK agree!

CardsSafe® reduce costs and losses, makes card fraud is virtually impossible and ensures that equipment is returned CardsSafe® is affordable and pays for itself! From just £9.95 (net) per unit per month + install fee, it is quick & easy to use with minimal training CardsSafe® ensures peace of mind and protects against fraud and theft CardsSafe® increases staff trust and improves the work environment CardsSafe® is easy to use and need minimal training CardsSafe® is PCI & GDPR Compliant to standards 9.6, 9.9, 12.2 and 12.6 and protects card data from identity fraud and theft

and sneeze screens. We quickly added sanitiser stations, masks, signage and various other essentials to the range, so remained in full flow. It turned out to be a good thing we moved so quickly as demand soon outstripped supply and at times it was a real challenge to keep up with orders.

“With so many venues now using our PPE range to keep customers safe, we’re starting to get back to our core business of designing, fitting and furnishing pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels. Hopefully it won’t be long before the sector is buzzing again.”

Contract Furniture Group has served the hospitality industry for over two decades.

The size of its range and project capabilities remain unrivalled, and the firm still promises to never to beat any quote for products of the same quality. Visit www.ContractFurniture.co.uk to learn more, or call the team on 0115 965 9030 to discuss your contract furniture needs.

Some of the UK’s biggest brands now rely on the CardsSafe® system when they handle customer cards, including: Young & Co.’s Brewery Hilton Hotels Foxhills Country Club Lord’s – The Home of Cricket Evans Cycles The National Portrait Gallery “Average spend is up and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.”

Timothy, Young’s Bar Manager

“The CardsSafe system is great for servicing our customers who enjoy our outside areas.”

Debbie, Manager and Landlady of The Deers Hut pub

Please visit the website and create your own account quickly and securely, or for more info, contact CardsSafe Customer Team.

WEB: www.cardssafe.com Phone: 0845 500 1040 Email: sales@cardssafe.com

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Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating

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

Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size, then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the

MST Auctioneers

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods.

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs. We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA).

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as

walls in a period setting.

Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating.

Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com Web www.simscf.com well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances.

We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England. Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days.

We have storage and removal facilities. In addition we have forklifts for machinery up to 5 tons.

We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" See the advert on page 40 for further details.

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier

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

We pride ourselves in providing the best quality items at great prices with fantastic customer service and can supply bespoke tailored made furniture such as booths, tables, seating or ‘off the peg’ items.

Drakes Bar Furniture not only sell chairs, stools, tables we also design build and install all types of fixed seating, pews and booth seating for pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and clubs.

When fitting out a premise the seating is almost paramount for a successful space. Fixed seating, booth seating or banquette seating as its also called can come in variety of colours, finishes, types and styles. Below are just a few examples showing what we have done in the past.

With clever planning, seating generates a great flow for customers and staff

around a pub, restaurant, cafe or club. It can be used to divide areas, create new spaces in a room and offer intimacy allowing for the perfect social meet up.

The beauty of bespoke fixed seating is that we can make the most of and take advantage of your space and features. We can come to your venue and measure up, give you advice and show you examples of our past work, finishes, types and styles.

We have a wide range of Bar Furniture, including tables, stools, chairs, outdoor beer garden, fixed seating and banqueting furniture.

If you require a bespoke quote either call us on 01422 839 690 or you can send us an email.

See the advert below for details.

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Maintain a Healthy Cashflow with Boyes Turner Having an effective debt recovery system in place is a must for all businesses – Boyes Turner’s Debt recovery service has considerable experience in dealing with uncontested cases in the leisure and hospitality industry. With our expertise in the industry and including recruitment, logistics and audiovisual, the team pride themselves on offering an efficient and cost effective service on fixed standard charges.

The Debt recovery service deals with the collection of all uncontested debts from

the issue of demand letters through to issuing court proceedings, obtaining judgment and enforcement thereof including insolvency proceedings.

With a real understanding of the pressures, targets, and deadlines faced by credit controllers and managers with the industry slowly going back to work, our service operates as an extension to your own internal credit control team.

Call today on 0118 952 7173 or email dgoddard@boyesturner.com

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

For years he’s provided a bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service to a select few, and he has always provided with that, free-of-charge weekly figures analysis and reporting … yes, weekly.

David has now come up with a way of making his amazing Mentoring & Consultancy service more accessible to the wider market, and for a lower monthly fee.

Instead of being charged for monthly consultancy, you can now access David’s knowledge and expertise via his already-established and very wellused weekly figures reporting system.

He will send you weekly reports on how your business is doing and will

throw in FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE AT ALL, four half-day on site Mentoring & Consultancy visits per year (or two full days, depending on location). He will also always be at the end of a phone for you, or email, if you needed him, and he also has access to legal experts as well as a ‘’tried and trusted’’ Bowden Group Alliance colleague who can advise you … again FREE OF CHARGE … on how to save money on your utility bills.

If you have a Pub, Restaurant or Hotel business which is facing financial or operational challenges … why not let David have a look, and help you maximise your full potential. There is no cost to David having a look at your figures, and letting you know what COULD be achieved.

Call David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or on 01628 487613.

The Retail Mutual Launches Business Cover Product for the Catering Industry with variable limits to include just the cover they need, and benefit from a range of additional information and support services to help them manage their business both in times of need and in times of growth.

As the hospitality sector is given the green light to reopen from 4 July, The Retail Mutual has this week announced the launch of its new business cover product, specifically tailored to the needs of the restaurant and catering trades.

Having served independent retailers since 1999, The Retail Mutual is delighted to be able to open its doors to a wider range of independent businesses including restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bakeries, and takeaways.

With small business owners under intense pressure to reduce overheads and minimise risks, The Retail Mutual sets out to offer an alternative. Unlike an insurance company, as a discretionary mutual it is Memberowned and operates in the sole interests of its Member community. It is open to independents only, specialising in supporting retailers, restaurateurs and take-away owners who own and run their own independent businesses. Members can create a personalised cover plan

The service is available online at www.theretailmutual.com/catering, offering those in the hospitality sector the flexibility to obtain a quote and buy their cover outside standard office hours. Those who prefer to buy by telephone can do so via the Mutual’s UK-based Member Services Centre on 0333 2121 007.

Mutual Manager, Kirsty Hampton, said, “It’s great to see businesses be able to reopen their doors after a period of closure during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a welcome boost to the hospitality market and to further support the high street, we are expanding our Open for Business campaign to include the food service industry.

Expanding into the catering sector was the natural progression for the Mutual. There is huge synergy with retail and in fact many of our existing Members own multiple businesses that span both categories. We are delighted to give them the opportunity to access competitive cover for all their businesses all in one place and to welcome a new tranche of independent business owners into The Retail Mutual’s Member community.”

See the advert on this page for further details.

For Sale: Licensed Coffee House and Tea Garden Commercial property specialists Stonesmith, are delighted to be marketing the sale of Selleys Coffee Shop - a popular and well-regarded character licensed café, coffee house and tea garden in Sidmouth. The business was established 30 years ago, and has been owned and operated by our clients for the last 7 years. Presented in excellent order throughout, the business offers potential for incoming operators to purchase an attractive, easy to run and sought-after catering business with an excellent reputation with both locals and visitors alike.

The premises are quite unique, forming part of a courtyard development of retail units, from which spinoff trade is derived. Libra Court is situated in a lucrative town centre trading position, just off the main seafront and the main shopping thoroughfare of Fore Street.

The business, which is pur-

posefully fitted, briefly comprises: - Main Coffee Shop/Tea Room Seating Area seating 14 customers, Customer Servery, Kitchen, Separate Wash Up Room and a Customer Cloakroom. Enclosed Courtyard Seating Area providing al fresco seating for 32 customers, with electrically operated canopy and heat lamps, enabling customers to sit outside year-round.

Selleys also offers potential for incoming operators to develop their own style of trade, to suit their own personal requirements, taking advantage of this desirable catering business in this extremely popular East Devon coastal town. With solid levels of trade and profits, there is genuine potential to increase all aspects of the trade still further.

The leasehold business is on the market for an asking price of £39,950. Full property details are available on our website: www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

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For Sale: Well-Established Traditional Tea-Room

Commercial property specialists Stonesmith, are delighted to be marketing the sale of this thriving and well-regarded day time only traditional tea-room. The Singing Kettle is set within a charming character filled Grade II listed property. The business offers potential for incoming operators to purchase an attractive and highly sought-after business with a successful trade from both locals and visitors alike. The premises retain period original features including heavily beamed ceilings and is presented to a high standard throughout.

They briefly comprise of: Main Tea Room Seating Area comfortably seating 30 customers; Customer Servery and Preparation Area and Kitchen Area; Well-presented and spacious Living Accommodation offering 2 Double Bedrooms (1 with Ensuite Shower Room), attractive Sitting Room with feature vaulted ceiling, spacious Kitchen and separate Family Bathroom.

town centre trading position in the very heart of Dartmouth, which is one of the prettiest and possibly most visited and photographed of all of the South Hams towns.

The Singing Kettle offers a traditional and popular menu to include breakfast, morning coffees, lunches, afternoon teas, to include the popular Devon cream tea, together with a selection of hot and cold beverages. The business trades daytime hours only for around 42 weeks of the year in order to suit our client’s lifestyle requirements. For anyone looking to relocate to the West Country, this could be the perfect opportunity to run a profitable catering business, with a comfortable home in a much sought-after estuary town.

The leasehold business is on the market for an asking price of £79,950.

Full property details are available on our website: www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

The Singing Kettle occupies a prime

Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Much like the mythological bird, Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions was born from the ashes of an industry which has grown tired and disassociated from the people it is designed to protect. Phoenix is built to be different, our main focus is you.

We have built our business with care at the core of everything we do. We strive to offer a quality personalised service which is tailored to each individual’s needs — we listen to you, get to know you and aim to support you every step of the way.

Your business is in most cases the biggest risk and the biggest asset you will ever have from the initial days of worrying about business levels and cash flow through to staff and HR issues and then back to business levels and cash flow, a revolving cycle.

Within your business you will also have your trusted partners,

your accountants and bankers, do you include your insurance broker? If not why not?

Commercial insurance should not just be about the lowest possible price, it should be with someone you can work with and trust, someone flexible to the changes your business faces and someone who can advise you of which covers you may like to consider and not just the ones which you are legal required to have. Does your business description on your policy actually match your business, are your sums insured reviewed and adequate, do you have seasonal stock increases? Have you declared the accurate turnover and wageroll?

We work with you to help you establish and maintain an insurance program which meets your needs and provides the best value for money.

See the website on the facing page or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

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

TAUNTON, SOMERSET

SIDMOUTH, EAST DEVON

SIDMOUTH, EAST DEVON

DARTMOUTH, SOUTH HAMS

TAUNTON, SOMERSET

EXETER, DEVON

Attractive & Well Regarded Licensed Cafe & Restaurant Trading on a Predominately Day Time Only Basis Main Restaurant 45+ & Al Fresco Seating For 32 Impressive Town Centre Business Must Be Viewed

Wonderful Day Time Only Coffee House & Tea Garden Seating Throughout For 46+ Customers Prime Position Close To The Sea Front Solid Trade Levels and Impressive Profits Excellent Catering Opportunity With Low Overheads

Well Presented Free Of Tie Village Inn Prime and Prominent Landmark Trading Position Bar Area (13+), Lounge Bar & Restaurant (46+) Large Owners 6 Bedroom Accommodation Commercial Catering Kitchen & Ancillary Facilities

Traditional Tea Room With Accommodation Much Sought After Estuary Town Well Presented With 30 Covers & Outside Seating Spacious 2 Bed Owner's Accommodation Day Time Only, 9-10 Months Of The Year Award Winning & Lucrative Business

Stunning Waterside Licensed Restaurant Impressive Sales Of £540,410 Net Of VAT Refurbished Restaurant Areas Seating 74 Customers External Seating for 30, Well Appointed Kitchens Outstanding Town Centre Opportunity

Stunning & Award Winning City Centre Gin Bar Furnished To An Exceptionally High Standard Exceptionally Profitable With Impressive Sales Customer Seating Areas For 50+ First Class Business In A Prime Location Run Under Full Management

LH £79,950

LH £95,000

LH £35,000

2040

LH £39,950

2114

LH £49,950

4756

2113

2115

LH £95,000

4787

DARTMOOR, DEVON

EXE VALLEY, MID DEVON

DEVON/CORNWALL BORDERS

DEVON/SOMERSET BORDERS

NORTH DEVON

DORSET VILLAGE

Substantial & Impressive Moorland Village Inn Bar (28+), Lounge & Restaurant (52), Beer Garden 4 High Quality Letting Bedrooms Stunning 4 Bedroom Family Accommodation Impressive Levels Of Trade & Profits

Substantial Detached Country Hotel & Restaurant 10 Ensuite Letting Rooms Lounge with Bar (16), Dining Room (22) 2 Bedroom Owner's Accommodation Set in 2 Acres with Tremendous Potential

Immaculate Detached Village Guest House 5 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms Superior 2 Bedroom Owner’s Accommodation Commercial Kitchens, Car Park & Gardens Profitable Lifestyle B & B Business

Substantial & Impressive Detached Hotel 7 Letting Rooms And A 3 Bedroom Suite Lounge Bar, Breakfast/Dining Room Superior 4 Bedroom Owner's Accommodation Gardens, 5 Electric Hook Ups, Parking Huge Potential To Develop All Aspects

Stunning Detached Thatched Country Inn Character Bar (30+), Restaurant & Dining Areas (55) 4 Letting Bedrooms & 3 Bed Owner’s Accommodation Grounds Of 1½ Acres, Gardens (62) Car Park & Lake Impressive Levels Of Trade & Profits

Substantial Well Presented Character Inn Located In Highly Sought After Dorset Village Bar/Dining Area (50+) & Restaurant (32) 4 Stunning Letting Rooms & 3 Bed Owner’s Home Set In Over ¾ Acre With Car Parking & Gardens

FH £495,000

4789

FH £575,000

6002

FH £650,000

6004

FH £695,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CONTACT STONESMITH FOR A FREE VALUATION

6003

FH £695,000

4783

FH £725,000

4798

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk