CLH Digital - Issue #190

THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR & LICENSED TRADE Issue 190

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First Week of Christmas “Bonanza” as 35.9 Million Pints Sold... …with £7.4 Bn Predicted to Be Spent On Christmas Partying

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The festive season kicked off in style this past week with a whopping 35.9m pints being sold across UK pubs in this first Christmas week, according to new research.

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Compared to the same week last year overall Draught Pint Sales are up by +2.3%. The shape of the week has also changed versus last year with Wednesday to Saturday now accounting for 69.3% of sales which equates to a +8.8% increase vs. 2022.

The big winners in the past week have been more traditional winter drinks (Stout & Ale) as the weather has turned colder. Stout has seen the biggest gains of

+30.3% last week, with Ale up +10.3%.

GREAT SALES Linda Senior, owner of Linda’s Inns and operating 3 venues across West Yorkshire commented:: “We have seen some great sales across ales and stout (Guinness is absolutely flying!) no doubt helped by the much colder temperatures we have had of late, but passing trade continues to be unpredictable, so larger Christmas bookings are incredibly important for us and are definitely up from last year.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital As we find ourselves in the midst of the UK government's inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospitality and licensed on-trade sector stands at bit of a crossroads!

It would appear, when considering yesterday’s evidence from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, that the sector is bearing the brunt of blame for a spike in infections because of the government’s Eat Out to Help Scheme (EOTHO).

EDITOR

Peter Adams

Evidence at the enquiry is clearly linking the scheme to the spread of infections, reigniting debates surrounding the initiative, painting, in my opinion, the scheme and the sector it in an unfavourable light.

Examining yesterday’s evidence I have to say I am wholeheartedly with Boris Johnson on this! It would appear that the government’s top advisers, whose advice was to put the entire country into lockdown, didn’t know about the scheme. Am I the only one who finds that “an insult to our intelligence”?

I think Boris Johnson was rather more reserved when he said “I’m fairly confident that it was discussed several times in meetings in which I believe they must have been present.” “I don’t understand how something so well publicised as that could have been smuggled past the scientific advice, I don’t see how that could have happened.”

I think I would have put it far more candid than that!

Furthermore, as businesses and livelihoods were being destroyed it is crucial to approach this discussion with nuance. The EOTHO scheme, implemented during the tumultuous months of 2020, played a vital role in reviving a hospitality sector left reeling from the impact of lockdowns.

It is only my “tenpenneth”, but I was a vociferous critic of the whole lockdown fiasco, voicing my opinion and often coming under criticism (which I have never had an issue with, the more feedback the better!). I said it would be plain to anybody that shutting down Britain’s third largest industry for over a year would prove to be nothing but disastrous.

The initiative was not without its critics, but it provided a lifeline to countless businesses, encouraging the public forced into a lockdown to return to their favourite restaurants, cafes, and pubs, with the government underwriting half of the costs.

Criticism of the EOTHO scheme neglects the broader context. And it makes me so angry when I hear criticism from people whose livelihoods were not affected or threatened, who continued to draw their salaries and the perks that go with them.

The hospitality sector faced unprecedented challenges, and businesses are still dealing with the aftermath with lost sales and closures threatening the livelihoods of many. The scheme was a strategic move to stimulate consumer spending, helping businesses recover and protecting jobs at a time when the sector desperately needed support.

Furthermore, it's essential to recognize the domino effect of the EOTHO scheme. By encouraging spending in hospitality establishments, the initiative indirectly boosted related industries, from suppliers to service providers, contributing to a more comprehensive economic recovery.

The subsequent reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector was another step in the right direction. This measure not only lessened the financial burden on businesses, but also made dining out more accessible for consumers. As we reflect on the past, it becomes evident that these interventions played a pivotal role in the sector's resurgence.

Looking ahead to the New Year, it is paramount for the government to consider additional measures to sustain the recovery. Another VAT cut for the hospitality industry would provide a continued lifeline, ensuring the resilience of businesses as they navigate ongoing challenges.

So, while scrutiny of the EOTHO scheme persists, it is essential to acknowledge its positive impact on a sector that faced unprecedented hardships. As the inquiry unfolds, I would urge policymakers to consider the broader picture and continue supporting the hospitality and licensed on-trade industry, recognizing its importance in the economic landscape of the United Kingdom.

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EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

And if we needed any evidence of that our front page/lead story confirms the resilience of the sector.

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Fantastic news that a staggering £35.9 million was sold the first week of this month, with an estimated £7.4 billion spent on Christmas parties between now and the end of the month.

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN

Wonderful news!

Once more I would ask you to please do follow us on Twitter, and encourage as many people you know in the trade to sign up to our digital issue, further details can be seen at www.catererlicensee.com

The Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News Group is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, 3 Carlton Mount, 2 Cranborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5BR. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.

Matthew Noades Charlene Fox

Published by Published by

First Week of Christmas “Bonanza” as 35.9 Million Pints Sold...

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

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…with £7.4 Bn Predicted to Be Spent On Christmas Partying

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) We’re also seeing the return of local office bookings as well and friends and family groups, and we are already getting lots of bookings for New Year’s Eve from people who want to stay local to avoid any transport issues.”

This week footfall has dropped by c-1% with Wednesday down -3.3% and Thursday down -3.2% versus 2022.

However, Friday and Saturday footfall has increased by +1.0% and +2.1% respectively.

Hardest hit were City Centres where footfall was down -2.1% versus 2022. Suburban and Rural areas faired the best with Friday and Saturday as the strongest days.

Overall, dwell time grew to 126 minutes vs. 120 minutes in the same week last year up +5.0% with City Centres driving the highest growth of +5.9%. All locations benefitted from an increased consumer visit length with Suburban outlets +4.1% and then Rural +3.4%.

Brits are embracing the spirit of the season according to the survey, planning to spend up to £200 on their festive outings. This increased spending provides a welcome boost to the hospitality industry, which has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years. With nearly half of Londoners (48%) poised to spend over £100 on each Christmas night out, the capital city stands out as a leading contributor to this spending surge.

WELL-POSITIONED Venues, pubs, bars, and restaurants are well-positioned to benefit from this festive windfall the survey adds, with over 44% of consumers prioritising visits to such establishments if their disposable income were to be cut further. This surpasses other spending categories like clothing (28%), home improvements (27%) and holidays (27%).

The survey also highlights the changing dynamics of the holiday season, as younger adults, particularly Generation Z (18-24 year-olds), opt for a “self-proclaimed hangover day”, turning their backs on the ‘hustle culture’.

Approximately 60% of young adults, totalling around 3.2 million individuals across the UK, are planning to take a day off to recover from their holiday celebrations. This generation’s enthusiastic spending habits, with an average of over £200 per night out, suggest that the hospitality industry could see substantial gains over the Christmas period.

Raissa and Joyce de Haas, the twin co-founders of Double Dutch, commented: “Our survey reveals that Brits are wholeheartedly embracing the festive spirit, offering a ray of hope for on-trade hospitality venues following challenging years. Based on these new insights, and to enable our staff to fully enjoy the celebrations, we’ve introduced a ‘party recovery day’ for our team to make the most of the day following our Christmas party.”

“PARTY TIME” To add to this “flying start”, a recent survey has unveiled the promising prospect of a £7.4 billion Christmas party sales boost for the UK hospitality sector.

The survey conducted by tonics and mixer brand, Double Dutch, sheds light on the nation’s inclination to splurge on Christmas parties, with an estimated £7.4 billion expected to be spent this year – a significant threefold increase compared to the previous year.

RECORD BREAKING Gemma Keegan, Brand Director at Swingers commented: “This year is set to deliver a record-breaking Christmas in the UK for Swingers, with the highest pre-booked sales we’ve had in December since opening.

All key Christmas dates are fully booked and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone into the venues for a celebration to remember. Group sales bookings up 6% vs 2022 and up 12% vs 2019”.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Self-Awareness: A Key Ingredient In QSR Success

By Sanjeev Sanghera, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Doner Shack, Self-awareness is the new buzzword in management. You might wonder, is it really essential for managing a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR)?

Absolutely! But what exactly makes it so important?

Sanjeev Sanghera, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Doner Shack, the Berlin-inspired street food concept, discusses what self-awareness really is and why it is essential for any QSR brand.

Self-awareness in business, particularly for QSR brands, extends beyond simple self-reflection. It's about having an in-depth grasp of your brand’s identity, recognising its strengths, and acknowledging its weaknesses. In the competitive landscape of QSRs, self-awareness isn't just beneficial, it's a necessity for achieving success.

Research indicates that clear self-perception enhances confidence, creativity, and effectiveness in leadership and communication, leading to better decision-making. Interestingly, research points out that only about 10-15% of individuals are truly considered self-aware1. In the business world, this contrast is stark: around 83% of high-performing professionals are deemed self-aware, in sharp contrast to just 2% among those who perform at lower levels2.

A brand's self-awareness is rooted in a clear, authentic vision. It involves knowing your audience well and customising your brand to connect with different groups. This insight not only forms the backbone of your brand's message but also influences how and where you deliver it, be it through digital channels or traditional media. Simple, value-led marketing messages are the secret to cutting through the noise and reaching your audience directly.

Understanding your brand's position within your industry is essential. The hospitality sector is broad, ranging from fast-casual to fine dining so being aware of where your business fits in this spectrum is crucial before initiating customer outreach or engagement. At Doner Shack, for instance, we worked hard to transition from fast-casual, as we were when we launched, into a more defined QSR brand, as this felt like a more authentic fit for our target audience.

On that note, it’s important not to shy away from times when perhaps your brand isn’t hitting the right mark. If you find your brand isn’t attracting the right audience, then something isn’t quite right! It’s worth taking a step back and re-assessing where you are and where you want to be. Consider it an opportunity to

pause and introspect. Reflect on your brand's current position and what you could be doing more effectively.

It's essential to understand that realigning your brand's direction doesn't mean losing its authenticity. It's about modifying and growing to make sure your brand's voice is heard as intended. Re-positioning can be a powerful strategy to forge a stronger connection with your audience, without compromising the core values and authenticity that define your brand. This is something we are proud of at Doner Shack and it has helped us to look at our brand and rediscover exactly what it is we love about our business and how we can share that with as many of our target audience as possible.

Your menu is a key ingredient in your brand’s self-awareness too. It’s important that your offerings match your brand's identity and meet customer expectations. For example, a QSR would be better suited to concentrating on its own specialties and steering clear of menu items that are more fitting for high-end dining settings. Adding a distinctive signature dish can also be an effective approach to communicate your brand's unique identity and keep your customers coming back for more.

Similarly, it's vital to consider your target audience when choosing the range of food and price points. At Doner Shack, we dedicated significant time to determining our target market for our menu. This led to us offering a diverse spread of dishes, aiming to meet the preferences of our main demographic, stay competitive and differentiate ourselves in the market. We also focused on pricing our products reasonably, ensuring they were affordable for a broader customer base while also fostering customer loyalty.

The design and aesthetics of your QSR space are also crucial. They shape how customers perceive your brand and contribute to its identity. For instance, a contemporary bar with an Instagram-friendly design might not appeal to those looking for a casual place to enjoy drinks or watch sports. Similarly, a basic, no-frills pub might not attract those seeking a place with aesthetic charm and trendy vibes.

Self-awareness is a powerful tool, yet it comes with its own set of challenges. Striking a balance between adapting to current trends and preserving a cohesive brand identity is key. Failing to do so might lead to a compromise in quality. Of course, keeping up with trends is important for staying relevant, but pursuing trends that don't align with your brand could end up distancing the audience you want to engage.

Self-awareness is not just a buzzword but a fundamental component of success in the QSR industry. It encompasses a holistic strategy, incorporating elements like brand vision, menu creation, aesthetic design and tactical marketing. By investing effort in deeply grasping and accepting your brand's distinct identity, your business can skilfully manoeuvre through the competitive arena and establish a strong connection with your target audience.

Tommy Banks Returns To Toque d’Or Judging Panel As Nestlé Professional Open Registrations Nestlé Professional today opened registrations for the 36th edition of its Toque d’Or competition. College lecturers have until 12th January 2024 to register their Level 2, 3 and 4 back and front of house students.

Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Tommy Banks, will continue in his role as judge providing expert advice and mentorship for Toque d’Or entrants. Students will also be able to take inspiration from Tommy’s passion and knowledge in farm to fork dining and sustainability, which remains the theme for the prestigious competition.

Commenting on his return to the Toque d’Or judging panel, Tommy Banks said: “I’m delighted to be involved in Toque d’Or 2024 after such a competitive and inspiring competition this year! I really enjoyed mentoring this year’s cohort on incredibly important industry topics such as sustainability and provenance. It’s my pleasure once again to help them learn all about sustainable farming and to master the art in crafting sustainably sourced menus.”

Next year’s winners will embark on a once in a lifetime trip to Switzerland, where they will get to delve into Nestlé’s origins and Swiss heritage as they visit the company’s headquarters and the famous Nestlé chocolate factory.

As well as getting an unforgettable gastronomic experience – savouring the very best food and drink the country has to offer – the winners will explore Switzerland’s breathtaking landscapes and popular tourist attractions.

Toque d’Or 2024 takes place over six stages and is aimed at attracting more fresh talent than ever, with

entrants competing in their colleges, before being shortlisted for the National Heats which will take place in March at The Grand Cookery School in York, followed by the Grand Finals in April. It is open to all Back and Front of House students on *Levels 2, 3 or 4. Lecturers must register students that meet these criteria.

Katya Simmons, managing director of Nestlé Professional UK&I, said:

“The hospitality industry offers dynamic and rewarding careers; it allows you to constantly learn, grow and meet diverse people; and it’s full of opportunity to make a positive impact on customers and create memorable experiences. Through our prestigious Toque d’Or competition, we are perfectly positioned to help hospitality and culinary arts students bridge the gap between classroom learning and our incredible industry.

“We’re delighted to welcome back Tommy to the judging panel. It goes without saying, his outstanding experience and knowledge of the industry as well as his background in farming and Michelin green star underlines Toque d’Or’s continued theme of sustainability. The 2024 competition is set to be as memorable and inspiring as ever, and we look forward to welcoming and supporting the competitors throughout their journey.”

To register and find out more about the competition’s format and timeline, college lecturers, employers and apprentices should go to: www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/toque-dor

The Perfect Snack for All Your Trade and Hospitality Needs Robert's Dorset provides an unparalleled snack experience that will elevate your trade and hospitality offerings to your customers.

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Contact Robert for an online catalogue and more information regarding our perfect snacks. robert@robertsdorset.com | 01202 875280 | www.robertsdorset.com

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

5

Eat Out to Help Out Was “Not a Gamble” Former PM Says

“I’m fairly confident that it was discussed several times in meetings in which I believe they must have been present,” Johnson said. “I don’t understand how something so well publicised as that could have been smuggled past the scientific advice, I don’t see how that could have happened.”

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was no “conclusive” evidence that the government’s Eat Out to Help Out (EOTHO) initiative to encourage the public back into restaurants and bars following the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020 helped spread the virus again, as he fiercely defended his leadership during the Covid pandemic.

When Keith pointed out that even in his witness statement to the inquiry, Mr Johnson said he assumed the scheme had been discussed with scientific advisors the former prime minister replied: “I said that in my statement because I frankly assumed that it must have been discussed with them. And I’m perplexed as to how something as significant as that could have got through.”

The scheme subsidized dining out, providing 50% off the cost of food and/or non-alcoholic drinks, and was spearheaded by Rishi Sunak, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, however, Mr Johnson told the UK’s Covid-19 inquiry this week that he hadn’t been warned that it risked accelerating the spread of the virus and hadn’t considered it a “gamble.”

Sir Chris has told the inquiry that he and Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s former chief scientific adviser, were never told about the plan.

More than 49,000 businesses claimed £849m through the scheme, with over 160 million meals discounted.

The former deputy chief medical officer Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam also said he first heard about Eat Out to Help Out on television, while chief scientific officer Dame Angela McLean has claimed she was also not consulted.

EOTHO has been heavily examined by the inquiry, with questions about whether scientists were consulted about the plan and whether it contributed to the spread of infection. Leading Government scientists, as well as former health secretary Matt Hancock, have stated they were not told in advance about the scheme.

Mr Johnson told Lady Hallett’s inquiry: “I don’t think that I thought that scheme in itself was a particular gamble at the time, and it certainly wasn’t presented to me as such”, adding that he cannot see anything that “conclusively shows” the scheme had an impact on the reproductive rate of the virus.

“At the time that the Eat Out to Help Out policy was being aired with me for the first time, it was not presented to me as an acceleration, simply something to make sense of the freedoms that we were already giving.

“I must emphasise, it was not at the time presented to me as something that would add to the budget of risk,” he said.

Questioned by Hugo Keith KC, the inquiry counsel, the former Prime Minister said he thought that Whitty and Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, “must” have know about the scheme.

In evidence submitted to the inquiry, Mr Sunak said he “(did) not recall any concerns about the scheme”.

Mr Johnson said he “thought that Chris and Patrick must have known” and repeatedly said he did not understand how the plan could have been “smuggled past” the scientists.

The former prime minister on Wednesday admitted he should have “twigged much sooner” about the threat posed by Covid-19 in the early days of the pandemic, but he also sought to defend his administration from claims of toxicity and dysfunction.

In a full day of evidence that focused on the early stages of the pandemic and the decision to introduce the first lockdown, Mr Johnson also defended the under-fire former health secretary Matt Hancock.

His final day of evidence is expected to focus on the later stages of the pandemic and the decision to apply a second lockdown.

Senior Team Changes At Brakspear Pub operator Brakspear has made changes to its senior management team with promotions for two of its top executives. Property manager Tony Lewis is promoted to property director and joins the Brakspear board, while chief financial officer David Nathan becomes chief operating officer.

Lewis has run Brakspear’s property division for 12 years, managing all property aspects of the company’s estate of around 120 pubs.

Nathan joined the business in 2010 and has played a pivotal role in its development, with his remit evolving to extend well beyond finance.

Chief executive Tom Davies said:

“I’m delighted to be making these two well-deserved promotions, recognising the contributions that Tony and David have made to Brakspear over the last decade and more.

“It has been a time of significant change at Brakspear, particularly with the launch of our Honeycomb Houses managed division, and both David and Tony have been key to making that a success, while also ensuring our leased and tenanted business continues to thrive.

“I’m looking forward to Tony joining our next board meeting and pleased to be giving David a job title that properly reflects his involvement across Brakspear. As a business and as an industry we face challenges over the next few years and bolstering our board now will hopefully put us in a good position to weather them.”

The Brakspear board now comprises Lewis, Nathan, Tom Davies, and Mickey Davies as chairman. Ed Turner, formerly of Geronimo Inns, and ex-McMullen’s MD Peter Furness-Smith, serve as non-exec directors.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Boosting Recruitment And Retention

By Lee Jefcott – head of the hospitality and leisure sector team at leading independent law firm Brabners (www.brabners.com)

With staff shortages proving a persistent challenge heading into the peak festive period, Lee Jefcott – head of the hospitality and leisure sector team at leading independent law firm Brabners considers how the industry can improve long-term recruitment and retention.

The leisure and hospitality sector is entering into one of its most important periods of the year, with seasonal spending in restaurants alone expected to experience double digit growth in the run up to Christmas.

But leaders in the industry continue to deal with persistent and widespread recruitment challenges, which are likely to prevent pubs, restaurants and hotels from maximising earnings during the seasonal period and beyond.

Indeed, there remains more than 120,000 roles unfilled in the sector, according to the ONS’ latest data.

That’s an improvement on the record highs seen in 2022. But it’s still more than a third higher than the total vacancies seen in the months prior to the pandemic.

TARGETING THE RIGHT DEMOGRAPHICS The UK’s post-Covid retirement boom has been positioned as one of the many contributors to sluggish economic growth. Encouraging the over-50s and recently retired back into work remains a priority for government, which collaborated with UKHospitality at the end of last year to publish guidance designed to help hospitality businesses tap into this underrepresented group. As we head into the New Year, this guidance is worth revisiting alongside a re-evaluation of how older workers may be able to support temporary or serviceled roles.

Where more specialist skills are needed, particularly culinary ones, overseas recruitment remains a worthwhile pursuit.

While the end of free movement are generally perceived to have made hiring from the EU more challenging, rules introduced prior to Brexit saw a reduction in both the skill level and salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route, making sponsoring workers from overseas comparatively easier than before. Alongside this, there remains a large proportion (60%) of skilled worker applications within the sector that cover experienced kitchen leadership roles.

There is also the potential for targeted recruitment campaigns to benefit from the use of graduate visas and the Youth Mobility Scheme, which provide access to younger workers from markets including India and Australasia. Recently-graduated students also represent a good pool for employers to tap into because the Immigration Skills Charge is not applicable to students switching to the skilled worker category.

While there is evidence that overseas recruits tend to stay with employers in the sector for longer, not all job roles will fulfil eligibility criteria for visas, so expert advice should be sought.

SHORT-TERM, TECH-ENABLED WINS

BUILDING YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

Thinking about the increased competition for talent that the seasonal period brings, there are a number of steps businesses can take to boost their prospects in the short-term. Key among them is reducing the administrative burden of finding a new role.

Catching candidates’ attention and motivating them to apply is another big part of the recruitment puzzle.

Many successful organisations proactively manage their employer brand to ensure that they not only attract job seekers but retain them for the long-term.

We’re seeing many of our clients moving away from long and cumbersome application forms and streamlining the process through better use of outsourced tech platforms. Some estimates suggest that abandonment rates for application forms can be as high as 65% on average. Better use of technology can also improve follow up times and ensure candidates feel their application is being handled swiftly and professionally.

Staff in hospitality want to see employers invest more in their career development, with many leaving jobs because they experience a lack of training. Large operators, in particular, have the opportunity to put professional development at the core of their employment offering – supported by funding from the government’s apprenticeship levy.

Likewise, technology can be deployed to automate onboarding and seasonal training processes to increase the speed at which new recruits can actively take up their role and start making a difference to customers.

Likewise, long and unsocial hours are also commonly associated with working in hospitality. However, we have already seen ‘first-mover’ hoteliers like The Landmark London introduce four-day weeks as a differentiator for their brand. Identifying the potential to implement these new workplace perks, creating a supportive contractual structure and effectively communicating them to prospective candidates is key.

It’s also worth considering which platforms are used for recruitment. While agencies are likely to supply the majority of candidates, some hospitality venues have taken an innovative approach to recruitment – filling their entire list of vacancies through influencer-supported advertising on social media platforms like TikTok. These are of course short-term approaches for the here and now as the industry looks to address seasonal challenges. However, looking ahead to 2024, there are opportunities for hospitality groups to take a more holistic approach to recruitment and to build a platform for growth – fuelled by loyal and talented teams.

CREATING A PLATFORM FOR SUCCESS There’s no quick fix to the employment gap the hospitality sector faces, demonstrated by vacancy rates remaining above the pre-pandemic trend. However, with a targeted approach to recruitment, opportunities remain for individual brands to set themselves apart and to develop a loyal team for the future.

Marston’s Report Sales and Christmas Bookings Up Marston’s who operate 1,414 pubs, have announced its Preliminary Results for the 52 weeks ended 30 September 2023, reporting its like-for-like sales are up 7.4% since September and that Christmas bookings are tracking well and ahead of last year.

In its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 30 September 2023, the operator of 1,414 UK pubs said current trading is “positive” and that it is “continuing to manage inflationary challenges within our control”, with electricity fixed until end of FY2024 and gas until end of March 2025, while offsetting other costs through efficiencies and pricing strategies. “The positive trading momentum from last year has continued, with like-for-like sales in our managed and franchised pubs since year end up 7.4% versus the same period last year, with growth in both,” it said. “Bookings for the Christmas period are promising and tracking ahead of last year.

As always, walk-in trade represents a significant proportion of overall sales over the period; however, the booking momentum demonstrates that, despite economic pressures, people still want to go out and celebrate in a pub. We remain cognisant of the current macroeconomic environment, and the resulting challenges this brings in respect of cost inflation and the potential impact on disposable income. However, pubs have historically demonstrated their resilience as an affordable treat and there is no discernible evidence in

our trading performance to suggest that there has been a material change to consumer behaviour.”

It comes as the business reported revenue increased 9.1% to £872.3m (2022: £799.6m) during the period, with total retail sales in the group’s managed and franchised pubs for the 52-week period up 9.8% on last year, and like-for-like retail sales for the year as a whole were up 10.1% versus FY2022. Underlying operating profit excluding income from associates was £124.8m (2022: £115.4m).

Commenting, William Rucker, Chair said: “We have continued to make positive progress on our key goals and strategic initiatives. The consumer has remained resilient despite the macro backdrop and Marston’s continues to trade well, achieving market outperformance.

We anticipate an improving outlook in which cost headwinds are largely abating and like-for-like sales are up over 7% since the year end. This, together with the actions we have taken this year to drive further efficiencies, leave us confident that Marston’s remains well-placed to continue to outperform and to grow revenue, margin and profitability.

We look forward to welcoming Justin Platt who joins the Group as CEO in January. The business is in good shape and well-positioned to take advantage of the future opportunities open to us to create value for our shareholders under his stewardship.”

Welcome To Choice... It’s Not So Black and White Anymore For years your customers have had just one choice when it comes to the black stuff – now there is another, and it might just be better. Now available as part of BrewDog’s headliner range, Black Heart is a 4.1% ABV classic draught stout alternative, brewed in and for this century.

THE BEER A no-nonsense dry-Irish style stout. Chocolate and extra dark crystal malts give layers of roasted, toasted coffee and cocoa, with a hint of caramel coming through. It’s smooth, it’s creamy, it’s all head and it’s all heart.

DISCOVER THE ALTERNATIVE At BrewDog we believe drinking beer is about discovery and experimentation, with a mountain of different types and styles available. However, when it comes to stout, there really is only one choice in most pubs and bars and has been for years. As the experts in taste and quality, we have worked with our brewers to develop a classic draught stout, that can be offered to those looking to try something new.

THE CATEGORY OPPORTUNITY

With flavour at its core, Black Heart is already introducing more younger consumers to the stout category, indicating its potential to drive further growth by appealing to those that have all but given up on the chance of a stout alternative.

Stout is the second fastest growing beer category +10.9%, worth almost £1bn (£947m)

What if it’s better?

It grew +8.8% in value and +0.9% share in the last three years – exceeding pre-covid levels1

GET IN TOUCH

Draught Stout has 97% Category Share, but with the category dominated by just one brand, this provides a huge opportunity for an alternative premium stout to drive further growth and higher margins

Available NOW in 50L KEGS and to be poured through a NITRO LINE. Also available iconic assets including hero font and tap handles, glassware, POS and staff t-shirts.

For more information, visit https://www.brewdog.com/uk/black-heart, or contact us on salesenquiries@brewdog.com or see the advert on page 3.

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NTIA Backs Cross-Party Support for Specific Offence Against Spiking In a united front, Members of Parliament have rallied behind the call for a specific offence against spiking, as proposed by previous Home Secretary Priti Patel, and re-enforced by the NTIA during the evidence given by Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, at the initial Home Affairs Committee on Spiking.

The Backbench Business Committee, led by Judith Cummins MP, will be heard on the 14th December in Westminster Hall addressing the pressing issue around crime categorisation and look to remedy the delay in the government’s report due by April 28, 2023.

The proposal gains momentum not only due to the overdue report but also in response to the government’s recent acknowledgement of a change in perspective regarding the need for a specific spiking offence.

Amidst mixed messages from the Home Office and Home Secretaries, cross-party unity seeks to clarify the situation and expedite the release of the much-anticipated report.

Cummins highlighted the urgency during the recent committee meeting, stating, “Spiking can fall under seven different offences: three if it is by drink and four if it is by needle or drink. It is often under-reported or

reported incorrectly, and it is near impossible for anybody to make any sense of the wide scale spread of spiking.”

The call for a specific spiking offence has received widespread support, with 33 Members of Parliament from five political parties endorsing the application. The movement is further bolstered by a ten-minute rule Bill introduced in June 2023 by Richard Graham.

Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA, emphasises the need for robust data to combat this crime effectively, a requirement not met by the existing legislative framework. The absence of spiking being recognised as a distinct crime appears almost surreal, given its impact on thousands of people’s lives.

With the support of the cross-party backbench committee and the incumbent Home Secretary, there is a renewed confidence that a new opportunity will arise to address the legislative shortcomings. The goal is to establish spiking as a separate category, which will streamline the process to track this crime and strengthen intelligence and profiling of perpetrators, in a drive to reduce the exposure to this crime within society.”

Banana Tree Opens Three New Sites, Trials Breakfast With Greenwich Opening The Big Table Group’s award-winning Pan-Asian restaurant brand, Banana Tree, has opened three new sites, in Greenwich, Bath and Henley, launching its first ever breakfast menu in the process.

The three new openings take the total number of new restaurants this year to nine, meaning the Banana Tree estate has doubled in size in 2023. Founded 30 years ago in Maida Vale, West London, Banana Tree has grown to eighteen restaurants across London and the South East, recently expanding into the West Midlands and now the West Country.

The Greenwich restaurant on Stockwell Street opened on 6th November after an extensive refurbishment, and features 166 indoor covers, and a further 84 outside, while the 152-cover site on Milsom Street in Bath, opened its doors on Monday 13th November. A third new restaurant, on Hart Street in the centre of Henley-on-Thames, opened on Saturday 2nd December.

Anne Chow, Managing Director at Banana Tree, said: “We are delighted to have successfully opened three brand-new restaurants in the space of a few weeks. This has been a busy year of new openings and we’ve been really happy to see how well our new restaurants have performed – our teams have done a brilliant

job to make sure every site has been a success from day one.”

In addition to serving the best soups, salads, wok-tossed noodles, stir fries and curries from South East Asia and Japan, the Greenwich restaurant is the first Banana Tree to trial a breakfast menu.

Commenting on the breakfast trial, Anne added, “There are so many wonderful breakfasts dishes across South-East Asia, so we’ve always been curious to explore what a Banana Tree breakfast offering might look like, and I’m thrilled with the menu we’ve developed. Breakfast could open up a new daypart for us, and this trial will help us to understand whether this is something we could roll out across our estate.”

Banana Tree was acquired by the Big Table Group in September 2022, as part of the Group’s strategy to acquire high-quality, complimentary brands with widespread consumer appeal. In September 2023, the Group further added to its portfolio with the acquisition of The Restaurant Group’s Leisure Division, which includes the brands Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito, Firejacks, Coast To Coast, Filling Station and EST, taking The Big Table Group to over 230 restaurants across the UK

Consumer Spending Bounced Back in November but Brits Eating Out Less Issue 190

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‘SHRINKFLATION’ IMPACTS FESTIVE FARE

Spending on essential items saw a smaller increase (3.3 per cent) than in October (3.9 per cent), as falling petrol and diesel prices impacted fuel spend (-10.9 per cent). Growth at supermarkets was also lower month-on-month (5.0 per cent vs 5.2 per cent) following the easing of food price inflation and the majority of shoppers (67 per cent) seeking ways to reduce their grocery food bills.

Shoppers expect to fork out an average of £105.43 more on Christmas this year than in 2022. Festive food and drink is expected to be the largest contributor to this increase, rising by an average of £25.87, followed by gifts (+£18.62) and activities (+£11.86).

The extra expenditure is likely due to rising costs and ‘shrinkflation’, with three in five (60 per cent) noticing that some festive items are getting smaller despite costing the same. One in three (36 per cent) has spotted shrinkflation on boxes of chocolates, followed by tins of biscuits (28 per cent), cheese (15 per cent), mince pies (14 per cent) and Christmas cake (13 per cent).

Encouragingly, while the proportions of Brits concerned about inflation and food prices remain high (each at 86 per cent), both fell to their lowest levels since December 2021. Similar improvements were also recorded on attitudes towards fuel prices, household bills and interest rates.

SEASONAL SOCIALISING Restaurants fell further into decline in November (-11.9 per cent compared to -10.3 per cent in October), as over a third (36 per cent) reported that the cold weather and dark evenings have had an impact on their spending patterns. Nearly half (46 per cent) of these Brits are eating out less frequently in favour of cooking meals, while 29 per cent are socialising with friends and family at home instead of going out.

This perhaps explains why “insperiences” (at-home experiences) fared well in November, with spending on takeaways and fast food (6.1 per cent), as well as digital content and subscriptions (5.8 per cent) seeing greater uplifts than in October (5.6 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively).

‘REVENGE SPENDING’ HELPS TRAVEL SECTOR MAINTAIN DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH The travel sector again performed strongly in November, having recorded double-digit growth for 11 of the last 12 months, with sizeable uplifts at both travel agents (9.2 per cent) and airlines (14.0 per cent). This long run of growth has its roots in the pandemic, with a fifth (19 per cent) of consumers planning more holidays in 2024, citing that they’re still catching up on trips missed during lockdowns – a trend otherwise known as ‘revenge spending’

Esme Harwood, Director at Barclays, said: “Shoppers got into the festive spirit early this year, flocking to the high street to take advantage of month-long Black Friday sales, and unlocking long-awaited retail growth. Consumers were also keen to socialise, but prioritised more economical – and warmer – ways to catch-up with friends and family, choosing cosy nights in with takeaways or enjoying drinks at the pub instead of dining out at restaurants.

“November also marked a turning point for consumer sentiment – confidence in personal finances improved, with Brits starting to feel less concerned about some of 2023’s defining issues, such as inflation, interest rates, and food prices – so there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic as we look ahead to Christmas and the New Year.”

Jack Meaning, Chief UK Economist at Barclays, said:“This data suggests consumers are continuing to spend more but get less for their money, as spending growth remains below inflation. However, the gap is narrowing as the rate of price increases slows, and we expect it to narrow further in the coming months.

“It’s reassuring to see that some of the previous weakness in spending was due to unseasonal weather, as shoppers go out and finally buy that new winter coat and get in the Christmas spirit. But the key question for the UK is what happens after the holiday period – it will take more than a festive bounce to keep consumers spending in 2024.”

Cumbrian Pub Benefits From Makeover The Mill Inn, owned by Robinsons Brewery, has undergone an impressive refurbishment marking a new chapter in its history. The refurbishment focused on enhancing the internal space, whilst creating a fresh look for the external drinking area.

The project was primarily an internal renovation, with the replacement of external signage and the addition of new planting to the exterior, creating an inviting atmosphere.

A key objective of the refurbishment was to eliminate the sense of disjointedness within the internal trading space. This was achieved by removing internal walls and introducing new glazed screens, providing unobstructed views throughout the pub. The result is a flowing and welcoming environment, now with increased usage across all areas.Ffeedback from the local community has been very positive.

The kitchen has also been updated with new equipment, including new extraction systems.

The re-design also incorporates a visual journey into the history of the pub, the surrounding area, and local maps.

The Mill Inn has embraced a significant amount of bric-a-brac, paying homage to its heritage.

The exterior has received a facelift with updated signage, contributing to the overall refreshed look of The Mill Inn. The decision to replace traditional imagery with historical elements reflects the commitment to preserving the pub's rich history while embracing a contemporary aesthetic.

Pub Partners Steve and Geri said: "The refurbishment has been really well received by our local community. Everyone is impressed with the new look, we've been really happy to welcome old customers back as well as greeting new ones!"

The Law Has Changed On Single-Use Plastics – What Do Businesses Need To Know?

Whilst previous campaigns on the responsible disposal of plastic items have urged many businesses to think more sustainably, a number of them still rely on single-use plastics.

The ban includes the following items:

We use 4.7 billion plastic straws, 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery, 721 million single-use plates, and 316 million plastic stirrers every year – but only 10% of these items are recycled and many find their way into our ocean. According to recent studies: “The flow of plastic into the ocean is projected to nearly triple by 2040. Without considerable action to address plastic pollution, 50kg of plastic will enter the ocean for every metre of shoreline”1.

• straws • cotton buds • drink stirrers • plates, bowls and trays • cutlery • balloon sticks • polystyrene food or drink containers • polystyrene cups

To address these environmental issues, protect our marine wildlife, and ultimately eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc and Polystyrene Containers etc) (England) Regulations 2023 prohibits businesses from supplying, selling or offering certain single-use plastic items as of October 2023.

If businesses fail to follow the new rules, they risk being investigated by their local authority, which has the power to conduct inspections and

issue fines to those that break the law.

Whilst the ban on single-use plastic is beneficial for the environment, we understand that navigating consumer law and how it applies to your business can be complex. So, whether you’re a takeaway business, a retailer, or a charity organisation that uses single-use plastic products in any way, the latest Business Companion guide on single-use plastics is here to help you. This free resource covers all the key areas of the ban in detail, so you can be prepared and adapt accordingly. Visit the website to find out more: bit.ly/single-use-plastics-ban 1 *PEW Charitable Trusts and SystemIQ. “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution,” 2020.

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RBH Hospitality Management Shares Top Trends And Predictions For The Hotel Industry In 2024 RBH Hospitality Management’s Executive Committee each share their top trends and outlooks for the UK hotel industry as we look ahead to 2024. From cost efficiencies to decarbonisation practices and keeping on top of regulations, hear what the experts have to say.

Increased consolidation to maximise efficiencies in service provision - Dave Hart, CEO We continue to see an increase in the number of smaller companies offering a third-party management service to hotel investors, including some owner-operators seeking to bolt on such a service to their own internal operations.

Where smaller companies have only a few hotels under management, or the conflicting requirement to maximise the bottom line of their owned hotels, then we believe they will struggle to afford the appropriate infrastructure to offer the all-encompassing service that experienced hotel investors look for today and therefore their ability to drive sustainable profitability will be under pressure.

As a result, we expect that we will start to see some consolidation in the industry and streamlining of management teams to maximise efficiencies and ensure hotel investors are able to access the range of services they require with their chosen management company.

Cost efficiencies and operational scrutiny paramount - Louisa Green, Incoming Managing Director (January 2024)

generate a number of leads seeking a change of operating solution, but new build developments will continue to be tough in the short term due to increased cost of construction and debt financing costs. The transaction landscape has also been challenging with 2023 UK transaction volumes in hotels significantly behind historical norms.

I predict that we will see a material increase in transactions in 2024, which will generate additional opportunities for growth in RBH, and I also believe we will see additional signs of distress caused by the high interest rate environment and reduced levels of debt being offered upon refinancing.

Whilst challenging for those directly impacted by such debt servicing scenarios, this in itself will generate opportunities for investors and developers to target the higher returns they have been seeking for several years.

Enhancing existing assets a priority over new transactions - Gregor MacNaughton, Chief Technical Officer Despite the reduced number of hotel transactions in 2023, it will be positive to see hotel owners looking to refurbish existing assets and potentially look to buildings with a different purpose, such as commercial office spaces, with the intention to repurpose and refurbish to become hotel accommodation.

As ESG continues to be a growing focus for hotel owners, we expect to see further investment in energy-reducing technologies to help decarbonise their properties.

The hospitality industry will continue to prove its resilience in 2024.

The focus on cost efficiency will be paramount – particularly following the Autumn Statement and increased National Living Wage (a 9.8% increase on 2022, and 39% increase on 2019’s NLW).

ESG will likely be a key point of consideration for owners when investing in new build hotels, extensions, and refurbs, particularly in regard to green technologies, such as refrigerant gas in AC systems, recycled products and FF&E, etc.

This puts a lot of pressure on all other salaries to maintain pay differentials. We need to continually evaluate the ways to reduce the level of working hours required, for example the opening hours in our restaurants and bars, or the level of housekeeping services a hotel offers.

Furthermore, we will continue to address all fire life safety concerns with cladding and render insulated buildings on existing hotels, but more and more focus will be directed to fire compartmentation which is now becoming critical in all sales processes.

This, of course, cannot be at the detriment of the guest experience as consumer expectations will continue to rise. Receiving both value for money and a memorable experience will remain key and personalizing the experience is now expected, such as room preferences.

An opportunity for investors and developers amidst refinancing difficulties - Andrew Robb, Chief Financial Officer We have had an unusual year with, generally, very positive trading performance and a stabilisation of some costs. But, with specific areas such as Food and Beverage remaining challenging in terms of profit margin, which is being driven by continued high inflation in the price of food, the forthcoming rises in the National Living Wage will not help this.

Despite the headwinds in the industry, the like-for-like RBH portfolio of hotels has a Gross Operating Profit which is 13% ahead this year than 2019, and we are very confident of continued trading growth in 2024.

We have added eight hotels to the RBH portfolio in 2023 and have a further three hotels scheduled to open in 2024 already. We continue to

AI to help fuel evolution of business decision-making - Vibhu Gaind, Chief Information Officer The world is evolving at a pace that is unprecedented; with AI coming truly of age, we will see a move towards private AI environments coming to the market wherein organisations will have the ability to feed their entire data set for AI-based instant analysis and outputs.

The data analytics and management world will take a massive stride towards instant and ready access – making business decision-making a more evolved process.

For the hospitality industry, a key difference will be more Opex-based spending with capital spend and financing being under pressure. Most portfolios will require investment in door locking solutions, phone system refreshes as analogue networks across the UK are decommissioned by 2025, and a constant increase in guest data demands will force necessary upgrades to WIFI and connectivity networks.

Hospitality Heroes To Run 10k A Day In The Lead Up To Christmas To Fight Homelessness A group of 15 Hospitality Heroes, comprised of operators, suppliers and business leaders, will be undertaking an epic run challenge this month, setting out on Friday to run 10km every day from 1st December through to Christmas Day, to raise vital funds for industry charity Only A Pavement Away.

To support people facing homelessness across this tough season, the group will be running across a 24-day period, totalling a mammoth 240,0000 metres, or 150 miles per person. All funds raised will go to ‘Only A Pavement Away’, to help support people facing homelessness this winter, with the long term aim of helping them find meaningful employment in the hospitality industry.

Fundraising founder, Alan Armstrong was inspired to make a difference in this difficult time and alleviate the pressure for those facing homelessness and the hospitality sector. Alan and the team of runners have already raised a fantastic £1000 for Only A Pavement Away. The group’s goal is to raise a monumental £5000 for the charity.

These funds could not come at a more important time, as sadly, this Christmas, thousands of people across the UK will be sleeping rough and in desperate need of support through the colder months. Nearly a quar-

ter of a million households across England are now experiencing homelessness, that includes rough sleeping, sofa surfing and staying in unsuitable temporary accommodation like B&Bs. Rough sleeping alone has increased in England by 26% in the past year.

Alan Armstrong, Challenge Founder and Founder of Spaceman Hospitality Marketing said, “We know winter is such a difficult time for people facing homelessness. Like many, I was disappointed by recent rhetoric calling homelessness a ‘lifestyle choice’ and was motivated to do something positive for people struggling. When I conceived of this run challenge, I was amazed by how many of my colleagues and friends in the hospitality industry wanted to get involved and raise funds.

Only A Pavement Away is such a fantastic charity in delivering long term stability for people facing homelessness, and it is a real honour to help the team in their mission.”

Greg Mangham, Managing Director of Only a Pavement away, said: “This challenge encapsulates everything that is amazing about hospitality. It’s all about being part of and supporting the communities we work with. Through their fundraising efforts, these hospitality heroes are helping us support our members during this tough time of year and fight homelessness this Christmas.”

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‘Tis The Season To Be Kind, Say Hospitality And Retail Bosses As the festive period begins, the British Retail Consortium and UKHospitality have come together to urge the public to be kind and considerate to people who work in retail and hospitality, as well as fellow customers when doing their shopping, dining out or going for a festive tipple this Christmas.

The plea comes as violence and abuse against those in customer service continues to climb, with a recent Usdaw survey showing that in the last 12 months, 65% of retail staff experienced verbal abuse, and 42% have been threatened by a customer.

Christmas is always an incredibly complex and challenging time of year for the retail and hospitality industry. Everyone is working extra hard to keep shelves stocked, products delivered, and meals and drinks served, and stores, delivery services, restaurants, pubs and bars will naturally be a little busier.

Nonetheless, it is essential that we all play our part in creating a friendly and enjoyable environment for other customers and staff this Christmas, and we ask for patience, kindness and consideration during this busy

time.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive, UKHospitality: “Christmas is a time for friends and family to come together, so naturally venues will be busier as we all look to go for a drink or have a meal out. Our staff work incredibly hard over the busy festive period to make sure everyone can enjoy the brilliant hospitality experiences the UK is known for and they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. We’d urge customers to do just that and not let any frustrations boil over into mistreatment of staff. Any poor treatment of staff should not be tolerated.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, British Retail Consortium: “As the clock counts down to Christmas Day, retail stores and websites will become increasingly busy. People in retail are working hard to look after customers, helping them find what they need, keeping shelves stocked and delivering goods. While tensions can run high, any mistreatment of our colleagues will not be tolerated. Confrontations, be it verbal abuse or physical assault, can take a huge toll on victims, their families and their colleagues. ‘Tis the season to shop kind.”

Visitengland Launches New Accessibility Toolkit For Tourism Businesses

VisitEngland has launched its new ‘Accessible and Inclusive Toolkit for Tourism Businesses’ in England.

building a more inclusive society where every disabled person can reach their fullest potential.”

The toolkit includes practical guidance on providing an inclusive welcome, designing accessible buildings, employing disabled people and creating quality accessibility information.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “Our research shows that visitors in this important market value clear, concise, accessible information and tourism business want to provide it. We want to support businesses to remove barriers so that visitors with accessibility requirements have the opportunity to enjoy our tourism offer like everyone else.”

Tourism Minister Sir John Whittingdale said: “It is the Government’s ambition for the UK to become the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025, as set out in our Tourism Recovery Plan.”

“VisitEngland is playing a crucial role in leading the industry towards achieving this. Its work in this space is respected not just domestically but internationally.

“I very much support the new toolkit and hope for it to become the go-to resource for visitor economy businesses across England.”

Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP said: “The Government is committed to making disabled people’s lives easier, including through our Disability Action Plan, and this toolkit is another step towards

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“This best-in-class toolkit supports businesses to place accessibility at the centre of their operations, driving improved customer service and their welcome for visitors.”vements, as well as more aspirational technical design guidance.

The toolkit can be accessed at: https://www.visitbritain.org/businessadvice/make-your-business-accessible-and-inclusive/visitengland-accessible-and-inclusive About 30 organisations, including some of the leading disability charities and tourism and hospitality trade associations, have had input into the development of the toolkit, which has been launched in the run up to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2023.

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Issue 190

Wine’s Out, Spirit’s In, The Easiest Ways To Increase Beverage Sales This Christmas

By Briget Fosang, founder of Étän Rum (www.etanrum.co.uk) The Christmas period is THE time for you to make your money, stockpiling for the year ahead, getting in quick before the dry January blues and cost-saving kicks in. December is the best opportunity for all hospitality venues to capitalise on increased socials and spending and make a ton of money for the year ahead.

Beer and wine are pretty meh, being around all year round, people tend to look for more celebratory tipples at Christmas, so step aside Champagne, (and Gin, you’re so 2019) and let’s take a look at how to maximise your spirit sales this December to make the most money you can during this Christmas period. Here are my top tips!

1. PICK A BRAND AND SELL, SELL, SELL! Be focused on what you want to sell. Tequila, Rum, Mezcal, Brandy or Whisky, pick your product and go! Break December into chunks, maybe you want to focus on one brand, maybe its’s one spirit, or maybe you do focus weeks or the whole month. Either way, take your pick and stick with it. Focus all your attention on your drink of choice, and go for it.

Reach out to the brand you’d like to promote, this brand could be big, small, local or international, but we would always recommend something local and artisan if you can.

Ask if they can provide marketing materials to support your promotion. I’m always an advocate for asking for stuff, the worst they can say is no, and believe me, they’ll probably be super chuffed you want to partner and promote their brand so will probably be happy to help.

The marketing material could be anything, from t-shirts that you can get your staff wearing, to coasters, specialist glasses, or even keyrings or treats that the customers can be gifted if they purchase the product. This will help align your marketing messaging, make everything cohesive, and of course raise their brand awareness.

Front of sight is front of mind, so those drinks will start selling themselves, I tell you.

The brand might also provide high-quality items you can use to decorate your venue, branded bunting, nap-

kins, posters and glassware which you can place throughout your businesses, creating cohesive and eye-catching displays to entice customers. After all, seeing a brand you know and love on display at a local bar is sure to make you pop in for a cheeky cocktail or two.

Make sure to build on your product knowledge during this time too, no-one is going to know a brand better than the owners do, so make sure to glean as much intel and information from them as you can, to ensure you know everything there is to know about their delicious drink. Work with your chosen provider to tell a narrative around the drinks you are providing. Understand their origin and brand history, where their ingredients are sourced from and what flavours work best with it. The more you know about the brand you're promoting, the more you and your employees can sell it to customers.

2.

MAKE SURE ALL BRANDED MESSAGING IS COHESIVE.

Make sure all messaging across your premises is cohesive and directly promotes the beverages you intend to sell. Keep it focused, if you’re selling a luxury rum brand, focus on that brand. Don’t dilute your messaging.

Utilise everything you have to hand, blackboards, A-boards outside, TV screens in the bar, menus etc, make sure all these carry the same promotions and messaging. Place signs indoors and outdoors showcasing specialised beverages, infused with the branded partner of your choice with a clear messaging on pricing.

Remember the time of year, think about what sells most on your menu and add in your product of choice. If hot chocolate flies off the shelves, make a special naughty number including the artisan rum, ensure it’s beautiful, whack some marshmallows or other beautiful treats on it and make it instagrammable. If Negroni is your clients tipple of choice, substitute gin for Rum, it's a new take on a classic and the people will love it.

3.

CREATE INCENTIVES FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES TO SELL MORE.

Create competitions amongst your staff to sell products for a prize. Asking your employees to half-heartedly sell a product they probably don’t care about is one thing, add in a benefit for them, and now we’re talking!

For example, give your staff a number of points for every product they sell, the person with the highest number of points each week could win a £100 voucher to a store of their choice (super helpful this time of year for Christmas shopping). A bit of friendly competition never hurt anyone, but it does really help your bottom line and till takings!

There are so many ways to increase your Spirit sales this December, I’ve got many more tips where these came from but we just don’t have the space for it. Choose a partner to work with who aligns with your brand and go for it. Happy Christmas, and good luck!

Ringwood Brewery To Close

CMBC said the brewery and shop, located in Hampshire on the edge of the New Forest, would close from January next year

Ten employees would be impacted by the move, and would be consulted on the proposals “over the coming weeks”, CMBC said. “Having, over the last six months, been unable to secure a sale of our Ringwood Brewery operation in Photo Credit: © Clive Perrin and licenced for reuse under Hampshire, we have made the difficult decision to announce our intention to close the site,” cc-by-sa 2.0 said CMBC chief executive Paul Davies. “We are incredibly proud of the effort and dedication of our people at Ringwood Brewery – our priority now is to support colleagues affected by the proposals through the consultation period, which has now begun.”

Production of Ringwood’s brands, which include Razorback, Old Thumper, Forty Niner and Boondoggle, would move to other breweries in the CMBC network, it said.

CMBC had announced in June that it was putting the Ringwood Brewery up for sale after determining the level of investment required to sustain and update the site would be too large.

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company has announced it plans to close the Ringwood Brewery after the company was unable to find a buyer for the Ringwood site and brand since putting it up for sale in June 2023, just over three years after Carlsberg merged with Marston’s.

In 2007, Ringwood was purchased by Marston’s for £19.2 million. Marston’s disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling assets to a joint venture with the Carlsberg Group to create the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company

Catering for Every Eventuality

Catering and hospitality prides itself on reacting to changing conditions, like a sudden influx of business, with aplomb. It’s what makes hospitality the fascinating industry it is and makes it such a good subject for films and TV programmes.

However, when something unexpected occurs, like a drastic change in the weather, it pays to be prepared. As we come to the end of the outdoor catering season, an unexpected cold snap could affect customer comfort.

In larger buildings where airflow is limited, additional heating may be required to ensure a comfortable ambient temperature throughout.

At Machine Mart we supply Clarke heaters which cater for all scenarios. Space Heaters, Radiant Heaters, Halogen Heaters and Industrial Heaters.

SPACE HEATERS Space heaters heat large spaces. They work by heating the air and are ideal for heating a marquee or large hall. Great as a fallback option should the boiler fail, they are either paraffin/diesel powered or gas fired and can vary in output. For convenience, we also supply trolley mounted models so you can easily transport the heat where it is needed.

RADIANT HEATERS

Perfect for cold spots, gas, paraffin or diesel powered radiant heaters work by radiating infrared light. A safer option in locations where children or vulnerable adults could harm themselves.

HALOGEN HEATERS Halogen heaters are favoured in an external setting and are typically used as patio heaters, and for heating smoking areas and al fresco dining spaces. Halogen heaters are also infrared and so only heat solid objects like you so there is no loss of heat when used as heat source outside.

INDUSTRIAL HEATERS Our range of electric fan heaters is perfect for external buildings, heating up quickly and efficiently. A low heat setting can take the chill off an exposed conservatory for a comfortable dining experience.

Prime the Pumps Flash floods have become the norm recently meaning cellars are at risk of being flooded. Machine Mart’s range of Clarke water pumps painlessly remove water from subterranean levels in the most trying of conditions.

Explore our full range of heaters and pumps this autumn.

See the advert opposite for details.

14

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Love Is In The Air, But Lo-Fi Is In The Airwaves

Something about summer makes the season perfect for getting back into the dating scene, whether the hot weather or the brighter evenings. Music licensing company PPL PRS working with neuroscientist Dr Julia Jones (AKA Dr Rock), has revealed the results of their recent survey unveiling how hospitality businesses can help to calm the first date nerves with music.

In a brand new survey* the music licensing company discovered that when it comes to the UK’s most preferred hospitality venues for a first date, cafes (40%) and pubs (40%) were ranked the favourite rendezvous hot spots.

LOVE IS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

When it comes to building an atmosphere that’s good for business and lends a hand to the lovebirds of society, here are some things for hospitality venues to consider from the experts at PPL PRS.

THE TIME OF DAY Setting the mood ready for when daters arrive is key – so opening shift workers will not have to worry about witnessing any awkward first dates, as the more popular times for budding couples to meet for a first date are evenings (65%), followed by afternoons (22%), with having something to eat alongside a cocktail or coffee seemingly a winning combination.

MENU OPTIONS

Love is all about compatibility, but external factors play a crucial part on a first date. When asked about how a venue’s atmosphere and music influence first dates, almost two-thirds (61%) of respondents said that they prefer there to be music playing in the background of a date. Most said that music helps them relax (64%), reduces awkwardness (57%) and helps to break the ice (42%). Others also said it puts them in a happy mood (34%) and gives them something to talk about (33%) with their date.

Music licensing company PPL PRS found that singletons plan on sharing a meal on afternoon dates (13%) and evening dates (35%), venues could entice new customers with date (or mate) night offers, discounting meals and/or drinks when bought in pairs. Set menus or drinks deals could also help bars and restaurants to cement their status as a trendy date location.

THE MUSIC PLAYING

CAN YOU HEAR THE LOVE TONIGHT? The choice of music can also be crucial in setting the right atmosphere. More than half (57%) shared that they would prefer to hear chill-out music, like lo-fi, during a first date, which can be perfect for those first date jitters.

Dr Julia Jones, Smart Wellness Coach for PPL PRS, explains that “Listening to music that you find relaxing can help reassure your brain that you’re in a safe environment - so the stress response can be disengaged. Timing your breath with music to slow inhales and extend exhales also deactivates that ancient stress circuit and engages your relaxation mode. This is because our breath engages the vagus nerve that regulates the relaxation response.”

The next favourite genre of music for first dates was pop, being ranked second by 45% of people, and RnB – one of the more romantic genres – followed as 27% of daters preferred the genre.

Depending on what you specialise in as a venue, switching up the tracks you play during common date hours could lead to a couple becoming regulars, remembering your venue as where their relationship began.

We asked UK singletons which genre of recorded music they’d like to hear on a first date from different venues, and this is what they shared: · Bars should bop to pop (47%) · Pop music in a pub (48%) · Restaurateurs should add chill-out to the musical menu (63%) · Cafes should play chill-out music (55%) Dr Julia Jones said: “Studies show that our brainwaves often synchronise to the music we hear. This means that you can use slow, relaxing music to slow your brainwaves and enter relaxing brain states.” So, if you know you’re going to have a string of nervous daters in your venue, you can use music to ease their experience.

A word for the wise is that the most important thing for hospitality and daters alike is making sure the atmosphere and mood boost the relationships, new and old, within the customer base and employees to ensure that everyone has a good time – whether done through music or playing on another of the senses. The atmosphere created could be the reason someone scores a second date. * A survey commissioned by PPL PRS of 1000 UK respondents by Attest in June 2023

The Grand Hotel Eastbourne Welcomes New Head Chef, Alex Burtenshaw, to the Mirabelle The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne is delighted to announce the appointment of Head Chef Alex Burtenshaw, to the Mirabelle Restaurant.

His inspiration came from childhood, seeing his father watching stalwart chefs such as Keith Floyd and Rick Stein on the television, and catching the food and travel bug.

Alex joins from Port Hotel in Eastbourne, and in his 14-year career has held Head and Sous Chef positions at a number of award-winning hotel restaurants across the south coast, including Brighton Harbour Hotel & Spa, The Restaurant at Drakes Hotel in Brighton, and Hotel Du Vin in Brighton.

He comments: “I’m delighted to be joining this iconic seaside hotel, which has been serving exceptional cuisine to the residents of Eastbourne and visitors from around the world since 1875. It has a distinguished history as one of the finest hotels on the south coast, hosting world famous musicians and thespians over the decades and even hosting live on the BBC weekly in the 1920s and 30s, and I’m thrilled to joining this historic British institution. I’m excited to be championing some of the excellent local suppliers we have on our doorstep, from sustainably sourced fish from Fish MCB Newhaven, to award-winning goats cheese from Nut Knowle Farm, as well as excellent English Sparkling Wine from Bolney Wine Estate, and much, much more.”

Mirabelle Restaurant – one of two at the hotel – has gained an exceptional reputation for its quality dining menus and has won multiple plaudits and awards including being named in the top 50 best restaurants in the UK in the Independent, and featuring regularly in The Good Food Guide. Serving an exquisite modern European menu of seasonal specialities featuring local Sussex and Kent produce, complemented by an expertly curated wine list featuring many local Sussex wines, the restaurant is one of the finest in Eastbourne and on the south coast.

Alex brings to the Mirabelle his signature style of classic British with a modern European twist, taking influence from cuisines all over and adding his own unique spin.

Jonathan Webley, General Manager at The Grand Eastbourne, says: “We are thrilled to welcome Alex to The Grand, bringing his wealth of experience and creativity to the hotel kitchen, where he will be a pivotal part of the team. His passion for championing the fantastic and abundant produce available in Sussex will be a huge asset to our dining offering.”

Time to Show Off the Best the South West Has to Offer!

Are you looking for new suppliers and inspiring ideas? If you're involved in food retail, catering, or hospitality, wherever you're based in the South West, Hale Events have got a perfectly timed trade show for you:

The Source trade show - Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th of February 2024, at Westpoint near Exeter.

The Source is where the region’s food and drink buyers come to shop.

From delicious speciality foods and locally produced drinks to major, market-leading brands and artisan produce to suit every taste, The Source is here to inspire retail choices, great hospitality, and facilitate profitable catering. In partnership with regional food group Taste of the West, this trade show will delight your senses with the latest flavours and ideas.

New to the show in 2024 are companies such as Kin Vodka, House of Sarunds and Sloe Motion, who will be exhibiting alongside more familiar names such as Forest Produce, Denhay Farms, Frobishers, The Real Olive Company, and Friary Liqueurs.

Running each year at the start of February, The Source offers the ideal way to bring fresh momentum to your business and prepare you for the trading season ahead. With plenty of free parking and a friendly and collaborative ambience, there’s no better way to get the new year off to a flying start than a visit to The Source!

Expowest Cornwall - Wednesday 6th & Thursday 7th March, at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge.

As the only trade exhibition in the region that’s truly dedicated to hospitality and catering, Expowest Cornwall is an unmissable event for professionals in this sector.The show is strategically timed to take place well before the main spring/summer tourist season gets underway, helping to make it a cornerstone of the Cornish business calendar. You’ll find new exhibitors such as Franke Coffee, Mcwhinney’s Sausage and Passmore Cleaning, exhibiting alongside Hunts Foodservice, Westcountry, R D Johns, T Quality, J&R Foodservice and many more. LWC will once again be bringing their range of national and regional drink brands to quench your thirst for the best for your business.

If you are eager to see, taste and testthe best that the South West of England has to offer and truly understand what shapes the local market, this is one show that you can’t afford to miss.

Both these shows will satisfy your appetite, whether you run a pub, hotel, restaurant, café, deli, farm shop, holiday park, tourist attraction, catering business, supermarket or if your business is food and drink. You can register for free trade entry now on the shows’ websites at www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk and www.expowestcornwall.co.uk or call 01934 733456. If you’re interested in a stand, please call 01934 733433 or email stands@hale-events.com.

In the meantime, if you’d like to keep up to date with all the hospitality, catering, food & drink news in the South West, why not visit www.riseandshine.hale-events.com and sign up for the Rise & Shine enewsletter, which is delivered bi-weekly by Hale Events.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Stirling MP Calls For Business Rates Support Scottish MP Alyn Smith is calling for urgent support to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across Stirling, as economic anxieties mount ahead of the festive period.

The Office of National Statistics estimates retail sales volumes fell by 0.3% in October 2023, following a fall of 1.1% in September 2023 (revised from a fall of 0.9%). In October, this represented a 2.7% year-on-year fall.

The UK Chancellor announced in his recent Autumn Statement the continuation of Business Rates relief of 75% for businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure sectors – worth up to £110,000 on their business rates bill next year. Mr Smith is calling for the Scottish Government to extend similar support to business nationwide in their own budget process.

Alyn Smith MP said: ‘Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are the lifeblood of Stirling’s city centre and high streets. Many are having a really tough time at the moment, with cost pressures continuing to rise, energy bills remaining at historic highs, and the fallout from a slowing economic picture. They need all the support they can get, and I urge the Scottish Government to do all they can in their own budget considerations to support

these businesses to the fullest.

‘Stirling is a fantastic place to live, work, study or visit, and I’ve met with countless businesses across the entire constituency who do so much for their community. If we’re to head off a regional economic calamity, and stave off even more empty retail premises, we need to see real action to help our businesses.’

Stuart Fraser, Director at the Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha said: ‘Times are unbelievably tough for hospitality businesses at the moment, with costs increasing and footfall stuttering. The rate relief measures we saw announced in the UK Autumn Statement will be very welcome, and I back Alyn’s call for the Scottish Government to do likewise for those of us in Scotland. Businesses like ours play our part like any other in the community, employing local people and boosting tourism. The pandemic was a hammer blow to the local economy, and businesses can’t take much more of this. I thank Alyn for his rock-solid support, and trust the Scottish Government will do right by us.’

Stephen Montgomery, Director, Scottish Hospitality Group said ‘We welcome Alyn Smith’s advocacy for the much-loved hospitality businesses in his constituency, and for his support for emergency intervention to save Scotland’s hospitality sector.

‘Hospitality is at the heart of our communities, and is Scotland’s third largest employing sector of the economy. But we’re struggling to recover from the double economic hit of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.”

‘It is vital that the Scottish Government uses the Scottish Budget to give hospitality a fighting chance of survival with emergency business rates relief to match England, and long-term reform to make business rates fairer for hospitality.’

Charlie’s Bar Christmas Advert “Reinforces The Social And Cultural Value Of Pubs” sised that pubs continue to serve as a sanctuary for many, especially during the festive season. They provide a safe space for people to come together, share stories and find solace in the company of others.

A new Christmas ad making waves, not for the retail space but for the voice of our wonderful pubs.

One small family-run pub in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, has managed to capture the hearts of millions across the UK and the world with a powerful TikTok video that delivers a heartfelt portrayal of profound impact that our community asset, the pub, has on our lives.

Colin Neill, the chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, aptly stated, “The video’s underlying message highlights the central role of the local pub in our society.” In a world dominated by virtual interactions, pubs remain sanctuaries where people come together, open up and share life with others over a pint.

The heart-warming two minute TikTok video, tells a poignant story of isolation and companionship, beginning with a man standing alone at a graveside. He then wanders through the quiet streets of Enniskillen, seemingly unnoticed by passers-by, until he finds himself in Charlie’s Bar. It’s there that the real magic happens as Missy the dog seeks him out, followed by a warm-hearted couple who invite the man to share a drink with them.

The video concludes with a poignant quote from the poet W.B. Yeats: “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met.”

positive and joyful for some as it is for others and we probably see that more than others at this time of year.”

The choice of soundtrack for the video features “People Help the People” by Birdy, adding an emotional depth to the storytelling.

The emotional impact of the video has extended far beyond the confines of social media. Even John Lewis acknowledged the advert on TikTok, commenting, “We’re not crying, you are.”

Una Burns, the pub manager who conceived the idea for the video, expressed her feelings about the overwhelming response it has received: “We wanted people to feel something when they watch this video and get across the idea that, unfortunately, Christmas isn’t as

The success of Charlie’s Bar’s Christmas advert highlights the enduring significance of pubs in our society. Colin Neill, the chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, which represents pubs in Northern Ireland, noted that the video captures an important aspect of pub culture. He empha-

The heart-warming story of Charlie’s Bar underscores the vital role that pubs play in fostering connections, combating loneliness and creating a sense of belonging. Pubs are more than just places to enjoy a drink; they are places where memories are made, where friendships are formed and where, as this Christmas advert beautifully portrays, no one is ever truly alone.

As we enter the festive season, let’s remember the unique and enduring significance of our local pubs. They are not just businesses; they are integral parts of our communities, providing warmth, comfort and companionship, especially when it’s needed most.

If you have yet to watch the video – you can see it at https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0I7XmtqnKc/?utm_source=ig_web_c opy_link&igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw%3D%3D

Wholesale Online Report Reveals How Suppliers Are Developing Key E-Commerce Capabilities The latest research from Lumina Intelligence UK Wholesale Online Report 2023 reveals that inflation, energy hikes and staff costs ‒ alongside ongoing volatile consumer sentiment ‒ are having major impacts on retailer and foodservice businesses. New insights from the report show that 67% of retailers are worried about energy costs, and 63% cite inflation as a major concern, both presenting huge challenges to profitability.

BENEFITS OF ONLINE SHOW CLEARLY The new report highlights the benefits e-commerce offers, including maximising reach and boosting operational efficiencies for wholesalers.

And for retailers, digital solutions can enable the cheapest possible price and offer that all-important personalised shopping experience through tailored promotions and product recommendations.

ONLINE PURCHASING IS MAIN ROUTE TO MARKET IN WHOLESALE Online-delivered is the main way that retailers purchase from wholesalers, currently standing at 71%, demonstrating the growing importance of the online channel for wholesalers and suppliers. During 2023,

wholesalers have launched successful digital solutions focused on tailored category advice and personalised promotions.

WHATSAPP BUSINESS API CAN BOOST ONLINE JOURNEYS For wholesalers, WhatsApp is driving engagement and delivering a personalised experience, especially when messages are sent at the most effective times of day. For suppliers, B2B WhatsApp messages are key to boosting promotions, targeting higher spend and reaching a broader retailer audience.

SUPPLIER-WHOLESALER WEBSITE COLLABORATION REAPS DIVIDENDS With a very high proportion of search users never going past the first page of results, optimising internal search functions and media placements are key for ease of online navigation and engagement. Suppliers can collaborate with wholesalers to advise on clear taxonomy of products so that, for example, foodservice operators can easily find dietary alternative solutions on their platforms.

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

17

Night Czar Urges Ministers To Not Close The Hospitality Industry Off From The Rest Of The World London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé has today warned of the hugely damaging impact that the Government’s new immigration plans will have on the capital’s night-time industries.

has been facing significant pressure following the impact of the pandemic and ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The Night Czar has warned that the Home Secretary’s plans to raise the minimum salary needed for skilled overseas workers from £26,200 to £38,700 will cause significant long-term damage to a hospitality industry already struggling to fill vacancies.

“Businesses are already experiencing staff shortages and challenges to fill vacancies since our departure from the EU, and these plans from Government will only make this worse and risk hugely damaging this vital industry. It will almost certainly lead to more businesses closing their doors for good.

There were 8,500 hospitality visas issued last year in the UK and the majority of these are likely to have been based in the capital, but analysis from UKHospitality has shown that around 95 per cent of those would no longer be eligible under these plans, despite being offered competitive salaries. London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé said: “Our capital’s life at night is the best in the world, but our hospitality industry

“There is no doubt that more has to be done to provide British workers with the right skills, but we simply cannot close this industry off from the rest of the world. Our hospitality businesses need more skilled workers right now. I urge Ministers to urgently reconsider their plans and recognise the value and importance of our hospitality industry to help drive our economic recovery.”

Almost 80% Of People Would Rather Take Their Dog To The Pub Than Their Parents, DesignMyNight Study Reveals A survey conducted by leading hospitality and booking platform, DesignMyNight, found that 79.4% of respondents would prefer to go to the pub with their dog this Christmas, rather than their parents. It’s not just about the preferred company though, it's about the offerings too.

Surprisingly, 54% of participants shared their eagerness to pamper their pets with a dog-friendly beer if made available at their local watering hole.

Those surveyed are barking mad for dog-themed events too. 77.8% stated their interest in specially curated gatherings catered for dogs. From doggy afternoon teas to their very own parties, it appears that the public love to take their dog to events around the UK. The hospitality platform has also revealed that there’s been a 22% increase in dog-related searches on the site this year, compared to 2022 alongside an increase in fur-friendly events being uploaded by hospitality

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operators, with some specifically tailored to the festive season.

Dog food brand, Pure Pet, are currently one of the companies jumping on the Christmas dog events trend by running a Christmas pop-up for pet parents and their pups. Founder of the company, Matthew Cockroft, said: “London is filled with pet parents, so we couldn’t think of a better location – especially as pet and dog-friendly events become more and more popular.”

Suzie Thompson, Commercial VP for Red Carnation Hotels reveals how dog-friendly dining is an important part of their operations: “We continue to see a rise in guests who choose to travel with their pets and are looking for hotels that offer extended services including curated menus, grooming services and dog sitting and walking options. Our pet concierge understand that pets are family,and are on hand to recommend local dogfriendly restaurants, bars, parks and activities for the perfect stay.”

Top 30 UK Restaurant Group Debt Burden Tops £3bn For The First Time

18

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

The debt burden of the UK’s Top 30 restaurant groups has broken through £3bn for the first time, shows new research by UHY Hacker Young, the national accountancy group.

Despite the sector’s efforts to cut debt levels, debts increased slightly over in the last year from £2.96bn in 2021 to 3.03bn in 2022 (see graph).

Restaurant companies had built up substantial debts during the last decade as the sector expanded rapidly. With profits in the sector often dependent on scaling chains quickly, many restaurant groups became over-leveraged. Many restaurant companies also added to the borrowing during Covid through BBLs and CBILs loans.

The sharp rise in interest rates over the last two years has substantially added to the strain of servicing that debt.

The rising cost of living is also pushing adding pressure on restaurant operators. Spending on restaurants

decreased 10.3% in October 2023, for the ninth consecutive month*.

Peter Kubik, Partner at UHY Hacker Young says:

“The restaurant sector’s debt levels ought to be coming down. It’s worrying that it’s not already, given the cost of borrowing at present.”

“A lot of restaurant groups had worked extremely hard to restructure their debts and shed costs over recent years. These figures suggest that the problem hasn’t been fixed yet.”

“High interest rates and lack of consumer spending are leaving some restaurant chains in a precarious position. If the cost-of-living crisis persists much longer, more restaurants will start to struggle with a lack of cash flow. That’s going to lead to more of them going under.”

Insolvencies of restaurant businesses in the UK rose 44% in the past year, increasing from 1,611 in the year to the end of September 2022 to 2,109 in the following 12 months**.

New Award Winning Technology Can Save You 35% To 55% On Cooking Oil in Deep Fryers If you own a restaurant or a kitchen with a deep fryer, then you might be surprised at how much you spend every year on cooking oil. Have you ever calculated this direct cost? If you haven’t, then you should, because Canadian Company, Eco Friendly Chef Corp. is helping thousands of professional kitchen operators to dramatically cut their oil costs in half.

A new innovative product called OiLChef is revolutionizing the food industry.

The award-winning OiLChef device is one of the most sophisticated technologies available in the world for deep fryers today. It is not a filter or a chemical, but rather a device which is simply installed in your deep fryer in less than 10 seconds!

Putting the OiLChef in your fryer will give you a competitive edge and attract more consumer pounds. Your fried food items will absorb less oil and therefore will contain fewer calories. Good for the consumer, good for the bottom line.

Reduce carbon footprint: It will minimize your environmental impact through a reduction in energy and oil consumption.

Faster service: Food cooks quicker.

Reduce food waste: Food is crispier and holds its shape and texture for longer.

Great for food delivery.

Zero flavour transfer: It prevents flavour transfer between different foods being cooked in the same oil.

Kitchen smoke and frying odours: It reduces the smoke and odours of frying in your kitchen/restaurant. Creating a more pleasant working and dining experience and minimizes the workload on your air filtering systems and maintenance.

Health & safety: It reduces the smoke point of your oil, and thereby lowers the risk of a deep fryer fire. Also, staff interaction with changing the fryer oil is cut down by at least half, reducing risk of accidental burns and oil spillage.

Reduce operating costs: It gives you the opportunity to cut down or move away from costly monthly additives required to improve oil quality. Fewer people hours are required each month for fryer changes.

For further information visit www.oilchef.co.uk Contact Andrew Jackson – andrew.jackson@oilchef.com Landline: 01278 691327 Mobile: 07902 745435

Navigating Compliance: Owen’s Law and Allergen Checker’s Seamless Support Recent court cases have highlighted the critical need for robust allergen management systems in the hospitality industry.

The legal consequences for breaching allergenlabelling laws have intensified: urging establishments to prioritise compliance and transparency. One noteworthy case involved a Blackwood pub, fined for failing to provide allergen information, where the establishment’s stance was shockingly expressed as “We are unable to cater for customers with food allergies.”

This alarming case underscores the urgent necessity for a proactive and comprehensive approach to allergen transparency.

As the industry braces itself for positive changes with Owen’s Law within the next 12 months, Allergen Checker (www.allergenchecker.co.uk) emerges as an indispensable ally for establishments navigating this complex landscape.

Already a champion of compliance through its labelling function, the software positions itself at the forefront of the industry’s move toward enhanced allergen transparency.

Allergen Checker not only supports Natasha’s Law requirements but anticipates Owen’s Law, offering a forward-thinking solution.

Picture a future where every ingredient, even beyond the standard 14 allergens, is meticulously accounted for. Allergen Checker excels in offering this level of transparency, ensuring that compliance with

Natasha’s Law and the upcoming Owen’s Law becomes an opportunity to enhance customer trust and safety.

Not only does Allergen Checker help those with allergies it also provides invaluable information to millions who suffer from intolerances. Listing every ingredient will only encourage your customers to trust what they are eating. All the information can be hidden behind a useful QR Code to be placed on your menu without encroaching on your menu design.

For those seeking a smooth transition and an opportunity to enhance their offering Allergen Checker invites you to explore its capabilities with a 14-day free trial.

Owen’s Law is not a challenge; it’s a chance to redefine how we approach allergen management, and Allergen Checker is here to lead the way.

Follow the link and step into the future with confidence.

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

14 D MONE AY Y GUAR BACK ANTEE .

3 YE A WARR R ANTY .

New Award Winning Technology can SAVE YOU 35% TO 55% ON COOKING OIL in deep fryers.

REDUCING COSTS Increasing Margins

We strongly believe in cutting costs without compromising quality.

We look forward to the day that all food industries will join our Eco Friendly quest.

Until then we will provide eco friendly solutions that will help them all to reduce their carbon footprint.

Why spend all that money on oil, energy and labour when you can dramatically reduce these costs today?

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Contact Andrew Jackson by phone or email: andrew.jackson@oilchef.com Landline 01278 691327 Mobile 07902 745435

Ground-Breaking Report Reveals That As Travel & Tourism Continues To Grow, Its Water Intensity Falls 20

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched its new groundbreaking report, ‘Water Roadmap for Travel & Tourism’, revealing total water intensity by global Travel & Tourism continues to decrease as the sector continues to grow.

Despite being one the fastest growing sectors, accounting for one in 10 jobs globally and contributing 10.4% of global GDP in 2019, Travel & Tourism’s water usage ranged between 3.5% and 5.8% of global available freshwater, in 2021 and 2019 respectively.

While this is a lower share than other key sectors, such as agriculture and food, which accounted for 70% of global water usage, there is more work to be done as growing water scarcity has become one of the most pressing challenges for sustainable development.

Today, over 2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, while 4.2 billion do not have access to safe sanitation services. Water is a vital natural resource, sustaining life on earth, making it an essential asset that must be protected.

The report highlights that further progress can be made if Travel & Tourism stakeholders take a series of actions, and sustainable water practices are implemented globally.

In a collaborative effort, WTTC worked with Accenture and Oxford Economics to leverage their expertise in data analysis, best practices, and proven methodologies, providing a framework to help the global travel and tourism sector set water targets, reduce their water footprint and increase water resilience.

The data is a result of to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center.

According to the research, from 2010 to 2019, Asia Pacific, Americas and the Middle East saw their Travel & Tourism water usage increase, while experiencing significant growth in international arrivals. Europe and Africa saw a yearly increase in international arrivals of 5% and 4% respectively between 2010 to 2019 but experienced a 1% decline in water use over the same period.

This achievement highlights the opportunities within the Travel & Tourism sector to further reduce water usage and take further steps towards the SDG 6 goals of the global water action agenda.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Water scarcity is a pressing global issue that requires collective action. Travel & Tourism, with its unique influence and global reach, is perfectly positioned to play a pivotal role in fostering sustainable water practices.

“With this report, we aim to inspire a transformative journey toward responsible water use and a regenerative future, accelerating progress towards achieving SDG 6.”

Jesko-Philipp Neuenburg, Global Travel and Aviation Sustainability lead at Accenture, said: “This new publication highlights the transformative power of data and technology to drive collaboration, inform decision-making, foster innovation and implement water reduction and resilience action plans.

“From artificial intelligence, generative AI and machine learning, smart sensors and IOT, to blockchain and the metaverse, technology and data are enablers of sustainability and can play an important role in water stewardship efforts across the travel supply chain – whilst addressing security, privacy and environmental risks. With global travel demand booming, now is the time for travel and tourism organisations to reinvent their efforts and build actionable, impactful and accountable water strategies for this precious and finite resource.”

Hoteliers Hoping For A Christmas Miracle Hoteliers in Bristol are hoping for a Christmas miracle after their businesses were left out in the cold in the recent Autumn Statement.

are reluctant to increase what we charge our customers, but some price rises are likely in order for us to be able to make ends meet.

Members of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) are particularly concerned about the Chancellor’s announcement that the National Living Wage is to be increased by almost 10% from next April, putting further financial pressure on their businesses.

“The rise in living wage is higher than was forecast in March, and effectively blows out of the water any ‘benefit’ to our businesses through the extension of business rates relief.

BHA Chair Raphael Herzog said the extension of the business rates relief scheme is cold comfort in the face of the increased wage costs and the continuing high prices for energy, food and drink.

He said: “The fact that the Chancellor chose to freeze alcohol duty is one less cost for us to take on but it’s only a temporary reprieve, until August next year.

“We need longer-term support if our businesses are to be sustainable.

“Industry bodies have, for some time, been calling for reductions in VAT and employer contributions to National Insurance.

“While the measures around business rates and alcohol duty announced in the Autumn Statement are very welcome, there don’t go anywhere near far enough to giving hospitality businesses the support they need.

“People are still generally being cautious with their money, so if you look at Christmas party bookings, for example, they are currently at a similar level to last year, but nowhere near where they were in 2019.

“We want people to come to us for their festive events, but we’ve had to raise prices for a party at a restaurant or a hotel because the costs to the venues have gone up again, it’s a vicious circle that, without further Government support, is going to take miracle to break out of.

“While any reprieve from increasing costs is going to help, we need longterm support and solutions, not quick-fixes.

“A reduction in VAT is the most effective way the Government can ease the tax burden for the hospitality sector and give businesses which are struggling the most a better chance of being able to keep going.“The reduced rates of VAT that were introduced during the pandemic were a huge help and if something like that was to be introduced again, even if for a temporary period, it would be a significant show of support and vote of confidence in our sector.”

“While we will just have to try to absorb the cost of the living wage increase as much as we can, as we

‘Make Your Voice Heard’ – Businesses Urged To Write To MP’s Hospitality businesses are being encouraged to join UKHospitality Scotland’s call for business rates relief at the Scottish Budget by writing to their MSPs.

mistake not to use funds to support businesses that are vital to the health of our cities and towns; driving growth and employing millions.

With the Scottish Government being handed additional funding following the Autumn Statement, UKHospitality Scotland is campaigning for it to be used to introduce 75% business rates relief for hospitality businesses and to freeze poundage rates.

“Ignoring the burning issue of business rates once again would compound that error and cement the fact that operating a business in Scotland is now unquestionably more difficult than in the rest of Britain.

Without these measures, Scottish businesses would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage to their English counterparts for the second year running. An inflationlinked increase in the poundage would also cost the sector almost £20m.

“We’re hearing from businesses that their pubs in Scotland are at least £10,000 worse off than a pub in England. This discrepancy not only makes business survival more challenging but it also means almost zero investment in the future, which stunts any economic growth or job creation.

UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson said: “With just under two weeks to go to the Budget, now is the time for Scotland’s hospitality sector to come together and impress upon politicians the urgent need for action on business rates.

“It was deeply disappointing that the Scottish Government chose not to reciprocate business rates relief last year and that undoubtedly left businesses worse off. It was a

“Implementing 75% business rates relief and freezing poundage rates would provide a lifeline for our sector, amid challenging economic times, and allow businesses to invest and grow. I would encourage every business to write to your MSPs and make your voice heard on this critical issue.”

Scotland’s Pubs & Bars Closing At Twice The Rate Of That In England

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Issue 190

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) have joined forces, calling on the Scottish Government to pass on funding for their sector following the UK Chancellor’s Autumn Statement which will see English businesses receive a 75% reduction in rates bills in the financial year 2024-25.

Pubs elsewhere in the UK benefited from the reduction last year.

However, the Scottish Government chose not to pass on the reduction – despite Barnett consequentials being given to the Holyrood administration. That has resulted in permanent closures in the sector accelerating at double the rate in Scotland (1.7%) than in England (0.75%).

In a joint-statement, the SBPA and SLTA said: “The failure to pass on rates relief last year was a devastating blow for Scotland’s pubs and bars and has resulted in a record number of permanent closures. Already in 2023, with a quarter still to go, permanent closures are more than onethird higher than the whole of last year and double the closure rates

across the remainder of the UK. “Many businesses are still saddled with debt incurred during the pandemic and have been unable to recover with the increased financial pressures in the aftermath, including sky-high energy prices, inflationary pressures and impacts to supply chains.

“The next financial year will also see increased costs in the form of wages, with increases to minimum wages, which will need to be paid for directly by businesses. The rates relief in England will help businesses there with this increased cost, but unless the Scottish Government passes on the support, pubs and bars north of the border will be left to entirely fend for themselves and the rate of closures will only increase.

“The Scottish Government must ensure that the rates relief is passed on in full or it will cement further closures in the sector, directly resulting in job losses and blows for communities across the country.”

Short-Term Lets Registration Scheme Should Be National And Mandatory, MPs Find A new report into short-term lets and the visitor economy by the APPG concludes the scheme would solve numerous existing issues, including lack of data on short-term lets and insufficient transparency as to the location and function of short-term lets.

The report follows an evidence session on the issue and concludes that it is “essential” that each short-term let is regulated to the same standard as the wider accommodation sector.

THE APPG MAKES THREE RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT:

3. The scheme should collect comprehensive data, including key property information, which can be used to enforce clear and proportionate penalties.

Simon Jupp MP (East Devon), Chair of the Hospitality and Tourism APPG, said: “The accommodation sector has seen such rapid change over the past 15 years, with digital platforms leading to a boom in the number of short-term lets operating.

“The Hospitality and Tourism APPG fully supports the Government’s decision to introduce a registration scheme and we are recommending in this report that it is implemented nationally and made mandatory for all letting businesses.

1. Establish a national set of aggregated data on short-term lets in England.

“Such a move would solve several immediate issues. Most notably, it would bring short-term lets up to the legal standard required of other accommodation providers, particularly for health and safety. Ensuring these properties are safe for paying guests is the bare minimum this scheme should be delivering.

2. Allow local authorities to enforce compliance of registered shortterm let properties against health, safety and other relevant legislation.

“Requirements to be registered before being allowed to feature on digital platforms would provide vital protections for consumers and build greater confidence into the accommodation market.”

Labour Shortages To Worsen Under New Immigration Plans Changes to the immigration system announced (on December 4th) will ‘further shrink’ the talent pool hospitality businesses are recruiting from and contribute to greater shortages.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Government seem to be running out of answers to fix the UK’s long-running labour market shortages.

“These changes will further shrink the talent pool that the entire economy will be recruiting from, and only worsen the shortages hospitality businesses are facing.

“Around three-quarters of hospitality’s workforce is filled from within the UK

but international talent has always been attracted to work in the UK, due to our pedigree for hospitality and developing careers. These critical workers also bring with them a wealth of experience and skills to help further enhance our worldleading hospitality sector.

“There were 8,500 hospitality visas issued last year, which helped bring in talented chefs and managers of the future. Around 95% of those would no longer be eligible under these plans, despite being offered competitive salaries.

“We urgently need to see an immigration system that is fit-for-purpose and reflects both the needs of business and the labour market. The system at the moment does none of that.”

Ofgem Proposals Much-Needed To Deliver Fairness Energy regulator Ofgem has announced proposals to expand existing rules on Standards of Conduct to all businesses, increase transparency for businesses when using brokers and expanding who can access the energy ombudsman.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The treatment of hospitality businesses by some energy suppliers has been nothing short of disgraceful throughout this crisis. These proposals are much-needed and will provide some essential protection for businesses.

“Bringing all businesses under the umbrella of the Standards of Conduct will ensure a level playing field in the business energy market and, crucially, mean action can be taken when certain standards are not met. I

would urge Ofgem to go further in their plans to expand the energy ombudsman and allow all businesses to have the ability to take complaints to it.

“Improving the transparency of broker fees is very positive and will put a stop to instances where businesses had been misled or unfairly treated by some brokers, which had become increasingly prevalent.

“These are all measures that UKHospitality advocated for and I’m pleased that Ofgem has listened to the concerns of hospitality businesses. It’s imperative that these proposals are formally introduced as soon as possible – enhanced protections for businesses can’t come soon enough.”

Over Six Million People Will Go Without A Conversation On Christmas Day Issue 190

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Six million or one in seven (14%) people across the UK will go through Christmas Day without a face-to-face conversation this year, according to new research from Greene King.

pre-loved and new toys to donate to local charities. In addition, team members from Greene King’s support centres in Bury St Edmunds and Burton-on-Trent are supporting local food banks by donating items for families in need.

A nationally representative survey found that, of those spending Christmas Day alone, 16% will do so because their relatives or friends they would like to see live too far away, or are unable to travel, and 13% have yet to be invited to see anyone.

These findings follow the announcement that Greene King will be committing £250,000 worth of free Christmas meals, the equivalent of around 5,500 meals, to customers that might be on their own this festive season, in participating pubs (including its Flaming Grill and Hungry Horse sites) as part of its Christmas Community Tables initiative.

Greene King hopes that these free meals will help to combat the feeling of loneliness this time of year, which is likely to be compounded for many by the cost of living.

General managers from participating pubs will be inviting six people from their local community, who are planning to spend Christmas by themselves, to enjoy a three-course meal on the house.

This follows Greene King’s recently launched Hungry Horse Toy Boxing appeal, which collects donations of

Mark Gordon, General Manager of The King’s Arms, Hungry Horse said: “Christmas can be a difficult time for many of us, so I’m proud to say that my pub will be participating in the Christmas Community Tables.

“We trialled the initiative last year with some regulars who I knew would be spending the day alone. They came in on Christmas Day, enjoyed a great meal and had a lovely time together. They didn’t know each other before Christmas and now they come in regularly as a group.”Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, said: “Pubs are at the heart of communities across the country, bringing people together from all walks of life. I’m pleased that we can play our part by bringing festive joy to as many as 5,500 people, who may otherwise be spending Christmas alone.”

Upgrade Your Air Freshener System To Keep Washrooms Constantly Fresh Washrooms are the biggest source of complaints, accounting for over 45% of the complaints that facility managers receive.1 In addition, recent research from Tork tells us that 67% of employees say they’re more likely to complain about a washroom than any other aspect of their office.2 Therefore, it’s crucial that washrooms are run efficiently to ensure a standard of cleanliness that makes people feel cared for.

A NEW AIR FRESHENER THAT DISTRIBUTES SCENT EVENLY AND CONTINUOUSLY Tork has launched a new system that makes keeping your washrooms constantly fresh much easier. It uses a unique, high-tech technology that is propellant free to neutralise odours continuously and evenly. Research shows that the most important factor customers state when selecting an air care product is the “long lasting performance”3. The Tork Constant Air Freshener can last for up to 90 days before needing a refill, with a range of scents that eliminate bad odours, creating a consistent, fresh washroom experience, which helps facility managers to avoid washroom complaints.

A SYSTEM THAT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN AND REFILL 71% of cleaning staff agreed that if washroom dispensers were quicker and easier to refill, they would have more time for other cleaning tasks2. The Tork Constant Air Freshener dispenser is certified ‘Easy to use’ for speedy refilling.4 Its flexible placement at reachable heights also allows for easy maintenance. Refills and battery changes can also be planned into existing cleaning routines to save staff valuable time.

IOT CONNECTED DISPENSERS With Tork Vision Cleaning, the world’s leading data-driven cleaning solution, cleaning staff will now know exactly when and where to refill all Tork dispensers in the washroom. The new air freshener dispenser will enable them to keep the dispensers replenished and save time by avoiding unnecessary checks.

It’s easy to provide a great washroom experience with smart, sustainable hygiene management from Tork.

For more information, please visit Tork.co.uk. For more information on Tork air freshener, please visit Tork.co.uk/airfreshener.

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Issue 190

Award-Winning Cornish Pork - From Our Family To Yours!

START THE PREPARATIONS EARLY AND SAVE!

Leave a comment requesting your preferred delivery date - we'll do our best to get your meat to you on or very near that day.

Our popular early bird Christmas Hamper Offer is back, helping you spread the cost of Christmas and get some of your food shopping done in advance.

Order before the end of November and specify a delivery date closer to Christmas.

Enjoy the feeling of preparedness as you anticipate the arrival of those all-important pigs in blankets!

We have a large variety of hampers to choose from in either 'Luxury for two' or 'family sized', with a choice of smoked or unsmoked pork, and gluten free chipolatas and sausage meat stuffing available too. All you have to do is decide which one is right for you and your guests this Christmas!

Enter the code HAMPEROFFER at checkout to receive 20% off. Usual delivery charges apply (free on orders over £100).

ARE YOU COMING TO THE CORNISH FAIR THIS MONTH?

Visit The Christmas Shop www.primroseherd.co.uk/onlineshop/christmas/

One of our favourite weekends of the year falls on the 18th & 19th November, when The Cornish Winter Fair takes over the Royal Cornwall Showground at Wadebridge. We use this as an opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues in the food and farming business, and do a little Christmas shopping ourselves...

WE WON BIG AT THE NATIONAL CRAFT BUTCHERS AWARDS!

There's so much lovely Cornish produce under one roof, as well as the Prime Stock show of course. Entry and parking is free, and it's a great day out for the whole family. See you there!

We were thrilled to pick up not one, but five accolades at The National Craft Butchers Awards last month, coming home with one Gold, three Silvers and a Bronze award for our Cornish pork products. The biggest winners were our Chorizo sausages which picked up the Gold for their superb texture and flavour.

Pick up quality local meat direct from our butchery

All the more reason to take advantage of our Hamper Offer and treat the family to award-winning pork this Christmas!

You'll find us on Lighterage Hill in Newham, less than five minutes drive from the city centre and a short hop from the A39. We have a full range of Cornish pork available, including our award-winning Hog's Pudding. Ask us about our Westcountry beef too!

We're a working butchery and ask that you call ahead so that we can prepare your order for you, but we're happy to come to the door with anything from a pack of sausages to a selection of BBQ favourites, or a large roasting joint for the weekend! Give us a call on 01209 821408 or email us at primroseherd@tiscali.co.uk

REAL Vanilla is the Best Gift of All Make Profitable Adjustments to projects in the vanilla-growing region of Madagascar.

This is our gift to the farmers who cultivate the vanilla orchid in the Equatorial regions, helping to regenerate the rainforests, increase biodiversity and improve the air we all breathe.

In choosing REAL vanilla over cheap synthetic substitutes this Christmas, we are supporting their livelihoods and encouraging them to continue to grow a precious crop that benefits us all. This makes vanilla a gift that keeps on giving long after the Festive Season has passed.

Baking is going to be big this Christmas and as the Festive Season draws ever closer LittlePod has the perfect gift for the passionate cook.

Oozing luxury, vanilla is exotic and expensive, but not all vanilla is real. For those seeking something special to pop beneath the tree this December, LittlePod offers pure vanilla at an affordable price making this the best present of all.

Here in East Devon, we have enjoyed another eventful year and thanks to the LittlePod website, Christmas shopping has never been easier.

LittlePod’s vanilla paste, extract and pods can all be purchased from our website shop, along with our chocolate and coffee extracts, with 10% of all online orders donated to Blue Ventures to aid community

Why not create a hamper packed with LittlePod products so your loved one can remember you throughout the year, use our ingredients to bake an edible gift or use a REAL vanilla pod to spice up a bottle of rum or another festive tipple? The options are endless.

For more ideas about how to use our products, be sure to follow us on social media and take a look at our new website, where alongside our online shop, you’ll also find our latest recipe collection, created just for us by Peter Gorton, LittlePod ambassador and Master Chef of Great Britain.

Choose LittlePod and keep it REAL this Christmas.

Vanilla is the best gift of all.

Visit www.littlepod.co.uk for further details or see the advert in this feature.

What Makes Wicker Such A Good Choice?

There are many key benefits to selecting sustainable wicker for your packaging and display options due to its environmentally and socially responsible nature.

It’s a natural renewable resource, growing quickly to replenish what is depleted, unlike non-renewable resources such as plastics or metals. It’s also biodegradable and minimal chemicals are used during production so wicker will naturally breakdown over time and return to the earth without causing harm.

1. Renewable Resource: Wicker grows relatively quickly and can be harvested without causing long-term damage to the environment.

2. Biodegradability: Wicker materials are biodegradable, breaking down naturally over time, returning to the earth without causing harm.

3. Durable and Long-lasting: Sustainable wicker products are durable and can have a long lifespan if properly cared for.

4. Aesthetic Appeal: Baskets, Shoppers and Hampers

have a natural, rustic, and complimentary traditional aesthetic.

5. Reduces Plastic Usage: By choosing sustainable wicker products over plastic-based alternatives, you help combat plastic pollution and its negative impacts on ecosystems.

6. Indoor Air Quality: Natural wicker materials do not off-gas harmful chemicals or contribute to indoor air pollution, contributing to a healthier indoor environment.

Aside from the most impressive credentials of the sustainability of wicker, it creates a really, useful, tactile container perfect for food, drink, gifts, or storage.

From traditional hampers to storefront shopping baskets, small bread baskets, to deep storage baskets, wicker will last for many years. That’s what makes wicker such a good choice. www.candigifts.co.uk salesdesk@candigifts.co.uk 01502 501681 SEE THE ADVERT ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER.

Your Wine List This Festive Period

Tom van der Neut is Business Unit Controller at Lanchester Wines: The festive period creates one of the simplest opportunities to make profitable adjustments to your wine list. The Christmas season signals parties and celebrations, a time for pushing the boat out and trading up from everyday drinks.

Sparkling wine is the obvious addition to a wine list at Christmas, whether by the glass or by the bottle – perhaps a trade up on the size of bottle, to a magnum or even a jeroboam for extra special celebrations.

Thinking about something to fill the gap in the middle of your existing list of sparkling wines is wise for Christmas – many French or English sparklers fill this opportunity between Prosecco and Champagne perfectly. For example a bottle of London Cru Pinot Gris Sparkling Rose (grapes grown in West Sussex) or a Domaine Moutard Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs (made by a Champagne house in the Champagne style, but with grapes grown in Burgundy) suit the celebratory style, but without massively impacting budgets, making this an ideal welcome drink or toasting fizz.

Affordability and familiarity are always important at the pointy end of a well curated wine list.

Consumers may well be watching the pennies this festive season, so in the same way you want to maximise those trading up, you still need to have the easy wins and great wines for those customers watching their budget. This doesn’t necessarily mean buying in an extremely cheap wine especially for that purpose – your flagship house wines should fill that gap already.

Commoditising wine will only result in a poor customer experience.

You know your customers better than anyone, so create a Christmas wine list that directly suits their specific tastes – and likewise, if something isn’t working, change it. Perhaps even invite key customers to taste the wines with your merchant before listing. When exploring new ranges and you’ve pretty much confirmed your core list – so after your first or second consultation – it always works incredibly well to invite your top customers to an exclusive tasting of the wines before you finalise your selection. Thus giving your customers a sense of ownership with the festive wine list.

But of course the most important factor for any list at any time of the year is if you don’t list it, customers can’t buy it. By no means are we talking about tying up cash by buying cases and cases of premium wine, but just a small stockholding and a place on the list will be enough to maximise these opportunities when they arise.

And, of course, Champagne is not just for Christmas.

For more information on Lanchester Wines and the wines mentioned in this feature, please visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

Real Vanilla Ice Cream

By Annabel Heron, from Cucumber Food Design

INGREDIENTS 284ml double cream 397g condensed milk 1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

Method • Whisk the cream to soft peaks in a small one pint bowl that can be frozen and will look good on your table to serve the ice cream in.

• Add the condensed milk and vanilla paste to the cream and whisk in lightly, just until combined. Taste the mix, always essential with puddings, and add more vanilla if you like.

• Cover the mixture with a disc of baking parchment and cling film the bowl, then put in the freezer. There’s no need to stir or churn the vanilla ice cream, it’s ready after about 4-6 hours.

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Issue 190

Festive Buyer's Guide

Festive Ordering with Bacchus Wines PLDC Bacchus Wines PLDC is a UK-based independent boutique wine wholesaler. They sell topquality, award-winning wines at prices that hospitality businesses can appreciate. They have excellent relationships with French family-run winemakers, including Château de Parenchère and offer a personal approach to selling wines to the UK hospitality industry. They manage the import of wine into the UK, solving any freight and trade agreement issues. As a smaller firm, they offer more flexibility and a personal service.

As wine drinkers become more discerning, they seek delicious wines that offer value and provenance from vineyards that they may not be familiar with. Bacchus Wines PLDC only sell wines they love to drink from independent estates they know personally, and festive orders are being taken now.

As consumer preferences change, and after 'cost vs. benefit' considerations, their focus leans towards sustainability, wines without added sulphites, and vineyards with provenance.

Unlike larger wine merchants, Bacchus Wines has simplified the wine-selling business for hospitality venues. They choose wines that are not faddy, and their selection process is based on decades in the hospitality industry, so they know what drinkers and diners will enjoy.

The small yet perfectly curated wine collection is popular among chefs and hospitality venues. Chef & restaurateur Jake S Watkins, commented, "I have been buying wines from Bacchus Wines for over twenty-two years - when I owned the Michelin-starred JSW Restaurant in Hampshire and since retiring. I always receive excellent wines and service."

Registering for a Bacchus Wines PLDC trade account is easy, and they offer significant discounts to those who sign up for trade accounts just in time for festive ordering.

For more information, please visit https://bacchuspldc.com/ or call on 0845 500 1040.

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

ECO-CRACKERS As a business, sustainability and our impact on the environment are at the forefront of how we operate, as such this year we have opted for an initiative which ensures our crackers are fully recyclable. The way this has been achieved is by removing the silver fulminate which is used to achieve the traditional snap. Now when the cracker is pulled it will instead break apart with the audible crack of cardboard meaning you can still enjoy a cracker with your meal whilst knowing you are doing something right for the environment.

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

In addition to Christmas trees, garlands and wreaths give you the option to add a subtle hint to areas such as

toilet doors, mantles, shelves and other places. Equally, fairy lights, tinsel, baubles and balloons are also all great ways of adding some festive cheer to your hospitality business this year.

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

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

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

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

Visit www.allianceonline.co.uk or see the page opposite for details.

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

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Issue 190

Festive Buyer's Guide

PEPPADEW® Bites: Elevating the Festive Dining Experience in Pubs and Restaurants As the festive season approaches, pubs and restaurants seek to create an unforgettable dining experience for their patrons.

There is no preparation time, all the hard work of stuffing the pepper has been done.

There is no waste, as the product comes in Frozen, you just take out what you need.

PEPPADEW® Bites offer a flavour explosion in every bite. The signature PEPPADEW® sweet piquanté peppers provide the perfect balance of sweetness and heat, which have been hand filled with West Country cream cheese and then hand rolled in a Panko Style bread crumb.

Recommended portion size is 5 and there are 11 portions in the 1kg bag. The average price is £1.54 for a portion of 5 and the recommended selling price is £7, so a high margin of 74%.

The PEPPADEW® Bites are versatile and can be used on the menu as ‘while you wait’, as they are perfect with a glass of wine or pint of beer, or as a starter as portion or even on top of a winter salad.

When it comes to crafting the perfect starter for Christmas menus, PEPPADEW® Bites emerge as the ideal choice, adding a touch of innovation and culinary excellence to the festivities. PEPPADEW® Bites recently earned recognition with a Silver Award for innovation at this year’s Casual Dining show and are currently shortlisted for a prestigious Q award in the Food Service Party Food and Buffet category.

This Christmas, delight your customers with PEPPADEW® Bites and watch them savour the season’s joy with every delectable bite.

For further information see the advert on the facing page or visit www.peppadewfoodservice.co.uk

Here’s why Peppadew Bites are the ultimate choice for pubs and restaurants.

Classic Christmas Tree Decorations From Gibson Plus Gibson Plus are a well-established, family-run manufacturing business based in the UK. We pride ourselves on having built our family business around a core of loyal, returning customers over many years. Quality products at fair prices, attention to detail, speedy delivery and excellent customer service are top priority at Gibson Plus.

CLASSIC ENAMEL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS Our enamel Christmas decorations have been specially designed in house by chief designer, Susan Gibson. These beautiful ornamental decorations will add that real touch of class to your 2023 Christmas range. With luxurious golds, vibrant reds and atmospheric blues our decorations truly stand out from the crowd! The range has seven elegant designs, so you can have a beautiful enamel bauble to suit each part of your tree. Each decoration comes complete with a beautiful gold presentation envelope.

The decorations have been finished to the very highest of standards and when you take the product in hand it has that lovely weight that just oozes with quality!

BESPOKE ENAMEL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS If you’re wanting to stand out from the crowd our Bespoke Enamel Christmas Decorations will be perfect for you! The

same luxurious quality, but with your very own design. All we need to get started is your ideas and our design team can begin bringing it to life for you. By choosing your own bespoke design you can be guaranteed that your decorations will be truly unique and won’t be sold anywhere else in the world!

With bespoke designs we recommend a minimum quantity of 500 in order to maintain a competitive RRP.

LANDMARK BAUBLES Our Landmark Baubles are high-quality, hand-crafted, engraved baubles made from durable 3mm ethically sourced, maple veneer wood with a 70mm diameter. The engraved detail of the bauble is spectacular – the foreground showcases your landmark depicted with acute attention to detail, while the background features an idyllic Christmas night sky with a silhouette of Santa and his reindeer flying over the moon. The beauty of the Landmark Bauble is they can be produced with the landmark or image of your choice. This allows you to create a design that you can be confident your customer base will love! The fantastic thing about the landmark baubles is that you can have your own bespoke design from quantities of just 60.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Contact us on 028 9181 8801 for more information and a free sample.

New Forest Shortbread

These boxes of award-winning traditional artisan shortbread are made by local people in the heart of the New Forest. They are genuinely a local product. Tracy Thew has made shortbread for family and friends for more than 50 years, now her team make small batches of her recipes at Burley Rails Cottage. They lovingly craft and seal them in recyclable bags and biodegradable boxes on the day they are baked. The packaging is charming, every box is adorned with images of the stunning New Forest by local Artist, Will Drew. They feature stories on the tear-off cards will illustrations by another local Artist, Shaun Stevens. They make perfect doorstep gifts, hamper fillers, welcome gifts in guest hotel rooms and table gifts for business meetings and conferences. Also wedding favours acting as a delicious gift that can be dressed up by a Wedding Planning or Calligrapher to match a wedding theme and act as a place setting.

Indulge in the buttery bliss of our artisan New Forest Shortbread with every bite - a delectable treat with a 1-star rating in 2022

Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards! Our shortbread are made using only the finest ingredients, ensuring a premium taste experience and wholesome treat every time.

Tracy's All Butter Original New Forest Shortbread was recognised by the Guild of Fine Food and their 'Great Taste Awards 2022' with a 1-star rating.

This esteemed organisation of 500+ experts gave their consent for the irresistible flavour and texture of this traditional shortbread, noting its "homemade appearance, even golden bake, rich buttery finish, soft snap, and dairy aromas", which melt in the mouth with a toasty flavour.

These boxes say your hospitality is grounded in the beauty and culture of your area; they give a tangible take away which will be remembered...long after the shortbread has been consumed.

Please call Tracy Thew on 07471 684639 for information on prices, discounts and added value, e.g., bespoke boxes and seals.

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Issue 190

Food Safety

AllergyMenu

Our simple but affective app provides restaurants the ability to keep a live updated menu with allergy information held within it.

Customers simply login to the app or visit your website and view the menu filtered to only show those dishes that are safe for them to eat.

This app significantly reduces the risk of incorrect communication between customers & staff, especially when mistakes can be so easily made, and these mistakes can lead to prison sentences for the restaurant owners.

Up to “20% of the population experience some reactions to foods” (The British Dietetic Association) so it’s no longer a minority issue, eating out should always be enjoyable ii should also always be safe.

HOW IT WORKS There is an easy account area, where the menu and dish information can be maintained via computer or mobile phone, or imported from other systems.

The allergies are assigned to each dish and it can be updated whenever it’s needed. An email is also sent out once a month to ensure the allergy information is

FoodCheck from Kelsius

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

The hospitality industry faces constant challenges when it comes to staffing, costs and delivering the best service to its customers in a dynamic and competitive environment. But one aspect of the business which must always be a priority is food safety. Stringent food compliance regulations, inspections and audits mean that hospitality providers must deliver a constant and consistently high level of food quality and safety. Not only is this vital for the health and safety of customers, but delivering a high standard of safety compliance also serves to establish a long-term business reputation and create trust and loyalty with repeat customers.

A digital HACCP system serves not only to meet food safety regulatory requirements, but it also helps hospitality

checked and the menu confirmed that it is still up to date. The company logo can also be uploaded to ensure the menu follows the restaurants brand.

Key Benefits to Restaurants • Meet regulations for allergy information in one simple step.

• Ensure your menu allergens are always accurate and up to date.

• Improve your customer experience for allergy sufferers, vegans and veggies.

• No need to re-print menus if you change ingredients.

• Handy email reminders to check your menu.

• Stop front of house staff making mistakes • Keep your customers safe from harm.

How it will make a difference It’s so hard to ensure accurate communication between customer and the person preparing the food and Allergy Menu helps to mitigate this risk while ensuring your allergy information is always up to date and easy to manage.

"At the Bannatyne Group working in partnership with Allergy Menu has given our business confidence when it comes to giving our customers transparent and simple information around allergic ingredients. The App is simple and very user friendly."

Denise, The Bannatyne Group www.allergymenu.uk providers to save time and cost across their operations.

Automated wireless temperature monitoring saves time on manual temperature recording, allowing staff to record data easily and without hassle. This frees up staff time to focus on delivering a high-quality service to customers and to focus on other tasks.

With FoodCheck from Kelsius, a user-friendly interface makes it simple and easy for all staff members to record data and create lists for daily tasks including deliveries, cleaning and cooking. Automated reminders for hot temperature checks help to ensure that HACCP is being implemented. The digital system means that the business also reduces its paperwork and paper storage costs, contributing to better sustainability practices. Real-time reporting gives management visibility of task completion as it happens. This also makes it easy at the touch of a screen to create the reports required for audits and inspections.

The FoodCheck system is tamperproof and provides HACCP compliance by using the best available technology that delivers good corporate governance and better risk mitigation – protecting your customers, your business and your reputation.

To find out more, visit www.kelsius.com/food, call 02045 799 048 or email sales@kelsius.com

Hospitality Technology

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

33

How To Win The Payment Generation Game

By Delia Pedersoli, COO of MultiPay Global Solutions (www.multipayglobalsolutions.com)

As hospitality and leisure businesses look to future-proof their payment systems, its important to deploy the right strategy and technology that appeals to consumers of all ages So where should they start?

MOBILE FIRST - PAY BY BANK KEY FOR GEN-Z Propelled by an acceleration in the already existing shift from cash to contactless digital and mobile payments during the pandemic, there is a rapidly growing interest and excitement from consumers in using alternative payment methods (APMs) such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), crypto, and Pay by Bank. This is especially true for younger consumers. According to a global survey by card issuing platform Marqeta, 77% of UK Gen Z respondents feel confident enough with contactless payments to leave their wallet at home and just take their phone.

When it comes to increasing appeal to younger consumers, mobile-based payment schemes are critical. With this in mind, Pay by Bank, whereby customers pay by simply scanning a QR code and opening their mobile banking app, is not only appealing to consumers thanks to its simplicity, but more convenient and cost-effective for businesses too.

For example, with Pay by Bank, which removes the use of credit and debit cards from the transaction, there are zero interchange and scheme fees. As such, businesses can make substantial savings on every transaction.

Furthermore, there’s no need to clutter payment devices with third-party apps as no additional downloads for Pay by

Bank to work are required. Universally compatible, they can also seamlessly integrate with any payment device.

AGE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN TRADITIONAL Older generations, especially those over 65 years old, have seen significant changes to technology, consumerism, and payment options over their lifetime. In a global survey by FIS, 71% of baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) reported being more comfortable using the same payment methods they’ve always used, such as cash, credit cards and debit cards.

Having an array of more common payment methods available for consumers to choose from is therefore crucial in striking the right balance. However, FIS’ research also found that nearly half of baby boomers say they also like to stay up to date with the latest payment methods. Catering to these customers could also require a similar mindset and payment set-up needed to appeal to more mobile-inclined Gen-Z consumers.

DON’T FORGET CASH Finally, with cash still the second most popular payment method in the UK, after debit cards, UK Finance data suggests inflation and the rising cost-of-living has meant many people are making greater use of cash to manage budgets compared to just a few years ago. With the total number of cash payments made in the UK during 2022 reaching 6.4 billion, businesses should be mindful of physical money’s continuing importance in the payment mix.

Ultimately, with a cost-of-living crisis in full swing and customers increasingly more discerning about their spending, all businesses need to focus more than ever on delivering a superior customer service – whatever this looks like for the consumer. In the pursuit for speed and convenience, ensuring you are equipped to accept any payment, by any method, is key to pleasing every consumer, no matter their age.

Why a Sponsor Licence is Good for Business Keeping Bar Tabs – The Myths & Benefits The UK hospitality sector is currently grappling with a welldocumented shortage of staff.

Hotels, restaurants, and pubs are |facing challenges in finding suitable candidates for their advertised positions. As the holiday season approaches, this shortage becomes even more concerning. Christmas is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for the hospitality industry, and a lack of sufficient staff can significantly impact a company's performance. So, how can this problem be addressed? One potential solution is to consider recruiting candidates from outside the United Kingdom, a path that an increasing number of companies are exploring to meet their staffing needs.

But how does a company transition from recruiting domestically to searching for candidates overseas? The process can seem daunting, involving interactions with the Home Office and the need to ensure that your recruitment team and HR systems are fully prepared.

Work Permit Cloud is a legal services company that specialises in assisting UK businesses bring skilled workers from abroad. We provide support in candidate sourcing, offer HR software solutions, and facilitate the acquisition of all the necessary licenses and visas.

For a company to employ a skilled worker from outside the UK, it must have a sponsor licence. This process typically takes eight weeks, but it can be fast-tracked - 10 working days. Once a sponsor licence is granted, the company can issue their candidate a 'certificate of sponsorship' (CoS), the candidate then applies for his/her work visa.

Access to a diverse talent pool, staying competitive, expanding market reach, and ensuring regulatory compliance are just a few of the compelling reasons why companies should prioritize obtaining a sponsor licence.

If you would like to know more see the advert on this page or visit https://tinyurl.com/42hcwrsh

CardsSafe specialises in food and bar tabs. Their wireless system makes the process professional and secure and helps venues to upsell by allowing tabs to be kept. CardsSafe is a proven and genuine deterrent for walkouts and chargebacks. It enables staff to upsell, increases trust between the venue and customers, and is why over 5000 brands, including Young's pubs, Hilton Hotels, Lord's Cricket Ground, and many independent restaurants and bars, utilise the system.

With more and more contactless, chip & pin or phone sales, it is less likely that customers will be offered to run a tab. However, according to VISA, venues that encourage running tabs will have at least 30% higher takings than those that do not.

Interestingly, it has never been illegal to retain cards.

What was unlawful was to allow customers to drink alcohol on credit, i.e., run a liquid tab. However, the Blair

government repealed this in the latest licensing act, so keeping food and bar tabs is legal.

CardsSafe does not store payment details, so is GDPR compliant. Customers' bank details are safe, and it is safer for the card to be placed in a CardsSafe box than left in a till or folder behind the bar.

To ensure that the bank card is not stolen or expired, staff can run a 1p charge against the card before a tab is opened. The EPOS system will alert you if the card has expired or has been reported stolen.

At just £9.95* + VAT per unit per month rental, CardsSafe pays for itself. The question is, can you afford not to have CardsSafe as a part of your business?

Please visit www.cardssafe.com or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040 *Plus, a sign-up fee of £39.95 (plus VAT) for new customers.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Hospitality Technology

Technology To Enhance Hotels Sustainability the hotel looking for rooms to clean. Monitoring “Make Up Room” and “Do Not Disturb” signals (MUR/DND) in a centralised system help increase the overall efficiency as teams can be assigned to those parts of the hotel that require more immediate attention. Combining this information with room occupancy and access controls enhance guest privacy and provide deeper knowledge of how our hotels work, for example giving information on how much time it takes to clean each room.

The last few years has been one of the hardest periods, if not the hardest, for the hospitality industry worldwide. Lockdowns, staffing issues, war on the European Continent and unprecedented energy costs have all put pressure on the on the industry.

When looking at reducing operating costs in a hotel, optimization comes as a very handy word; optimize labour, optimize training, optimize energy, optimize maintenance…but we many times fail to address the way to achieve this “optimization”.

Another big cost centre control systems help reduce drastically is Maintenance, as these solutions allow the use of predictive and preventive policies. Sorting issues before they become fatal or even before they appear decreases the amount spent in replacing broken units (for example AC units) but also minimizes the risk of refunds to guest because things are not working or because there has been an AC leakage nobody noticed before.

As in life, information is the starting point to approach the problems we aim to solve, so gathering information about what is going on in our building becomes essential to optimize the way the building – our hotel – works. Once we have the information, we need to actually control those variables to be able to change them, and this is where technology can really make a difference.

Starting with the rooms, sharing information between the hotel PMS (such as if the room is booked for that day or if the guest has already checked-in) and the HVAC control system (room occupancy for example) help reduce energy waste to a minimum as the AC will only turn On when the room is occupied and the guest is checked-in, but not if the hotel staff gets in the room before the guest has arrived to the hotel. This can be applied to all room controls (lighting, TV, sockets…) but also to common areas, and bearing in mind energy accounts for 3 to 6% of an average hotel running costs, eliminating energy waste can really make a difference.

Following on to the hotel staff, housekeeping is many times overlooked with teams left to wonder through

A robust long-lasting control system combined with a Building Management System (BMS) that integrates with our hotel’s PMS is vital to get to know how our building operates to optimize all those little things that end up costing several thousand every year.

These are the type of solutions Zennio develops and delivers in over 100 countries, helping hotels all around the world become more efficient and sustainable and supporting all projects locally and remotely to make sure everything works every day.

For further information see the advert on the facing page.

Retail POS Needs And Wants: Data, Security And The Best The Market Has To Offer

By Jay Kim, Managing Director of BIXOLON Europe GmbH

It’s no secret that point of sale (POS) systems and receipt printing are crucial to retailers and hospitality businesses. Without them, they cannot enable sales effectively and grow their businesses optimally. In fact, to say they are important, for many, is an understatement.

Especially when you consider their strategic importance to not only drive sales efficiency; but to track and record sales data, and provide an optimum customer experience. What is more, within this, retailers and their customers have many different needs when it comes to managing and accepting payments. So, as the market evolves and businesses grow, what should retail and hospitality organisations consider when deploying POS systems and related technologies?

Jay Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe GmbH explains what the retail market, and wider value chain, needs to consider when exploring options that enable retail sales more effectively.

POS NEEDS VS WANTS Within busy retail and hospitality environments it is vital that POS systems are “always on” and that these systems do not experience downtime. Simply put: failure to execute transactions can lead to lost revenue and a poor customer experience. Therefore, when purchasing these kinds of technologies, retailers typically consider an array of important factors. This includes network connectivity options; the performance of POS systems; how these system looks aesthetically when installed; how they integrate into the business; and the price of the investment.

Additionally, with the need to keep up-to-date with the latest technology trends and requirements, many retailers are turning away from only using Serial or Parallel connectivity for printers. Instead, they are and moving to Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth and WLAN for integration with tablets and other peripherals as part of POS systems. Since technology has always been central to buying decisions, many retailers now build their hardware solutions around their software – whether this be a simple payment solution for an independent company, or part of a more complex omnichannel ecosystem.

integration – which allows it to just fit into a POS set up easily and attractively.

Ease of integration is also essential here. With many retailers looking to upgrade their systems, many look for hardware which they can essentially plug in and play. As time means money, retailers look for installs which take hours rather than days, to avoid costly downtime and loss of productivity. Pricing is also a factor; however, a lower priced printer doesn’t always provide the quality and reliability required.

Typically, when you buy cheap, you buy more, as the old adage goes.

DRIVING INSIGHTS AND PROTECTING DATA Data and reporting is important to retailers. They need to know what inventory is being sold and when to restock. Sure, smaller companies can keep a written tally; however, larger companies often link their Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) systems with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to allow a seamless reordering of supplies – and, sometimes they also combine both their store and e-commerce sales if that makes more sense and is more effective. This kind of approach can be crucial when used in conjunction with a more sophisticated just-in-time stock control methods.

Security is also important. Whether it takes the form of employee logins, systems to track transactions, or security systems to maintain secure transactions. In many European countries, fiscal law has been brought in to avoid retailer fraud. With reporting done through the cash register, fiscalisation is always done through software. However, measures can be put in place which cover both software and the POS hardware. For example, in Slovenia fiscalisation is handled through software; in Italy and Poland it is done through a specialised module and hardware within a POS device; or in Germany’s case, the software used needs ensure it meets criteria set out by the government.

THE BEST THE POS MARKET HAS TO OFFER There are many types of POS solutions on the market for retailers and hospitality organisations to consider. Standout options include mPOS, mobility solutions and kiosk solutions.

mPOS – The days of traditional bulky POS setups are dead, mPOS solutions are now taking centre stage as more compact, cost-effective solutions. These interchangeable setups typically consist of a tablet, printer, card reader, scanner, customer display and cash drawer; which are commonly bundled together by resellers with additional EPOS software (electronic point of sale). These interchangeable solutions provide a cost-effective solution which can be upgraded as a business’ POS estate evolves. But these types of solutions now require more intelligent printers too, such as those that can seamlessly connect to a host Naturally, the performance of hardware within these systems is key. tablet device while supporting a charging port and up to four USB Printers form a vital component here at checkout. They enable the peripherals. This solution is a great way to use existing peripherals printing of receipts, coupons, vouchers, and more depending on the scewhich are operated through the printer as it communicates to the nario. They are rated not only on the speed and reliability of the printtablet device via Bluetooth. ing hardware, but also the performance of the cutter and print head, Mobility Solutions – For busy seasonal retail periods and pop-up which leads to less maintenance and possible downtime. Within retail stores, the need for accessible printing is becoming more popular. situations, sleek, compact printer designs are becoming increasingly Mobile printers are the perfect solution as they easily connect to a popular, because retailers are looking to streamline their cash desks.

For instance, cube printers have increased in popularity with their com- smart device and can print receipts or labels. As batteries continue to pact features and front exit feed for either on-the-desk or under-desk improve, many printers can now be used for a complete shift and

recharged outside of opening hours. Many proven printer providers offer technologies that enable receipt, ticket and labelling solutions.

Alternatively, another market innovation in the POS printer space is a battery-powered POS receipt printer. Much like a mobile printer, battery-powered POS receipt printers offer fixed location printing; such as at a pop-up where power is not available. This type of printer is attractive for higher volume receipting for pop-up locations; which take larger quantities of transactions; so a larger receipt roll can be used.

Kiosk Solutions – Kiosk systems are becoming increasingly popular, which has been accelerated by the pandemic. These self-service solutions typically come with two types of printers, either a packaged printer or a kiosk mechanism, which are chosen based on the kiosk design and user requirements. Typically, stand-alone unmanned solutions are fitted with kiosk printing mechanisms which use a presenter; allowing for larger paper rolls to be used, which require fewer changes and thus less maintenance.

THE FUTURE OF POS PRINTERS The face of retail is changing. Traditional brick-and-mortar stores are being complemented with e-commerce; and, with this, the use of printing and its technology is being adapted. As orders now also come in online, new software technologies such as native, web and cloud-based mPOS applications will enable printing to come directly to a designated printer for efficient picking, shipping or collecting.

Additionally, retailers will also be looking for mixed estates of printing technology covering both receipting and labelling, with linerless labelling becoming increasingly important as a traditional labelling alternative.

This eco media removes the need for label packing paper, enabling variable-length labelling with either semi-permanent or permanent adhesive. This type of media is ideal for home delivery orders, click-and-collect, product markdowns and more.

CONCLUSION The future of POS is bright and offers retailers and hospitality businesses of all kinds the opportunity to manage sales more effectively.

Further, during check-out scenarios it remains important to provide customers with a receipt too – which is the legal form of proving a purchase of a product or service. While some might argue that ereceipting is coming, or is already here, this will not mean the death of the physical receipt. They will work in tandem, depending on differing requirements.

Labelling, though, will continue to innovate the industry. This is because as more business is done online, the need for labelling for services such as home delivery and click and collect will continue to rise. So retailers will require printers for different logistics scenarios within their fulfilment centres.

In either case, a POS system will sit at the heart of purchases and either offer customers physical printed receipts, or they will drive organisation and logistics operations within e-commerce distribution centres. In both cases, proven, robust, reliable and accurate printers will be required to support these operations, and provide receipts and labels for customers or e-commerce logistics teams in warehouses.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Cleaning and Hygiene

Maintaining Good Hygiene with Kärcher Maintaining good hygiene ensures a safe and clean environment for facility users.

Consistent and proactive cleaning reduces the need for intensive deep cleaning, enabling facilities managers to redirect their efforts.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting within facilities help to prevent the build-up of bacteria and doing so in a time efficient manner is key whilst in a busy workplace setting. It is important that routine cleaning and decontamination measures are followed to ensure facility safety is not compromised. This practice guarantees that individuals entering and utilising a hospitality venue enjoy a hygienic and welcoming environment that enhances the likelihood of their future visits.

Running costs and sustainable operations are often top of mind for those in the hospitality sector as operational costs continue to rise. Customers are much more conscious when it comes to the environmental practices of businesses and it’s now becoming a strong factor when choosing who to invest in. Investing in cleaning and maintenance equipment, particularly within the catering and hospitality sector, could save you time and money in the long run. Battery-powered cleaning and maintenance solutions allow for a more robust, cost-effective and environmentally friendly cleaning operation due to their cordless design, being quiet and relying less on mains power.

easily clean surfaces without the need for cables to be strewn across the area. Added attachments allow for it to be used on a multitude of surfaces from entrance mats to curtains to keep the lobby area pristine for guests.

PERFECTING CLEANING QUIETNESS Those staying in hotel rooms or frequenting restaurants expect a high-level of cleanliness, however they do not want to be disturbed by loud cleaning appliances. Using battery powered machines can help to reduce noise levels without compromising the performance.

Vacuum cleaners such as the Kärcher T 9/1 Bp have a robust design and emit low-noise levels. The reduced noise output enables cleaners to use them in areas that are open to the public. This is perfect for cleaning corridors and passageways between rooms when dirt may have built up during hours when customers may be sleeping.

SUMMARY

Battery powered devices such as the Kärcher Vacuum Cleaner BVL 5/1 Bp Pack allow users to easily remove loose dirt to maintain the premises. Lifting dirt from carpeted flooring, the backpack vacuum cleaner can be used effectively in a matter of seconds to whisk away dirt and maintain the luxury aesthetic.

Making the move to battery power is about more than pursuing a more sustainable outlook for hospitality venues, battery power should also be top of mind for many companies who are looking to reduce fuel costs, noise and increase productivity. Kärcher’s range of professional battery powered machines offer unique advantages that help to speed up cleaning times and maintain effective cleanliness to suit catering and hospitality businesses of all sizes.

With its super-lightweight design, the Kärcher BVL 5/1 Bp is worn by the user on their back enabling them to

Visit www.kaercher.com/uk/professional.html

Tork, the professional hygiene products and services brand has announced the launch of a range of new washroom products, aimed at helping enhance guest experience and reduce complaints. Tork has launched a new system that makes keeping washrooms constantly fresh much easier. At the same time, aimed at upmarket hotels, restaurants, and spas are three new luxury soap offerings from Tork.

Also new is Tork Luxury Hair & Body Shower Cream with 94% of ingredients from natural origins1. Combining a shampoo, conditioner, and moisturising shower cream in one, this contains argan oil plus an extra conditioner to provide a luxurious shower experience.

EXCEPTIONAL CLEANING QUALITY

Tork Launches Range of New Washroom Products for 2024 The latest innovation from Tork is a new air freshener system designed to be quick and easy for cleaners to maintain, to keep washrooms constantly fresh. The Tork Constant Air Freshener uses a unique distribution technology that is propellant free, ensuring scent is distributed evenly and continuously throughout the washroom.

Lasting up to 90 days before needing a refill, the system is available in a range of scents that eliminate bad odours and provide a consistent, fresh washroom experience. What’s more the dispenser can be mounted at a reachable height and is certified ‘Easy to use’ making it easy to refill and maintain for cleaners.

Tork Luxury Foam Soap and Tork Luxury Liquid Soap contain natural magnolia extract, known for its relaxing properties. Derived from 94 per cent natural ingredients1 Tork Luxury Foam Soap has a pleasant hand-feel, while Tork Luxury Liquid Soap is soft and silky and comes from 95 per cent natural ingredients1.

All three products have been dermatologically tested while their improved formulations meet stringent new EU Ecolabel criteria.

“Customers in facilities such as upmarket hotels, restaurants, spas and gyms expect a more luxurious washroom experience,” said Essity’s Pilar Jimenez . “Our three new offerings fulfill this need and deliver high quality and effective solutions that also address sustainable hygiene expectations and meet ongoing business challenges.”

All three soap products have a fresh new label designed to appeal to upmarket environments. They are housed in a dispenser that is quick to refill and certified as being easy to use.

For more information, please visit the Tork website www.tork.co.uk.

1 in line with ISO16128

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Cleaning and Hygiene

Five Star Levels of Hygiene for All Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes and Public Houses Hygiene and cleanliness are important in many areas of business but are perhaps most pertinent in the hospitality sector where first impressions really count. Guests visiting hospitality venues both expect and demand these facilities to be clean and inviting and judge this as being an integral part of their experience.

team of Field Service Engineers are strategically located throughout the UK to enable them to easily visit your site to carry out regular service visits and any repair work, if required. Each Engineer is a full-time employee of the company and has been fully trained to work on your Rotowash.

We appreciate that flooring surfaces will differ from location to location within your facilities and that each area presents unique cleaning challenges. The Rotowash floor cleaning machine has been specifically designed to tackle all these difficulties and to deliver the highest standards of cleanliness.

We offer all our customers a preventative maintenance agreement (PMA) operating on a rolling twelve-month basis at an extremely competitive price. Each PMA covers you for all call out and labour costs in the event of emergency repairs being required, as well as two planned service visits carried out on a five-month cycle.

Uniquely, the same Rotowash floor cleaning machine can be used to clean both carpets and hard floors, guaranteeing not only a quality finish but real value for money. Coupled with this, our machines are built to last, particularly if they are cleaned after each use and maintained regularly.

We are committed to providing you the best in customer care and see selling a machine as only the start of the journey. Our

edencleen from Cleenol Over the course of our history, we at Cleenol have always produced products that offer a perfect balance between cleaning performance and efficiency with an attention to reducing the environmental impact that our products may carry. edencleen, our latest brand, reaffirms our commitment to our credentials for environmental guardianship, and represents an evolution of what has been an integral part of our DNA. Edencleen has been designed to reflect in part our vision for a cleaner, safer world, that touches not only the environmental

As well as customer care, health & safety is extremely important to us. The design features of a Rotowash machine helps to work injuries by reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, although we believe that Rotowash machines are easy to use, we offer free training to all operatives for the lifetime of the machine.

For more information, please visit at www.rotowash.com

aspects of sustainability, but has as an aim, a social ambition to leave the planet in the safe care of and for future generations.

The range covers the essential needs to cover 80% of daily cleaning and include: a washroom cleaner and toilet gel cleaner and urinal deodoriser, an all-purpose surface sanitiser, a degreaser and a washing up liquid, a no rinse floor degreaser, a window cleaner and a laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Combining carefully formulated products, with appropriate packaging, using recycled material or recyclable componentry, the range’s mostly colourless liquid and low fragrance usage are designed to convey a transparency and straightforwardness of our approach which will be a hallmark of all edencleen products and associated services.

Careful use of enzymatic formulations and more traditional chemistry brings a portfolio of products that’s finely attuned to delivering effective cleaning which when used as instructed helps maintain a neutral environmental impact.

Visit www.cleenol.co.uk for further information.

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

Blue Seal Fryers and Oil Filtration

By David Chesshire, National Accounts Manager, Blue Seal (www.blue-seal.co.uk)

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

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

batter plates from continuous cooking and carbonising, which in turn helps prevent the degrading of oil quality. This all achieves considerable cost saving for the operator with fuel and oil, as well as time efficiency, producing the finished products.

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

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

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

There are significant advantages offered by the New DrainMajor C (Combi Oven Pump) manufactured

by Pump Technology Ltd. The pump features a tank with its clear side window was the large, triangular, low-level float attached to the pump by a rigid arm, external to the pump casing. Because of the design of this float system the unit can cope with an exceptional quantity of grease, fat and food particles before the reliable start/stop operation of the pump is affected.

The triangular low-level float also means that inlet heights can be just 70mm from base to centreline, giving the appropriate inlet requirement for wall or central island Combi Ovens.

The build quality of the submersible wastewater

pump was also a discussion point, with the mechanical shaft seal arrangement between pump impeller and motor winding generally agreed as an advantage over a common lip seal/diaphragm arrangement, especially considering the hot wastewater temperatures and potential grease which these units have to handle.

It can be connected to multiple ovens or oven and sink combinations. Also, multiple inlet connections can be cut onsite directly into the rigid Polyethylene tank without the need to manifold inlets outside of the tank and then feed into it via a single inlet. This means that the installation footprint is just the size of the compact tank and potential leaks from knocked manifold piping and joints are eliminated.

It looks like the New DrainMinor C is a real winner!

Evolution Fryers and Filter Units

The New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump)

• Available in White & 10 new exciting colours • Complemented by colour coded matching trims • Fire rated to BS476/7 Class 0 • Sheet sizes 2440 x 1220mm & 3050 x 1220mm • Range of cladding sealants & adhesives

For more information, please contact us on 01392 360 999, or alternatively Visit us at:- Unit 21, Apple Lane, Trade City, Exeter, EX2 5GL

Email : info@plastexe.co.uk Web : www.plastexe.co.uk

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

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

• Hygienic Wall Cladding & Ceiling Systems

01392 360 999

The Premium Fryer and Burner System

Rece 10% d ive iscoun on all t claddin hygiene g rang on pro es ducti of this on adver t!

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40

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out Clean Away Your Fire Risk with TR19 Grease® Compliance Professional kitchen extract ductwork cleaning is not just a matter of hygiene; it is also an essential fire safety measure, as Gary Nicholls, MD of ductwork risk experts, Swiftclean, explains.

In every kitchen, no matter how lean or sophisticated the cuisine might be, the cooking process generates minute airborne droplets of fat, oils and grease, known collectively as FOGs. As the grease-laden air within the kitchen is drawn through the extract system, the air cools, leaving FOG deposits which gradually form a greasy film on the inside surfaces of both the canopy and the ductwork.

To remain compliant with the TR19® Grease specification, which is issued by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), the grease layer should not be allowed to exceed an average depth of 200 microns – about half the thickness of an average business card.

Compliance with TR19® Grease is an essential fire safety precaution, benefiting your staff, restaurant patrons, and also any residents, in both your own and neighbouring premises.

need your buildings insurance to pay out so that you can repair any damage. Increasingly, insurers will expect you to be compliant with TR19® Grease.

It is, therefore, important to be able to demonstrate your compliance with TR19® Grease. This can be achieved by using a member of the Vent Hygiene Register (VHR) as your specialist cleaning provider. VHR members can issue post-clean certification, providing evidence that you have fulfilled your legal obligations.

Also, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, you must appoint a Responsible Person for your property. They are legally obliged to ensure your compliance with TR19® Grease as part of your fire safety protocols.

Doubtless your kitchen is spotless. Unfortunately, the extract system is out of sight and can, as a result, easily end up out of mind. Its cleanliness should, however, be just as important in your list of maintenance priorities, as should compliance with TR19 Grease®. www.swiftclean.co.uk

Should the worst occur and a fire break out, you will

Caterquip Ventilation Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 23rd Anniversary this year.

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

This Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs: free site surveys, quotations and designs (CAD), quality bespoke and standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation.

Affiliated members of Constructionline and CHAS, Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, The Truck Stop at Anglesey, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses.

They ensure their systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

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

Call: 01926 887167, visit: www.caterquipventilation.co.uk, email: info@caterquipventilation.co.uk

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

41

Blast Chilling Is Best When It’s Fast Chilling Nationwide Equipment Training Williams Refrigeration has released a new versions of its reach in blast chillers and blast chiller/freezers which provide significant improvements over previous models. Blast chilling is a key process for cook chill systems, allowing businesses to safely chill and store food in batches before regeneration is required.

The new models ensure chilling food safety regulations are followed by rapidly chilling food from +90°C through the danger zone where harmful bacteria can grow, to a safe storage temperature.

The range now uses natural hydrocarbon refrigerant which has low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential. As the charge is less than 150g it falls beneath the threshold for hydrocarbon equipment, which means there’s no need for costly insurance or zone control and allows it to be installed directly on a cookline.

Chilling and freezing times have been reduced compared to previous models, while a powerful food probe sensor can save energy by stopping the cycle as soon as the food reaches the required temperature. The probe can be stored away helping to avoid damage when not in use. A powerful self-regulating system protects the compressors while cooked food is being loaded by cooling down the system before the program cycle is activated.

While some manufacturers promote a maximum capacity for their blast chiller/freezers, this is often smaller for freezing than it is for

On-Site Kitchen Rentals Ltd On-Site Kitchen Rentals Ltd supply temporary kitchen units, catering equipment and refrigeration solutions across the UK, Europe and occasionally worldwide. Supplying to a variety of industries from events and festivals to the hospitality sector, fast food companies and many more.

With over 40 years of experience in the industry, we have a fastpaced, hard-working team with an infrastructure of assets and resources to find the best solutions for all types of catering and foodservice requirements.

We are a supplier with a proven track record and a long list of completed installations with a wide and varied number of satisfied

chilling. However, Williams blast chillers have the same capacity regardless of whether it is being used to freeze or chill.

The overall design has been improved, with a sleek new door and the popular, easy to use Williams EasyBlast (WEB) controller. A simple 1-2-3 interface makes it easy for staff to program the cycle, while a clear digital display shows the elapsed time and the food probe temperature.

The door can be configured to be either right or left hand hung. A full-length integral door handle provides an easy to use, non-slip grab that is designed to be easy to clean, with no potential dirt traps.

The reduction in chilling and freezing times helps to deliver significant savings in energy compared with previous models. Efficiency is further improved by the 75mm high density polyurethane insulation which helps to maintain operating temperature in ambient conditions up to 43°C. Williams blast chiller and chiller/freezer ranges are available in both reach in and roll in models in a variety of capacities. Its new range of reach in models are available from the compact 10kg undercounter unit up to 50kg cabinets while roll in models start from 70kg capacity up to 320kg.

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

To learn more about Williams extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk. clients from local businesses to major international names.

Our recipe for success is based on keeping things simple. We believe that all our contracts have been gained because we listen and advise on what's right for the client.

All our customers are very different with differing priorities.

However all have a few things in common, such as government regulations, hygiene restrictions and probably just as difficult to please, professional chefs and catering managers.

We pride ourselves on meeting every client's specific requirements. Each of our kitchen installations is a bespoke solution designed around your needs. www.onsitekitchens.co.uk 01253 863305 info@onsitekitchens.com

At Nationwide Equipment Training, we're qualified, accredited consultants specialising in catering equipment training. Based in Staffordshire, we cover the whole of the United Kingdom and have over 60 years of industry experience.

We deliver training on all types of catering equipment from a range of manufacturers and suppliers. We take pride in our ability to offer the highest standard of catering equipment training for businesses across the country.

WHY CHOOSE US? • We specialise in commercial catering equipment training • Full UK coverage • Reactive to short notice requests The services we offer can be used on an ad-hoc or continuous basis, depending on the needs of your business. We provide individual and/or package requests and support for your existing team(s).

We deliver the information so that it is easily understood by the end user, we have the skills to assess what learning style is best. We ask the right questions to ensure that the information provided, or the processes demonstrated have been fully understood.

REFRESHER TRAINING: Refresher training is hugely beneficial, ensuring that colleagues are kept up to date and routines and processes are embedded.

Over time colleagues may start to take shortcuts, when this happens, it is usually detrimental to their equipment,

their customers, and their due diligence defence. This may result in an avoidable cost to your business.

Bad practices in almost every case will cost your business money.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER: • Provision of on-site equipment training (suitable as a 1-2-1 or group sessions) • Able to support equipment roll outs across the whole of the UK • Able to provide ad hoc training requests • Able to support your existing training team during times of greater demand, sickness, maternity etc • Offer training days (suitable for end of project new builds or refurbishments) to include facilitating the training day, delivering training and coordinating supplier attendance Your training can be covered with our flexible approach to training.

Contact Nationwide Equipment Training Ltd:bookings@netltd.uk www.netltd.uk

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

NATIONWIDE EQUIPMENT TRAINING LTD Supplying kitchens to the Pub and Restaurant Industry

For all your catering equipment training needs We are accredited consultants specialising in catering equipment training with full UK coverage and over 60 years of industry experience.

• Equipment hire for breakdown appliances.

• Kitchen hire for planned refurbishments.

• Kiosk hire for additional revenue. www.onsitekitchens.co.uk • Cold-room hire for additional space or breakdown.

01253 863305 info@onsitekitchens.com

You might need us one day.

Telegraph House 59 Wolverhampton Road Stafford Staffordshire ST17 4AW

Email: bookings@netltd.uk

Phone: 07957 938243 Web: www.netltd.uk

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Recruitment

Avoiding a Scrum at the Bar; Last Minute Hospitality Talent Will Be Needed During the Rugby World Cup

By Florent Malbranche, CEO and Co-founder, Brigad (www.brigad.co)

Just as finishers in rugby are strategic reinforcements to get a team through the most challenging parts of a match, integrating freelance hospitality talent into your team can also successfully raise your business game.

The Six Nations Rugby Tournament earlier in the year drove pub footfall up by a third and beer sales to over 17 million pints on match Saturdays.

This year’s Rugby World Cup promises to be one of the most popular ever with fans, given that the matches are scheduled for the afternoons and evenings for UK viewers.

15 million people in the UK watched England beat Australia in the 2003 final - and that was mid morning in the UK. So, we can expect even more fan fervour if the home teams do well in this year’s tournament, which promises to be a bonanza for the UK hospitality trade.

How can you reinforce your team with competent workers, whilst also wasting as little time as possible? Should you turn to temping agencies, hire on a short-term contract, or call in casual staff to temporarily beef up your teams? Perhaps the best solution is a freelancer.

Freelance jobs are, by nature, ever-evolving, and freelancers have to deliver quality and reliability in order to ensure longevity in their business venture. This extra drive is incredibly important in industries where a general lack of motivation invariably leads to lower-quality service and delivery.

Of course, the aim is not to completely replace your existing salaried staff with freelancers. Quite the opposite.

Freelancers offer the possibility to support and reinforce existing teams. Every organisation in the service industry needs a permanent team that knows the place like the back of its hand, but finding dependable extra staff to complement the team at periods of exceptionally high demand can be tricky.

Since 2016, hospitality freelancing platform and app Brigad has enabled thousands of high quality hospitality businesses in London, Birmingham and Manchester - from the Berkeley Hotel to a raft of passionate independent cafes, restaurants and pubs - to connect with the best self-employed hospitality professionals for this blended approach.

Brigad gives the same advice to every business that they support: recruit and train a permanent team that represents your business best, and when you need to, call for backup from a talented self-employed professional. These people bring a new injection of energy and passion about their career or craft, and are experienced enough to gel with existing teams for a short time to help with staff shortages.

In the hospitality industry, every second saved is important. So, to avoid wasting time, Brigad puts you in contact with qualified freelancers for your short-term personnel needs. All profiles are verified and approved by our team in advance. Calling in a freelancer who can hit the ground running saves you precious time. For a restaurant owner, that means less time taken away from looking after your customers.

There are parallels between sport and business. The sport of rugby has already shifted its approach from mere ‘substitutes’ to ‘finishers’, highly skilled individuals that bring a specific expertise on a flexible basis to relieve or complement the team. Hospitality businesses would be wise to draw inspiration from it: the best performing businesses are now the ones who are agile and reactive enough to adapt their team strategy, depending on the events happening. And in this new paradigm, new solutions such as Brigad are emerging, enabling them to manage a blended workforce.

Time is precious, but it only takes around 3 minutes to post a mission on the Brigad app, and 80% of missions posted are accepted in less than 2 hours. Be prepared for the Rugby World Cup and secure support to maximise takings during this busy period. To book last minute talent now, email: hello@brigad.co

Are You A Chef Looking for A Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance are three words that do not often come up in a chef’s vocabulary but are regularly used by the chefs employed by Care UK. Care UK are currently looking for chefs of all levels to work in our care homes across the UK. We are looking for people who want to make a difference to residents’ lives every day. When you join Care UK, you’ll be joining a team who all share the same values: caring, passionate and teamwork.

Life as a chef with us means that you will be preparing rosette level dishes in our stateof-the-art kitchens using fresh ingredients, for our residents and their families. We also have an exceptional track record in catering team career progression with countless

examples of chefs progressing from sous chef level to head chef positions.

We have our own Catering Academy to provide excellent training and induction programs for all new Catering Staff and we will give you all that’s needed to have a successful career as a Chef with us. Our high quality, innovative training and coaching will support the development of your skills throughout your career with us.

We are committed to recruiting diverse, talented people, who share our passion for helping others. We see the potential in everyone, let us help fulfil yours.

You can find out more about our rewarding careers by visiting careers.careuk.com

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Outdoor Spaces

No More Relying on the Weather The well-known Brokenwood winery is situated in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, in Australia. In October last year, the outside terrace of the estate was fitted with an awning system from manufacturer markilux. The newly designed open space can now be used for events and wine tastings whatever the weather.

“We covered an area of almost 180 square metres in the winery here in Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. Our solution consists of three markilux markant systems with four folding-arm awnings of the markilux 970 model additionally mounted on the sides and front,”

says Neil Marot, General Manager at the Australian subsidiary. This combination offers maximum flexibility to shade the entire area or parts of it.

The sun and weather protection system is also equipped with dimmable LED light and infrared heaters. The idea was, to be able to use the terrace in the future for a range of events – completely independently from the weather and the time of day. Alongside these functional aspects, the topic of modern design also played a decisive role in the choice of the markilux products. markilux-project.com

Park and Urban Furniture Stylish Outdoor Area ational spaces across the world.

ENHANCING REVENUE THROUGH OUTDOOR SEATING. Businesses, such as restaurants, cafes, and pubs can significantly boost their revenue by providing outdoor seating options.

This strategy appeals to a broader customer base, as many individuals prefer the refreshing atmosphere while dining or shopping.

We have teamed up with some of the most renowned Scandinavian designers to develop products encouraging the local community to socialise and enjoy spending time outdoors.

Boasting a timeless aesthetic and improved usability, our park and urban furniture range will cope with heavy use and age beautifully over the years. Suitable for all weather conditions and environments.

Suitable for all weather conditions and environments, it has added value to many outdoor recre-

The outdoor space creates a welcoming impression, enticing potential customers to stop by and support the establishment. Additionally, by offering outdoor seating, the business can accommodate more guests during busy times, resulting in higher sales and quicker table turnovers.

The improved customer experience fosters loyalty and positive word-of-mouth, further attracting repeat business. Consequently, this elevates the brand's image, attracting more customers, and ultimately driving revenue growth.

Email sales@hags.co.uk or visit www.hags.co.uk

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

for Popular Dorset Pub

Guests visiting The Old Inn pub based in Wimborne, Dorset can enjoy their food and drink inside an all-weather enclosed terrace area thanks to Broadview Shading Solutions.

Wanting to make more of their outside space all year round, the owners approached Broadview to come up with a solution. Being at the front of the property, the new area would also need that all-important kerb appeal.

Having provided outdoor cover solutions for the likes of Rick Stein Restaurants, The Sandbanks Hotel, and Dorset brewery pub chain Hall and Woodhouse, the team at Broadview drew upon all of their experience to propose an innovative, unique, fully weather-adaptable

outside covered area.

Two large parasols, in a vibrant turquoise, along with vertical guillotine glass to serve as a wind and rain barrier were installed. Staff are able to lower or raise the glass in line with weather conditions, and heating and lighting have been built into the parasol structures - all to bring optimum comfort to their guests.

If you’d like to discuss the idea of transforming the outside space of your pub, restaurant, or hotel, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Broadview.

Please call us on 01202 679012 or visit our website www.outdoor-shading.co.uk

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 190

CLH DIGITAL

45

Embracing the Chill: The Benefits of Utilising Outdoor Spaces in Cooler Months As winter sets approaches and temperatures drop, the idea of dining or enjoying a drink outdoors may seem counterintuitive. However, the cold season offers a unique opportunity for pubs and restaurants to leverage their outdoor spaces. Embracing the chill can lead to a range of benefits, not only for businesses but also for their patrons.

EXPANDED SEATING CAPACITY One of the most apparent benefits of using outdoor spaces in winter is the potential to expand seating capacity. By providing heated and sheltered areas, establishments can create a cozy atmosphere that encourages patrons to brave the cold. This increased capacity can lead to higher revenue and a more vibrant, lively atmosphere.

ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY Utilising outdoor spaces during winter showcases a business's adaptability and innovative spirit. It demonstrates a commitment to customer comfort and a willingness to go the extra mile. This adaptability is especially important in times of uncertainty, such as during public health crises or unexpected weather patterns.

ENHANCED ATMOSPHERE Winter brings its own unique charm, with the crisp air and potential for snowfall creating a magical backdrop. Well-designed outdoor spaces can amplify this ambiance, offering patrons an experience they can't get

indoors.

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS In light of recent global events, outdoor dining has become increasingly popular for health and safety reasons. Providing well-maintained outdoor spaces with proper distancing measures in place can give patrons peace of mind while still allowing them to enjoy the dining experience.

MARKETING AND BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES Embracing outdoor spaces during winter can be a powerful marketing tool. Businesses can promote their winter offerings, such as special seasonal menus, themed events, and unique outdoor amenities. This can attract a wider audience and strengthen brand loyalty among patrons who appreciate the effort to create a memorable winter experience.

According to our pub customers, each hospitality gazebo typically pays for itself in about 8 weeks!

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Outdoor spaces create opportunities for community engagement and social interaction. Hosting events like winter markets, live music performances, or themed parties can draw locals and visitors alike, fostering a sense of belonging and community spirit.

While the winter months may bring cold weather, they

Increase Your Revenue with a Commercial Shading Solution both kerbside and in any garden areas you may have.

The battle for customers is tougher than ever, but with recent research suggesting 40% find the pub garden their Ultimate Happy Place, now is the time to make the most of your outdoor space and turn it into a haven for customers and a true talking point.

All our products are made-to-measure and completely customisable to meet your exact requirements, with powder coated frames in a range of RAL colours and hundreds of weatherresistant fabrics to choose from. Take advantage of accessories such as lights and infa-red heaters to create a desirable location for customers to relax and be comfortable while they enjoy evening meals or drinks. For an added wow-factor you can add signwriting to help reinforce your brand and drive people into your premises who may have otherwise walked by without noticing.

Whether it’s covering a terrace bar, expanding your seating area or providing a truly unique standalone outdoor experience, our commercial awnings and Louvred roof systems can create a unique feature for your business and add not just a significant WOW factor, but an area to be used again and again.

At Roché we offer award-winning retractable wall-mounted and freestanding awnings from leading German manufacturers Markilux and Weinor, as well as the stunning Louvred Roof systems from both Renson and Weinor. Our team of experts have over 20 years’ experience in advising businesses on the right shading solution to suit a variety of outdoor spaces, and can help you maximise potential revenue by increasing usable floorspace,

also present a unique opportunity for pubs and restaurants to leverage their outdoor spaces. By providing a warm, inviting atmosphere and offering a range of amenities, businesses can create a memorable winter experience for their patrons. This not only leads to increased revenue but also builds customer loyalty and strengthens the establishment's reputation within the community. Embracing the chill can truly be a win-win for both businesses and their customers.

Our teams of engineers and surveyors are based nationwide and use their experience to ensure each installation is completed to an extremely high standard.

Call us on 0800 060 8844 to arrange a free site survey or visit www.rocheawnings.com

'Your outdoor area begs you to earn more money’ JǞɨǞȁǐ ɯȌɐȲ ƧɐȺɈȌǿƵȲȺ Ɗ ǐɐƊȲƊȁɈƵƵ ȌǏ ƦƵǞȁǐ ƊƦǶƵ ɈȌ ȲƵǶƊɮ Ǟȁ ƊǶǿȌȺɈ ƊǶǶ ɩƵƊɈǘƵȲ ǞȺ Ɗ ƦǞǐ ƦɐȺǞȁƵȺȺ ƦȌȁɐȺ‫خ‬

ɓɲ‫ڳ‬ɬǠɋǚ‫ڳ‬ƌ‫ڳ۬ש׮ڳ‬ưƷȲȏȽǠɋ‫ڳ׬ڳ۔ڳ‬ǠȄɋƷȵƷȽɋ‫ډ‬ǑȵƷƷ‫ڳ‬ǠȄȽɋƌǹǹȂƷȄɋȽ ɓȵ‫ژ‬OȏȽȲǠɋƌǹǠɋɲ‫ژ‬ǒƌɼƷƨȏȽ‫ژ‬ƌȵƷ‫ژ‬ƷǑǑƷƩɋǠɫƷǹɲ‫ژ‬ǑȵƷƷ‫ژ‬ƨƷƩƌɓȽƷِ​ِ​ِ‫ژ‬ •

According to our pubs, each gazebo typically pays for itself in about 8 weeks!

•

We will ǚƷǹȲ‫ژ‬maximise income from your outdoor area.

•

This is your essential long-term investment‫خ‬

✓ׄ ȺǞɹƵȺ ‫ ب‬ȺɈƊȲɈǞȁǐ ƊɈ ‫ؾ אזדةׁڍ‬Ƶɮ ɨƊɈ‫ؿ‬ ✓ ‫ژۑ׎ד‬ưƷȲȏȽǠɋ‫ژבژڹژ‬ǠȄɋƷȵƷȽɋ‫ٮ‬ǑȵƷƷ‫ژ‬ǠȄȽɋƌǹȂƷȄɋȽ ✓ k wG‫ژ‬k °¾UwG‫ ׅژ‬æƵƊȲ JɐƊȲƊȁɈƵƵ

✓ ª DzÀ‫(ٶ‬0²XJy‫ٶ‬ǐɐƊȲƊȁɈƵƵƮ ɈȌ ɩǞɈǘȺɈƊȁƮ ׁ‫ ׀׀‬wȯǘ ȺɈȌȲǿȺ ƧǘƵƧDz ȌɐɈ R ²§XÀ mXÀæ J ð0 ² ȯƊǐƵ ǏȌȲ ɈǘƵ ǏɐǶǶ ȯǞƧɈɐȲƵ ƌǹǹ‫ژ‬ÅȺ‫¾ژ‬ȏưƌɲ‫ژ‬ɋȏ‫ژ‬ǑǠȄư‫ژ‬ȏɓɋ‫ژ‬ɬǚƌɋ‫ژ‬ɬƷ‫ژ‬ƩƌȄ‫ژ‬ưȏ‫ژ‬Ǒȏȵ‫ژ‬ɲȏɓِ àRXÀ0 § ßXmX y R ²§XÀ mXÀæ J ð0 ² ‫ׅ׈ׂ ׅ׉׆ ׃ׅ׆ׁ׀ ب‬ ƮƵȺǞǐȁƵƮ ƊȁƮ ƧƊȲƵǏɐǶǶɯ ǿƊƮƵ ƨɲ‫ژ‬ɓȽ‫ژ‬Ǟȁ æȌȲDzȺǘǞȲƵ ‫ ب‬ɩɩɩ‫خ‬ɩǘǞɈƵȯƊɨǞǶǞȌȁǐƊɹƵƦȌȺ‫خ‬ƧȌ‫خ‬ɐDz

Please Read ‘Nearly 2 years on, it was the best decision we ever made to buy 3 White Pavilion Gazebos. They have paid for themselves many, many times over. I dread to think of the business we would have missed out on if we had not made the investment.’

‘We now have 11 hospitality gazebos – this is how we get a fabulous ROI.’!

Susie, Proprietor: Grantham Arms, Boroughbridge -The Bay Tree, Swillington, York – The Black Horse, Kirby Fleetham

Get ready for more winter sales !4 sizes : starting at £1,582 [ex vat] ! 50% deposit + 3 interest-free instalments ! LONG LASTING 5 Year Guarantee ! ROBUST DESIGN guaranteed to withstand 100 Mph storms

Call Us Today to find out what we can do for you.

WHITE PAVILION GAZEBOS 01653 695 285 designed and carefully made by us in Yorkshire : www.whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk

46

CLH DIGITAL

Issue 190

Products and Services

Airwave Europe Commits to a Greener Future The Label Group

Leading display technology integrator, Airwave Europe, is delighted to announce a partnership with conservation company, Gift-A-Tree, agreeing to plant one tree for every TV sold to a new customer.

South West Labels are a supplier of labelling guns, thermal label printers & labels. We’re here for retail, industrial and manufacturing businesses. We’re independent, which means impartial recommendations combined with over 30 years experience in supplying these products.

Based in Tiverton, Devon, Gift-A-Tree work with charities (such as WWF, The Rainforest Action Network & The Rainforest Trust) and companies, generating woodland and forests across 40 countries worldwide.

A Gold Package partnership agreement allows Airwave to plant approximately 25,000 trees a year, in turn contributing to the preservation of natural ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, enhancing air quality, and helping educate local communities.

“As a technology company, we can’t avoid creating a carbon footprint” said Airwave Head of Marketing, James Grant, “however this partnership will help us mitigate the effects of our operations. It’s a small step, but one we’re very proud to make.”

“It’s such a pleasure to welcome Airwave to the family” said Gift-A-Tree Founder, Andy Fields “I look for-

Walter Geering Established in 1903, Walter Geering is an industry leading supplier to hotels, holiday parks and accommodation providers across the UK, specialising in ecofriendly toiletries and welcome packs including kitchen and bathroom packs, pet packs, games night packs, birthday parks, to name but a few. Walter Geering also offers a comprehensive collection of bedroom and bathroom accessories, bedding, linen and towels.

Walter Geering has become a leading supplier due to its firm commitment to the environment.

For most of us, the use of singleuse plastic is all about convenience. As industries go, none are quite as keen on single use plastic as the hospitality industry. This makes sense; few people are more set on convenience than those who are on holiday, and whilst many of our products are not single use, we remain committed to supporting our customers (and their guests) in reducing the amount of plastic in their business.

TOILETRIES AND WELCOME PACKS Walter Geering has led the toiletry and amenity market for a number of years thanks to its innovative products and eco-friendly credentials. Browse their extensive toiletry collections and choose from bottles and tubes made from oxo-biodegradable plastic, postconsumer recycled plastic, prevented ocean plastic and wheat straw.

In the spring of 2023 Walter Geering launched its new floating dispenser system. A simple, yet innova-

The labelling gun market can be complicated. Many products are known by

ward to playing a part in their sustainable future.”

Airwave would like to thank Philips Professional Displays, LG Displays and Samsung Displays, for their support in this initiative.

For enquiries, please contact: info@airwave.tv or 01403 783 483 or see the advert on the front cover.

Moor Coffee Ltd. Our Independent coffee company based near Dartmoor specialises in commercial coffee machines, coffee beans, brewing equipment and machine repairs throughout the South West and the UK. With over 25 years' experience in the beverage vending industry.

tive, solution that offers a new generation of toiletry dispensers. The system is designed to fit any bathroom and comes with a matchbox sized bracket hidden behind the dispenser to offer the illusion your dispenser is floating. The system features a simple tamper-proof locking mechanism that takes housekeeping only 3 seconds to unlock with the security key. The entire system; bottle, bracket is just £4.28 per product per room.

KITCHEN AND CLEANING WELCOME PACKS At Walter Geering, we want to contribute to a circular economy where packaging material never becomes waste, but is recycled, reused or composted. To address the issue, we are investing time and money to reimagine and redesign our packaging. This includes designing a completely new range of packaging types across our diverse welcome pack portfolio to fit with the recycling infrastructure that either exists today or is likely to exist in the near future in the markets where we operate, making it easier for consumers to reuse or recycle our packaging.

When your guests first arrive at your accommodation, the last thing they are thinking about is whether there will be essentials such as washing up, liquid, black bin bags a sponge or cleaning cloth. However, these are the kinds of items your guests will need before too long. Fortunately, with our cost-effective and highly practical kitchen packs, your guests will not have to worry too much for those first few days.

Contact Walter Geering today and quote CLH10 for 10% discount on your first order.

Sales@waltergeering.co.uk www.waltergeering.co.uk SEE THE ADVERT ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER.

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

We understand that choosing a new coffee machines can be difficult - bean to cup - group machine - instant machine, what is right for you?.

That is where our dedicated team can offer help & advice.

different names depending on their use. Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns. Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industry.

A wide variety of specialist features including auto-incrementing guns for batch codes.

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

See the advert on PAGE 7 or call 01736 810334 for details.

industry we can guide you to finding the right solution for your business.

Call us now on 01409 231166 or visit www.moorcoffee.co.uk We offer a range of purchase options on both new and refurbished equipment. Machine accessories can be added to create a complete business model and once you have chosen your machine we will deliver, install and train you and your staff.

After-sales support is taken seriously so we provide you with a comprehensive back-up service with regular customer contact, a range of point-of-sale material and a fully equipped service department. www.moorcoffee.co.uk 01409 231166 SEE THE ADVERT ON PAGE 11.

With our knowledge gained by our time in the

Big K Introduces an Exciting Range of Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips Big K Introduces an Exciting Range of Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips, adding a smoky flavourful twist to their extensive range of natural cooking fuels.

endless possibilities.

Big K Products UK Ltd unveils its brand new range of Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips. These exciting additions to Big K's product line-up offer food hospitality professionals an unparalleled opportunity to elevate their culinary creations with rich and distinctive flavours.

"We are thrilled to introduce our new range of Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips," said Mike Theodorou, sales Director at Big K Products UK Ltd. "These premium products are designed to empower food hospitality professionals with the ability to create exceptional and memorable dining experiences.

With seven enticing flavours to choose from, chefs can unleash their creativity and elevate their dishes to new heights."

The new range features seven captivating flavours that promise to delight the taste buds and ignite culinary creativity. Chefs and grill enthusiasts can now choose from a variety of options, including Cherry, Apple, Grape Vine, Whiskey Barrel, Hickory, Oak, and the refreshing Citrus blend of Lemon and Orange wood.

Each variant brings a unique aroma and taste, enabling chefs to craft unforgettable flavour profiles for their menus.

In addition to their exceptional flavour profiles, Big K's Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips are crafted with the utmost care and quality. The wood is carefully selected, sourced from managed and sustainable woodlands, and undergoes rigorous processing to ensure consistency and optimal performance. With Big K's commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness, chefs can enjoy the range's delightful flavours while knowing they are making a responsible choice.

Smoking wood chunks and chips are the perfect complement to charcoal, allowing chefs to infuse their dishes with a smoky essence. Whether it's enhancing the richness of grilled meats, adding a hint of fruitiness to seafood, or lending a distinct smoky undertone to vegetables, Big K's Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips offer

Discover the art of flavour infusion with Big K's Smoking Wood Chunks and Chips. For more information call 0208 808 6336 for deliveries with M25 area.

For nationwide deliveries call 01366 501 485. www.bigk.co.uk SEE THE ADVERT ON PAGE 7.

Blast Chilling is Best When It’s Fast Chilling Williams Refrigeration has released a new version of its reach in blast chillers and blast chiller/freezers which provide significant improvements over previous models.

Blast chilling is a key process for cook chill systems, allowing businesses to safely chill and store food in batches before regeneration is required.

The new models ensure chilling food safety regulations are followed by rapidly chilling food through the danger zone where harmful bacteria can grow, to a safe storage temperature.

The new models help to protect food by lowering it from +90°C through the danger zone where harmful bacteria can grow to a safe storage temperature.

The range now uses natural hydrocarbon refrigerant which has low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential. As the charge is less than 150g it falls beneath the threshold for hydrocarbon equipment, which means there’s no need for costly insurance or zone control and allows it to be installed directly on a cookline.

Chilling and freezing times have been reduced compared to previous models, while a powerful food probe sensor can save energy by stopping the cycle as soon as the food reaches the required temperature. The probe can be stored away helping to avoid damage when not in use. A powerful self-regulating system protects the compressors while cooked food is being loaded by cooling down the system before the program cycle is activated.

While some manufacturers promote a maximum capacity for their blast chiller/freezers, this is often smaller for freezing than it is for chilling. However, Williams blast chillers have the same capacity regardless of whether it

is being used to freeze or chill.

The overall design has been improved, with a sleek new door and the popular, easy to use Williams EasyBlast (WEB) controller. A simple 1-2-3 interface makes it easy for staff to program the cycle, while a clear digital display shows the elapsed time and the food probe temperature.

The door can be configured to be either right or left hand hung. A full-length integral door handle provides an easy to use, non-slip grab that is designed to be easy to clean, with no potential dirt traps.

The reduction in chilling and freezing times helps to deliver significant savings in energy compared with previous models. Efficiency is further improved by the 75mm high density polyurethane insulation which helps to maintain operating temperature in ambient conditions up to 43°C. Williams blast chiller and chiller/freezer ranges are available in both reach in and roll in models in a variety of capacities. Its new range of reach in models are available from the compact 10kg undercounter unit up to 50kg cabinets while roll in models start from 70kg capacity up to 320kg.

List prices for Williams blast chiller freezers start from £6070 for the WBC10.

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

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

Design & Refit

Do You Need a FAST, Easy-Fit Washroom Upgrade?

RapidFit toilet cubicles, vanities, and IPS are available in either an MR MFC or Compact Grade Core.

RapidFit by Rearo is an instant solution for washroom surfaces. Designed to accommodate time-constrained commercial washroom projects, Rearo’s ‘off-the-shelf’ RapidFit range is the perfect, fast solution for projects requiring toilet cubicles or vanity units.

Washroom design plays a vital role in the overall appearance of your company branding and can have a lasting impression on visitors – that’s why Rearo offers a dedicated core range of nine highpressure laminate décors within the commercial washrooms range.

The RapidFit finishes were hand selected by the Rearo design team, with colours and textures chosen to ensure compliance with The Equality Act and futureproofed for a minimum of three years. The colour choices take into consideration the needs of people with disabilities, including visual impairment, by ensuring neighbouring expanses of colour, such as walls and doors, are distinguishable by using contrasting colours.

Particularly popular within the hospitality sector, RapidFit washrooms are ideal for pubs restaurants and hotels.

Supported by a five-year manufacturer guarantee, MR MFC is ideal for light to medium-traffic spaces. For higher traffic areas requiring a little added durability, choose the RapidFit Impact range. Completely water resistant, this solid-grade laminate core is ideal for humid and wet environments and backed by a comprehensive ten-year guarantee.

Cubicles are supplied as a flat pack, ready for a quick and easy installation and all RapidFit components are available to buy individually to offer a variety of installation possibilities. Matching IPS can be made to order in only 3-4 weeks.

Ask your fitter/joinery/plumbing contractor or architect to get in touch for free sample packs and design and specification assistance. Or, order your RapidFit washroom now.

0141 440 0800 commercial@rearo.co.uk www.rearocommercial.co.uk

What Can A Trolley Do For You? Trolleys are no doubt an integral part of any hospitality and corporate catering environment. From tea/coffee service to the presentation of buffets, we have the answer. Euroservice is renowned for producing trolleys which are both practical and stylish.

Built to last and very durable, our trolleys are the first choice for many large-scale corporate organisations. 2 / 3 tier trolleys are vert versatile and can be

used in all manner of settings.

In addition to the standard ranges, our bespoke service gives you the opportunity to design trolleys to your own specification at affordable prices.

Our British made products guarantee you top quality and first class after sales service.

Visit www.euroservice-uk.com

What can a TROLLEY do for you?

BOOST YOUR SALES ENHANCE YOUR SERVICE SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY! Standard or custom-made trolleys with your own choice of:

• COLOUR • SIZE • STYLE at affordable prices!

www.euroservice-uk.com

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 e: sales@euroservice-uk.com

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Design & Refit

Battling Staff Shortages?

Here’s How A Service Lift May Help

By Mark Chapman, General Manager, Stannah Microlifts

Staff shortages have been a challenge for British hospitality businesses, with data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing a 56% increase in staff shortages in the accommodation and food service sector compared to pre-pandemic levels.

To tackle this issue, businesses have had to turn to technology to ensure they can operate efficiently with fewer staff members. One option that can be easily implemented is the addition of service lifts to business premises. These lifts can move items like food, beverages, laundry, and luggage more efficiently between floors, reducing the manual time and effort required for tasks. This can help businesses run smoothly even with smaller teams, preventing waiting times from becoming unacceptable for customers.

Service lifts like the Microlift or Trolley lift can also reduce the risk of injury for staff and improve staff wellbeing by reducing physical strain, making the workplace more inclusive for those with disabilities or mobility

issues.

Many business owners may be under the impression that a service lift is expensive and disruptive to install, but this is often not the case at all. Microlifts from Stannah are compact, structure-supported and quick and easy to install. These reliable and hard-wearing products are designed for operation 24/7, 365 days a year, supported by regular service visits from our expert local engineers.

So even when staff shortages bite, great service can still be provided to your customers - without the heavy lifting. With a durable and reliable Stannah lift sharing the load, your staff will be well-protected every day and able to do more than ever before.

As manual handling is such a risky business, Stannah has compiled a comprehensive Manual Handling Guide detailing how business owners can reduce the risks of staff injury and prevent further shortages due to injury.

For more information visit: resources.stannahlifts.co.uk/manual-handling

MST Auctioneers Ltd

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods.

We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances.

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs.

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 are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA).

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

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors.

We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" See advert on page 52 for further details.

Mayfair Furniture Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 11 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

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

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ment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish.

01733 310115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbish-

Choose Your Path For Assured, Sustainable Hot Water Restaurants, bars and hotels have an often uniquely business-critical need for hot water to ensure smooth daily operations. With hot water demands generating up to 30% of a business’ daily energy use it is a prime candidate for addressing carbon emissions and climbing operational costs.

Unless a new build, which will be electrical-based, most refurbishments will look to either improve on existing gas systems or aim to completely replace them with electrical alternatives, typically heat pumps and/or direct-electric heating. The latest generation of electric boiler, such as Adveco’s ARDENT, offers new levels of resilience, with multiple immersions in a protected sealed indirect loop arrangement that dramatically cuts issues associated with limescale damage in hard water areas. Digital controls and monitoring ensure 24/7 operational service.

Adveco Live Metering of the hot water demands of a building is a quick, non-invasive, and extremely costeffective means of gauging needs. It also provides application design which enables owner/managers to develop realistic and sustainable development strategies which deliver active results today with low to no

impact on ongoing operations. The process helps to avoid the common, and costly pitfalls of system oversizing, for immediate capital savings. Combining heat pump pre-heat and electric boilers will cut carbon emissions, by as much as 70% compared to equivalent gas-fired applications, so is a big tick in the box for business sustainability.

This does come at a cost currently in terms of operational expense, due to higher electricity costs.

So, we would advocate the use of solar thermal which not only helps further reduce carbon, but crucially also reduces the expense associated with operating on both gas or electric. A correctly sized and installed solar thermal system will reduce UK annual energy requirements of a business on average by at least 30%. Southern/western counties could expect to offset most hot water energy demands in the summer months with a solar thermal system. With a less than 10-year return on investment now possible, solar thermal, as a proven renewable should be on any list of net zero technologies being considered as part of a wider sustainability strategy. www.adveco.co

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

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Cult Furniture Cult Furniture is a renowned furniture brand that offers a wide range of products suitable for bar venues.

Our Cult Trade collection encompasses a variety of styles and designs that cater to the diverse needs and aesthetics of the hospitality industry. We are strongly committed to quality and design and draw inspiration from iconic mid-century and contemporary designs, ensuring that products are not only functional but also visually appealing. We frequently update our collections

to stay in tune with the latest trends in interior design, making us a go-to choice for bar owners looking to create a chic and inviting space for their customers. At Cult Trade, we offer bar stools, bar tables, dining chairs, dining tables, ceiling lights as well as other accessories to complete your style.

We offer a diverse range of stylish furniture which allows bar owners to curate a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing interior that aligns with their unique vision and branding. Our products are

New Year, New Look 2024 is fast approaching and it is a fantastic opportunity to give your hospitality site a fresh look that works hard for you and your customers in the upcoming year.

Woodberry are sharing some tips so that you can plan and get your hospitality venue to work harder for you in 2024.

CREATE ZONES Creating different zones with demographic appropriate furniture is a fantastic way to cater to your customers different needs. As well as this, it gives you scope to attract a

designed and constructed to meet the highest standards, including Crib-5 certification, ensuring durability and longevity in high-traffic bar environments. Bar owners can trust that their investment in Cult Trade products will stand the test of time. While offering high-quality and stylish furnishings, Cult Trade remains competitively priced, providing bar owners with exceptional value for their investment. This affordability allows for more extensive transformations and improvements within budget constraints. We are

different customer demographic. You can create different zones by using different items of furniture. For example, bar height furniture will appeal more to a younger demographic visiting for a drink whereas armchairs and tables will appeal to older customers.

INVEST IN HIGH QUALITY AND EASYCLEAN FURNITURE Investing in high quality and easy-clean furniture will mean that your investment will last longer without a lot of maintenance. It will also mean that staff are not having to spend too much time cleaning furniture during busy trade times.

BE BOLD Businesses are becoming more aware of social media for growth. Having a bold or unique interior is a great way to encourage visitors to share photos of your establishment.

You may decide to get furniture that is bespoke to your brands colours or have a feature wall with a unique design.

Woodberry offer a wide range of colourful chairs with upholstery options and colourful pedestal tables for a unique look.

The Woodberry team are keen to help you find the best products for your establishment. We offer a variety of quality indoor dining and bar furniture from traditional styles to unique and eye-catching designs. Call our team or discuss your needs or shop online.

01926 889922 mail@woodberry.co.uk www.woodberry.co.uk/indoor SEE THE ADVERT ON THE BACK COVER

dedicated to customer satisfaction, offering excellent trade account management, easy ordering, and reliable delivery options.

Our trade membership offers access to exclusive benefits. Join us to enjoy perks only available to Cult Trade members: - Exclusive trade discounts - Bespoke orders - High stock quantities on all of our best sellers - Personal trade manager - 48- hour dispatch time on in-stock items

Visit www.cultfurniture.com or see the advert

Don’t Miss Fantastic Discounts On Furniture Favourites

Here at Trent Furniture, we’re offering some remarkable reductions on some of our bestselling ranges for a limited time only. Combining classic good looks with hardwearing durability, our Shaker Table range is a perennially popular choice for restaurants, cafes and bars. So, with between 10% and 15% off across the range of round, square and rectangular Shaker Tables, all available in dark oak, light oak and walnut, it’s a great time to give your venue’s tables a refresh.

We also have some great deals available on seating. Our Shaker Stools, which are available in tall and small sizes and with a hard top or in a great range of upholstery, currently have 20% off. They are the perfect stylish and space-saving seating solution for any hospitality setting. Or for a more traditional look, why not take advantage of 20% off our Tall Colonial Stool or Tall Brass Rail Stool for timeless style and quality with great savings?

Chairs currently available with fantastic discounts range from hardworking classic wooden chairs like the York Crossback Chair which currently has 15% off, to statement pieces like the Portobello Tub Chair, with 20% off the full range which includes the attractive Autumn and Cappuccino upholstery options as well as the easy-to-clean, goes-with-anything brown faux leather.

If your outdoor furniture needs replacing for 2024, look no further than the Monaco Stacking Chair. Currently available with 20% off, this contract grade chair is available in a choice of wicker finishes as well as wood effect or aluminium. Whichever style you choose, this chair pairs perfectly with the Alma Table or Capra Table, both outdoor favourites which also have 20% off in both the round and square styles.

To see more of the brilliant savings currently available at Trent Furniture, please visit trentfurniture.co.uk. Alternatively, for more information or to order new furniture for your venue, please call us on 0116 2989 927 or fill in our contact form.

Design & Refit

New Stock Chair Ranges from ILF www.ilfchairs.com email terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

With the continuing success of the ILF Chairs website, 2023 has seen an increase in their STOCK chairs to 11 ranges available in different Faux and Velvet upholstery and selection of frame colours, plus a 12 colour STOCK range of Egger laminated 25mm table tops in a selection of sizes and colour finishes. A full range of table bases in metal and stainless steel are also kept in STOCK. In addition, ILF now also have a comprehensive range of STOCK outdoor seating and tables to suit all budgets plus real wood table tops and real wood table bases for indoor use.

More STOCK ranges coming soon please check the website.

Their online website offers both indoor and outdoor

seating and table solutions.

Divided into Contemporary seating, Boutique, Lounge Seating, Period Seating, Outdoor seating and tables plus Indoor Dining & Coffee height wood tables, creating a great selection of products to view at your leisure.

Most made to order indoor seating and indoor wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification. Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Enquiries can be sent to ILF directly from the website and they will reply within 24 hours. ILF hope you will enjoy the experience of viewing their easy to navigate website and they look forward to helping clients get the best products for their hospitality site.

The World’s First Brushless Industrial Pump From Saniflo Saniflo continues to innovate in the industrial waste pump sector by becoming the first manufacturer to offer a brushless option. The popular Sanicubic 2 Pro Smart is a pumping station designed to lift grey and black waste water from individual properties, small businesses and light commercial premises such as pubs and restaurants.

The new brushless version extends the range to three models – the classic, the Pro Smart and the Pro Smart brushless.

Widely used already in a variety of products including power tools, boiler pumps and appliances such as lawnmowers, brushless is an advanced technology that improves motor lifespan, product efficiency and reliability. It eliminates the electrical connection to the spinning motor -which can create heat, friction and noise and in the Sanicubic 2 Pro Smart it allows regulation of the motor so it can run at variable speeds.

This offers further advantages including: • Energy saving of up to 30% • High efficiency

• High torque and thus better grinding quality • Lower noise The Sanicubic is widely used in the hospitality sector to discharge grey and black waste water from whole buildings, particularly those where change of use has occurred.

The unit has multiple connections for connections to kitchen and WC areas. Single and three phase versions are available as well as models with single or double pumps. The new brushless pumps are highly suitable for businesses in the hospitality sector, particularly given the potential savings in energy.

Tim Pestell, Managing Director of Saniflo, believes the new technology will have strong appeal for commercial businesses in particular; “As pioneer of the macerator concept, Saniflo, true to form, is now pioneering the use of new brushless technology in lifting stations. We believe it will be a popular option with customers installing pumps for industrial projects.”

For further information visit www.saniflo.co.uk

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Property and Professional

Great Potential for Hotels in 2024

seeking their own ventures. Currently we are seeing a particular interest in hotels and properties with letting bedrooms, especially in rural and semirural areas as buyers can profit from surrounding affluent villages. In the present economic market, there are numerous reasons for this increase in interest from vendors as the segment experiences huge consumer demand for British hospitality. Following the pandemic, the hotel industry showed its durability with its fast recovery and demand levels remained consistent throughout. The resumption of business travel, weddings, and leisure travel has continued to boost demand for inns and hotels. Freehouses have a unique opportunity to diversify by providing letting rooms to benefit from more income security. Tenants can alter room rates to provide protection from rising inflation as they can be adjusted each day. Again, being flexible as a commercial property, hotels can adapt through branding and a change in management to encourage demand and ensure profit.

We, at Sidney Phillips, are currently experiencing high demand for licensed properties - in particular those providing accommodation, despite the present state of the economy. Interest rates have consecutively risen for 14 months up to the current rate of 5.25%, which is the highest in 15 years. With increasing interest rates we would expect the market to suffer, with less investment in commercial property, however, there has not been a notable fall in either demand or prices for our listings.

Commercial property remains so resilient because it is versatile to changes in the market. This has been proven following the pandemic, despite the rise in the cost of living. The adaptability of this type of property remains a key strength as owners can easily adapt their business’s use and purpose to changes in customer demand. An example of this is the increasing number of gastropubs appearing as customers want good quality food at good prices, in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Furthermore, with typically longerterm leases than residential property, freehold owners are provided with committed tenants, ensuring increased financial security with a stable and greater income. This enables higher rent than residential property fuelled by the opportunity for tenants to make profits. In this way, commercial properties can sustain appreciation of long-term value and have healthy cash flow positions, making them less reactive to the increasing interest rates we see now.

2024 hopes to bring even more positive news for the commercial property market where we expect to see a continued rise in the rental market for public houses and for free of tie leases. As well as further demand for properties with accommodation, including hotels, properties with rooms to let, campsites, and guest houses.

Call 01981 250333 for more information

The industry continues to draw in first-time buyers, particularly those with management or chef experience

www.sidneyphillips.co.uk

Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

wages and being able to understand ‘’the way your business actually works’’ we can ensure that you are maximising the labour usage in your business.

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

With over 30 years of industry experience in the Hospitality sector, The Bowden Group’s Managing Consultant David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements:

Budgeting, Forecasting, Menu Management, Stock Controls, Purchasing, and controlling Variable Costs are just a few of the other areas that David Hunter, your Restaurant Consultant, will work on with you, and improve with you.

MANAGING PEOPLE

Profitability, Operational Strategy, Staff Management, Marketing and The Future of your business.

Managing people brings with it a whole set of new skills that are now needed more than ever. From ‘’Managing the Managers’’ through to Service and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management, Motivation, guidance and Development.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS

MARKETING

Our experts will analyse your entire operation and also its key operating figures if they are available. We then help you to identify strategies to manage costs and overheads associated with the core Profitability of running a Hospitality business.

The largest overhead, even higher than Cost of Sales, is the Labour cost, so, with detailed analysis of your

We will help you build a workable, planned Marketing Strategy. From Digital Marketing, such as Social Media marketing, Websites, eMail Marketing and online advertising, to print design, Promotions and offline advertising, your Hospitality business should be constantly working on ‘’ all things Marketing’’.

If your business is actually struggling, or if you just feel that it could be doing some things better, give David Hunter a quick call on 07831 407984 to arrange a ‘’Free of Charge’’ initial consultation (please quote CLH Offer), when David will discuss with you what could be achieved if you ask us to work with you.

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

W! NE

SOUTH HAMS, DEVON

MID DEVON TOWN

NORTH CORNISH COAST

Stunning Country Village Inn

Award Winning Free Of Tie Inn

Renowned Country Inn With 6 Acres

3 High Quality Letting Rooms

Trade Areas (60+), Catering Kitchens

8 Letting Rooms & Letting Cottage

Character Trade Areas (64+)

3/4 Impressive Letting Rooms

Bar & Restaurant Areas 150+

External Seating (98+) & Parking

2/3 Bed Owners Apartment

Free Of Tie Leasehold Opportunity

New Free Of Tie Lease Opportunity

Exceptionally High Trade Levels

Sales In Excess Of £500,000 Net

LH NIL PREMIUM

4845

LH NIL PREMIUM

4842

LH £99,750

TOPSHAM, DEVON

EXETER, DEVON

Stunning Free Of Tie Bar

Established Licensed Restaurant

Licensed Restaurant & Bar

68+ Seats Inside, 80 Seats Outside

Much Sought After Location

Desirable & Vibrant Location

Exceptional High Quality Business

44+ Covers, Newly Fitted Kitchens

42 Seats Inside, 18 Seats Outside

Impressive Levels Of Trade

Prominent Trading Position

First Class Purpose Fitted Unit

Unique Stylish Business Opportunity

Excellent Reputation & Reviews

New Free Of Tie Lease Available

4839

LH £75,000

2160

LH £35,000

EXETER, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4721

PRICE: £48,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4073

• Long Established Licenced Café/Bistro in Superb Trading Location • Stylishly Decorated with Internal Seating for Circa 45 • Benefitting from Outside Seating for 6 • Well Equipped Commercial Kitchen • Huge Potential to Expand on Current Trade

TORQUAY, DEVON

PRICE: £79,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3853

• Stunning Coastal Pub Situated in the Beautiful Heybrook Bay. • South Facing Outside Terraces, with 180 Degree Sea Views.

• Two Fully Refurbished Owner’s/Letting Apartments.

• Fully Refurbished One Bed Staff/Manager’s Flat.

• Very Profitable Business with Huge Potential to Push Revenue Further.

SOUTH HAMS, DEVON TAVISTOCK, DEVON

CORNWALL VILLAGE

Village Store & Tea Gardens

Exceptional 78 Cover Restaurant

Freehold Pub Investment

Spacious 4 Bedroom Family Home

Superbly Presented Throughout

Detached Village Inn

Easy Lifestyle Hours

Currently Run Under Management

Rental Income Of £18,000

Gardens With Stables & Garage

Owners/Managers Apartment

Lease With 11 Years Unexpired

Potential To Develop Business

Substantial Trade and Profits

For The Attention Of Investors

DUCHY LH £325,000

2149

LH £189,500

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

2144

FH £195,000

4836

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

PRICE: £75,000

TOTNES, DEVON

2162

DARTMOOR, DEVON

PERRANPORTH, CORNWALL

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

4841

DEVON COASTAL TOWN

LH £115,000

PRICE: £575,000

• Substantial Character Pub with 3 sets of Versatile Living Accommodation • Successful Business with Strong Net Profit, Recently Trading on Limited Hours • 2 Main Atmospheric Trading Areas with Function Room/Skittle Alley • Pretty Private Garden, Roof Terrace & Car Park • Fantastic Opportunity - Would Suit Multi-Generational Family

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £1,000,000 FREEHOLD REF: 4656

• Stunning 17th Century Traditional Cornish Inn. • Successful Business, Oozing with Character and Atmosphere.

• 2 Welcoming Trading Areas, Well Equipped Commercial Kitchen.

• Attractive Owner's Accommodation.

• Outside Seating Areas with Sunny Aspect & Car Park.

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4711

• A Delightful Café & Takeaway with Commercial Kitchen • Busy Main Road Location Close to Tourist Attractions & Campsites • Popular Early Morning Breakfast Venue with Busy Local Lunch Trade • Internal Seating for 14, Outside Seating for 12 • Ideal Opportunity for Owner Operator

PAIGNTON, DEVON

PRICE: £37,995

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4731

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON

• Established Cafe in the Sought After Town • Offering a Variety of Coffee Beans & Strength to Drink in or Purchase • Straightforward Menu • Social Opening Hours with Potential to Extend • Subtle Interior Décor with Seating for 40, Outside Seating for 4

OFFERS IN THE REGION OF £70,000 LEASEHOLD REF: 4520 • Charming ‘Free of Tie’ Country Inn Situated in the Beautiful South Hams.

• Traditional Pub with a Contemporary Style & 5 First Class En-Suite Letting Rooms.

• 2 Character Main Trading Areas, Commercial Kitchen & ‘Back of House’ Space.

• Secondary Outside Bar, Trading Outside Terrace & Newly Installed Pergola.

• Beer Garden with Uninterrupted Views of the Rolling Countryside & Car Park.

SOUTH HAMS, DEVON

OFFERS IN THE REGION OF £20,000 LEASEHOLD REF: 4714

Call 01981 250333 for more information WWW.SIDNEYPHILLIPS.CO.UK

THE SALWEY ARMS, SHROPSHIRE, FREEHOLD: £1,100,000

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A LICENSED PROPERTY? THE WYE VALLEY HOTEL, MONMOUTHSHIRE FREEHOLD: £675,000

Sidney Phillips is a company of Chartered Surveyors established in 1898.

We offer national coverage via a network of regional branches. We deal with sales, acquisitions, and finance of licensed businesses.

PENRALLT HOTEL, CEREDIGION LEASEHOLD: £1,500,000

This includes but is not limited to: nightclubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, B&B's, guesthouses, pubs, bistros, cafes, leisure and development units and investments.

WE ADVERTISE ON MORE WEBSITES THAN ANY OF OUR COMPETITIORS

RIVER HAVEN HOTEL, EAST SUSSEX FREEHOLD: £1,750,000

NO SALE | NO FEE