CLH Digital - Issue #219

THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR & LICENSED TRADE Issue 219

Hoteliers Rally Against the Introduction of Tourist Tax... www.CLHNews.co.uk

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Hoteliers on the south coast have joined forces to rally against the introduction of tourist tax.

An appeal against the introduction of tourist tax in Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole (BCP) is now being considered by the Secretary of State.

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The appeal, supported by 42 local hotels, follows a vote to introduce the tax passing by the narrowest of margins of just one vote earlier in May. With only 75 hotels in the area involved in the vote, a clear 56% majority of the hotels have

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joined together in a bid to get the ballot result declared void. The group that has collectively lodged the appeal are comprised of a number of the leading hotel chains in the UK and independent hotels from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

If introduced, it would be the first seaside tourist tax to be charged in the UK.

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CLH Digital

Editor's Viewpoint

Issue 219

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital A REPREHENSIBLE TAX ON LEISURE

promises and ensure they deliver the necessary reforms. Our industry depends on it.

PUBLISHED BY RBC Publishing Ltd 3 Carlton Mount 2 Cranborne Road Bournemouth Dorset BH2 5BR

I stand with the hoteliers in their objections and support their appeal wholeheartedly. The prospect of a tourist tax in our local area is deeply concerning. When we look at levies imposed overseas, the costs can be eyewatering. What starts as a modest fee often escalates, as all taxes tend to do. The ripple effect of such increases can be detrimental not only to the tourists, but also to the local economy that relies heavily on tourism.

I have to mention the England football team's advance to the next stages of the Euros, which is fantastic news for the on-trade sector. Our upcoming match against Slovakia promises to be a major event, with pubs and bars across the nation set to see a surge in customers and, undoubtedly, quite a few pints sunk in celebration and camaraderie.

While it's true that England hasn't exactly set the football world on fire yet, it's important to remember that there's always a danger in tournaments of peaking too soon. Our team has shown resilience and potential, and there's a sense that their best performances are yet to come. This cautious optimism is what keeps the excitement and hope alive for fans and businesses alike.

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We've seen the European backlash against tourists in places like the Balearics and Canary Isles, which threatens to devastate their tourist industries. As a regular visitor to the Balearics for over 20 years, I personally chose not to return after the introduction of their tourist tax. Other destinations I would love to visit are now off my list.

The impact of football on the hospitality industry cannot be overstated. Scotland's "Tartan Army" boosted sales in Scottish hospitality venues by an impressive 33% during their matches. This surge in patronage is a testament to the power of football in driving economic activity within our sector. With England's continued success, we can expect a similar uplift in trade, providing a much-needed boost to our pubs and bars.

The recent news that Bournemouth and Poole hoteliers are appealing against the introduction of a tourist tax, which passed by just one single vote, has stirred considerable debate. As the editor of this publication, I find the notion of taxing individuals on their hard-earned leisure time utterly reprehensible.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

People work tirelessly, saving throughout the year to enjoy a well-deserved holiday, and to burden them with additional costs feels fundamentally unjust.

This war on tourists—manifesting in protests, taxes, and other restrictions—needs to cease. The hoteliers in Bournemouth have my full support, and I sincerely hope they win their appeal.

This issue comes at a pivotal time, as we are just six days away from the General Election. While I intend to remain apolitical in my commentary, it is a fact that all indications point towards a Labour government. Labour's manifesto appears more supportive of the pub sector compared to other parties, with leading trade organizations backing Labour's five-point plan.

Our sector is collapsing under the weight of excessive taxation. To put things in perspective, in Spain and Germany, beer duty stands at 5p, while in the UK, it is a staggering 54p— a ludicrous eleven times more. Combined with an archaic rates system, it is clear that a complete overhaul is desperately needed.

Should Labour win the upcoming election, we must hold them accountable to their

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EDITOR Peter Adams

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Let's rally behind our team and hope for an England win. Such victories do more than just lift the spirits of a nation; they bring people together in celebration, filling our venues and creating a vibrant, bustling atmosphere that benefits everyone in the hospitality industry.

David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

So, as we gear up for the match against Slovakia, let's prepare for the influx of enthusiastic fans. Stock up, staff up, and get ready to welcome the crowds. Here's to hoping that England's journey through the Euros brings joy to fans and prosperity to our sector.

Cheers!

Matthew Noades

I can always be contacted at edit@catererlicensee.com Once more I would ask you to please follow us on X (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

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Published by Published by

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

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Hoteliers Rally Against the Introduction of Tourist Tax Issue 219

Venice has introduced a trial for visitors to pay a €5 entry fee to the city during daytime hours, including additional costs for anyone staying in the city overnight.

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GATHERED MOMENTUM The idea of a tourist tax has in recent years gathered momentum, as several UK regions have pushed the idea to help generate income for local services and infrastructure.

Travel insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk, Tiffany Mealiff said: “The new and increasing tourist fees across Europe allow cities to fund measures to attract more holidaymakers, support the local infrastructure and businesses, as well as preventing damages from overtourism.

In many cases, money generated from the tax is intended to help restore and maintain the local area and fund public services and attractions.

However, in other parts though, the tax is being used to actively deter tourism – as was the case for Amsterdam’s tourist levy, and the recent announcement in Barcelona to phase out shot term letting.

“If you’re taking a trip to any city in Europe this year, you must be aware of the potential additional costs to your holiday – which are often not obvious beforehand and normally due for payment when you check out of your accommodation. Tourism taxes range anywhere between less than €1 to almost €15 and can be charged per person, per night.

Manchester became the first UK city to introduce a tourist tax in April, charging visitors £1 per room per night, with an estimated £2.8m raised from visitors to Manchester in the first year.

“Many fees are based on the hotel rating or the type of accommodation, and charges vary from city to city depending on whether individuals are charged each night or for the whole trip.

Funds have so far been spent on street cleaning and marketing campaigns, spokesman Kumar Mishra said, adding that the charge had made a positive impact on the accommodation sector.

“A recent Quotezone survey showed 45% said they don’t plan for hidden or additional expenses on holiday, so it’s important to check before you travel to avoid any expensive surprises.”

And Scotland is currently in the throes of introducing a Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill through parliament. If passed, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill would allow local authorities to charge tourists for overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets.

SINGLE VOTE

The new tax has been proposed to help control visitor numbers to places like the Scottish Highlands while raising money for important projects.

Holidaymakers are being warned their trips abroad will cost more this year, as countries across Europe and councils in the UK look set to increase tourist taxes.

EUROPEAN COSTS Travel insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk researched the cost of tourist fees for the most popular countries in Europe.

Many countries have raised their fees for tourists this year, with visitors to Paris paying up to €14.95 a night, and a 5% charge on room fees in Berlin.

On the south coast, a spokesperson for the group leading the appeal said against the BCP tax said: “Following the announcement on 14th May that the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Accommodation BID had successfully passed by a single vote, it quickly became clear that a significant number of hotels had not been able to vote and some of these were not even aware that the ballot was taking place. If any one of these hotels had they been able to vote, the levy simply wouldn’t have been voted in.”

“The levy appears to us, to have been rushed through with very little consultation from either the ABID team or the Council. A significant number of mistakes appear to have been made where the guidance for Local Authorities has not been followed both prior and during the voting process. This resulted in 13 hotels being denied their vote and there also appears to be at least another 10 hotels excluded from the vote and that pass the criteria for inclusion. As of yet, we haven’t had any answers to explain why this is.”

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“It has become abundantly clear that there isn’t widespread support for this initiative amongst our hotel community. Only 16 hoteliers voted in favour of the introduction of a levy and of these 16, only two were not part of the ABID Board who formulated the levy. In just four weeks, we have identified a staggering 42 hotels that do not support the levy and it is likely that there will be more to join the appeal soon.”

“A number of hotels contacted BCP Council after the ballot announcement highlighting issues with the ballot and asking that the council exercise their veto power to declare the ballot void.

Unfortunately, BCP Council declined these requests.”

“Members from the group leading the appeal met with BCP Council last week to ask for the proposed start date of 1st July to be delayed until after the appeal process has been completed. However, the ABID team are insisting that the levy will apply from 1 July despite the appeal.”

IMPOSSIBLE POSITION “Hoteliers are now in an impossible position where we are being told to collect the levy from customers next week, when the appeal process is ongoing. The ABID Board have said that even if the appeal succeeds, the money raised from guest Levy payments does not need to be refunded. We feel that this would be both morally and legally incorrect and will lead to significant reputational damage to our hotels. We asked for clarification on this over two weeks ago and sight of their legal advice on this matter, but still haven’t heard from the ABID team.”

“We understand the challenges that face our local authorities in terms of funding, but it is clear this is not the right course of action for our businesses and guests alike. This scheme financially penalises just 75 hotels in the area and makes the destination less appealing to visitors, who will be faced with a nightly visitor charge that can be avoided in neighbouring resorts. We acknowledge that we have our part to play, but believe the burden should be spread wider than just 75 hotels which would then avoid the need to pass levy charges onto our guests who play a vital part in supporting our businesses and visitor attractions. We want to send a clear message that visitors are welcome in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.”

“We can only hope that the ABID team see sense, revisit their plans and delay the introduction of the levy whilst our appeal is heard.”

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Time to Talk: The Hospitality Industry’s Need for Mental Health Support 4

CLH Digital

Issue 219

By Alice Hunter, Senior HR Manager, Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hospitality is a fast-paced 24/7 industry focused on giving guests a great experience, and ensuring they have a truly memorable stay every time. Having a career in hospitality is incredibly rewarding, providing opportunities for professional development, the chance to travel the world and build a long, varied career. As with any profession, it comes with a range of demands, and it’s important to ensure that every Team Member feels supported and equipped to manage those demands and have a great experience at work.

Reflecting the diversity of the workforce at Hilton Birmingham Metropole, the 22 volunteers represent a broad range of roles within the hotel, incorporating various management levels, social backgrounds and ethnicities to ensure relatability and compassion for all Team Members. The volunteers also ensure that support is available for those working irregular hours, including night shifts.

At Hilton Birmingham Metropole, we always seek out opportunities to prioritise and support the mental health of our people so they can thrive at work and beyond.

To ensure qualified initial support, the Mental Health First Aiders undergo rigorous training and must refresh their knowledge every three years. Regular volunteer meetings address key topics and identify new wellbeing initiatives. Recent initiatives include:

PIONEERING WORKPLACE MENTAL WELLBEING

• ‘Wear It Green Day’, when Mental Health First Aiders encourage all Team Members to don green attire and give out green lapel ribbons to raise awareness and increase their visibility to colleagues.

• ‘Walks and Talks’ and ‘Brew to Suit You’ initiatives to encourage Team Members to connect, providing a safe space for conversations during a walk or over a cup of tea or coffee at a time that suits them.

• ‘Be Kind at Hilton Birmingham Metropole’, an ongoing campaign fostering a culture of kindness through small gestures, such as sharing notes of kindness and chocolates with each other.

• Care Concierge is a Hilton-wide benefit that provides employees with time out of their working day to prioritise their wellbeing with classes such as mindfulness sessions and pilates.

As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Hilton is committed to creating an environment where every Team Member is empowered to thrive – and we know that mental wellbeing plays a significant role in this, impacting engagement, productivity and morale.

Through industry-leading initiatives including Hilton’s Care for All platform, which supports Team Members in caring not only for themselves, but also for those closest to them, we’re aiming to set a benchmark for mental health support in the industry.

Mental wellness means different things to different people, and challenges can manifest in many different ways, so it’s really important to have a flexible programme that can provide support for individuals experiencing different challenges. This is particularly important in a hotel of our size. With 795 bedrooms and approximately 550 Team Members serving hundreds of guests every day and hosting events of up to 1,800 people, it’s really important that we find ways to support our team and ensure every one of them has the support they need to thrive personally and professionally.

To address these challenges, we’ve created a programme specifically dedicated to supporting mental wellbeing at work. As part of this, we have 22 Mental Health First Aiders. A hotel of our size would normally have around 47 physical first aiders, and we feel it’s important we take the same approach to support our team’s mental health.

These volunteers, including the hotel’s General Manager, are trained to identify and support colleagues struggling with mental health issues, and to spot early signs to help Team Members overcome any challenges as early as possible. They serve as a welcoming point of contact for anyone experiencing difficulties, providing a safe space for initial conversations, and referrals to professional services if needed. The team also makes sure that new starters are aware of the initiative and feel empowered to engage with it.

Since the programme started in 2021, the community has grown from six to 22 volunteers, which really demonstrates its value and positive impact on the team.

In alignment with Hilton’s broader focus on mental health wellbeing in the workplace, this initiative seamlessly embeds mental health support into the hotel’s workplace culture.

ENGAGING INITIATIVES FOR EMPLOYEES TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

EVOLVING THE INDUSTRY STANDARD Mental Health First Aiders are trained to provide guidance as opposed to medical advice, and their role is clearly communicated to ensure the team clearly understands how they can support. When additional support is needed, Hilton’s global partnership with the caregiving concierge Wellthy facilitates connections with medical professionals at no additional cost to employees. In the UK we also have access to guides aimed at providing workplace support during a range of key life events, alongside a workplace wellbeing directory.

While it’s really important to provide support for those experiencing mental health challenges, it’s just as important to do everything we can to ensure our team is empowered to thrive, helping them maintain their mental wellbeing. That’s why we’ve worked really hard to create a great culture at the hotel – from promoting work-life balance and flexible working patterns, to regular social activities and getting out into our local community to support the causes that matter to our team. Recently we visited our partner Newlands Bishop Farm who support adults with learning disabilities, mental health or brain injury, where we helped with various maintenance jobs, including painting and gardening. It’s a great way for us to come together for a meaningful cause and support those that need it.

Employee feedback has been incredibly positive. Our annual employee engagement survey showed a significant increase in Team Members feeling comfortable discussing mental wellbeing with their managers, and an overall improvement in workplace wellbeing. Of course, there will always be more we can do and we’re constantly looking for new ways to help our team prioritise their mental health because ultimately, ensuring our team’s wellbeing leads to greater performance, higher engagement levels and an all-round stronger workplace culture.

Shepherd Neame Signs Partnership Deal With Leyton Orient Football Club Pub company Shepherd Neame has signed a new multi-year pouring rights partnership deal with EFL League One club Leyton Orient.

The Faversham-based brewer, which has 300 pubs and hotels across London and the South East, has been chosen as the official provider of beer, cider, wines, spirits and soft drinks at Leyton Orient’s Gaughan Group Stadium in East London.

The partnership will begin on July 1, with Shepherd Neame’s beers available for supporters to enjoy around the stadium. Shepherd Neame will also be working with Leyton Orient’s team on a branded refurbishment of its South Stand bar.

Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are very proud

to announce this new partnership with Leyton Orient Football Club. The Os are a fantastic club with a long heritage and incredibly loyal fanbase, and we look forward to working with them during the coming years.”

Leyton Orient FC’s Chief Executive Mark Devlin said: “We’re delighted to welcome Shepherd Neame on board.

Having a beer at the football is an important part of a matchday for lots of fans and Shepherd Neame are very experienced in the sporting sector.

“Shepherd Neame are locally based to us and have also expressed a real desire to engage with our supporters on a number of projects, with one of those starting almost immediately, and we are excited about working alongside them.”

KP Snacks Launches New League of Tyrrellbly Good Taste KP Snacks has announced the launch of a new initiative: the League of Tyrrellbly Good Taste, designed to support the Out of Home (OOH) channel in driving the sale of bagged snacks. The initiative enables OOH outlets to register their business via a bespoke platform, to receive exclusive POS and snack sales advice. Launching at the beginning of July and running until the end of September, the initiative leverages the strength and popularity of Tyrrells as the number one hand-cooked crisp brand in the OOH channel.

Participating outlets will be able to “Fly the Flag for Good Taste”, with 200 exclusive POS kits available, including a branded wooden display unit, a window sticker marking out the business as a “Tyrrellbly Tasteful Establishment”, a clip strip and more. The new POS has been designed to drive sales, tempting customers to trade up on drinks-only visits. By maximising the visibility of their bagged snacks range, outlets will attract more customers, with 85% of consumers more likely to buy a packet of crisps if they are on display.

Outlets joining the initiative will also be in with a chance to win a year’s supply of Tyrrells crisps, worth over £5,000. Meanwhile, the first 50 outlets

to join the League of Tyrrellbly Good Taste will also receive 5 exclusive Tyrrells branded t-shirts.

Sammy Harmer, Tyrrells Brand Manager, KP Snacks, says: “As a recognisable and well-loved brand that performs well within the Out of Home channel, Tyrrells is perfectly positioned to help businesses grow their bagged snacks sales. We are excited to be launching the League of Tyrrellbly Good Taste, a long-term platform that will engage our OOH partners with special offers and incentives, helping to drive sales with access to new and creative POS alongside guidance on how to capitalise on the bagged snacks opportunity.”

Tyrrells is a leading premium snacking brand, delivering an ideal choice for customers looking for great-tasting, high quality snacks. With 91 Great Taste Awards across the range, Tyrrells offers a great accompaniment to a glass of wine and is available in classic and popular flavours including Mature Cheddar & Chive, Lightly Sea Salted and Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar.

To fInd out more and join the League of Tyrrellbly Good Taste, visit: www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk/league

Food Prices Falling As Foodservice Price Index Hits A 28-Month Low Issue 219

The latest Foodservice Price Index (FPI) report from Prestige Purchasing and CGA reveals more positive trends for the hospitality sector, with inflation dropping again in May 2024.

Year-on-year inflation fell to 4.6%, the lowest figure recorded by the Index in 28 months. May also saw month-on-month deflation of -0.4%—only the fourth such decrease in the last 32 months. The figures indicate a sustained return towards pre-pandemic levels of inflation and more closely mirror trends seen for some time in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

The basket of prices fell month-on-month in six of the Foodservice Price Index’s ten categories. The Oils and Fats category is of particular note, having delivered six consecutive months of year-on-year deflation. After more than a year of double-digit yearon-year inflation in most categories this was reduced to just one in

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May.. It underscores a significant shift towards price stability across the foodservice sector.

Shaun Allen, Prestige Purchasing CEO, said: “This fall of input-inflation is very welcome, as the full basket of CPI has also fallen sharply to 2% year-on-year, and diners will soon come to expect stable pricing again in our restaurants. Buyers should be particularly wary of proposed supplier increases in this period of sharply falling inflation.”

Reuben Pullan, Senior Insight Consultant at CGA by NIQ, said: “After several years of relentlessly high inflation, these figures show some very welcome respite. While some rates remain higher than businesses would like, the general stability makes it much easier to plan for the future. In turn it should also reassure consumers, who have seen food and drink menu prices rise sharply but will hopefully become more confident with their spending as we move towards the second half of the year.”

Cool Weather Pushes Drinks Sales Down 10% But Wine Shines

Drinks sales in Britain’s On Premise have fallen year-on-year for the fourth week in a row despite another good performance from the wine category.

CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows average sales in managed venues in the seven days to last Saturday (15 June) were 10% behind the same period in 2023, making it one of the worst weeks for sales of the year so far. Low temperatures and rain brought tough trading conditions in many parts of Britain for most of the week, keeping consumers out of beer gardens and terraces. Sales also suffered by comparison to the same week in June 2023, when there was widespread sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s.

Year-on-year sales were down by between 10% and 20% every day from Monday to Thursday (10 to 13 June). Warmer weather and the start of the Euro 2024 football tournament provided some respite towards the end of the week, with sales down by a more modest 7% and 8% on Friday and Saturday (14 and 15 June).

Wine was the best performing of the four major drinks category for the fourth week in a row, bucking the downward trend to achieve 4% growth—partly the result of consumers staying inside to eat rather than drinking outdoors. The chilly conditions pushed beer sales down 7%, while the comparison with last year’s heatwave left cider 32% behind. Soft drinks were 5% down while spirits (down 14%) had yet another tough week.

“Cool weather and very tough comparatives are making June a challenging month for many pubs and bars,” says Jonathan Jones, CGA by NIQ’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “There are several reasons to be optimistic that things will start to get better for operators and suppliers, with better weather forecast, the Euro 2024 tournament in full swing, inflation dropping and the General Election bringing more economic certainty. But there’s no escaping the fact that the last four weeks have been very difficult, and that margins are extremely tight for many businesses.”

UEFA Euro 2024 - Hospitality And Retail Spend Set To Reach £386.9 Million Issue 219

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Hospitality and retail sales are predicted to reach £386.9m during the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16, kicking off Saturday 29th June, a new report reveals.

9.1m consumers head to their local pub, bar or restaurant. Breaking this down further, UK hospitality venues are expected to make £61.9m from drinks sales and £39.8m from food sales.

The Men’s UEFA Euro 2024 Spending Report by VoucherCodes.co.uk forecasts that 21m supporters around the UK will tune into the first knockout round of the tournament, either from home, at a bar, local pub, restaurant, or by attending a game in Germany.

Three Lions fans are also set to consume a whopping 7.3m pints for England’s big match on Sunday alone, as over half a million (600k) cheer the team on from a fan zone.

Of the total viewers,17.2m (82%) are set to watch from the comfort of their own homes, and as a result, retail spend is set to outweigh spending in hospitality venues. Throughout the Round of 16, retailers can expect to see 10m shoppers through their doors and online, generating a predicted £293.5m in sales. Following in the footsteps of the group stage, retail spending on food and drink is set to reach £176.5m, as fans look to stock their fridges ahead of the next stage of the competition.

Despite most fans set to watch from home, the hospitality sector is still set to welcome sales of £93.4m as

Michael Brandy, Senior Commercial Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk commented: “Expectations are high as England make it through to the first knock-out stage of the tournament. As a result, hospitality venues are set to welcome 9.1m people through their doors throughout the eight-game stage.

“There are plenty of ways hospitality venues can take advantage of the first knock-out stage and entice customers to their pubs, bars, and restaurants. Giving customers value for money continues to be important, so offering discounts on food and drink during the matches will allow businesses to capitalise on the excitement of the tournament.”

Pedalling For Pubs Rebrands As Hospitality Rides

At the wrap party of this year’s Pedalling for Pubs campaign, organisers unveiled a complete rebrand for the initiative, with the new name for the charity bike ride announced as ‘Hospitality Rides’.

The Hospitality Rides rebrand follows three highly successful charity bike rides under the Pedalling for Pubs name, with riders of this year’s campaign raising an incredible £320k, thanks to fundraisers, donors, supporting partners and sponsors including KAM, Punch Pubs, Greene King, Avani Solutions, Fleet Street, Lucky Saint, Britvic and Play it Green.

As Hospitality Rides, organisers hope that the charity bike challenge will get even more people from the sector involved and raise even more vital funds to supporting the incredible work that the Licenced Trade Charity and Only a Pavement Away do for the sec-

tor.

Ride founder, Katy Moses of KAM research agency said, “After three successful years under the Pedalling for Pubs name, we felt it was the right time to rebrand the initiative to ensure all of the hospitality sector knows this epic charity bike ride is open to all and that funds raised are used to support the whole sector.

We’re delighted to launch Hospitality Rides. We hope this will encourage even more people from the sector to get involved and make future years bigger and better than ever!

Thank you to everyone who has made the ride what it is today, seeing the impact that the fundraising is having on the people the Licenced Trade Charity and Only a Pavement Away support really is fantastic. Roll on Hospitality Rides 2025.”

Dine and Dash – How Operators Can Best Protect Themselves 8

CLH Digital

Issue 219

By Trond Rornes, co-founder of CardsSafe (www.cardssafe.com)

The whole of the UK is seeing an increasing number of dineand-dash incidents plaguing operators and hospitality venues.

The most recent and highly publicised case of the Welsh 'serial dine-and-dash couple' is among too many. Of course, dine-anddash has been around for as long as people have been exchanging money for food and drink, but so far, the consequences have not been too severe. But, as the hefty 20-month sentence may be one of the biggest wins for 'honesty in hospitality' in recent history, this should become a significant deterrent to others thanks to its national covering from the media.

Having worked with hospitality businesses for over two decades, from hotels to pub chains, sports venues, golf courses, big and small bars and restaurants, we're often engaged in the conversation - how do operators best protect themselves from dine-and-dash? We're seeing more and more big and small hospitality and leisure venues that offer catering calling us with dine-and-dash issues. In fact, one in three calls to the office is "inspired" by a customer walking out without paying their bill. This is detrimental to the industry, and things need to change.

So, what are the reasons behind dine-and-dash? You could blame it on the cost-of-living crisis. The squeeze on almost everyone is perhaps one of the reasons behind this type of theft. You could blame it on opportunism. We read a study (1) some time ago that claimed that of the 2,000 participants, 1 in 20 have left a restaurant without paying in the past, which is quite a high percentage. You could also blame it on the need for more staffing. The same study revealed that 25% of the participants considered leaving without paying when it took too long for the bill to arrive. Blame can also be directed at the lack of policing. Fewer operators are reporting crimes due to the lack of evidence or interest from the authorities, and there is increased boldness of thieves due to a visible lack of police on the street.

Who does dine-and-dash affect the most? Sadly, the impact of dine-and-dash on operators goes beyond the lack of profits for businesses. Staff often bear the brunt of these incidents in more ways than one. Staffing morale and retention are hugely important in the current climate, yet if venues decide to recoup the losses of dine-and-dash through staff tips or even wages, who's really losing out? Hospitality work is one of the toughest in terms of well-being and good mental health, and reprimanding staff emotionally and financially for failing to spot a thief can be significantly damaging.

Whatever reason you blame for dine-and-dash's persistence and recent rise, temptation must be removed.

We've always been advocates for keeping bar tabs. Securely holding bank cards allows you to check the card's validity, and staff can upsell, build relationships, and increase profits. There is very little chance of customers being tempted to walk out without paying if their card is securely stored behind the bar.

Many operators now prefer payment upfront, which is fine, and using an App at the table or pre-payment at the bar has its advantages. However, according to VISA, by adopting this policy, operators forego the 30%+ increase in the average tab value, which goes straight to the bottom line.

In our experience, building relationships with customers is integral to increasing return business and the ability to upsell while they run a tab. Venues that allow customers to run a tab will see an increase in turnover compared to venues that don't. Plus, the option to run a secure tab gives honest customers (the majority) the added reassurance that their card is kept professionally, while staff can focus on customer service.

OUR TOP TIPS ON DINE-AND-DASH Don't give chase: Pursuing individuals who appear to have walked out without paying may be tempting. If they are already off the premises, don't try to stop them, even if they may have forgotten to pay (which does happen!). The risk of confrontation or even violence is just not worth it.

Report the incident to the authorities: We always recommend that a report is made to the police.

Sadly, they may not always be able to take action, especially if there is limited information about the individuals who left without paying, but an incident report can build a case against the perps, which, as we've seen recently, can result in the culprits being punished and some insurance companies may cover the loss with an incident report.

CCTV: It's beneficial to have CCTV inside and outside the premises. Any dine-and-dash incidents can be captured, and the footage can be used to identify the individuals who left without paying. However, do keep track of relevant privacy laws.

Remove Temptation: Removing temptation for dine-and-dash is critical. We're big fans of keeping tabs on where customers' cards are securely kept behind the bar (ideally, in a CardsSafe unit). Securely holding bank cards allows you to check their validity, upsell, and build relationships. There is very little chance of customers being tempted to walk out without paying if their card is stored behind the bar.

Staff training: Operators should have a clear policy on handling dine-and-dash situations and what steps to take if they occur. Training all full and part-time staff will increase communication and the ability to spot potential offenders and reassure staff that it isn't their fault if an incident occurs.

The bottom line? Remove temptation and impede dine-and-dash from the outset.

LINKS 1.https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/food-drink/one-twenty-diners-restaurant-without-paying-study-a8230796.html 2.https://cardssafe.com/

Craft Union Pubs Reach £300,000 Fundraising Milestone with ‘Make it a Million’ Campaign Craft Union are excited to announce a significant milestone in their ‘Make it a Million’ campaign, having raised over £300,000 to date. This impressive achievement marks well over a third of the campaign’s ambitious goal, showcasing the unwavering dedication of Craft Union operators and their customers support to local charitable causes, including huge fundraising efforts for over 225 local charities across the UK. Launched with the aim of raising £1 million for charity, the ‘Make it a Million’ campaign has seen incredible participation from Craft Union pubs across the country.

The innovative and commendable fundraising efforts have brought communities together, highlighting the spirit of generosity and unity that defines Craft Union and its local community pubs.

Frazer Grimbleby, MD for Craft Union said, “We are thrilled to have reached this milestone in our ‘Make it a Million’ campaign. Our pubs have always been at the heart of their communities, and this campaign has shown just how powerful our collective efforts can be. We are incredibly grateful to our customers and operators for their unwavering support and enthusiasm in raising these vital funds for local causes.

Fundraising activities have included everything from charity auctions and raffles to sponsored events and

themed parties. Each event has been a testament to the creativity and commitment of Craft Union’s amazing operators, as they continue to find new and engaging ways to support the campaign.

As the campaign moves forward, Craft Union remains focused on reaching the £1 million target. Future fundraising initiatives will build on the success of the past months, with even more exciting events and activities planned to inspire and involve communities nationwide.

As well as this, Craft Union have launched their ‘Make it a Million Minutes’ campaign to run alongside Make it a Million. This campaign will see the Craft Union team and operators donate their time to great community causes, and is a fantastic way to celebrate operators volunteering efforts, highlighting the huge amount of time and effort that operators put into raising these vital funds.

“Our journey is far from over,” added Frazer, “With the support of our wonderful customers and the dedication of our operators, our local heroes, we are confident that we will achieve our £1 million goal. Every pound raised makes a difference, and we look forward to continuing this incredible journey together.”

Market Taverns Strengthens Board, Appoints Analyst Nigel Parson Consumer Analyst Nigel Parson has been appointed as a Director of Market Taverns as the London pub company continues to strengthen its board. Nigel, who brings a wealth of expertise with his combination of business and City experience, specialises in equity research in the consumer sector.

Nigel, who commenced his career with Grand Metropolitan plc running tenanted pubs in London, spent 14 years in operations, marketing and strategy before moving to the City as a Brewing and Alcoholic Drinks analyst at Charterhouse Tilney Securities. He then joined WestLB Panmure where he led the consumer team delivering a pan-European consumer strategy. More latterly Nigel held director positions with Canaccord and finnCap and he currently acts as consultant analyst at

Cavendish. Nigel has been a Starmine ranked analyst for both accuracy of earnings forecasts and stock picking.

Market Taverns owner Rolf Munding said, “Nigel joins the Market Taverns board at an exciting time as we look to grow the Market Taverns estate. His rare combination of hands-on licensed trade and City experience brings a combination of expertise, knowledge and insight to the board. We look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Nigel’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Suzanne Baker as NonExecutive Director.

Experience-Led Businesses Contribute £134bn To UK Economy Issue 219

Modelling by Barclays and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) reveals that the UK’s ‘Experience Economy’ – encompassing all businesses that provide consumers with unique and memorable experiences contributes an estimated £134bn to the broader UK economy, a figure greater than the GDP of Morocco.

Between now and 2027, CEBR projects that the UK’s Experience Economy, which employs an estimated three million people, will grow by an average of 2.6 per cent, surpassing the equivalent figure for the UK economy as a whole (1.6 per cent), to reach an estimated contribution of £146bn.

Much of this growth is fuelled by rising consumer appetite for experiences. Nine in 10 (90 per cent) of the hospitality, leisure and retail businesses who took part in the research believe that consumer demand for memorable experiences is growing faster than demand for physical products and a similar proportion (91 per cent) have observed that consumers still prioritise spending on memorable experiences even when money is tight.

Looking at how this will play out over the summer, Brits are predicted to spend a total of £178bn on ‘Experience Economy’ activities, between June and September, averaging £3,322 per person (median consumer estimate: £701). Individually, almost half (46 per cent) of the £3,322 average will go towards holidays abroad (£906) and staycations (£615). Other notable activities include live entertainment (£435), attending sports events (£295), and trips to the seaside (£143).

BUSINESSES RIDE THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY WAVE Almost all consumer-facing businesses (99 per cent) have made at least one change to capitalise on this behavioural shift.

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FIRMS SET TO SCORE BIG WITH SUMMER OF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Nine in 10 (93 per cent) hospitality, leisure and retail business leaders expect that the sporting and cultural events coming up over the next few months will have a positive impact on their business. They predict that sports events (37 per cent), food and drink events (36 per cent) and holidays and tourism (36 per cent) will provide the most significant increase this summer, citing Pride Month (36 per cent), the Paris 2024 Olympics (35 per cent) and Glastonbury Festival (34 per cent) as the individual events that their business will benefit from the most. More generally, 91 per cent of businesses believe that the UK’s sporting, cultural and entertainment events help grow the economy by encouraging inbound tourism.

CONSUMERS SPLASH OUT AS EXPECTATIONS SURGE The new figures come after Barclays Consumer Spend data reveals that annual consumer spending on entertainment and travel has risen by 6.5 per cent and 11.6 per cent respectively year-on-year, outpacing the growth in non-essential spending more broadly (up 3.4 per cent).

Six in ten consumers (57 per cent) say they would rather spend money on a good experience than on buying material possessions, however, businesses will have to raise the bar during the summer period to keep consumers engaged, as a fifth of Brits (18 per cent) say they have higher expectations of experiences this year compared to previous years. Half (50 per cent) of these consumers say that their standards are higher because the experiences they are going to are more in line with their passions and interests, and over a third (35 per cent) say that they expect better value for money as events cost more than they used to.

The most common strategies are investing in staff training (31 per cent), increasing their physical presence at event venues to engage directly with attendees (29 per cent), and launching new products that provide customers with memorable experiences (27 per cent). Businesses that have taken action say those changes resulted in a median average revenue increase of 15 per cent.

Rich Robinson, Head of Hospitality and Leisure at Barclays, said: “Brits are increasingly swapping shopping bags for shared moments, and experiences now make a heavyweight contribution to the UK economy as a whole. This trend is set to gather momentum as consumers look to splash out this summer on holidays, live entertainment and sports events, with retail, hospitality and leisure businesses ready to capitalise on this commercial opportunity.”

In the hospitality and leisure sector, 41 per cent are expanding the options for customers to personalise their experience to make the service more memorable, for example partnering with other local businesses to allow guests to build a personalised itinerary based on their interests. A similar proportion (40 per cent) are hosting themed events and special nights to attract customers looking for unique experiences.

“Yet as experiences become even more central in consumers’ lives, their expectations are set to soar even higher. To stay ahead of the curve, retailers, hospitality and leisure businesses will need to continue to innovate, ensuring their products and offerings are not just a one-hit wonder but are special enough to keep crowds coming back for more.”

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Harmonising Business Success - The Tunes Powering The Most Popular Spots

By Ryan Edwards, CEO and founder of Audoo (www.audoo.com) Picture this: someone walks into your shop and music is playing softly in the background - but do they take note?

You might not think it, but that music is working behind the scenes to influence their purchasing behaviour. Some studies suggest that music can even increase consumer spending by over 10%.

Music should be on the agenda for any hospitality or retail business. When used strategically, and in a carefully considered manner, the power of music can significantly influence consumer behaviour and create a brand identity.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR If music has been proven to have a psychological impact on customers, what does this mean in practice? When it comes to the hospitality sector, music can serve as a way to encourage customers to spend more time and money in your restaurant, bar or cafe.

With the right playlist, going out for a meal can become about so much more than just the food. It’s clear that music can help people make connections, through the rise of music-specific dating apps like POM which matches people based on their playlists’ similarities, but music playing in a restaurant also has the ability to alter people’s mood and senses which can transform any occasion.

Many establishments are capitalising on this already, with new data from music recognition technology company Audoo showing that restaurants often play music that shares an origin with the food that they serve; for example, a Greek restaurant has been seen to be playing over 70% Greek music.

This connection between the senses means that going out for a meal can be transformed by way of music into a cultural experience or home comfort in which customers are likely to become more engaged and stay for longer.

Yet there are other examples of establishments doing the complete opposite: modern Indian restaurants are

playing a great mix of Anglo-American rock & pop and so it is clearly not a one size fits all approach, but rather about paying close attention to what resonates with your particular customers.

BRAND PERCEPTION AND IDENTITY In addition to music’s contribution to the creation of an experience, music is a powerful tool in forming a memorable brand identity. Audoo’s Audio Meters have observed shops playing music that is related to the theme of their business, such as a cat café playing cat-themed instrumentals or an Abbey Road themed shop playing The Beatles & Pink Floyd. Through music, a thematic link or psychological tie can be created, strengthening a definable and recognisable brand identity.

However, it seems this isn’t the only way to build a brand through music. Data from Audoo has picked up on a business location that plays death metal 23% of the time. Whilst this may have no connection to the wares of the location of trade itself, it might reflect the owner’s interests and as a result, consumers are treated to a very unique and therefore memorable experience. In this example, music can help business owners stand out and have something wholly unique associated with them.

WHY DATA MATTERS: Between March and May 2024, Audoo’s global data has revealed that the most played songs in shop/ retail businesses were by Noah Kahan, Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift. However, when comparing the top 100 songs in these premises to pubs/ bars, there was just a 28% overlap. This shows that there is huge diversity in the music being played across different premises types, highlighting how not all businesses have the same sound and uniqueness of knowing customers regionally.

When choosing the music to play on your premises, having access to data through music recognition technology can be very helpful, not only in allowing you to experiment with different genres and see how certain music might be impacting your customer’s behaviour, but in encouraging you to think carefully about the music being played, empowering local teams to deliver their own unique sound.

Putting the time and effort into understanding what music works for your business should not be underestimated. Music can be a powerful tool and by putting some thought into it (or not - play as much death metal as you like!) there is an opportunity to influence not just the perception of your business but the way your customers behave.

Greene King Pub Partners Hits Five Nest Pubs Milestone Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise business unit of Greene King, has opened its fifth Nest Pub – The Red Lion in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

The very first Nest Pub, The Palmer Tavern in Reading, opened in late March this year, meaning the Nest Pubs franchise concept has grown to five sites in just three months.

Nest Pubs is the second pub franchise concept from Greene King Pub Partners, building on the success of Hive Pubs, the first pub franchise concept the Greene King business launched in 2021 and which now operates in over 50 sites.

Nest Pubs are wet-led pubs predominantly located on busy high streets and in communities, providing great value, an excellent experience and regular sport and entertainment.

To transform it into a Nest Pub, The Red Lion in Chesham has received a £375,000 investment from Greene King, resulting in the transformation of the pub inside and outside.

The pub will be operated by franchisee Ollie Roberts, who was previously running the pub as its General Manager before taking the step up to franchisee. As a local who grew up in the area and has worked all his

career in hospitality, Ollie is looking forward to operating The Red Lion as the fifth ever Nest Pub. Aimed at those with hospitality management experience who want to take the step up and run their own business with enhanced support, a franchisee can get the keys to their own Nest Pub for just £3,000.

As wet-led pub businesses with a simple to deliver food offer, Nest Pubs have lower staffing costs and enable franchisees to focus on providing a great pub experience.

Franchisees earn through a percentage of the net weekly turnover of their pub, alongside a quarterly percentage of business profits and annual bonuses.

Dan Robinson, Managing Director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “Reaching the milestone of five Nest Pubs in just three months is an incredible achievement and my thanks goes to the team and our wonderful franchisees.”

“As a wet-led pub concept with a very compelling, but simple to deliver food offer, we believe Nest Pubs has a lot of potential. We’ll continue to grow the concept this year alongside Hive Pubs and supporting our core leased & tenanted partners.”

Winterhalter Gets Ready for the Top Ten Countdown to the 2024 KP of the Year 2024 sees Winterhalter celebrate the 10th Kitchen Porter of the Year competition, which aims to recognise the amazing work so many kitchen porters do to keep the UK’s foodservice industry in peak condition.

£1000 in vouchers and a celebratory meal for friends and family in a casual dining restaurant of their choice. Furthermore, the winning KP’s employer will get a piece of Winterhalter equipment worth up to £10,000.

Since it was first held in 2013 KPOTY has become one of the biggest and most prestigious awards in the industry, and has been praised for its focus on the vital role kitchen porters play in catering and foodservice. In many businesses KPs are the secret weapons of the kitchen, going above and beyond their standard duties to keep them running smoothly. For many of the biggest names in the industry the experience they gained during their time as KPs served as the foundation to their future career.

Along with this, three highly commended KPs will receive vouchers to hospitality experiences, and every nominee will get a bespoke KP of the Year apron designed by Oliver Hardy.

Over seven hundred nominations have been made over the previous nine competitions, representing all sectors of foodservice, including the UK’s best hotels and restaurants, pubs bars and clubs, and institutional and contract caterers, demonstrating the importance of KPs throughout the industry.

“When we first came up with the idea for KP of the Year we had no idea that it would get the response it did,” says Stephen Kinkead, Winterhalter UK’s managing director. “It’s all about putting KPs and the work they do in the spotlight. It’s humbling to read the nominations – learning about the dedication and effort so many of them bring to their jobs is always inspiring.”

The KP of the Year 2024 will be awarded the prestigious KPOTY trophy, as well as

“Over the years we’ve received nominations from a hugely diverse range of businesses,” says Stephen. “For our tenth competition we’re looking forward to discovering more of the industry’s exceptional kitchen heroes!”

Nominations are open until the 30th of August. More information about the competition and previous winners, along with a link to the nomination form, can be found at www.kpoftheyear.com.

Winterhalter provides a total solution for dishwashing and glasswashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance, with sustainability fitted as standard. Alongside its market-leading dish washers and glass washers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, and cleaning detergents and rinse aids. For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, visit www.winterhalter.com/uk-en/ or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.

Campaign For Pubs Calls On Election Candidates To Pledge Support And Save Pubs Issue 219

The Campaign for Pubs has launched #PledgeforPubs, asking candidates in the 2024 General Election to commit to support and save pubs in the next Parliament by backing six key policies to stop unnecessary pub closures and get pubs, publicans and small brewers through the current cost-of-living crisis.

The six policies focus on much needed direct support for pubs and publicans, in the form of an urgently needed energy cap for businesses and a complete overhaul of the business rates system which penalises many pubs, with the pub sector paying over half a million more than it should every year. The Campaign for Pubs is also urging candidates and the next Government to review the level of VAT for hospitality and examine then implement Small Retailer’s Relief, changing the VAT system to introduce a lower rate of VAT for small independent business, with supermarkets and large chains paying the full rate.

The Campaign is also asking for a change to the planning law to stop the cynical buying and selling of pubs for development, by introducing its Give Pubs Protection policy to give every historic pub a chance. It means than no established pub of at least 50 years old or more can be converted or demolished until and unless it has been openly marketed at the independently assessed value as a pub for at least a year. Currently, pubs up and down the country are being sold off for development despite being viable and despite new owners wanting to buy them as a pub.

Unless the law changes, that will continue to happen. The Campaign is then calling for a genuine community right to buy pubs, as part of a reformed Localism Act, with the flawed and weak Asset of Community Value system overhauled for pubs, so it is properly focused and strengthened to actually allow communities to buy their pubs – something often prevented, even when communities have raised the funds to pay the asking price.

The Campaign is also calling on the next Government to introduce a meaningful Pubs Code and genuine Market Rent Only option to deal with ongoing abuse of the beer tie. Promises made to publicans and campaigners were broken when the Pubs Code legislation was watered down and neutered, denying thousands of tenants the right to go freeof-tie. The Campaign is also calling for the tie to be banned for nonbreweries and to be restricted to beer brewed by brewer-owned pubs.

The abuse of the tie has been a huge factor in thousands of pub closures over the last twenty years and the focus of Parliamentary scrutiny, yet the current weak and flawed Pubs Code and ineffectual Pubs Code Adjudicator has failed to address this scandal, contributing to further pub closures.

The Campaign for Pubs, which also represents many UK small brewers, is also calling for help to stop the raft of closures of small breweries. In addition to a much needed energy cap, the Campaign wants to see a

long-overdue Competition and Markets Authority review of the UK beer and pub sector, to deal with the anti-competitive dominance of giant brewers and pubcos, which is bad for small brewers, bad for publicans, bad for beer consumers and bad for communities.

THE SIX KEY POINTS OF THE #PLEDGEFORPUBS ARE: 1. GIVE PUBS PROTECTION – give every longstanding/historic pub a chance to continue as a pub. Stop the unnecessary closure and predatory purchasing by ensuring all pubs 50 years or older have to be properly and openly marketed for a year at the independently assessed value as a pub before conversion or demolition is permitted.

2. ENERGY CAP FOR BUSINESSES – including pubs and small brewers – with a turnover related taper and threshold to focus help on smaller businesses.

3. FAIR TAX FOR PUBS – review and overhaul the unfair business rates system that penalises many pubs. Also address the unfair disparity between physical and online businesses. Review VAT for the entire hospitality sector and consider a Small Business VAT relief scheme to help smaller, independent businesses thrive alongside larger chain outlets.

4. STOP THE PUBCO RIP-OFF AND THE ABUSE OF THE TIE – introduce the genuine Market Rent Only option i.e. the right for all tenants of the large pub companies to pay an independently assessed market rent with no supply ties and no other changes. The tie should also be restricted to beer brewed by breweries who own pubs and only on their own beer.

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crisis, starting with an energy cap for businesses to deal with extortionate energy bills as well as a complete overhaul of business rates, to deal with the unfair way pubs are taxed. The next Government must also reform the planning system, to stop the cynical buying and selling of pubs as development opportunities and to allow pubs to continue as a pub, where there is a buyer at the independently assessed value as a pub.

“The next Government has the chance to not only put the brakes on closures but to see our pubs thrive, but only if it actually listens to publicans and campaigners and commits to our 6 pledges that will ensure our pubs, and the communities and services they support, will grow and flourish”.

Paul Crossman, Chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in York said: “The Campaign for Pubs is calling on all election candidates to back the #PledgeforPubs and to commit to the key policies that will actually help pubs through the cost-of-living crisis and stop the unnecessary closure and loss of viable pubs up and down the country.

“We need a government that will act to end to the systematic corporate profiteering and wealth extraction that continues to afflict thousands of pubs across the UK, and that will put real planning protection in place to end the pillaging of our remaining precious national pub stock by rapacious developers whose only interest is a quick profit.

“Our six pledges directly confront these issues and will help pubs to thrive on a fairer and more level playing field, for the good of every community”.

Phil Saltonstall, brewer representative of the Campaign for Pubs and

5. INTRODUCE A COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUY – as founder of Brass Castle Brewery said: “We call on election candidates to well as the Give Pubs Protection policy, communities should be given a right to buy, at the independently assessed market price, where there is no commercial buyer as a pub. Local authorities should also be given stronger powers and clearer guidance to compulsory purchase pubs when current owners refuse to sell them as a pub.

6. COMPETITION AND MARKETS AUTHORITY REVIEW of the UK beer and pub sector. We need action to re-energise independent UK breweries, as Gordon Brown did with the original Small Brewers Duty Relief policy, by supporting a Competition and Markets Authority review of the UK beer and pub sector.

Dawn Hopkins, Vice-Chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in Norwich said: “Now is the time for election candidates of all parties to make a commitment to pubs, publicans, and small brewers. With 80 pubs a month closing, it cannot be denied any longer that pubs and publicans are not receiving the help and support desperately needed.

“There needs to be targeted help for to get through the cost of living

back pubs and small brewers, to ensure that locally produced high quality beer, our national drink, is available in pubs in their area.

“It is no coincidence that as the pseudo-monopoly of six multinational brewers squeezes maximum profit from the UK beer industry – aided by recent government policy – dozens of pubs and small domestic brewers are shutting down weekly. We need to reestablish the successful pub/local supplier relationship that can drive growth rather than watch our beer industry being asset stripped into offshore accounts.

“The UK is long overdue a Competition and Markets Authority review of our dysfunctional beer industry. Despite clear indications of reductions in consumer choice, closed/tied markets and the diminishment of UK pub stock, big beer lobbyists have successfully caused recent governments to ignore the problem of a vertically integrated market and look the other way. Powering-up our Great British beer industry, so that it works for Britain, begins with a Competition and Markets Authority review.”

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5 Ways UK Venues Can Improve Their Marketing and Beat the Competition 14

CLH Digital

Issue 219

By Jack Sheldon, managing director, VenueScanner (www.venuescanner.com) There’s no escaping how difficult the last four years or so have been for the UK hospitality sector. It has had to weather storms like no other, but we’re hopeful that brighter times are on the horizon with signs the cost of living crisis is starting to ease and in-person events on the up.

3. USE EMAIL MARKETING Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to communicate with your audience. It’s personal, direct, and can yield significant returns…. if done correctly.

Why email marketing matters:

Data from the VenueScanner platform shows an increase in corporate event spending over the last year and the 2024-2025 wedding boom is well and truly in full swing. Summer party bookings are also on the up and businesses are already booking in their Christmas dos.

Personalised communication: Emails can be tailored to individual recipients, making the communication more personal and relevant, something that, in the age of personalisation in which we live, is more crucial than ever.

So we know the demand for venues is there, yet tapping into this demand effectively is a challenge for venues because of the competitive nature of the hospitality sector. This means it’s more crucial than ever for venues to adopt marketing strategies that enhance visibility, engage audiences, and drive bookings.

Customer retention: Regular newsletters and offers keep your venue top-of-mind for past customers and encourage repeat business.

Here are five key ways venues can significantly improve their market-

High ROI: Email marketing is low cost and when accompanied by the right content, can deliver a high return on investment compared to other marketing channels.

Be sure to use sign-up forms on your website and at events to collect email addresses and then create different lists based on criteria like past events, preferences, and engagement levels. And most importantly, provide useful content such as event planning tips, special offers, and updates about your venue to keep them engaged.

ing efforts this summer:

4. LEVERAGE ONLINE REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS

1. INVEST IN SEO

Customers don’t look at what a venue is saying about themselves before making a decision about where to book, they seek out recommendations from friends and family and other customer reviews online. And so reviews are hugely important and can really influence potential customers’ decisions because positive reviews build credibility and trust.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is no longer optional; it’s a necessity. A robust SEO strategy ensures that your venue appears at the top of search results when potential customers are looking for your kind of event space.

Why SEO matters: Increased visibility: The majority of users do not look past the first page of search results and the right SEO strategy will help you secure a spot on this coveted first page.

Targeted traffic: By optimising your site for search terms relevant to your offering (e.g., “wedding venue in London” or “conference hall Manchester”), you will attract visitors actively looking for what you offer, ready to book.

Cost-effectiveness: Compared to traditional advertising or expensive Google ads, SEO provides long-term benefits without the recurring, and often high costs associated with advertising.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find high-traffic keywords relevant to your venue and be sure to regularly update your website with high-quality content, including blog posts about event planning tips, customer testimonials, and case studies. And don’t forget to ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fastloading, and has a clean URL structure!

2. DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY A strategic approach to social media will dramatically increase your venue’s reach and engagement.

Why social media matters: Direct engagement: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok allow you to engage directly with your audience, answer questions, and build relationships with the people that matter the most - your customers.

Visual appeal: You can showcase your space, events, and atmosphere through high-quality images and videos, helping you stand out from the crowd.

Advertising: Social media ads can be highly targeted, enabling you to reach specific demographics effectively, at reasonable cost.

Plan your posts in advance to ensure a consistent presence and include a mix of behind-the-scenes content, event highlights, client testimonials, and promotional offers. Be sure to respond to comments and messages promptly and engage with your audience through polls, Q&A sessions, and user-generated content. Use insights from social media platforms to understand what content performs best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Why reviews matter: Social proof: Prospective customers are more likely to trust a venue with positive reviews.

SEO benefits: Reviews can improve your local SEO, helping your venue appear in local search results.

Feedback loop: Reviews provide valuable feedback that can help you improve your services.

Always ask happy customers to leave reviews on Google and on social media. Address both positive and negative reviews professionally - show appreciation for positive feedback and seek to resolve issues mentioned in negative reviews. And don’t forget to feature glowing testimonials on your website, on your social channels and in all other marketing materials!

5. PARTNER WITH LOCAL INFLUENCERS Influencer marketing can amplify your reach and bring your venue to the attention of much broader audiences.

Why influencers matter: Trust and authenticity: Influencers have built trust with their followers, making their recommendations highly influential.

Targeted reach: Partnering with local influencers allows you to target specific demographics more effectively.

Content creation: Influencers can create high-quality content that showcases your venue from different perspectives.

Look for influencers who align with your brand and have a following that matches your target audience and then develop genuine relationships with them. Offer them a tour of your venue or a free event experience in exchange for coverage and then track the results of your influencer partnerships to understand their impact and refine your approach.

By integrating these strategies, UK venues can enhance their marketing efforts, attract more customers, and ultimately stand out in what is a very competitive market. Investing in SEO, leveraging social media, using email marketing, encouraging online reviews, and partnering with influencers are all powerful tools that can drive significant growth and long term success.

Energy for Rural Hospitality Businesses – Versatility is Key

As energy-intensive operations, for hospitality businesses the drive towards sustainability and reducing carbon emissions also needs to factor in the careful balance of customer experience and efficiency. That’s why a fuel that does it all can be a game-changer.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS With busy hotels, pubs and bars requiring a fuel source that offers increased reliability and a controllable flame for cooking, LPG can be utilised for a variety of uses, such as hot water, heating and cooking requirements.

In addition, Calor’s range of storage options, including underground tanks, which can be hidden out of sight, means there’s a solution for every business.

READY FOR THE FUTURE Despite being one of the most carbon intensive fuel sources, oil-fuelled boilers are still commonly found in off-grid catering outlets. Switching from oil to

LPG can immediately cut CO emissions by up to 18%1 compared to oil and is ideal for rural businesses where electricity is simply not viable due to the processes needed or simply because of limited supply to the location.

From providing an instant and controllable flame needed to create mouthwatering meals, to offering the versatility for heating and hot water requirements, Calor LPG is the fuel source catering businesses can trust.

To take this step further, once a business is on LPG they can easily switch without any change of equipment or infrastructure - to Futuria Liquid Gas which is a sustainable fuel made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials. For catering businesses keen to demonstrate their reduction in carbon emissions, the Green Gas Certification Scheme ensures traceability of all Futuria Liquid Gas delivered to, and used up by, our hospitality customers, while also highlighting the amount of CO2 saved.

To find out how Calor can help your business thrive, visit calor.co.uk/caterers

Fan-Tastic Stays: How European Hotels Can Score Big With Sports Fans This Summer 16

CLH Digital

Issue 219

By William Perry, Vice President UK & Ireland, Middle East and Africa at Medallia (www.medallia.com) It’s the summer of sport! Research from Medallia has revealed that more than 70 percent of respondents plan to travel abroad this summer, and with the Olympics drawing huge crowds in Paris, and the Euros attracting football fans in Germany, this summer can serve as a catalyst for Europe’s hospitality sector. Crucially, European hotels have a huge opportunity to create the best fan experiences possible, to foster long term loyalty for future bookings.

Whilst hotels may be preparing their stays to simply accommodate as many sports fans as possible during the events, it’s imperative that they look towards the bigger picture and inspire guests to keep them top of mind for future bookings. To achieve this, hotels must focus on personalisation, convenience, and avoiding common customer experience pitfalls. Here’s how hotels can ensure guests return long after the final whistle:

AVOID COMMON CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PITFALLS Convenience and quality are non-negotiable for guests. In fact, Medallia’s research revealed that almost 70 percent of travellers would choose particular places to stay this summer based on the quality of customer service they expect to receive.

Hotels can incite loyalty in guests by avoiding customer experience (CX) pitfalls that can occur within a given stay. Not considering – and acting upon – guest feedback is one common issue. Hotels will be able to welcome waves of customers across the summer, and it is essential that staff pay attention to the feedback that guests offer and implement this in future stays. Similarly, managerial staff must address emerging customer concerns in real time or with minimal delay. This agility is key to demonstrating that CX is truly a priority for everyone in the organisation – something that’s worth returning for!

It’s also important to collect data from the right sources to inform guest experiences. The most effective way in which to do this is through omnichannel feedback. This doesn’t just mean surveys. Indeed, direct customer feedback is not the only form of data important to hotels. They can also collect indirect feedback, such as social media data (i.e. likes on a post), employee feedback, and inferred feedback, such as clickstream data and conversion rates. When collected and analysed centrally, these sources of feedback can give hotels a holistic view of a guest’s experience.

PRIORITISING PERSONALISATION

UTILISING THE RIGHT TOOLS

Personalisation is the key to creating memorable guest experiences. Fans travelling for the Euros and the Olympics this summer will be seeking unique, tailored experiences that resonate with their passion for sports.

Hotels can provide the best possible stays for fans this summer by utilising modern CX tools. In particular, customer journey orchestration can join otherwise siloed insights from guest interactions, touchpoints and channels to create personalised and coherent end-to-end experiences.

Providing a personalised guest experience can manifest itself in many ways. For example, according to Medallia research, over 50 percent of travellers surveyed said that they want travel and hospitality companies to provide them with communications that take into account what they already know about them, such as information about where they have travelled in the past.

Moreover, hotels can achieve great personalisation by delivering targeted marketing messages and offering customised services related to the purpose of their guests’ travel, both before and during their stay.

Alternatively, this could include offering complimentary late checkouts for guests attending evening events or suggesting additional ride services to and from their venue for added convenience. Small touches such as these send a strong message about customer-centricity.

With this 360-degree view of customer journeys and the ability to surface relevant insights for the right teams, at the right time, hotels can create personalised experiences and deliver high-quality service.

Complementing this, tools such as real-time messaging can further enhance convenience by providing a direct line to instant support, service requests, and event updates and notifications.

European hotels have an unmissable chance to create unforgettable experiences for sports fans this summer.

The biggest winners of the season will be those that focus on boosting guest satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits. When done well, personalisation will help hoteliers build loyalty and keep revenue growing long after the closing ceremonies.

Craft Guild Of Chefs Celebrates Its 30th Awards Multiple operators Lisa Salter and Lee Montgomery have taken on their third pub with Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise division of Greene King.

Lisa and Lee opened their first pub in partnership with Greene King Pub Partners in 2018. Alongside The Swan Inn, they also operated The Dog & Partridge in Didsbury and The Crown in Heaton Moor in partnership with Greene King.

The pair will reopen The Swan, previously known as The Anthology, located in Wilmslow, Cheshire, after a joint £170,000 investment by them and pub owner Greene King.

Lisa Salter and Lee Montgomery, licensees of The Swan, said: “We are really excited for this next chapter in our growing pub business, which continues our already successful partnership with Greene King Pub Partners.

The Swan Inn, which has been renamed as nod to the site’s history as The Swan Hotel and its location on Swan Street, will pride itself on providing a comfortable and inclusive pub experience. It will do this by combining great pub food and an extensive drinks range with regular entertainment and community events.

“The joint investment from Greene King has enabled us to transform the pub ready to deliver our vision for it. The upgrades to the garden space will make it the place to watch the Euros in Wilmslow this summer.

Inside the pub, the £170,000 investment has been used to upgrade the main bar and create a new booth seating area in a part of the pub which will complement its new food offer, which will focus on serving brilliant pub classics and food from around the world.

“By renaming the pub The Swan inn, we have given a nod to the history of this site, which is really important to us and the local community.”

Dan Robinson, Managing Director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “I’m delighted to continue our successful partnership with Lisa and Lee as we help them to grow their pub business. The £170,000 investment in The Swan Inn will enable them to deliver their vision for the pub and I look forward to more success with them in the future.”

Tartan Army Boosts Scottish Hospitality Sales By A Third Scotland games during the Euros saw an average 33% increase to sales in Scottish hospitality venues.

The data, collected by CGA by NIQ, reveals that the day of Scotland’s game vs Switzerland generated the biggest boost in sales, with an increase of 38% on last year. Games vs Germany and Hungary saw daily increases of 36% and 28% respectively.

High street pubs benefitted the most from Scotland games, enjoying an average 74% increase to sales.

Leon Thompson, Executive Director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “The entirety of Scotland was square behind the national team during the Euros, with many flocking to the pub to cheer them on.

“A 33% increase in sales shows the pull of sport to consumers and reinforces that the pub really is the best place to watch sport, outside of being in the stadium itself.

“At a challenging time for hospitality, venues will now be raising a glass to the Scotland fans that delivered a vital boost to sales with their passionate support of the national team.”

The ‘Karaoke Room Effect’: 18

CLH Digital

Issue 219

Academic Research into UK Hospitality Venues Reveals Financial Benefits of Giving Customers the Opportunity to Sing The Aalto University insights support the findings of European research conducted by Singa. In spring 2018, Singa analysed 37 European venues, finding that karaoke resulted in a 31% increase in the number of customers, alongside a 35% increase in average customer spend. In those venues that hosted occasional karaoke nights, a 42% increase in average customer spend during these special events (2-4 times a month) was observed.

British bars and restaurants installing karaoke systems experience a 12.2% increase in ROA, according to research by Finland’s Aalto University Finland’s Aalto University (www.aalto.fi/en) has undertaken the first ever research project into the financial impact of karaoke rooms within UK bars, restaurants, and other hospitality venues. At a time when the UK hospitality industry is under increasing pressure (over 6,000 hospitality venues closing their doors between December 2022 - December 2023, according to data from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners), the findings present a potential silver bullet for the sector: the study of 53 UK venues during 2018-2022 revealing venues with karaoke experienced a 12.2% increase in return on assets (ROA) when compared to a control group without.

THE KARAOKE ROOM EFFECT - KEY FINDINGS FROM AALTO UNIVERSITY STUDY, AND ADDITIONAL RESEARCH The research was commissioned by Singa (www.singa.com/business), the Finnish startup revolutionising the karaoke industry by providing innovative, professional karaoke software that gives venues access to a fully licensed song catalogue (frequently updated to add new hits), and customisable display and room management capabilities. Singa currently provides professional karaoke tech and business consultancy to well-known UK hospitality venues such as Boom Battle Bar and Roxy Leisure (both of which featured in the analysis).

Singa asked Aalto University researcher Ngoc Anh Pham to explore the impact of karaoke rooms on financial performance in UK hospitality venues. Aalto University is the leading university in Finland and, created through the merger of Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2010, is in the top universities for business and economics worldwide. The study reveals a 12.2% increase in ROA for venues with karaoke compared to those with no such facilities (ROA measures how effectively a business uses its assets to create profit). In addition to booking fees, additional revenue is shown to be created through attracting a new customer base and a corresponding uptick on beverage, snack, and other purchases.

The benefit to the business is not only financial, but has a positive experiential impact on patrons and customers who are able to enjoy an engaging and fun social activity with friends, increasing likelihood of return.

The business benefits of a karaoke room can also be viewed in light of the current trend towards experiences, including ‘competitive socialising’.

According to research from Savills published in November 2023, the competitive socialising sector has grown at “unparalleled levels” over the past five years (with a 38% increase in competitive socialising venues since 2015). This reflects a growing trend amongst Gen Z and Millennials for favouring defined experiences over ‘things’, and with sobriety or drinking less becoming more popular for Gen Z (the ‘sober curious generation’), venues which offer alternative entertainment options are increasingly appealing to previously underserved customer groups. Competitive socialising is not a new concept - darts or pool being a mainstay of UK venues for centuries - but new options are increasingly sophisticated and often tech-enhanced.

To further demonstrate the interest in competitive socialising - and karaoke in particular - UK Google Trends data shows a marked volume increase in searches for ‘karaoke room’, with interest (measured by Google searches) more than doubling over the last five years (analysed up to February 2024).

Atte Hujanen, Co-Founder and CEO at Singa, comments: “Our research confirms that Britons want escapism through song. Anecdotally, I have always known that karaoke brings a huge benefit to hospitality businesses through the joy it brings, but for the first time the positive business impact to British venues can be quantified. Hospitality as an industry has faced serious challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently the cost of living crisis in the UK, and it’s clear that karaoke can help venues adapt and continue to thrive by offering local communities additional fun, social experiences.”

Multiple Operators Take On Third Pub With Greene King After £170,000 Investment Swan Inn, they also operated The Dog & Partridge in Didsbury and The Crown in Heaton Moor in partnership with Greene King.

Multiple operators Lisa Salter and Lee Montgomery have taken on their third pub with Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise division of Greene King.

Lisa Salter and Lee Montgomery, licensees of The Swan, said: “We are really excited for this next chapter in our growing pub business, which continues our already successful partnership with Greene King Pub Partners.

The pair will reopen The Swan, previously known as The Anthology, located in Wilmslow, Cheshire, after a joint £170,000 investment by them and pub owner Greene King.

“The joint investment from Greene King has enabled us to transform the pub ready to deliver our vision for it. The upgrades to the garden space will make it the place to watch the Euros in Wilmslow this summer.

The Swan Inn, which has been renamed as nod to the site’s history as The Swan Hotel and its location on Swan Street, will pride itself on providing a comfortable and inclusive pub experience. It will do this by combining great pub food and an extensive drinks range with regular entertainment and community events.

Inside the pub, the £170,000 investment has been used to upgrade the main bar and create a new booth seating area in a part of the pub which will complement its new food offer, which will focus on serving brilliant pub classics and food from around the world.

Lisa and Lee opened their first pub in partnership with Greene King Pub Partners in 2018. Alongside The

“By renaming the pub The Swan inn, we have given a nod to the history of this site, which is really important to us and the local community.”

Dan Robinson, Managing Director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “I’m delighted to continue our successful partnership with Lisa and Lee as we help them to grow their pub business. The £170,000 investment in The Swan Inn will enable them to deliver their vision for the pub and I look forward to more success with them in the future.”

VK Enters Alcohol-Free Category with VK Blue 0.0% The UK’s biggest RTD brand in the on-trade category*, VK, is entering the alcohol-free market for the first time with the launch of ‘VK Blue 0.0%’.

their night.

The launch comes following shifting market dynamics and consumer behaviours, which have seen low and no-alcohol products become the fastest-growing category in the ontrade sector in the last year, according to Neilson (NIQ) data.

Craig Chapman, spokesperson at VK, explains: "We are proud to introduce our very first VK Zero available in our ‘OG’ Blue flavour. Our loyal VK fans are at the heart of everything we do, so recognising the changing drinking culture among 18-24s and supporting these choices through product innovation is incredibly important to us.

To support its development, VK commissioned research among students in key university towns across the UK, in a bid to better understand evolving drinking habits within the 1824 age demographic.

“The insights highlight a clear opportunity for on and off-trade stockists to support consumers’ changing needs and tastes, while providing greater choice when it comes to high-quality, fun, alcohol-free options.”

The findings reveal nearly half (49%) of students now consume less alcohol compared to the previous year, with 32% intending to further reduce their intake in the coming months.

The primary motivation for 79% is a focus on mindful socialising and connecting, with only 6% driven by the ‘buzz’ of alcohol.

Craig continued: “VK's mission is to bring people together to share unforgettable experiences. With Blue being our best-performing flavour, the decision to launch it in 0.0% format was an easy one and we’ve already received strong interest from a number of customers.

VK Zero maintains the signature, fruity flavour profile synonymous with VK Blue, but with 0% alcohol content, providing a more inclusive option by appealing to those looking to reduce their alcohol consumption or abstain.

VK Blue 0.0% is not the only new product joining VK’s lineup ahead of summer. The RTD brand is also announcing its newest VK flavour, which is set to launch following the successful #WEAREFLAVOUR campaign, which has asked consumers to vote for the next product to join the lineup.

Unlike many competing brands in the category, VK Blue 0.0% offers an added caffeine boost (32mg per 100ml, similar to standard energy drinks), ensuring consumers stay energised throughout

For further information on VK Zero click here: https://www.vkofficial.com/vkzero/.

Increasing Revenue Through Permitted Development

20

CLH Digital

Issue 219

By Simon Barry, Director of Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group) - www.boyerplanning.co.uk As the summer approaches, it’s worth giving some thought to how best to maximise profits at what is traditionally a very popular time of year for bars and pubs – especially those with good-sized outdoor spaces.

The legislation dictates the structure must be under 3 metres high, with a maximum footprint of 50 square metres or no more than 50% of the size of the existing building, whichever is smaller. Furthermore, it must be a minimum of 2 metres away from any residential boundary and can not be for the purposes of displaying an advertisement.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Unfortunately for historic pubs, there are exemptions in the case of statutory listed buildings and scheduled monuments (and those deemed to be within their respective curtilages) but not locally listed buildings.

Led by changes to the planning system introduced during the pandemic but since made permanent, there’s a great range of opportunities to utilise outdoor space, whatever the weather and with little cost or inconvenience.

Under Class G of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2021, operators of pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants can significantly increase footfall, and thereby profits, by erecting a temporary shelter such as a goalpost awning, marquee or gazebo on their premises. This can provide patrons protection from both the sun and the rain as well as establishing a more versatile external space.

As a result, popular sports matches, large wedding parties and a variety of other events can attract greater numbers of patrons for hospitality venues.

UNDERSTANDING PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (PDR) AND ITS BENEFITS The legislation surrounding Permitted Development Rights (PDR) is much misunderstood.

PDR is best known for change of use within the built environment – which, in the case of conversions from offices to residential has sparked some controversial headlines. PDR can also enable homeowners to add a (size-limited) extension without the need for a full planning application subject to satisfying certain criteria.

Unfortunately the latter does not extend to pubs and restaurants.

However it is important to recognise that whilst the opportunities relating to the hospitality industry are more limited, they can still be extremely beneficial from an operational perspective, particularly in terms of making more efficient use of external space.

If, for example, your pub had capacity for 100 people and you were able to increase the space to accommodate a further 50, you could theoretically increase your profits by 50%. In turn this could help facilitate greater variety in the food and drink offered, and quality of entertainment on site to attract passing customers thereby generating additional revenue.

LIMITATIONS New structures are allowed under PDR, but must be temporary in nature – by which the legislation requires it to be ‘moveable’. This is commonly achieved by anchoring using a series of weighted planters to the new structure, to provide sufficient support while technically the building is ‘moveable’ (whether by man or machine).

WHAT’S PERMITTED AND WHAT’S NOT Planter-anchored ‘butterfly’ awnings are becoming increasingly popular. These are permissible under PDR because they can be retracted. A dining ‘pod’, however, assuming it requires foundations, is not. A food van is permissible because it can be driven or towed away; but a kiosk with concrete foundations is not.

Also bear in mind that although the allowance for new space, at 50% of the existing space or 50 square metres, is quite generous, this must be accommodated within a single structure – so for this reason operators tend to favour butterfly awnings or similar structures which are capable of accommodating up to 50 people.

OPTING FOR A CERTIFICATE OF LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT Although the changes described above can technically be exercised without obtaining formal planning consent, from a commercial standpoint there are significant benefits of submitting an application to secure a Certificate of Lawful Development. The main benefit is that a Certificate of Lawful Development reduces the prospect of any enforcement action being taken by the local planning authority, whilst also providing sufficient comfort that the structure is legally compliant with the relevant legislation - which is particularly important when it comes to any acquisitions or disposals of assets.

In terms of the application process, although delays are commonplace throughout the planning system, the process of applying for a Certificate of Lawful Development has been streamlined recently. This means there are only a limited number of key considerations able to be taken into account and in line with government guidance, the statutory timescale for a decision is now eight weeks.

At Boyer we have prepared, submitted and managed these types of applications for many hospitality clients, using secure consent for Certificates of Lawful Development for their peace of mind. We’ve seen many times over what a great opportunity this presents in increasing revenue at very little expense.

CASE STUDY:The Red Lion, Oxford (Mitchells and Butlers).

The Red Lion is located within Oxford’s Central Conservation Area and has a small rear beer garden. Boyer was instructed to facilitate a more usable rear space.

Boyer provided a two-step approach, firstly gaining planning approval for the maximum external covered areas allowed following detailed discussions with the case officer. Secondly, using permitted development rights and the Certificate of Lawful Development to provide an additional 50 square metres of serviceable space, using a butterfly awning which is in accordance with Class G of the of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2021.

The change unlocked significantly more covered space, which can be used all year round to the benefit of the pub’s customers and profits.

FEA Launches First Expansion Module For Foodservice Carbon Professional Course

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) has launched a refrigeration module for the Foodservice Carbon Professional course. This complements the core FCP course, which explains the science of climate change, what the government is trying to do about it through legislation, and how this applies to the foodservice sector as well as how equipment can play a significant role in improving sustainability.

The module’s digital launch, on June 24 2024, was led by Dr Samantha Mudie, who completed a doctorate in energy reduction in commercial kitchens and has worked with FEA to curate FCP course content. Her groundbreaking research showcased how energy efficient kitchens of the future may be specified, as well as highlighting many current opportunities.

The module will allow course participants to gain specialised information about refrigeration equipment and how to choose and use them to minimise their environmental impact. Students will learn the history of refrigeration equipment, how it is being improved with technological advances, and relevant legislation and standards that cover its commercial use.

They will also learn how to specify, operate, monitor, and maintain refrigeration equipment to minimise its environmental impact throughout its working life.

FEA developed the FCP course in association with Hospitality Energy Saving to provide the whole foodservice industry, from manufacturers and suppliers to operators, with the skills they need to identify sustainable equipment and explain why it is good to pick it.

“The FCP course gives people working in all parts of foodservice the knowledge to address the energy challenges and demands for improved sustainability the industry is facing,” says Paul Anderson, chair of FEA.

“We are developing more modules that will be launched over the coming year.

In conjunction with the core module, they will allow access to unique insight and information relevant to each component of the sector’s equipment supply chain.”

The FCP modules are delivered via FEA Academy, the Association’s learning management system. It consists of online modules using a mix of resources that can be completed within 12 months at the student’s own pace, and webinar tutorials. Delegates must complete the Core Module and exam, and an elective category specific module and exam before being awarded Foodservice Carbon Professional status.

The individual core course costs £750, with individual sector specific modules costing £650. A combined core/category specific module deal is also available with core and one product module costing £1300 per person, a saving of £100.

More information on the course can be found on the FCP landing page, which is at fea.org.uk, under the learning and development tab (https://www.fea.org.uk/learning-and-development/foodservice-carbon-professional/).

Anyone wishing to start their carbon management accreditation can sign-up to Foodservice Carbon Professional here.

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) is the independent, authoritative voice of the foodservice equipment industry, representing nearly 200 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment - from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk

NTIA Consumer Survey: 44% Say Labour Stands Out As Most Supportive Of Nightlife 22

CLH Digital

Issue 219

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) in collaboration with the Adam Smith Institute and Obsurvant reveal the key findings from its recent Consumer Insight Survey. The survey offers a comprehensive look at the current state of nightlife and cultural activity attendance, personal circumstances affecting these activities, and political positioning regarding support for nightlife.

The survey reveals that social and cultural activities remain an integral part of the lives of many, particularly among younger demographics. However, financial constraints and inadequate late-night transport are significant barriers.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY INCLUDE; SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITY ATTENDANCE: • 56% of respondents participate in social activities out of the home several times a week or more. This rises to 68% for 18-24 year-olds and drops to 44% for those aged 50 and above.

• 43% attended cultural events at least once a month over the past six months, indicating a strong positive correlation between social and cultural event attendance.

• 76% felt impacted by the inability to go out during the COVID-19 pandemic, a sentiment consistent across all age groups and regions.

PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING NIGHTLIFE: • 52% of respondents cited changes in financial circumstances as impacting how often they go out, highlight-

ing the effect of the UK’s cost of living crisis on nightlife.

• 37% indicated that lower drink prices would encourage them to go out more frequently, with better late-night transport cited by 23%.

DESIRED ACTIVITIES: • Dining out is the most popular activity (55%), especially among those over 30 (65%). Younger respondents favour going to the cinema, playing sports, and attending nightclubs.

POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR NIGHTLIFE: • 44% of respondents believe Labour is the most supportive party for nightlife and culture, significantly higher than the Conservatives at 11%. A substantial number of respondents indicated that no political party has a specific policy for hospitality and nightlife.

Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA, stated: “The recent data from our Consumer Insight Survey debunks the narrative around shifting consumer habits. Instead, it highlights the significant impact of current economic conditions, particularly the reduced disposable income among young people.”

“The findings vividly underscore the essential role of nightlife and cultural activities in our communities, especially for younger generations. Financial constraints and inadequate late-night transport are major barriers preventing full enjoyment of these enriching experiences.”

“While there is an overwhelming perception that the Labour Party is more supportive of the sector, dedicated policies across the political spectrum are urgently needed.”

“This survey serves as a clear message to policymakers, urging them to recognise nightlife’s pivotal economic and societal role. We are urging political parties to address the lack of detailed sector pledges in their manifestos prior to the election, as underscored by the survey findings.”

Newly Launched Commercial Management Programme Set To Elevate Restaurant Managers’ Commercial Acumen A new programme dedicated to enhancing the commercial acumen of restaurant managers is set to embrace its first cohort of learners, seeking to furnish restauranteurs with the skills and fundamental knowledge to run a commercially successful restaurant operation.

Developed by HOSPA Professional Development, the Commercial Restaurant Management programme is designed to address the contemporary challenges faced by the hospitality industry. It’s focused on the latest developments in the sector and ensures those professionals who embark on it are well-equipped to navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving industry.

HOSPA Professional Development courses provide professionals with concrete, actionable and relevant tools to apply directly to the workplace – focusing on ones that make a noticeable difference to processes, procedures, and, most importantly, the bottom line. This new offering is no exception, delivering an academically robust yet practical programme developed by higher education and industry-leading experts. It includes interactive and participative webinars, enabling delegates to stay current with industry changes and learn through real-life examples and experiences.

Due to start in September, the programme is now inviting applicants to register their interest and join the waiting list.

It will be led by Michelle Wells, an industry-leading hospitality consultant and lecturer with more than 23 years of experience working with higher education institutes, including the Glion Institute of Higher Education and the Les Roches International School of Hotel Management.

Michelle’s extensive background spans various roles, from Executive Housekeeper to Assistant Hotel & Restaurant Manager, and having also worked as an event organiser for SMEs across Europe, her teaching approach is hands-on and interactive, ensuring that delegates can make informed and efficient decisions to optimise their establishments' bottom line.

While the full launch of the Foundation Certificate is scheduled for September, the Professional Certificate and

Professional Diploma levels will be introduced early in 2025. Prospective students are encouraged to join the waiting list on the HOSPA Professional Development website.

Commenting on what delegates would benefit from the programme, Michelle said: “Delegates will be able to effectively manage and control food and beverage costs, evaluate in-house processes and procedures, and make changes to ensure efficient and effective business operations. Similarly, by the end of this programme, delegates will be able to analyse menus and make data-driven decisions to maximise contribution margins. The course instils a commercial mindset to drive revenues and maximise profits.”

Also commenting on the new programme, Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA, said: “We’re delighted to launch a programme that improves the commercial understanding of a vital facet of hospitality. The margins in restaurants are finely balanced, and our course will help restaurant managers to spot opportunities for growth as well as help make them aware of possible pitfalls – using an array of practical examples to do so.

Partnering with Michelle, we’re very much looking forward to bringing HOSPA’s long record of financial expertise across the hospitality industry to bear in a restaurant setting.”

HOSPA is recognised as the UK’s authoritative voice in the hospitality industry on financial management and technical accounting issues, as well as it being the leading arena for debate on investments, hospitality technology developments, revenue management, and marketing. Its Professional Development arm is helping professionals across the sector to learn and grow — nurturing the next generation of talent and pooling leading insight from every corner of hospitality.

The latest programme will bring HOSPA’s expertise in finance, revenue management and asset management to a broader audience of hospitality leaders in Restaurant and Food & Beverage operations.

For more information on HOSPA Professional Development, please visit: www.hospa.org/professionaldevelopment

Britvic Rejects £3.1bn Takeover Bid From Carlsberg British soft drinks maker Britvic has rejected a £3.1bn pound takeover bid from Carlsberg Group the second approach from the Danish brewer it has turned down.

investment in full”, adding that a takeover would allow it to capitalise the “long-term growth opportunities” of Britvic’s stable of well-known soft drinks brands, including J20, Mountain Dew and plant-based Plenish.

Britvic said it received an offer from Carlsberg to acquire the company on 11 June, valuing Britvic at 1,250 pence per share, equivalent to around £3b, but was unanimously rejected by the board on 17 June.

Carlsberg said: “The potential transaction is fully aligned with Carlsberg’s ambitious growth agenda.”

The move came after Britvic rejected an initial lower offer of 1,200 pence per share from Carlsberg earlier this month.

Britvic has an exclusive licence with PepsiCo in Great Britain and Ireland to make and sell Pepsi Max, 7UP, Rockstar Energy and Lipton Ice Tea.

According to a statement from Britvic, the board and advisers “carefully considered the second proposal” but it concluded that such a deal “significantly undervalues” the firm as well as its “current and future prospects”.

The company was founded in the UK in the 1930s as the British Vitamin Products Company and used soft drinks as an affordable way of supplying vitamins to consumers. It now has 39 brands in 100 countries including Brazil, France and Ireland.

Carlsberg said it was considering its position following the rejection.

The company reported strong revenue growth in May underpinned by demand from its products from international markets including Brazil.

The beer group said its second offer was a “compelling opportunity for Britvic shareholders to realise their

CAMRA Supports Labour’s Plans to End ‘Decline’ of British Pubs Issue 219

CAMRA has lent its support to Labour’s announcement of a five-point plan to “end the decline of British locals” Nik Antona, CAMRA Chairman, said: “We’re delighted to see that Labour have recommitted to their policy on introducing a genuine community right to buy.

“This measure will strengthen the powers available to communities to save their local pubs and prevent unscrupulous developers from pricing out local community groups that want to buy their local.

“Beer duty is still too high in the UK, and it’s great to see a prospective Chancellor recognise the importance of campaigns to lower this burden. CAMRA supports a reduction in draught beer and cider duty, to incentivise the production of cask beer and encourage people to drink beer in the on-trade.

“If elected, we hope that the Labour party implement these plans as soon as possible to protect pubs from closure and give consumers choice at a fair price.

“The Labour manifesto also included a commitment to change the outdated business rates system to make it fairer between online enterprises and bricks and mortar businesses like pubs, which are massively penalised in the current system.”

“We recognise that this would take longer to implement, and any changed system must make sure that pubs

The AVLA Licence – A Legal Requirement When travellers check in at a property, they expect a certain level of comfort and entertainment. Television is indispensable. While some may argue that TV is dying in the age of streaming and on-demand content, in reality it remains essential, especially in the UK. Television still holds great value for the hospitality industry.

However, with the convenience and benefits of offering television come certain responsibilities, particularly respecting copyright laws. Hoteliers must ensure they have the necessary licences to broadcast content legally.

The AVLA licence enables hotels, aparthotels, B&Bs and similar establishments to legally display in public TV channels containing audiovisual works (films, series, documentaries, cartoons and other TV shows) from AVLA’s extensive repertoire. It covers TVs in bedrooms and in communal areas of

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no longer pay a disproportionate share of rates and that a new, fairer business rate regime recognises their community value to help keep our locals open and thriving as a vital part of our social fabric.”

Labour’s five point plan to support pus is:

1. ‘Right to buy' shuttered pubs: Labour will give communities a strong new ‘right to buy' beloved community assets like pubs, giving local people the chance to take over pubs that are closing or set to be sold to the highest bidder.

2. Crack down on anti-social behaviour: Labour will crack down on anti-social behaviour with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful contracts.

3. Roll out banking hubs: Local pubs serve customers who rely on cash, and they need reliable and accessible banking services on the high street. Labour will roll out banking hubs to guarantee face-to-face banking on the high street 4. Replace business rates: Pubs have been hammered with higher tax whilst online giants have failed to pay their fair share. Labour will replace business rates with a new system of business property taxation which rebalances the burden and levels the playing field between our high streets and online giants.

5. Cut energy bills for good: Too many pubs called last orders due to soaring energy bills. Great British Energy will invest in clean British energy to cut bills for good and protect pubs from spiking global prices.

the premises (e.g. in a hotel’s restaurant, bar, etc.). Operating without a licence constitutes a legal infringement of the rights of AVLA’s creatives.

AVLA represents the UK largest and most varied community of audiovisual creators, comprising various categories of rightsholders: producers, authors, performers, directors, and visual artists. The AVLA licence covers an immense catalogue of works and rights not covered by other licensors. For clarity, the AVLA licence does not replace the licences of other entities, and vice-versa.

Respecting copyright law is crucial not only to avoid legal or reputational risks, but also to support the UK’s world-class creative industries. So, by taking an AVLA licence, hotels are securing legal compliance and demonstrating their commitment to ethical business practices, while also helping to sustain and support the creative individuals and businesses working hard to produce the TV and film content that is so valued by their customers.

To learn more about AVLA and get the licence, visit www.avla.uk AVLA offers a special 10% discount until 30 June.

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Deliveries Soar for Restaurant Groups In May As Weather Keeps Some Consumers At Home Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups achieved their biggest year-on-year growth in delivery sales of 2024 last month, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals.

Deliveries in May were 11.3% ahead of the same month in 2023 on a like-for-like basis. It follows cool and damp weather in many parts of Britain for much of May, which led some consumers to order in food rather than going out.

However, takeaway and click-and-collect sales were down by 2.0%, as people continue to migrate from pick-ups to the convenience of delivery platforms. The Tracker shows combined delivery and takeaway sales were 6.2% ahead—an improvement on April’s figure of 4.5%.

Restaurants’ at-home sales have now been up year-on-year for 12 consecutive months. May’s growth is also well above Britain’s current rate of inflation.

The Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates that deliveries accounted for just under 11 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in May, while takeaways attracted four pence. Food took a 91.1% share of all at-home orders and drinks had an 8.9% split.

Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA said: “Twelve months of year-on-year growth in a row marks an excellent recovery for restaurants’ at-home sales after the post-COVID drop in orders. While May’s positive trading was boosted by the mixed weather that caused some consumers to stay at home, it could also be a sign that people are becoming freer with their spending. The easing of inflation and interest in the Euro 2024 football tournament should help to sustain momentum into the summer, and we can be cautiously optimistic for solid growth in both deliveries and eat-in sales over the rest of the year.”

Britain’s Best-Looking Pubs Revealed CAMRA has unveiled the winners of its prestigious Pub Design Awards, which recognise the highest standards of architecture in the refurbishment and historic conservation of pubs across the UK, plus the most innovative construction and conversions of new venues.

The awards are judged by a panel of experts in design and conservation.

This year there are three winners, two highly commended and three commended pubs across different categories ranging from refurbishment to new build. These include: Historic England Conservation Award – This award is given for work which conserves the pub’s architectural features, whilst updating its facilities.

THE VINES, LIVERPOOL (WINNER, PICTURED ABOVE) – A full conservation and refurbishment of the interior of this iconic Grade II* listed Edwardian pub has undone years of poor care under the previous management. The judges were impressed with the high quality of the restoration, which has brought the building back to life as a spectacular example of historic pub design and craftsmanship.

New Build: This category assesses newly built pubs in 2023.

Hall & Woodhouse Taplow, Buckinghamshire (Highly Commended) – The new Hall & Woodhouse pub is located by the River Thames, with an expansive outdoor terrace that provides wonderful views over the local landscape. The two-storey state-of-the-art building features striking architecture that complements the surrounding environment. The judges were particularly impressed by the exterior which draws on design themes taken from the sheds and warehouses associated with riverside locations.

CONVERSION TO PUB USE AWARD: This category rewards outstanding conversions of buildings which were originally built for other uses and have now been transformed into a pub.bod Alsager, Cheshire East (Winner) – Previously a former solicitors’ office, Titanic Brewery’s latest café bar features extensive use of recycled and re-purposed materials, converting the original internal doors into the frontage of a bespoke bar and a chandelier made from Titanic beer bottles. Judges also praised the new light and airy conservatory which supplies a ‘wow’ factor to the bar.

Refurbishment: This award is given for the best refurbishment of an existing pub building, this can range from a complete gutting and replacement, to enhancing the design of what was originally in the pub.

KINGS ARMS, ELHAM (WINNER) – This ancient inn, which has been part of the social life of

the village for centuries, has undertaken a creative makeover which has enhanced the atmosphere of the building. The total internal and external renovation and remodelling has resulted a warm, welcoming and contemporary environment. Judges commented that the pub is “A lovely place for a drink or a meal”.

CROWN, CHISLEHURST (HIGHLY COMMENDED) – The Crown, which dates back to 1874, underwent a major 12-week renovation, with care taken to retain its unique character while introducing a more modern look and feel. An impressive central servery and a light and airy orangery leading out into the remodelled garden area are features of what is now a very contemporary interior.

BELL, TRING (COMMENDED) – The 17th century coaching inn received a sensitive redesign and redecoration to give it a contemporary feel while enhancing its historic features.

SHEEP & PENGUIN, WELLS (COMMENDED) – Having been closed for years and in a near-derelict condition, the pub (previously known as the Mermaid) appeared highly unlikely to ever reopen. A complete restoration has breathed new life into the Sheep & Penguin, transforming it from an eyesore into a building that makes a positive contribution to the city’s streetscape. The judges described it as “a bright and welcoming place for a drink or a meal”.

Community Local – This category is reserved for outstanding refurbished street-corner locals Pipe Makers Arms, Broseley (Commended) – A quality refurbishment of a pub which provides attractive facilities for a range of community groups and activities.

CAMRA will be celebrating with a presentation event, which is open to the press, at The Vines in Liverpool L1 1JQ on Wednesday 19 June from 2:30pm.

Chair of the Pub Design Awards judging panel, Andrew Davison, said: “Once again, the Pub Design Awards’ judges have had a hard job in selecting the winners from the entries submitted. Despite the pressures the hospitality industry is under, we are pleased to report that people are still prepared to invest time, money, and resources into conserving their buildings, and upgrading them to meet the latest challenges.”

“Our Pub Design Awards recognise the high standards of flair and imagination which have gone into these projects, and the ambitious craftsmanship involved in the repair and conservation work. Despite everything thrown at it, we believe that the pub has a key role to play in our communities, and that it will continue to flourish as an institution. The high quality of the entries for these Awards provides evidence to support that belief.”

Bar Operator Nightcap Prepares to Go Private Bar operator Nightcap has said it will delist its shares from the London Stock Exchange, and warned that adjusted earnings would be below market expectations amid a “challenging” trading environment.

In an update, the group said its valuation “does not reflect” its potential, and that it would re-register as a private company.

Nightcap says it has received "irrevocable undertakings" from several shareholders and the directors, representing approximately 76.9% of the company's issued share capital, to vote in favour of going private.

"We have not taken this decision lightly," says Gareth Edwards, chair of Nightcap. "However, following an extensive review and deliberation to ascertain the most effective way to maximise shareholder value in the longer term and increase the potential for the long-term success of the company, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests

of the company and our shareholders to cancel our AIM admission and re-register as a private limited company.

"The board believes that Nightcap's current public market valuation does not reflect the underlying potential of our business or our achievements to date and that this is unlikely to change in the shortto-medium term. Since our last institutional fundraise in May 2021, we have demonstrated several times that we can access funding from non-institutional sources at a premium to our share price at the time.

"We believe that we will be able to continue to execute on our strategy as a private company and therefore we believe that a cancellation of the company's admission on AIM is in the best interests for shareholders and for the future of our business as a whole."

Nightcap will put the decision to a shareholder vote on July 17, where investors must approve the proposal. The planned delisting would be on July 29.

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BBPA Releases 2024 Guide for Publicans The BBPA has published its latest cost benchmarking guide for publicans and all industry stakeholders wishing to understand the breakdown of pub operating costs and is available for free on the BBPA website in the policy campaigns > pub operations tab here - https://beerandpub.com/policy-campaigns/pub-operations/ Business plans and the negotiations over leases and tenancies in the UK pub trade should be as well-informed as possible. This industry-leading guide provides the latest data for business partners on typical operating costs for running a pub.

This report represents the best available 2023 data from BBPA member companies on the costs of running a tenanted and leased sector pub. It is a vital reference tool for anyone running a tenanted and leased pub or thinking of doing so, giving examples of different trading models in terms of turnover and sales mix, providing both averages and

ranges recognising the variations that will exist for any individual pub and across different parts of the country.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of BBPA commented: “We are delighted to publish our latest cost benchmarking report today which we know is a widely used report across the industry and is a vital component to understanding the breakdown of leased and tenanted pub operating costs today.

With the challenges the sector continues to face across a number of fronts, robust data and insight is more important than ever and this report provides important analysis across the key operating costs for various tenanted and leased pub models, to support business partners at this time”

Forty Chefs In The Running To Be Crowned National Chef Of The Year Matt Abé, chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay said: “In my first year as Chair of judges, I have loved seeing and scoring every single dish put forward by the competitors. It’s an honour to lead the judging team for such a prestigious culinary title. Generally, the standard has been very strong, and we already know that whittling them down from 40 to ten is going to be a challenge. My advice for this next stage is to really focus on telling us your own personal story so as judges we understand the creative thinking behind your dishes.”

Today the Craft Guild of Chefs has unveiled the forty talented chefs who have made the top spots in the first round of the prestigious National Chef of the Year competition. Following a huge amount of interest in this year’s much sought-after title, the judges have praised the overall standard of entries with a shout out for the impressive level of chocolate desserts this year. Other themes spotted by the judges included a strong focus on provenance, sourcing, and food waste. Judges were inspired reading the many stories about why the dish was chosen or how it represents the chef.

To ensure a fair and unbiased approach, all the entries are judged anonymously as competitor names and places of work are hidden prior to the experts seeing each entry. There are separate judging teams for starter, main course and dessert and another team viewing the whole menu for overall balance. Once the marks are submitted, scores are reviewed in a deliberation meeting before any names are revealed to the judges.

Over the next few weeks, the chefs must create an amuse-bouche or pre-dessert with the theme ‘A taste of summer’ using seasonal ingredients. Chefs should bring this to life with a story of a personal food hero.

It could be an inspirational chef, family member, mentor or industry personality that has inspired this dish.

Competition director and food innovation & sustainability director at Sodexo UK and Ireland, David Mulcahy added: “There were some highly creative styles of cooking in this first round, and it was fantastic to see chefs enter from a wide variety of sectors and backgrounds. A significant number of dishes had particularly elegant presentation with a great deal of workmanship and style. Having judged this competition for many years I feel that I have seen more creativity and innovation in the menus this year and I am already excited to see what’s presented in the next stage.”

A new panel of experts will score the semi-finals alongside Matt Abé and results from both rounds will be considered when selecting the finalists to ensure a rigorous and robust judging process.

Craft Beer Brand To Introduce In-Pub Mental Health First Aid Qualification People’s Captain are developing an industry-first Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) qualification specifically for the challenges and needs of publicans and their teams in conjunction with MHFA England.

a pint, and with Punch’s commitment to ensure pubs remain at the very heart of the community, our joint values perfectly align with the impact that People’s Captain is making.

And as the craft beer brand continues to implement change and make a difference across this space, they have teamed up with their strategic partners Punch Pubs & Co to help devise the in-pub qualification alongside Publicans and Management Partners (MPs) who will be helping to pioneer the programme.

“More than that, the vision is that the amazing people behind bars around the country can be frontline support for the villages, towns and cities they serve, but we need to give them the skills to look after themselves and their teams in the first instance.

“This has been a project in the making for some-time and it speaks volumes of Punch’s commitment to help us develop this qualification for the industry, by being a pioneer in this space. They are showing their commitment to looking after their people but just as, if not more importantly, current data is showing there’s over a 4x return on investment in health and wellbeing, so they really are Doing Well, By Doing Good.”

Through the social power of craft beer, award-winning brand People’s Captain has been helping to bring people across towns, cities and rural areas together to talk about the importance of mental health and well-being for numerous years.

Its founder and former rugby union professional, Greg Bateman, is a huge advocate for mental health and well-being, which through his own personal experiences is what led to the creation of the unique craft beer brand with a difference.

Photo Courtesy of Punch Pubs & Co

As one of Punch’s key strategic partners, People’s Captain perfectly complements the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy (Punch Promise).

Punch is committed to Doing Well, By Doing Good – improving lives and communities with pubs at their heart, and their partnership with People’s Captain does just that; combining the power of great tasting beer and the local pub to bring people together.

Speaking on behalf of their partnership, Greg said: “Some of our most meaningful conversations happen over

The partnership between People’s Captain and Punch has been instrumental in helping to promote the pub company’s physical and mental health initiatives, and huge steps have already been taken to ensure that every Punch employee, Publican, MP and in turn, pub guests will receive innovative training and resources in a safe and inclusive space.

Punch’s Strategic Corporate Affairs & ESG Lead, Jon Dale, said: “Doing Well, By Doing Good sits at the core of our business ethos, and every day our Publicans, MPs and their teams ‘do good’ in countless ways.

“We’ve been working alongside Greg and his fantastic team at People’s Captain for two years now and piloting the in-pub Mental Health First Aid qualification is a huge step forward. It was fantastic to see Punch employees, Publicans and MPs engage in an incredibly insightful session and we are excited to see this pioneering idea come to life across our fantastic pubs and their communities.”

UK Hotel Profits Return To Pre-Pandemic Levels During Hottest May On Record 28

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The hottest May on record, albeit wet, saw profits of UK hotels overtake pre-pandemic levels, according to the RSM Hotels Tracker.

ther boosted by the two bank holidays in May. Although the recent rise in national minimum wage hit the bottom line for hoteliers in April, it appears they’re managing to offset these costs with increased occupancy.

The data, which is compiled and produced by Hotstats and analysed by RSM UK, shows gross operating profits (GOP) of UK hotels reached 38.9% in May, up from 37.3% in the same period last year, surpassing pre-pandemic GOP of 38.3%. In London, GOP was 43.4% in May, an increase from 42.9% last year and 42.5% in 2019.

“Despite room rates being much higher than prior to the pandemic, it’s clear they’re starting to plateau. That said, gross operating profits of UK hotels are on the up, so much so that they’ve overtaken pre-pandemic levels. The good news looks set to continue for the sector, as RSM UK’s latest Consumer Market Outlook found consumers are planning to cut back on overseas breaks but continue treating themselves to a staycation in the UK*.”

Occupancy of UK hotels was also up from 76.3% to 79.6% in May year-on-year but slightly behind pre-pandemic levels of 80.1%. London occupancy reached 82.9%, overtaking occupancy of 78.2% last year and 79.2% in 2019.

However, average daily rates (ADR) of occupied rooms fell from £154.04 (May 2023) to £153.38 (May 2024) in the UK and from £229.04 to £216.80 in London in the same period. Room rates continue to be significantly higher than pre-pandemic rates of £118.41 (UK) and £174.25 (London). RevPAR was up slightly in the UK from £117.60 to £122.05 in May year-on-year, but was flat in London at £179.78 in May. Chris Tate, head of hotels and accommodation at RSM UK, said: “While the hottest May on record didn’t feel like much of a scorcher, it was a strong month for the UK hotel industry. The combination of improving consumer confidence, real wage growth, tax cuts and a fall in room rates, is filtering through to demand, fur-

Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM UK, added: “The positive results for the UK hotel sector in May is another piece of evidence pointing to a strong rebound in May after a bleak April. It appears that stronger consumer confidence and an improvement in real disposable incomes is feeding through into increased demand for everything from retail goods to hotel rooms.

“We expect consumer spending to continue to improve through the second half of this year and in 2025 as real incomes rise, which should support demand for hotel rooms. However, with inflation in the accommodation sector running at around 7%, compared to 2% inflation overall, price pressures in the industry are clearly still an issue.”

Star Pubs Invests In The Great Outdoors Star Pubs is investing £4.6m in revamping the outside of its pubs and creating great outdoor spaces in 2024 with 156 pubs set to benefit from the external upgrade programme.

free-standing heated and lighted pergolas with pitched roofs that are completely separate to the building.

Says Chris Moore, Property Director for Star Pubs: “A pub’s exterior is just as important as the interior. The outside is like product packaging; it must marry with what customers find inside and encourage potential passing customers to try it. People want a premium experience when they go out. Attractiveness is key – everything has to be on point. Done well a stunning garden will elevate the inside, too, providing good views.

Pubgoers have lost none of their enthusiasm for sitting outside since the pandemic, and going to a lovely pub garden with friends is now firmly established as a favourite consumer occasion. Following trials at our managed operator pubs we’re investing in weatherproof structures, and this year’s chilly wet weather underlines the value of doing that.”

70 building makeovers will be carried out, costing on average £38,000 each. These will include new signs, lighting and planting plus additions such as feature entrances and cladding to enhance kerb appeal.

Star’s budget for outside spaces will upgrade gardens at 86 pubs and is concentrated on developing areas that will generate additional trade at least nine months of the year and during wet British summers.

In order to accommodate different pub layouts and planning regulations, Star is employing two design approaches at major projects: awningcovered areas opening directly off pubs via bi-fold doors and

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NTIA Challenges Political Parties: What Will You Do For Nightlife?

The Night Time Industries Associate has offered a challenge to the UK's political parties.

Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, stated: “The night time economy has suffered irreparable damage throughout the pandemic and now due to the cost of living crisis. We have advocated for a ground zero moment—an opportunity to create a foundation that will allow businesses to recover and return to prepandemic trading conditions.”

“The NTIA’s ‘Darkest Before the Dawn’ manifesto has been shared with thousands of politicians across the UK. It contains forty four clear industry driven requests to electoral candidates, and aims to provide direction and a strategy for the incoming government to hit the ground running.”

“Over the course of the last week, we have seen a considerable amount of broad brush commitments within manifestos released by all political parties and have been somewhat frustrated by the lack of detail and substance.”

“All have highlighted the commitment to the reevaluation of sector specific business rates, intimated that there would be a continuation of the alcohol duty freeze, but no short term VAT reduction.”

“So it is encouraging to see that the Conservatives have listened to our recent call for more detail, and

adopted some of our key asks from the NTIA manifesto.”

“One of our primary manifesto requests is to shift departmental responsibility from regulatory control under the Home Office to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), alongside appointing a dedicated minister for the night time economy. This minister would be responsible for developing a centralised strategy to influence national and local policy.”

“It is without doubt we need the new government to re-evaluate our licensing and planning systems, removing red tape and unnecessary regulatory burdens, and moving towards a system that is proportionate, fair, and consistent.”

“They need to work towards supporting and protecting cultural spaces across the night time economy, the breeding ground of new talent and artists who are the foundation of our cultural tapestry. These spaces should have the same consideration as galleries, castles, museums and theatres under a cultural protection scheme, beginning with the push for “Agent of Change” principle to become primary legislation.”

“It is clear that this is only a start and that the industry needs these commitments and more….

“I would ask all political parties not to underestimate the soft power we represent. Our industry generates over £136 billion in annual revenue, employs over 2 million people, and is one of the largest employers of individuals under 30, with millions attending our events and venues each year.”

“Our call to all political parties in the race to represent your respective regions in government is clear: What will you do for nightlife?”

Heartwood Inns Opens 24th Pub – The Rising Sun, Reading The Rising Sun reopened to welcome the Reading community through its doors following an extensive, multi million pound refurbishment. The team at The Rising Sun will be led by General Manager Ben Donald and Head Chef Ravi Patel who bring with them a wealth of experience.

Officially opened by the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Glenn Dennis, guests were entertained throughout the afternoon by stilt walkers, a juggler, tastings from local brewers Loddon Brewery and live jazz from Sarah Jane Eveleigh and friends.

The Rising Sun (having reverted to its original name from The Sun) has undergone an extensive renova-

tion in line with its Grade II listed status.

Inside, the original bar space has been transformed to create 80 covers with the work showcasing the original timberwork that is a feature of this historic building that dates back to the 13th century.

To the rear a new conservatory links the original pub to the old stables which have been converted to create a stunning vaulted ceiling dining room with space for up to 110 diners. Throughout the interior, guests will see Heartwood’s signature warm and quirky style in upholstered banquettes, cosy snugs and feature wallpapers.

Richard Ferrier, CEO, Heartwood Collection, said: “We are very excited to have re-opened this iconic pub in the heart of Reading. The oldest pub in the town, we have really enjoyed restoring this property and

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‘Much-Needed’ Night-time Economy Review To Cut Red Tape The Conservative Party has pledged to a review of the nighttime economy in England, which will include overhauling licensing laws and planning rules.

“We’ll continue to back our night-time economy – Labour would cripple it further with higher taxes and more burdensome regulation.”

A review of licensing laws and planning rules aimed at boosting pubs, restaurants and music venues would be launched in the first 100 days of a new Conservative government, the party has pledged.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “The nighttime economy is the beating heart of our vibrant nightlife in the UK. A comprehensive review to ensure it’s firing on all cylinders is a positive and much-needed commitment for hospitality businesses.

Ministers would examine ways to “crack down” on councils setting “disproportionate conditions and restrictions on licences” in a bid to cut red tape for businesses in the sector, the Tories said.

The party has also pledged to cut red tape “unnecessarily holding back growth and adding operating costs for businesses” and consider creating a ministerial position for the sector.

They would “protect” music venues, they said, by strengthening the enforcement of the “agent of change” planning principle, which requires developers who build near an existing venue to pay for their own sound proofing.

Conservative small business minister Kevin Hollinrake said his party had “always supported our night-time economy, with business rates reliefs, economic support during the pandemic”.

“Addressing the challenges of planning, licensing and other red tape is essential and, alongside reducing the burden of business rates on hospitality businesses, will allow the sector to drive growth, attract visitors and create places where people want to live, work and invest.

“This review would complement my recommendation as chair of London’s Night Time Commission to develop a holistic approach between government, local authorities and regulatory bodies to build a vibrant and diverse nighttime economy.”

Kate Nicholls was chair of London’s Night Time Commission, where she led the groundbreaking ‘Think Night’ report into London’s nightlife.

Sodexo Volunteers Put In Over 500 Hours To Support SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity Sodexo employees, through the Stop Hunger Foundation, are supporting the armed forces community through volunteering activities to help SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, provide valuable aid to service personnel, veterans and their families.

Earlier this month Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation arranged volunteering opportunities with long-standing charity partner, SSAFA, at seven locations across the UK and Cyprus for Sodexo’s employees and for volunteers from its supply partners and client organisations.

Over one week, National Volunteers Week (3-9 June), around 92 volunteers put in 525 hours support though a volunteering drive organised between SSAFA and Sodexo Stop Hunger. The volunteers helped with gardening, well-being workshops, painting, and handing out leaflets. Around 780 SSAFA members benefitted from the help of the volunteers in the one week alone.

Terrie, housing manager from SSAFA’s Stepping Stone Home said: “The work of the volunteers is nothing short of incredible. Painting the fences has helped us provide a safe and welcoming environment for our beneficiaries who desperately need it.”

In addition to this special volunteering drive around 70 Sodexo employees will be participating in SSAFA’s 13 Bridges Challenge, an annual fundraising event held in London covering the city’s iconic bridges on 29 June, Armed Forces Day. Some participants will be taking part in the 10-mile walk virtually, however all will be raising valuable funds for SSAFA. Gareth John, European Director of Sodexo Legal Affairs and Chair of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation said: “Sadly veterans are more likely to face food insecurity. This is why Stop Hunger has been a partner to SSAFA since 2008, supporting the provision of urgent welfare – financial, practical and emotional – to those most in need from the armed forces community, in particular veterans and their families through SSAFA’s Stop Hunger Homelessness Fund. Volunteering plays an important role in our partnership with SSAFA so it was an honour to provide opportunities for our colleagues, clients and suppliers for our annual volunteering drive.”

Last year marked a milestone in the partnership with the total funding donated from Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to SSAFA reaching £500,000. The annual donation from the Stop Hunger Foundation supports SSAFA’s Homelessness Fund, providing funding for the urgent welfare provision to those most in need from the armed forces community, particularly veterans and their families across all three services.

Grants from the fund are also a vital resource for vol Sir Andrew Gregory, CEO of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity said: “SSAFA is delighted to maintain its long-standing relationship with Sodexo and the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a relationship that makes a real and practical difference to those in our Armed Forces community who need support. And that holistic help that provides financial assistance to SSAFA’s Homelessness Fund, is as vital today as it has ever been”.

Sodexo’s volunteering programme is part of its commitment to fighting food insecurity both in the UK and Ireland as well as across the globe. Every year Sodexo, through the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, enables its employees to three paid days to participate in volunteering activity with charities such as SSAFA. This provides them with the chance to deliver social impact to their local communities as well as providing opportunities for team-building, improved wellbeing, as well as the development of personal and professional skills Working with national and local charity partners Sodexo Stop Hunger unites and mobilises changemakers engaging its employees in a wide range of volunteering opportunities. The Foundation’s work goes beyond immediate food aid activities, it is focused on changing lives by addressing the root causes of food insecurity with a focus on women empowerment.

Sodexo is the founding partner of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. In the UK & Ireland, the Foundation’s (a UK registered charity) mission is to act sustainably to fight food insecurity and complement Sodexo’s Social Impact pledge.

BBPA Welcomes Labour’s Pledge to Support Industry The British Beer and Pub Association has welcomed yesterday’s announcement from Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves. Reeves said her party would introduce significant support for the nation’s beer and brewing sector should Labour secure victory at the upcoming General Election and form a government.

Announced on the 200th anniversary of the Weights and Measures Act, which defined the British pint, Reeves announced a comprehensive five-point plan to

protect the institution of the British pub: • ‘Right to buy’ shuttered pubs: Labour will give communities a strong new ‘right to buy’ beloved community assets like pubs, giving local people the chance to take over pubs that are closing or set to be sold to the highest bidder.

• Crack down on anti-social behaviour: Labour will crack down on anti-social behaviour with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful contracts.

• Roll out banking hubs: Local pubs serve customers who rely on cash, and they need reliable and accessible banking services on the high street. Labour will roll out banking hubs to guarantee face-to-face banking on the high street • Replace business rates: Pubs have been hammered with higher tax whilst online giants have failed to pay their fair share. Labour will replace business rates with a new system of business property taxation which rebalances the burden and levels the playing field between our high streets and online giants.

• Cut energy bills for good: Too many pubs called last orders due to soaring energy bills. Great British Energy will invest in clean British energy to cut bills for good and protect pubs from spiking global prices.

This announcement comes after significant campaigning from the BBPA on many of the issues addressed. In addition to this, the BBPA has worked with the party on the policy detail, particularly that around the community right, to ensure the optimal pub business model.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the BBPA said: “We have long campaigned for much-needed government support for the UK’s pub and brewing sector, including a cut to beer duty and radical reform to business rates that currently see pubs pay more than four times that of comparable businesses. For years, the BBPA and its members have been calling for change, and we’re delighted that politicians are taking this on board.”

“Announced on the 200th anniversary of the pint, Labour’s plan to support pubs could not be more welcome. We look forward to seeing the full details, and we are hugely encouraged by the package of measures promised by the shadow chancellor to make sure our pubs can thrive.”

“Pubs are bedrocks of our communities and we welcome the fact Labour recognises the need to reduce the unsustainable tax burden on our pubs, and help them to flourish.”

32

CLH Digital

Issue 219

Cleaning and Hygiene

Summer of Sport: A Golden Opportunity for the UK Hospitality Sector...

But Don’t Forget the Importance of Cleanliness & Hygiene The summer of 2024 is set to be a spectacular season for sports enthusiasts and the UK hospitality and licensed on-trade sector alike. With a lineup that includes the Euros, the Olympics, Wimbledon, and a host of motor sports events, pubs, bars, and restaurants are preparing for a surge in footfall. This period is not just an opportunity for social gatherings and celebrations but also a significant revenue driver. For instance, the Euros alone are expected to see a staggering extra 20 million pints sold during the tournament, compared to normal sales levels.

3. Adequate Supplies: Keep an ample stock of cleaning supplies on hand, including disinfectants, cleaning cloths, and floor cleaners. This ensures that staff can quickly address any issues as they arise.

4. Waste Management: Implement effective waste management practices to handle the increased volume of rubbish. This includes regular emptying of bins and proper disposal of waste.

MAINTAINING REPUTATION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY

However, with great opportunities come great responsibilities, particularly in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. As sports fans gather in large numbers, the potential for premises to become untidy and unhygienic increases. Establishments must be prepared to manage this influx effectively, ensuring that their venues remain appealing and safe for all customers.

The cleanliness of a venue is directly linked to its reputation. Patrons are unlikely to return to or recommend a place that they perceive as dirty or poorly maintained. In contrast, a clean, well-maintained establishment enhances the overall customer experience, encouraging repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth.

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS The financial implications of these events are monumental. The Euros, in particular, are anticipated to be a major draw for patrons. The predicted sale of 300 million pints underscores the vital role that pubs and bars play in bringing people together to enjoy live sports. The economic boost from these sales, estimated to be up to £1.4 billion, highlights the importance of the on-trade sector to the UK economy. This influx of patrons provides a unique opportunity for establishments to not only increase their sales but also to enhance their reputation and customer loyalty.

Therefore, a robust cleaning regime is not just a necessity but a critical aspect of customer satisfaction and retention.

ESTABLISHING A ROBUST CLEANING REGIME Implementing a comprehensive cleaning regime involves several key steps:

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS AND HYGIENE

1. Regular Cleaning Schedules: Establish frequent cleaning intervals, especially during peak times, to ensure that premises remain clean and presentable. This includes regular wiping down of surfaces, cleaning of restrooms, and ensuring that floors are free of spills and litter.

With increased footfall comes the challenge of maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Sports fans are known for their enthusiasm, which can sometimes translate into a more 'boisterous' atmosphere.

This can lead to spills, litter, and general wear and tear on facilities.

2. Staff Training: Ensure that all staff are trained in proper hygiene practices and understand the importance of maintaining a clean environment. This includes training on how to handle food and beverages safely, as well as how to quickly and effectively clean up spills and other messes.

As the various sports competitions progress throughout the summer, it is crucial for establishments to consistently maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. This not only ensures the safety and comfort of customers but also helps to sustain the initial boost in business brought about by these events.

The summer of sport presents an exciting and profitable opportunity for the UK hospitality and licensed on-trade sector. However, the key to capitalizing on this opportunity lies in maintaining impeccable standards of cleanliness and hygiene. By doing so, establishments can ensure that they not only attract customers but also keep them coming back long after the final whistle has blown.

In a season where every pint poured and every meal served counts, the importance of a clean and welcoming environment cannot be overstated.

As the sports fans cheer and celebrate, let us ensure that our venues shine just as brightly, providing a safe, clean, and enjoyable experience for all.

Cleanliness is Always in Season

Maintaining good hygiene ensures a safe and clean environment for those in the hospitality sector. Consistent and proactive cleaning reduces the need for intensive deep cleaning, allowing facilities managers to focus on other tasks.

in seconds, maintaining a luxurious aesthetic and exceptional cleaning quality, while the eco!efficiency mode reduces the energy demand and volume of the machine and increases the battery running time.

Regular cleaning and disinfecting helps to prevent bacteria build-up, which is crucial in a busy setting. Following routine cleaning and decontamination measures ensures facility safety is not compromised. This practice guarantees a hygienic and welcoming environment for individuals entering hospitality venues, enhancing the likelihood of their return.

The Kärcher BVL 5/1 Bp, with its super-lightweight design, is worn on the user’s back, allowing easy cleaning without cables strewn across the area.

Additional attachments enable use on various surfaces, from entrance mats to curtains, keeping the lobby area pristine for guests.

Operational running costs continue to rise making them significant concerns for those in the hospitality sector. Customers are becoming more aware of businesses' environmental practices, which now significantly influence their spending decisions. Investing in cleaning and maintenance equipment, particularly in the catering and hospitality sectors, is crucial for ensuring a safe and clean environment. For example, battery-powered cleaning solutions offer robust, cost-effective, and eco-friendly operations due to their cordless and quiet design, reducing reliance on mains power. This allows for more regular and efficient cleaning, which is essential for maintaining high hygiene standards and providing a safe environment for both staff and guests in the hospitality industry.

EXCEPTIONAL CLEANING QUALITY Handheld battery-powered devices offer exceptional cleaning quality, such as the Kärcher Vacuum Cleaner BVL 5/1 Bp Pack, allowing users to efficiently remove loose dirt to maintain the cleaning standards of the premises. This backpack vacuum cleaner lifts dirt from carpeted flooring and can effectively whisk away dirt

PERFECTING CLEANING QUIETNESS Hotel guests and restaurant patrons expect high cleanliness levels without being disturbed by loud cleaning appliances. Battery-powered machines help reduce noise levels without compromising performance.

Vacuum cleaners like the Kärcher T 9/1 Bp feature a robust design and lownoise emissions. This allows cleaners to use them in public areas, perfect for cleaning corridors and passageways when guests might be sleeping.

Ultimately, ensuring good hygiene and cleanliness in hospitality venues is crucial for safety and customer satisfaction. Regular, proactive cleaning prevents bacteria build-up and reduces the need for intensive deep cleaning. Investing in advanced, battery-powered cleaning equipment enhances efficiency, reduces noise, and maintains a pristine environment. These practices not only save time and money but also create a welcoming atmosphere, encouraging repeat visits and upholding high standards in the hospitality industry.

For further information see the advert on the facing page.

CLEAN Do The Workwear, So You Can Do The Work CLEAN Linen & Workwear are one of the UK's most trusted laundry companies. They supply tailored workwear solutions provided by real people. Their comprehensive laundry network means they can service customers throughout England and Wales, providing chefswear, workwear and linen rental services.

Whether you operate from a single-site hotel, pub or restaurant or have multiple locations, CLEAN can tailor a workwear rental solution to suit your business requirements. They offer a range of functional, non-restrictive, breathable chef clothing perfect for the modern commercial kitchen, ensuring that your people look smart and are comfortable, boosting their confidence and productivity. They offer various uniform options to support the entire kitchen brigade, from Executive Chefs to Kitchen Porters.

With their workwear rental service, you can say goodbye to the hassle of purchasing, storing, and maintaining chef and kitchen uniforms. Instead, enjoy the convenience of a hassle-free rental system that provides freshly laundered

garments whenever your team need them. By renting with CLEAN, you can avoid upfront purchase costs, spread the payments over your contract, and ensure quality and care with every wash. Delivery is free, and there are no hidden charges; contracts even include repairs. Each item of clothing can be branded and tailored to the wearer with logos and embroidery. Their managed service prevents issues compiling when supplying your team with work clothes; a convenient locker valet service helps distribute and store uniforms, and they tackle minor repairs early to extend the service life of a uniform. Ultimately, this avoids costly replacements wherever possible as it reduces uniform losses, and uniforms only need replacing when a repair is not safe or cost-effective.

With CLEAN's workwear rental and laundry service, business owners can focus on what matters most — running their business — while CLEAN takes care of the rest.

To find out more: www.cleanservices.co.uk or see the advert on page 7.

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CLH Digital

Food Safety

Issue 219

Are You Natasha’s Law Compliant? Many Still Aren’t The report also revealed the most common reasons for non-compliance in the sample. In a quarter of cases, no information at all had been placed on the packet, a third failed to list ingredients, two fifths didn’t emphasise allergens and a third featured illegible information.

It’s been more than two years since Natasha’s Law came into force, but there’s evidence that many food businesses are still struggling to comply with it.

The law, known formally as the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, means all businesses in England that produce pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) food to customers on site must label food clearly with information on potential allergens present. These need to stand out so a customer can tell at a glance what they’re about to eat.

Incorrectly labelled PPDS can not only put customers’ safety at risk, but those who don’t comply also face the possibility of large fines of £5,000 per instance and reputational damage, with longer-lasting consequences for customer numbers.

A 2023 study carried out by Erudus, the market leading source of accurate allergy, nutritional and technical product data, found that more than half (54%) of 116 PPDS products sampled still failed to meet the requirements by accurately declaring the presence of allergen ingredients on the labels.

THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB One way to achieve compliance with Natasha’s Law reliably and efficiently is by adapting your labelling processes.

Small businesses have historically opted to handwrite their labels, but

Double Down on Temperature Management to fight E. Coli In light of recent outbreaks, temperature management to prevent E. Coli bacteria is at the heart of guidance from the UK government’s food safety body, the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Thorough washing of fruit and vegetables is not enough on its own. Chilling food below 8 C and cooking food correctly by ensuring that the centre is at least 70 C is also strongly advised.

Without such precautions, ingestion of harmful E. Coli can lead to gastroenteritis, UTIs and in the worst cases, kidney disease.

UK thermometer manufacturer, TM Electronics (TME) can provide all the tools you need to double down on your temperature management.

• High accuracy water resistant thermometers to ensure food is properly cooked • Fast response Needle Probes to ensure meat and fish is cooked all the way through • Colour coded Needle Probes to help avoid cross contamina-

tion • Waterproof probes which can be sterilized in a dishwasher/ware washer • Wall mount holders for your thermometer kit so it’s within reach at all times • New thermometers supplied with FREE calibration certificates and annual reminders at no extra cost to ensure you are up to date with your food safety protocols MD Tom Sensier: ‘I’m really proud of our money-saving food-safety kits for their quality, value and performance.

Our CA2005-PK combines a high accuracy thermometer with 6 colour-coded probes you can stick in the dishwasher.

And for fast-paced kitchens, you can’t beat our MMWALLKIT: a heavy duty thermometer and probe complete with hygienic wall storage – recently filmed in action on one of the UK’s most popular TV food competitions!’

To help businesses even further, TME is offering 25% off online orders. Visit www.tmethermometers.com for more details. Offer ends on 30 June 2024.

these are time-consuming and risk poor legibility.

Pre-printed labels from an external supplier is one alternative, but can lack flexibility and prove costly as any changes or additions to a product’s ingredients will mean ordering a new run of labels and potentially throwing away unwanted bulk-printed batches.

An on-site printing solution avoids these issues.

To help business of all sizes comply efficiently, integrated packages are available that bundle a label printer with easy-to-use menu-management software. These make it simple to keep your labels up to date as you make changes to your menu, and multi-site solutions are available for those businesses with more than one outlet.

If you’re looking for a compliant labelling solution, a Brother printer can help make it easy, whether as a standalone device or as part of a turnkey menu-management system from one of our partners.

To find out more, go to brother.co.uk/food-labelling

The Kelsius Digital HACCP and Wireless Temperature Monitoring System The Kelsius digital HACCP and wireless temperature monitoring system provides the hospitality industry with a one-stop food safety system that protects food, customers and a business’s reputation.

Digital probes allow for food temperature checks right before service, recording and date-stamping temperatures and data. Automated sensors provide effortless monitoring of fridges, freezers and other units.

Data is stored securely and can be accessed through a user-friendly portal, allowing for full regulatory compliance and traceability with access to reports and data at the touch of a screen.

The sensor system will alert staff in real time where a temperature falls outside predefined

parameters. Kelsius has recently launched alerts via push notifications on the Kelsius App. The app provides the most secure and reliable way to ensure that alerts are delivered immediately to the right staff on their smartphone or any mobile device.

Staff are alerted in real time to act immediately should there be a power outage, fridge or freezer failure, or doors left open.

Designated managers and supervisors have visibility of alerts, corrective actions and user data on site or remotely, providing peace of mind that food safety procedures and processes are being followed.

To learn more visit www.kelsius.com

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Products and Services

793 Spirits Co. Holy Island Bloomsbury Flowers - The Luxury Florist • Holy Island’s first & only distillery.

• Distil, bottle & hand label Vodka, Gin & Rum. • Distillery shop with hidden bar.

793 Spirits Co. have been distilling on Holy Island, a tidal island off the Northumberland coast, since 2017.

Starting with their first spirit, ‘Mjødka’, a triple distilled vodka, giving a nod to the island’s Nordic history. Following that, the ‘Creed & Tide’ gin range was released. With the first being a classic dry gin, then a navy strength gin distilled with fresh lime & Holy Island Sea Salt and finishing off with a slightly sweeter

Pomegranate & Rooibos Leaf gin.

The most recent release was a dark rum – ‘The Guffy Curse’, a traditional dark rum aged for 12 months, being the first of its kind from Northumberland. All spirits are distilled, bottled & labelled in house in Holy Island’s first and only distillery, using a 250L copper still.

Also, on Holy Island is ‘Spirit & Soul’, the distillery shop with a secret hidden sanctuary behind a bookcase door! contact@793spirits.co.uk | www.793spirits.co.uk or see the advert on page 4.

Wine Service Innovations Up Your Reputation & Profit Innovative products enhance operational efficiency and empower hospitality professionals to review their wine service and customer engagement, improving wine sales and reputation.

Wine Corner Ltd specializes in temperaturecontrolled storage solutions for wine. Fine dining establishments invest heavily in creating the perfect ambiance and employing the best sommeliers and staff to ensure guests feel valued, become patrons, and return with guests and family. This is in addition to investments in fine and vintage wines.

For the educated palate, it’s all about the perfect pour, which can only happen when the wine has been stored in the right conditions, chilled or acclimatized, and finally poured at the perfect temperature.

What about the business side? How to entice new or regular customers to spend more? When service and products are at their best, what’s left to press the ‘spend more’ button? How about a ‘holistic fine dining experience’?

From the first step into your venue, guests walk past beautifully displayed wine walls, the wine menu invites guests for a one-to-one ‘pairing’ session in your tasting room, equipped with a Technowine tower unit keeping already opened bottles in perfect condition, and a speed chiller which cools champagne to the perfect temperature in minutes without the drama of ice, buckets, and condensation… A truly smooth operation, a delight for your front of house team and guests, who are now ready to discover a different, and perhaps, more expensive wine.

The ‘perfect pour’ however, isn’t just the preserve of fine dining. For luxury outdoor catering, Bag-in-Box (BIB) dispensers offer a countertop solution for volume dispensing of chilled wine. Putting the actual appliances to one side for a moment, they are not just fancy coolers; they offer the potential for imaginative hospitality professionals to reimagine their wine service. Call Wine Corner Ltd on 01302 744916 and pick their brains. See the advert on the back cover of this issue for details.

ner, Bloomsbury Flowers will advise on the perfect complement to your brand and the prevailing interiors.

Bloomsbury Flowers is a renowned luxury florist in the heart of London’s Covent Garden area, recognised for using seasonal blooms and foliage.

Bloomsbury Flowers is extremely creative, dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate about the art and craft of floristry. Established for 30 years, it offers interior and exterior planting as well as gorgeous fresh, silk and dried flowers, always arranged with elegance and understated English glamour.

Their range of floristry and planting services include that for: • weekly contracts with hotels, spas, restaurants, offices, members clubs and facilities management firms with thrice weekly checks at least; • last minute concierge bou-

It will consider whether the room needs a focal point or whether the flowers should be in the background, whilst still emanating a sense of luxury, elegance and mood enhancing self-care.

quets; • weddings and events; • fashion shows and press launches; • exhibitions and festivals; • artistic installations; • interior and exterior landscaping; • plant maintenance.

It is a member of the exclusive venue group, Unique Venues of London, the invitation only Tatler Wedding Address Book and the UK Ambassador to the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative.

Whether an entrance table with a wow factor is needed or a lush arrangement of greenery in the cor-

See the advert on page 2, call 0207 242 2840 or visit www.bloomsburyflowers.co.uk

It considers flowers and plants essential to interiors as they add natural beauty, fragrance, texture and colour to spaces. A consultancy service to help you decide how to use flowers and planting to make the ambience more inviting, comfortable and relaxing for guests is offered.

Preventing Dine & Dash with CardsSafe

®

It's a good idea to hold customers' bank cards securely while they run a tab to ensure they don't make off with payment. The hospitality industry has been plagued with dine-anddash since the cost-of-living crisis. A few bad apples leaving a bar, pub or restaurant without paying can cost the venue hundreds if not thousands of pounds every year.

Too many dine-and-dash cases are being reported, but simple, affordable solutions exist. Hospitality managers shouldn't worry about dineand-dash. The good news is that CardsSafe is a genuine deterrent for walkouts because the venues securely store cards.

Deers Hut pub in Liphook, Hampshire, first came to CardsSafe in 2013 to seek help with a large volume of indoor and outdoor customers' bar tabs. One of the main motivations for utilising CardsSafe was to stay on top of where their customers sat outside. Deborah Steel, the Director, told us, "The CardsSafe system is

great for servicing customers who enjoy our outdoor areas."

Over 5,000 venues in the UK use CardsSafe. The system is used by Young's pubs, golf courses, Hilton Hotels, Lord's Cricket Ground, and many independent restaurants and bars in the hospitality industry.

CardsSafe is affordable, too.

Each unit, containing ten card drawers, costs just £9.95 per month. So, just one £120* walkout is the cost of a 10card CardsSafe unit for an entire year. In addition, each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and free replacement keys, and additional units can be added at any time.

The question is, can you afford not to have CardsSafe as a part of your business?

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040 or see the advert on page 11. *Plus a sign-up fee of £39.95 (plus VAT) for new customers.

Hot Off The Press: New Jangro Catering Kinedo Launches Stunning NEW & Hospitality Catalogue Kinewall Panels Jangro, the largest network of independent janitorial distributors in the UK and Ireland, is proud to present its new Catering & Hospitality Supplies 2024/25 catalogue. Boasting a fresh new look, the latest edition is the ultimate caterer’s companion, offering a wide range of quality brands and choice at competitive prices.

Enabling establishments to keep up to date with trends, the catalogue offers all the equipment and supplies required to stir up positive customer experiences.

From front of house to back of house, casual to fine dining, the latest crockery and table presentations to environmentally friendly catering disposables, Jangro’s new Catering & Hospitality 2024/25 catalogue has it all.

Jangro is committed to becoming a more sustainable business and helping its customers reach their own green goals. This new edition, therefore, offers a plethora of eco-conscious products, from food packaging containers, which are recyclable, compostable, and fully bio-degradable, to Jangro’s award-winning and innovative ntrl range of vegan cleaning solutions.

The ntrl portfolio comprises 13 products ideal for cleaning surfaces in a variety of environments, from kitchens through to washrooms. Registered with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark, all formulas are 100% biodegradable, contain zero petrochemicals, and can reduce the product’s carbon footprint by up to 85%.

Jo Gilliard, CEO of Jangro, comments, ‘For catering and hospitality businesses, creating a great impression is as crucial as the gastronomic delights served. Front of

house presentation sets the stage for the customer’s entire experience, whilst back of house provides the foundation. What’s more, today’s consumers seek establishments that resonate with their values, particularly in terms of environmental practices.

‘Providing an exceptional customer experience, making sustainable choices, whilst also balancing a budget is a delicate juggle – our new Catering & Hospitality Supplies 2024/25 catalogue has been curated to help businesses strike this balance.’

Kinedo introduces the game-changing Kinewall panels for the hospitality sector, elevating bathroom aesthetics in hotels, restaurants and pubs. Boasting 70 unique patterns and colours across four themes— Minerals and Metals, Nature, Patterns and Geometric, and Wood— these panels offer versatile options to match various hospitality design schemes.

Designed for ease of installation and customisation, Kinewall panels come in six sizes, ensuring adaptability to diverse bathroom layouts commonly found in hospitality settings. Crafted from premium materials with a polyethylene core sandwiched between aluminium layers, these panels offer durability and can be effortlessly trimmed on-site to fit specific dimensions.

The catalogue features all the essentials required for catering, leisure and hospitality businesses – including kitchen hygiene, utensils and equipment, cleaning chemicals, tableware and glassware, washroom supplies, work wear, janitorial and waste management.

Manufactured in France by Kinedo, Kinewall panels meet the rigorous quality standards expected in the hospitality industry. Their lightweight construction, weighing just 11kg, facilitates hassle-free handling during installation, minimising downtime.

For more information see the advert on page 6, or to order a free copy visit www.Jangro.net or call 01204 795 955.

In partnership with Ideal Bathrooms, Kinedo ensures prompt availability of popular panel sizes and

colors essential for the hospitality sector's fastpaced demands. Ideal Bathrooms stocks 21 designs of the 1500 x 2500mm panels for immediate delivery, while additional options can be ordered with a lead time of four weeks, providing flexibility to meet project timelines.

Amanda Mills, Kinedo's Marketing Manager, underscores Kinewall's resilience to withstand the rigorous demands of hospitality environments, offering unmatched resistance to chemicals, scratches, and corrosion. With a 10-year warranty and adherence to European quality standards, Kinewall meets and exceeds the expectations of the discerning hospitality sector.

Introducing Kinewall panels marks a significant advancement in bathroom design for the hospitality industry, combining style, durability, and ease of installation to elevate guest satisfaction and enhance overall guest experiences.

Contact Kinedo: www.kinedo.co.uk Call: 020 8842 0033 Email: info@kinedo.co.uk

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Chef's Buyer's Guide

TUGO - Innovative Food Solutions We’re TUGO, a passionate team of food service fanatics, committed to creating the freshest, most flavourful globally inspired food concepts.

We’re clear in our purpose, to take the weight off our clients’ plate and make life easier with our complete end-to-end food service solution.

Our adventurous spirit, agility and positively restless dedication to innovation is what sets us apart, developing food concepts to suit operators across food service.

From menu innovation and concept development, through to product training, marketing and sales support.

From our vibrant global street food to our hand-stretched fresh dough pizza & authentic corn tortilla burritos, We seek adventure globally and are passionate about our produce as we are reducing our environmental impacts.

We provide the tastiest, most innovative food solutions so our clients can focus on delighting their customers and unlocking opportunities to drive revenue.

Tel: 01295 367351 | Email: hello@tugo.co.uk | Web: www.tugo.co.uk

LittlePod’s Innovative Vanilla Paste in a Tube Popular All Over the World LittlePod’s innovative vanilla paste in a tube is proving popular in professional kitchens all over the world.

Hailed as ‘a much-needed evolution for the kitchen’, we’re preparing to introduce our most-popular product to chefs in China following a successful trip to the Far East.

From Tallin to Tokyo, those using our versatile vanilla continue to recommend and endorse LittlePod. “We think our products speak for themselves,” said Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, the East Devon-based company’s founder and managing director, who has been out and about speaking to chefs both at home and abroad in 2024. “We continue to receive recommendations and endorsements from customers all over the world. Their comments are worth more than anything we could say.”

During a recent trip to Japan, where LittlePod exhibited at FOODEX 2024, Janet renewed acquaintances with Frederik Walther – the Executive Chef at the British Embassy in Tokyo.

“Frederik said LittlePod’s vanilla paste is an ‘upscale product with a beautiful design and a fantastic story’,” said Janet. “Frederik is recommending our vanilla paste to chefs in Japan.”

Janet also met with LittlePod’s distributor in Hong Kong, Frances Ma, who is planning to expand her operation

and take our products to China.

Frances said, “LittlePod’s vanilla paste resonates with people in the Far East because it is such high quality. It is convenient to use and the tube has a cool, clean and elegant design. LittlePod’s vanilla paste is natural and real. This isn’t just another product from off the shelf.”

Closer to home, our vanilla paste in a tube continues to prove popular in Europe, with Juta Raudnask, a long-time LittlePod retailer in Estonia, amongst those helping us spread the word.

“LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste exceeded all our expectations,” said Juta, who sells LittlePod’s products at Umami, a gourmet food store in Tallin and Tartu. “It is loved by all kinds of people in Estonia, from families to professional chefs working at finedining restaurants.”

Janet added, “LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste is versatile – it makes using real vanilla so easy. When LittlePod launched in 2010 we were the first to bring a vanilla paste in a tube to market. It has been our most popular product ever since.”

• Like to find out more about LittlePod? Visit www.littlepod.co.uk, email sales@littlepod.co.uk or call 01395 232022.

Bidfood Reveals Its First Group of Listed Suppliers On The Path to Acceleration Through its SME Scheme, Open Doors After the successful launch of its SME scheme last October, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, is proud to announce the initial group of suppliers selected through the Open Doors Programme.

Aimed at small food and beverage suppliers, the Open Doors Programme identifies the most innovative businesses trying to establish themselves within the industry and raises awareness of their products so they can make their mark in wholesale.

Despite the recent deceleration in inflation, the share of small businesses aspiring to grow this year has significantly decreased during the last six months. Small businesses within the food sector have shown the biggest drop in confidence that their business will grow, at more than 70%.

As a result, Bidfood’s Open Doors Programme has continued on its mission to unlock the potential of emerging suppliers, supporting their development journey, while also providing its customers with first-hand access to some of the most interesting brands out there.

Following a three-step development journey to nurture, champion and finally accelerate, the initiative has resulted in seven brands being officially listed with Bidfood, along with a selection of their products: • Bio&Me – A B-certified brand, Bio&Me has a range of handy on-the-go porridges created to support gut health.

Bio&Me is also part of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community, which shines a light on brands built by women.

• Boundless ¬– Using activated ingredients, Boundless snacks support gut health and are free from the top 14 allergens. They're also members of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community.

• Flawsome! – Another B-certified brand, Flawsome! produces a variety of juices, sparkling fruit waters and health shots made from wonky and surplus fruits.

• Ninju – A true kitchen table start-up, Ninju is a range of fruit and vegetable-based children’s drinks packaged in 100% recyclable cartons.

• OGGS ¬– Offering a vegan alternative to eggs, OGGS is the third B-certified brand out of the newly listed suppliers and will soon be a part of the ‘Buy Women Built’ community.

• TeaJoy – Designed to serve the growing demand for bubble tea in the UK, TeaJoy’s products are a quick and easy solution to making bubble tea using authentic Jasmine leaves from Taiwan.

• TRIBE – High protein vegan flapjacks with a strong stance against modern slavery.

Commenting on the newly listed suppliers, Sales and Marketing Director at Bidfood UK, Tim Adams said: “We have made fantastic progress in the past six months, from having our first SME supplier conference in October, to hosting dozens of guidance sessions to prospective suppliers. Now, we have seven amazing and inspiring brands listed with us that can work across a variety of sectors.

“Working with Andrew Allen has allowed us to tailor the Open Doors Programme to suit small food and beverage businesses, who are still facing some tough market challenges, and making their presence known in wholesale.

“It coincides perfectly with Bidfood’s vision to be a positive force for change and we will continue to be the voice for underrepresented founder groups with incredible brand stories, as well as suppliers who offer excellence in carbon reduction and social value. We can’t wait for the next six months and what this will bring for more small businesses.”

Cathy Mosely, founder of Boundless added: “Open Doors has done exactly what its name promises; opening doors for small brands like Boundless to thrive under expert guidance, in order to reach levels of distribution otherwise impossible for a start-up.

“Through mentorship and unlocking marketing opportunities normally reserved for big corporations, our projected growth with Bidfood is exponential and we’re extremely excited for the next 12 months.”

To learn more about the Open Doors Programme and to sign up for the ODP newsletter, visit here: https://www.bidfood.co.uk/about-us/open-doors/

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Sustainable Resources

Foodles Partners with ReFood to Eliminate Unavoidable Waste As part of a strategic drive to further enhance its sustainability credentials, B-Corp Certified corporate catering business Foodles has partnered with ReFood to eliminate unavoidable food waste generated across its national operations.

The agreement will see the surplus meals collected from Foodles’ smart fridges across London sent to ReFood’s state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Dagenham and used to generate both renewable energy and biofertiliser. Foodles is a fast-growing company with a rising need for sustainable waste management, and this partnership with ReFood unlocks new circular solutions which both benefit the environment and have the ability to scale with Foodles’ rapid expansion.

Founded in 2014, Foodles has pioneered a revolutionary approach to tackle mundane corporate catering.

Rather than running a canteen, the innovative business delivers fresh, healthy, home-cooked meals on a daily basis, which are stored in next-generation smart fridges and dispensed to customers much like a vending machine.

The concept was originally launched in France, but has since expanded further across Europe – first into Belgium in 2020, before entering the UK in 2022. Every year, the business delivers more than 1,000,000 pre-pre-

pared meals, with hundreds of smart fridges operational across the continent.

Michaël Ormancey, cofounder and co-CEO of Foodles, commented: “Since setting up our services in London, we’ve seen a variety of companies sign-up to receive daily deliveries. We aim to offer complete flexibility to both employers and employees – in essence, we’ve re-imagined the lunch break.

“However, while our cutting-edge approach is far more sustainable than the old fashioned corporate catering model, uneaten meals must be dealt with responsibly.

Our partnership with ReFood will enable us to continue to grow with this sustainable, scalable solution.”

With three AD sites in the UK (Dagenham, Doncaster and Widnes), ReFood works with hundreds of businesses for across the food supply chain to enable best practice, sustainable food waste management.

Every year the company handles 480,000 tonnes of waste, using it to generate renewable energy and sustainable biofertiliser.

For more information about Foodles, visit www.foodles.com. To find out more about ReFood, or its pioneering food waste recycling services, visit www.refood.co.uk.

Elevate Your Space with Floral Image In the competitive hospitality industry, creating a memorable guest experience is paramount.

Floral Image understands this and offers a unique service that combines the beauty of nature with the convenience of cutting-edge design. Our stunning, life-like floral arrangements are more than just decorations; they are transformative elements that breathe life into any space, enhancing the aesthetic appeal and ambiance of your establishment.

Our service is straightforward and hassle-free. We provide premium, hand-crafted artificial floral arrangements on a monthly rental basis. This means you can enjoy the visual splendour of fresh flowers without the maintenance, wilting or replacement costs associated with live plants. Each month, our team delivers a fresh arrangement to your location, ensuring that your décor remains vibrant and contemporary.

Why choose Floral Image? Our products are meticulously designed to replicate the beauty of real flow-

ers, providing a consistent and high-quality visual impact.

They are perfect for hotel lobbies, restaurants, event spaces and any area where first impressions matter.

By partnering with Floral Image, you not only enhance the visual appeal of your property but also create a welcoming and luxurious environment that guests will remember. Let us help you make a lasting impression with our elegant and sustainable floral solutions.

Experience the Floral Image difference today and elevate your hospitality space to new heights. For more information or to schedule a call, visit our website or contact our customer service team. Transform your space effortlessly with Floral Image.

See the advert on this page or visit www.floralimage.co.uk

Salvaging Solar Investments For organisations across the leisure sector with high hot water demands solar thermal was the sensible investment 15 years ago to cut operational costs.

Purchasing Solar PV and flat plate or evacuated tube solar thermal systems, proved cost-effective and the technology enjoyed a heyday with many buildings employing one or both options. But poor initial installation, lack of maintenance, or retraction of manufacturer support for evacuated tube systems rendered many systems, still on rooftops, unusable.

But with new high-efficiency, robust flat plate collectors with protective drain back, plus cylinders and controls to integrate solar thermal with electric top-up there is a real opportunity to resurrect systems as part of new sustainability strategies. Most refurbishments where overheating has been the cause of shutdown will require new collector panels and pipework which fortunately is a relatively straightforward replacement. This allows for upgrading existing gas water heating, saving energy, and reducing emissions from the existing system.

Alternatively, Adveco can support the transition to full electric water heating with solar thermal through

bespoke system design and product supply. For businesses with lower capacity demands, such as pubs or cafés, Adveco FUSION offers a pre-defined low-carbon system that is compact, easy to install, resilient and cost-effective. For organisations which are considering but not ready to commit to a heat pump-based system, FUSION T is available now with an option that delivers a twin-coil stainless steel tank and mounted ARDENT electric boiler and controls without the heat pump preheat. This iteration allows for solar thermal to be introduced into the lower coil as the system preheat with a small amendment to the controls to optimise top-up heating from the boiler as the pre-heat fluctuates across the year.

Adveco’s single-cylinder FUSION scenario avoids the typical requirements of a 50/50 capacity split between preheat and top-up. Smart controls allow the system to ‘cheat’ in favour of the solar thermal delivering a 600litre solar capacity in FUSION’s new 750-litre tanks.

This provides an extremely compact option for all-electric low-carbon solar water heating with a minimal rooftop or façade footprint.

See the advert on page 9 or visit www.adveco.co

Versatile and Innovative Labelling Solutions for Hospitality Micronics has introduced its mC-Label3 and TSP143IVSK printers, designed to print permanent and repositionable labels, food orders, delivery and takeaway labels.

The printers respond to the growing requirement for allergy and food labelling, clear delivery and takeaway customer order labels, particularly with linerless media. Low adhesive, repositionable labels can track an order through the entire preparation process from initial order to delivery, providing the potential for greater order accuracy and efficiency.

With the rise in multi-channel ordering in the hospitality industry in recent years accompanied by increasing demand for customer collection, third party delivery and legislation around accurate ingredients and allergy identification, the requirement for efficient food and beverage labelling has surged. Without a doubt, amongst the range of labelling solutions currently available, linerless labels stand out for their eco-friendly properties and operational efficiencies.

In contrast to traditional labels with a backing paper, direct thermal linerless labels are self-adhesive labels which can be applied directly to products or packaging. Such labels are supplied with varying levels of adhesion, from high adhesive permanent labels to low adhesive repositionable labels which can be applied to virtually any surface and be removed easily and reapplied without residue.

Thanks to its ability to print on a wide range of liner-free media including low adhesive re-stick labels as well as high adhesive permanent and semi-permanent labels, the Star mC-Label3 printer offers the ideal solution for printing different sized and types of labels from one easy-to-use device. This includes variable length food and allergy labels, nutrition information as well as food delivery labels and bag seals from web-based apps or local services.

In addition to a range of label printing options including fully adjustable label widths from 25mm to 80mm wide, the mC-Label3 features black mark and GAP sensors.

Capable of printing traditional liner pre-sized labels, continuous label rolls and receipt paper, the printer is ideal for businesses that use a variety of media or are planning to move from traditional labelling to linerless media in the future.

For all linerless media, a key benefit is the reduction in waste. With no backing paper to discard, linerless media offers significant paper saving properties with more labels per roll than standard label rolls. Thanks to fewer roll changes as well as the advantage of reduced shipping costs and storage space requirements given linerless labels are more compact than traditional labels, cost savings can be achieved alongside enhanced operational efficiency and sustainability.

With CloudPRNT widely used by hospitality establishments worldwide as part of an online ordering platform or ecommerce solution, Star also provides StarPrinter.Online, a fully managed service for businesses to manage the printer estate with minimal set-up time and cost as well as near zero integration. For enhanced online visibility of connectivity and print jobs over an entire printer estate, the service additionally offers device management via an online dashboard to provide an overview of all devices and activity including reliable tracking of print jobs with notification of device status changes, barcode scans, new device connections to a group, etc. Additional printers and peripherals can simply be added without the need for server upgrades, further enhancing the versatility of the service.

About Star Micronics

With over 75 years in the POS industry and a global presence, Star’s strength and success is built upon product innovation alongside established relationships with leading software partners. Its experienced technical team boasts in-depth technical and integration expertise to provide unique tailored solutions for an evolving hospitality industry. Offering the versatility required to integrate traditional, tablet and cloud-based POS systems, Star ensures successful installation of its products into major hospitality operators as well as smaller independent venues.

In terms of label size, linerless media is available in a range of widths, enabling businesses to create labels for any product type including larger labels for food deliveries to smaller, more compact beverage labels. Equally, variable length linerless labels enable the printing of shorter orders or labels with less information on minimal paper, further promoting efficiency.

As demand grows for labelling products in a variety of sectors, international POS hardware solutions provider Star

mC-Label3 additionally features Bluetooth connectivity, whilst the printers equally benefit from a Wireless LAN option with Star’s MCW10 module. Star’s CloudPRNT™ technology is included as standard on both models for printing directly from central ordering platforms and websites.

Incredibly user friendly and with paper position, paper width detection and simple drop-in loading, different media can be loaded with ease and given its jam free operation reliable printing is ensured. Star’s Cloud-based free labelling app offers a wide range of pre-designed label templates, whilst the one touch label function allows for storing and printing of up to three label designs.

As a complete point-of-sale hardware solutions provider, Star offers a wealth of options including a wide range of unique desktop POS, mobile and self-service terminal printers for printing receipts, tickets and labels from traditional systems, tablets and mobile devices as well as from web and cloud-based apps. In particular, Star’s compact and versatile cloud solutions are ideal for a variety of applications including Click & Collect food orders, home delivery and online or at table food ordering. Additionally, Star provides tablet stands, display stands, barcode scanners and cash management solutions to complete the hardware offering.

Alternatively, for businesses seeking a compact linerlessonly label and order printing solution the TSP143IVSK boasts optimal versatility and ergonomic design, printing on low tack linerless re-stick media from 40mm to 80mm.

Moreover, the TSP143IVSK benefits from the power cable, interface cables and paper guide included at purchase as well as a 4-year warranty as standard.

In line with today’s multi-channel ordering and printing expectations in hospitality, the mC-Label3 and TSP143IVSK benefit from multiple interfaces for local PC, network, tablet and Cloud connectivity. Furthermore, both printers include Ethernet LAN and USB-C connectivity as well as direct sync and charge with supported tablets, together with hub connectivity to connect a scanner or customer display.

For further information, please call +44 (0) 1494 471111 or visit: www.Star-EMEA.com

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Hospitality Technology

Address F&B Profitability Before It Takes You Under, says Guestline Profitability in food and beverage (F&B) dropped by over 30% in the last five years. In 2018, hotels’ F&B profit margin stood at an average of 32% according to STR, but fast-forward five years and it stands at 22%.

Consumer behaviour and attitudes to F&B have shifted since the pandemic, with some outlets struggling to keep pace. Revenue leaks in hospitality F&B are varied, including food waste, overstaffing, and no-shows or - even worse an increase in ‘dine and dash’. Operating with increasingly tight margins,

hotels simply cannot support loss-making business units; action needs to be taken now to address the falling profitability in F&B. F&B teams need to ditch time-consuming, inefficient paper-based procedures for automated and digital processes including: prompts to upsell products and customise orders; maintain inventory management with real-time stock updates; process bills from the POS to the PMS; and, waitlist management to handle walk-ins and no-shows to minimise lost revenue.

By using data, hotels can improve revenue, identify customer preferences and shape menus and promotions to fit guest profiles. By using intelligent forecasting to respond to market changes, F&B profitability will improve.

Working with a fully-integrated PMS, POS and procurement platform, hotels can automatically bill in-house guests; better understand restaurant performance; assess inventory to work with high-profit margin items; and streamline menus to manage the supply chain. Savings in procurement go straight to the bottom line of your F&B department.

Guestline supports its customers with integrated solutions to drive excellence in customer experience, finance, and operations, promoting sustained business growth with impactful commercial data at its core.

Contact Guestline on +44 (0) 1743 282300 and www.guestline.com to discuss how you can improve the overall financial health of your business.

WaiterMate Debuts the World’s Fastest, Most Efficient Mobile EPOS Revolutionary technology company, WaiterMate has launched the world’s fastest and most efficient EPOS system. Powerful and pocket sized, it combines traditional EPOS functions with an integrated ordering system and payment processing functionality for speedier service, a greater volume of sales and better tips.

Designed for fast-paced hospitality venues, including restaurants, bars, cafes, and nightclubs, WaiterMate allows customers to be processed at a minimum of twice the speed of traditional systems. Every single waiter or waitress can serve customers and take payments at the same time. No bottlenecks during peak periods. No frustratingly lengthy waiting times. No jostling for use of the till or card machine. Just seamless customer service, efficient ordering, and lightening quick payments from any location within

With one client, WaiterMate helped their bartenders set a record for revenue. The venue was looking for a solution that could help its business to scale, generate more profit and make life simpler for staff. WaiterMate exceeded all expectations. With the old system, a bartender generated a maximum of £1,500 worth of sales per evening. With WaiterMate, that increased to £2,700. It’s a truly revolutionary piece of kit that is user-friendly and packed with functionality for customer-facing teams and managers

alike.

For those in charge of the bigger picture, WaiterMate doesn’t just ensure a faster rate of table turnover, and improved productivity front-of-house. It’s also been precisely engineered to make complete venue management easier.

The robust interface comes with enhanced analytics and truly useful reports, for easier staff management, easier data-based decision making, improved service quality and upgraded customer loyalty.

Multiple site management is also covered. Each venue can be reviewed independently or the whole property estate brought together to see the bigger picture. Those in charge have complete control and oversight of performance in real time or retrospectively.

To find out more, visit: https://waitermate.co.uk View the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX_mjBK7bDc or follow on social @WaiterMate.

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 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.

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.

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 page 38.

the venue.

WaiterMate empowers every waiter or waitress to serve their customers’ food and drinks noticeably quicker and to a higher standard. With more accurate order placement, seamless table management, options to split the bill, take payment and print receipts, they have a full EPOS system in the palm of their hand. Better service means better tips and a better customer experience.

Technology To Enhance Hotels Sustainability 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”.

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

www.guestline.com

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CLH Digital

Issue 219

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Focus On Blue Seal's New The Importance of Venting Floor Mounted Waste Water Induction Technology Blue Seal Ltd are very mindful of the future equipment requirements for efficiency and carbon footprint and sustainability, with this everchanging food industry and the cost of gas and electric usage.

We currently produce a new range of free-standing & bench models of heavy-duty induction hobs with two or four zones. Each hob has the versatility of 3.5KW or 5Kw round zone generators for focussed power or 5kw power full area zones to accept multiple pans across the cooking area. The induction technology is incredibly responsive, with hardened 6mm thick glass cooking surfaces.

Blue Seal R&D are conscious of the ever-increasing demand for induction product, and we are in the process of launching our new induction- convection ranges, and wok induction hobs.

The induction technology lends itself to a myriad of concepts, especially QSR restaurants where they need quick heat up on demand, which is also remarkably simple for the operator to use and maintain.

The feature benefits of induction far outweigh the initial out lay, which is currently still relatively high for commercial heavy-duty product. Induction for prime cooking is still relatively fresh to be accepted into the general commercial kitchen environment, however the big energy savings and high efficiency

far outweighs the cost of changing the cookware and initial higher cost outlay for the product. This cost will no doubt reduce and become more competitive as the trend & demand for induction manufacture inevitably increases.

Induction equipment also avoids the additional very costly legislation requirement involved with gas canopy extraction/make up air and interlock systems.

When you compare the efficiency of using induction over gas, the induction is at approx. 90% efficient compared to approx. 45% efficiency for gas.

This is achieved by the magnetic fields heating up the entire surface of the cookware with virtually all of the energy transferred into the pan. Where gas disperses the heat, licking around the sides of the cookware more so, losing energy into the ambient air around the pan.

Using induction massively reduces heat transfer into the air flow, lowers the overall temperature in the kitchen promoting a more comfortable working environment, as well as the practicality of a simple wipe down of the glass cooking area at the end of a shift, which is very appealing to an operator. The appliances are much safer to use, reducing injury potential as well as being very simple to service & maintain.

David Chesshire - National Accounts Manager See the advert on page 2 for further information.

Pumping Systems

When designing or installing a commercial kitchen venting the floor mounted waste water pumping system may not be the first thing that is taken into consideration. However, understanding the importance of venting for the effective operation of the pump, as well dispersing odours from the tank, is a critical factor for reliability in these situations.

As wastewater drains from a sink or appliance the air inside the tank must be released to allow the flow of water into it. If the tank is not vented correctly wastewater will be noticeably slower to drain away from sinks and appliances. Odours and gurgling noises from equipment and sinks will also occur. In these situations, the likelihood is that the pumping system is not properly vented.

ing tank.

Two filters are available from Aldermaston based waste water pumping system specialists Pump Technology Ltd, the smaller CharcoVent and the larger MicroVent. Both contain an activated carbon filter ideal for removing odours.

The smaller CharcoVent, which is an easy to replace disposable cartridge, should be used on systems that are typically sink only. Its vent pipe should be 1 1/4”.

The larger MicroVent, which features a replaceable cartridge, should be used on systems that have multiple wastewater inlets, or with appliances such as dishwashers. Its vent pipe should be 2” to allow the greater airflow.

As the pump operates air needs to be drawn back into the tank so that a partial vacuum is not created.

If this is allowed to happen the discharge flow of the pump will be reduced adversely affecting its efficiency.

Vents should be positioned as far above the collecting tank as practical. This improves the life of the filter and its effectiveness and facilitates easy removal of the lid for cleaning and servicing. It also ensures that, when pumping hot wastewater, any potential condensation will not adversely affect the activated carbon.

For these reasons all pump tanks need to be fitted with a suitable vent to allow them to breathe in and out. Ideally this should be routed to atmosphere external to the building.

The specialist team at Pump Technology Ltd are always happy to talk with any potential customers who are designing or installing a waste water pumping system and offer help and advice.

In cases where the vent outlet can only be sited within the building, a filter must be used to minimise any potential odours escaping from the pump collect-

More information: 0118 9821 555 www.pumptechnology.co.uk

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Issue 219

CLH Digital

Stay Cool with Gasket Guy Gasket Guy are UK manufacturers of high quality refrigeration door seals. Our one-stop shop service provides all makes and brands of seals to order at competitive prices for swift dispatch. Buying from us means you’re immediately reducing your carbon footprint.

But we can offer so much more. As well as ordering online with our handy guides, we offer a measure and fit service and can provide Asset Registers for even faster ordering. Our Asset Register service codes all our clients’ appliances so they can be replaced quickly by simply quoting the codes when they order, fitting the seals themselves if they choose, therefore saving on labour costs. So we’re faster, cheaper and also greener, as you’re buying UK manufactured seals from one source.

There’s a lot to lose if your seals fail. At stake are increased energy costs as the compressors have to work harder to maintain temperatures. You also risk losing your stock, your customers and your hard-won environmental hygiene stars. Order from us for fast manufacture and dispatch. You’ll save on engineer site visits too.

We offer the same friendly service to all our customers, whether they’re high street chains and supermarkets, or local pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels. We keep huge stocks of profiles and can usually make seals for most makes, even for old or obsolete appliances.

Many a fridge or freezer owes its continuing life to us!

Exeter Golf and country Club’s General Manager Chris Jones has taken Gasket Guy with him throughout his career in hospitality. He says: Their products do the job, priced sensibly and often made on site. They really know their fridges.’

Flight Club Darts who have reinvented darts as a tech game for the 21st century at their 13 sites around the UK, found us on Google. Louis Atkins says ‘Gasket Guy immediately ticked all the boxes.’

Gasket Guy is proud to offer a fast, carbon friendly and competitive service to all our clients.

So call us and keep your cool!! www.gasketguyuk.com 01803 380251

Temporary Catering Facilities For Events & Kitchen Refurbishments

Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment.

Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economical solution to the caterers’ needs.

Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Warewashing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex.

Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires.

We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period.

The standard specification of our Medium Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, undercounter fridge, undercounter freezer, hot cupboard, double bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, storage racking, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc.

Internal equipment can be interchanged, and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout.

We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project.

So, if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal.

For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk

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

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

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

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CLH Digital

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Issue 219

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

The management team at Fridge Seals Direct have over 30 years of experience in the refrigeration industry and have each spent many of those years installing gaskets and hardware for a range of styles, brands and sizes of fridges.

From restaurant kitchens to food warehouses - we have experience in dealing with fridge & freezers of all sizes and scales. To learn more about fridge seals, be sure to explore our range of extensive guides on how to replace a refrigerator door seals. Otherwise, find your specific guides in how to identify, measure, install or maintain your fridge or freezer door seal.

Our reputation in the industry along with our commitment to providing a high-quality gasket without having to buy from the factory allows us to have competitive pricing and fast turnaround time.

Try us out, order your door gaskets from us and discover a better way to do business. We are here to help you. www.fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

Get a Grip on Food Prep with the New Onyx from Williams Williams has launched the latest versions of its Onyx prep stations, with a sleek new look complementing the innovative features under the hood that deliver energy efficient performance and ensure food safety.

The Onyx prep station combines refrigerated storage beneath a worktop with refrigerated food wells on top – these provide instant access to regularly used fresh ingredients. The wells are ergonomically designed to be at the ideal working height and are positioned within easy reach for the chef.

The latest model combines practicality and good looks, with newly designed doors made from solid stainless steel featuring full-width integral door handles. These provide an easy to use, non-slip grab while being quick to clean, with no dirt traps. The generously sized work area makes the Onyx ideal for creating a range of foods including pizza, sandwiches, tapas, salad and desserts. Meanwhile the base of the unit has also been redesigned with a flatter surface, making it easier to install, transport and service.

The storage cabinets are designed to hold 1/1GN pans and the Onyx range is available in a choice of sizes, from the compact, space saving two door model up to the large, 1043 litre capacity, five door version.

The ingredient wells are capable of holding a selection of 1/3 and 1/6 GN pans, up to four 1/3 pans on the two door model, with the five door model taking twelve, or up to 24 1/6 GN pans.

Energy efficiency is improved by EC (Electrically Commutated) brushless fans, which allow for precise control with reduced power consumption. The new Onyx range uses natural hydrocarbon refrigerant which, as well as having low GWP/zero ODP, offers excellent thermodynamic properties which further reduce energy usage.

Capable of operating in ambient conditions up to 43°C and constructed from sturdy, food safe stainless

• Be ready for your inspections

steel, the Onyx comes with a lift-off cover to allow ingredients to be stored overnight, and removable, easy to clean crumb catchers. A choice of customisation options is available, including drawers, a hinged lid, granite worktop, and a polypropylene chopping board.

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.

Rational iVario by CEE You can boil, fry and deep-fry with just a single cooking system. Up to 4 times as fast and with up to 40% less energy. The iVario thus replaces numerous conventional kitchen appliances. Such as the stove, pots, pans, deep-fat fryers, pressure cookers and bainmarie. And in the restaurant, it is impossible to imagine the mise en place and à la carte without it.

Use the iVario to blanch, deep fry or confit effortlessly and in no time. Thanks to the powerful heating system iVarioBoost, the oil is heated in record time and you can start deep-frying immediately. At the same time, the temperature is regulated so sensitively

and precisely, that even meat, fish or vegetables can be prepared using the confit method.

Call For the best prices in the UK on 01902 495634.

Rational iVario by CEE

• Damaged fridge seals are unhygienic • Make your fridge more energy efficient with a good seal on your fridge • We provide custom seals for cold rooms, discontinued models, and units with no identification information

Boil, fry and deep-fry with just a single cooking system

• Next-day delivery service • Discounted prices on large orders

WhatsApp, phone, and email support

07936807320 sales@fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

Outdoor Spaces Boost Profits This Summer with a Trailblazer BBQ Transform your terrace or outdoor eating space into a profit station with the theatre of a Trailblazer BBQ/Grill.

Don't miss out on capturing over 79% of UK diners who crave alfresco dining experiences. Tap into this lucrative opportunity right outside your door with a Trailblazer BBQ/Grill and elevate your establishment above the rest!

from the competition.

Take for example our ‘all new’ 350 Compact mobile BBQ/Grill that has been specifically designed for bars and restaurants with indoor/outdoor capabilities. This compact charcoal BBQ has a grill capacity of up to 350 BPH (burgers per hour), with adjustable grill heights to give instant heat control along with a lower self-powered warming oven...

For over a decade, Trailblazer BBQ has been the pioneering driving force behind the transformation of alfresco dining areas within restaurants, bars, hotels and many other outdoor eating venues throughout the world, with our industry leading range of commercial charcoal BBQ/grills & smokers.

Calculate the potential: With a grilling capability of up to 350BPH, 24 Ribeye steaks or 10 Tomahawks charring on the grill at one time, just imagine what your hourly earning capability could be. Finance options starting from just £70 per month, the investment is as palatable as selling a mere 12 burgers a month!

Visit our website (trailblazerbbq.com) to discover our full range of products for both on-site and off-site catering that will instantly turn your outdoor space into the ultimate alfresco dining hotspot.

Contact us today to learn more and schedule a call with one of our experts to help determine which trailblazer is best tailored to your establishment's needs.

From enticing grab-and-go offerings to revolutionizing outdoor spaces, we're committed to boosting your bottom line and ensuring your premises stands out

Proudly made in the UK to the highest standard before shipped to our worldwide, growing customer base. www.trailblazerbbq.com, 028 9057 9000

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

We create appealing and comfortable outdoor seating areas for your clients supplying everything required including:-

• planters with real or faux plants • cafe banners and restaurant screens • lighting • heating • classic neon signage • parasols installed and repaired • lenticular bladed roofed shelters • tables and chairs Our hardy planters are built to order using rot proof artificial wood planks. This unique material is not only completely waterproof but is formed from UK

factory waste plastics and materials that would otherwise have gone into landfill. They will last you countless years and are a genuine recyled investment.

From our workshops in Kent we deliver UK wide and are happy to visit and survey your site to to discuss your needs and prepare a drawing and quotation outlining what could be done, all within your available budgets.

We firmly believe the better you look on the outside, the more customers will come to the inside so contact us on 01733 559437 or sales@cafeculture.biz

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The Somerset Grill Company – New Revenue Opportunities For The Pub And Hospitality Sector

Join the trend for wood-fired cooking, and offer your pub, hotel or catering event customers something new – great flavours, great theatre and so easy to use. Over 30 hospitality business have bought our unique Grills in the last 12 Months, each of them driving a point of difference to attract more customers, and drive more revenue and profit.

The Somerset Grill Company has taken the principles of the Argentinian Wood-Fired Asado, and created Grills which overcome the main challenges of cooking with fire – easy temperature control, and simple fire and fuel management. And they look super-cool too.

To control temperature, simply wind the Grill surface up and down using the axle wheel – so you can sear or simmer and everything in between. The unique V-grills prevent flare ups, and collect all juices for re-basting.

Think steaks, slow roasts, smash burgers, fish, stews, roast vegetables And to keep cooking, simply add logs to the integral Ember maker r, for a constant flow of cook-ready

embers, continuously as long as you add more logs. No more running out of temperature at the critical moment, with quick cook times and big grill area for fast turnaround.

Made in the UK by us, the Grills offer high output opportunities for outdoor hospitality spaces. All off grid, wood-powered only. Choose between free-standing models with stand and wheels to move around, or build in to your outdoor kitchen set-up, in gunmetal steel or pre-rusted corten finish. All cooking parts are food-grade stainless steel, you can bespoke your Grill with griddles, rotisserie, prep tables and meat hooks for slow cooks too.

Easy to Light. Easy to Fuel. Easy to Use. Easy to Clean.

And from just £1,240 + VAT inc delivery for our Asado to build in, they are great value too.

To discuss how we may be able to help you create extra outdoor revenue, or be different, email martin@somersetgrill.com, phone 07881 520888 or find out more on www.somersetgrill.com

Summer’s Coming – Time For Espresso On The Go! The range and number of outdoors activities is constantly developing and mobile coffee is evolving and growing to meet the demands of the outdoors consumer in a really big way!

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

Fracino manufacture one of the most powerful LPG powered espresso machines range available. Our BSI Kitemark accreditation – the only espresso machine manufacturer worldwide with this prestigious endorsement - reinforces the commitment to quality and durability; ensuring that you’re making a solid and astute investment.

The trend and enthusiasm for enjoying great coffee in the outdoors appears to have really caught on – and many artisan roasters are now using the concept for sharing their unique talents for creating amazing coffees and taking them to the places that people meet for leisure activities. This gives plenty of opportunity in a relaxed environment to share their knowledge and fantastic flavours to multiple new customers.

With such a wide range of Dual Fuel models available, Fracino provide every new venture with the per-

fect solution for their specific requirements. Operating from LPG – in the form of regular barbeque gas bottles - and a 12v battery, connected through an inverter to the machine to power the pump and electronic control system, these innovative models ensure full mobility and the opportunity to serve coffee in the remotest of locations!

Back at base, the same machine can then be connected to a mains power and water supply and, without any technical work required, become a standard, electric powered machine again! Ingenious!

Durable construction from high quality stainless steel, the Fracino Dual Fuel models are robust and strong to ensure they can handle the rougher treatment of moving around the roads and fields their owners take them to.

Where there’s people, the motto is becoming, ‘serve great coffee – and make money’!

Check out the range at www.fracino.com or contact us for more details at sales@fracino.com

Banners are an Exceptionally Effective Tool for Drawing Crowds into Your Pub Banners are an exceptionally effective tool for drawing crowds into your pub for sporting events, turning a regular night into a bustling hotspot of fan excitement and camaraderie. Here's how creatively leveraging banners can significantly boost your pub's appeal and bring in sports enthusiasts: Use large, colourful banners outside your pub to announce upcoming sporting events. These banners can highlight key matches, special game-day discounts, or viewing parties. With bold graphics and the logos of competing teams, you'll not only capture the attention of passersby but also ignite the spirit of rivalry and anticipation.

Custom banners can also effectively advertise special promotions, such as discounted drinks or game-day menus, exclusive to sporting event nights. Placing these banners strategically at the entrance or within high-visibility areas in the pub can entice sports fans to choose your venue over others.

casing your pub as a supportive hub for the community can significantly boost patronage.

Use banners to promote your pub’s social media hashtags or handles, encouraging patrons to share their game-day experiences online. This not only increases your pub's visibility but also creates a digital community of fans who frequent your establishment.

For larger venues, banners can serve as effective directional signage, guiding guests to specific areas set up for watching the games. This can include different sections for fans of competing teams, enhancing the overall experience by catering to the tribal nature of sports fandom.

Implementing these strategies with banners not only elevates the game-watching experience but also solidifies your pub's reputation as the ultimate destination for sporting events. By visually communicating excitement, offering, and community, banners can significantly influence sports fans' choice of venue, ensuring your pub is their first pick for enjoying the game.

If your pub is in a city with a local team, use pub banners to show your support for the home team during their games. Local pride is a powerful draw, and show-

Check out the online Banner Library at www.hfe-signs.co.uk for promotional ideas for your pub!

Outdoor Spaces

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

Gala Tent

Since 1999, the family-owned Gala Tent has supplied robust event shelters to hospitality businesses for many purposes. From pop-up gazebos covering smoking areas and patio benches to commercial quality marquees large enough to cover an entire beer garden, Gala Tent supplies them all.

POP-UP GAZEBOS With five models available to suit your budget, the Gala Shade Pro Gazebo range is renowned as the tent that stays standing when inferior products crumble in poor weather. The UV-protected, highly water-resistant PVC-coated polyester covers are available in 12 colours and can be printed to incorporate your business logos and information.

Perfect for: Patios and Smoking Shelters COMMERCIAL MARQUEES

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.

Incorporating patent-protected framework components and industry-leading cover materials, the Gala Tent marquee is available in sizes from 3m x 2m up to 6m x 24 in two distinct cover materials. Each marquee comes with 3 door options at either end, plus privacy blinds in each windowed side wall.

Perfect for: Large beer gardens and outdoor eating spaces CLEARSPAN MARQUEES The Gala Tent Fusion marquee range uses industrial strength T6061 aluminium and 650gsm wipe-clean PVC covers, providing cover for anything from 120 to 500 customers and beyond. The modular design means that the Fusion can be reduced in size to suit the occasion, or extended as you choose.

Perfect for: Private functions and very large beer garden spaces All Gala Tent structures come with warranties up to 5 years, with spare parts available quickly in the case of accidental damage.

To cover your venue’s outdoor space with a seriously strong temporary structure from Gala Tent, no matter what the size, just call 01709 242454 or visit www.galatent.co.uk.

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Cinders ‘Classic’ Barbecue Keeping Your Cool The Cinders ‘Classic’ barbecue has exceeded customers’ expectations for decades, due to its unique, patented design. It easily cooks 1000 burgers in one session but being a true workhorse is not its only selling point. Robust, reliable and low-maintenance are just three adjectives to describe a barbecue whose repair costs are typically non-existent over long periods, generating a healthy ROI for many years.

The Cinders ‘Classic’ comes as a six-foot long double grill (TG160), or a half-sized single grill (SG80), with both running on LPG and offering incredible food output for the price of the energy used. The user-friendly grills are easy-to-light and powerful, getting up to temperature in around five minutes, to quickly feed a queue or facilitate an impromptu pop-up barbecue if great weather arrives.

Cinders’ production values are impressive - not only offering a warranty for commercial use, unlike cheap

imported barbecues, but also built to ISO 9001:2015 standards.

The barbecues have internal self-cleaning too, removing the odious chore of post-barbecue cleandown. The grill merely needs to be left running for a few minutes to burn off residue, which is then brushed away or ejected.

Once cool, the Classic can be folded down and easily stored away.

To discover more call 01524 262900 or www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk

Domestic & Trade Handmade Garden Furniture From MG Timber The UK outdoor furniture market is heavily influenced by changes in weather conditions, with consumers more likely to purchase picnic benches during periods of good weather. MG Timber specialise in the manufacturing and supply of highquality wooden picnic tables.

Their picnic tables are made from high-grade timber and are designed to withstand the harsh outdoor elements.

Whether you’re a restaurant seeking to enhance the cosy ambiance of your outside space with a high-quality dining set. A hotel wanting to revive your garden with a premium picnic table or a pub landlord aiming to elevate your beer garden with an impressive selection of pub benches and wheelchair accessible picnic tables. MG Timber are the garden furniture suppliers

for you.

Crafted from the finest Swedish Redwood, each piece is expertly pressure treated to ensure longevity and protect against the elements. Renowned for their robustness, our treated wooden outdoor furniture is designed to withstand the unpredictable British weather, making them a reliable choice for any catering and licensing industry outdoor space.

For full details about our vast array of top-quality outdoor picnic benches for sale contact us today. We are also offering up to 15% off on commercial orders, please visit our website www.mgtimberproductsltd.co.uk or call us on 01902 953166. See the advert on the front cover.

The importance of temperature controlled storage is understood by most within the hospitality and catering sectors, yet it is surprisingly often overlooked when making plans for outdoor events.

IceBox Refrigerated Trailers provides the perfect solution in such cases by means of our fleet of chiller and freezer trailers. Operating one of the largest fleets in the country, we’re in the perfect position to help you keep your cool when all around is hotting up! Our fleet ranges from midi chillers to extra large freezers with storage capacities ranging from approx 6 to approx 12 cubic metres and covering temperature ranges between -20c and + 10c. The ideal mobile temperature controlled storage solution!

POWER Our trailers are powered by either 16a single phase supply or 240v / 13a from a standard wall socket.

Units may be powered by a standalone generator providing maximum locational flexibility. In addition, internally they can be set up to meet each client’s specific requirements by means of 3-Tier food safe shelving being fitted to one or both sides.

SET-UP We’re at your service! Simply tell us where the trailer is required to be situated and we’ll do the rest. Our experienced Field Agents will deliver the trailer(s) to site and place the trailer where you require it. We will set it to the required temperature and get it running. All cables and adaptors are provided

by IceBox so you needn’t worry - we have it covered!

SECURITY The trailer will be secured in-situ by means of our security devices. The entry doors are lockable and we leave you the key to ensure

that you can secure your goods inside the trailer in the knowledge that they’re safe and secure.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP We have worked in partnership with many of our Hospitality and Catering clients over the years; acting as their ‘go to’ supplier in cases where: • ad-hoc additional outdoor temperature controlled storage is required • managing peak period excess refrigerated storage requirements • refrigeration support is required as part of the Client’s kitchen equipment scheduled maintenance

RAPID RESPONSE™ Even the best maintained equipment can suffer mechanical issues and, when it does, the knock on effect can be devastating for a busy commercial kitchen.

This is where our Rapid Response™ programme comes in. One call to IceBox and we’ll have one of our fleet of latest model refrigerated trailers delivered and commissioned within a few hours, ensuring business continuity and safeguarding valuable stock.

For more information on how IceBox UK can help you keep your cool, call us on 0333 6000 800 or email hq@iceboxuk.com

The Perfect Refrigeration Solution for Your Outdoor Catering Needs

IceBox UK provides the ideal solution to your refrigerated storage requirements when hosting outdoor catering events.

Our extensive fleet of chiller and freezer trailers will keep your food and drink at the desired temperature and avoid food spoilage.

Trailers are delivered and collected to / from the event / host location by our experienced staff who will situate the trailers in the required location and set them running at your required temperature.

• Nationwide delivery & collection service • Chiller and freezer trailers available • Powered by generator or standard wall socket • Internal racking supplied per your requirements • Short and long term rental rates available • Rapid Response™ programme for emergencies • Account facilities available subject to status

T: 0333 6000 800 | E: hq@iceboxuk.com | W: iceboxuk.com

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Design and Refit

The Absolute Solution To Your Interior Design Needs Creating inviting spaces for your hospitality customers is a great way to not only attract people to your bar, hotel and restaurant – but keep them coming again and again.

to build environments that adapt as required, ensuring your hospitality business can continue to excel.

With that in mind, it’s become more important than ever to invest in and optimise spaces to make them inviting, exciting, and importantly, fit for purpose.

Previous commercial spaces they have transformed include Beer Hawk’s Wetherby HQ, Leeds United’s Legend’s Club at Elland Road, North Brew Co.’s Leeds City Taproom, and the Yorkshire Lounge at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Absolute Commercial Interiors are design and build specialists that transform hospitality spaces into creative, agile and empowering environments.

Working closely alongside their clients to understand their business’ own unique requirements, Absolute provide bespoke solutions, so once-neglected spaces are designed and built to work the way you need them to, while ensuring they stand out from the crowd too.

As one of the longest-established design-and-build specialists in the UK, Absolute utilises a people-first approach

Hospitality spaces are more than just a seat in a restaurant, they’re about creating an atmosphere, buzz and giving customers and guests and unforgettable experience.

Head to www.absoluteci.co.uk to find out more about Absolute and see their work for yourself. See the advert on page 7.

Need to Increase Footfall? Our Custom Made Quality Furniture Could Help!

Have you recently taken over premises, just fancy a change or need to replace your tired old fixed seating and fixtures? At Drakes, we can help you realise your dreams with our bespoke furniture design service. Every week we build new tailor-made furniture up and down the UK, working with owners to come up with design concepts for fixed seating, booths and even bars and fixtures. We can take ideas from you, or your interior designer, or we can design something ourselves, all done efficiently, with professional quality and on time within budget.

Our service provides a unique opportunity to make your establishment stand out from others and add additional comfort for your customers.

ABOUT DRAKES BAR FURNITURE

We have been providing bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes, clubs, and hotels with high-quality furniture and fixtures for decades. We employ over 15 joiners, upholsterers, polishers and designers who are capable of installing fixed seating and bespoke joinery, new bars and full refurbishments, or simply making stools for the front of the bar, or providing quality tables that last. Our dedicated team are either time-served officially trained craftsmen or externally based professionals.

FREE QUOTE AND PROFESSIONAL ADVICE Got you interested? We are available for a chat Monday – Thursday: 9.00 am > 4.00 pm and Friday: 9.00 am > 12.00 pm on 01422 839 690. If you prefer, email us at sales@askdrake.com, and of course please visit our website www.askdrake.com to see some of our range and past work. We are also available on Facebook and Instagram, just search for Drakes Bar Furniture and give us a follow!

Sustainable Refurbishment with Architectural Films So far we have transformed lifts, toilet cubicles, board room desks, solid doors, complete office interiors, panelling, kitchens, bars, Hotel rooms…the list goes on.

We are a sustainable refurbishment company that can transform any surface with our Architectural Films.

Hardwearing, scratch resistant, fire rated, these films meet all current regulations. Why rip-out when you can refurbish with our films? With over 2000+ finishes its no wonder why Architects, Designers & business owners are all choosing Architectural wrapping.

We save our clients up to 80% on some of our projects, that’s thousands of pounds. And lets not forget about the landfill we are mitigating. Why rip-out perfectly solid but tired furniture, doors, bars, reception areas?

Our films look and feel like the real thing, and the refurbishment project takes days, not weeks or months. So there’s less down time, we don’t make any mess and critically no dust. Also our process doesn’t make noise, so we can fit out areas and keep the public or customers happy, that’s always good!

Find out more at www.resurface.site or see our advert on page 17.

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also fits the style of the space. They offer furniture for receptions, including reception desks as well as seating, tables and chairs for lounges or dining rooms and restaurants, bar stools, and furniture for use in individual hotel rooms or suites. They also offer items for staff areas, including lockers.

Rosehill Furnishings Group are proud to have a longstanding history within the furniture industry. It’s their unique history and knowledge of the market which sets them apart from the rest. They’re committed to quality, and their standards have continued to excel over the last 40 years.

The expert team at Rosehill understand the market and can tailor your order to suit your exact requirements. With over four decades experience in the industry, you can feel at ease knowing that you’re in safe hands. They take pride in the quality products they supply which are built to last, while also being great value for money.

Their products and designs are inspired by innovation using only the best quality materials and trends. Rosehill have an extensive supply chain, meaning you can use them as a one-stop shop for all areas of your Hotel or Hospitality Venue. Whatever you are looking for, they can find, with very competitive pricing.

Knowing this market, their experience means they understand the usage you will like have and the importance of having durable and comfortable seating, which

Their furniture is available in a variety of styles and is designed and manufactured with the appropriate contact testing for hospitality venues. Many of the made-to-order products have a huge selection of customisations too.

Browse their wide range of furniture for your lounge, dining room, conference space, reception, bedroom or staff area online at www.rosehill.co.uk, or call 0161 485 1717 to discuss your requirements with their helpful sales team.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK “Excellent customer service from start to finish, delivery on time as chosen, good delivery company and good packaging. Very pleased with the chairs ordered and the condition they arrived in.”

“The service from everyone at Rosehill has been excellent. From our initial enquiry, through the process of choosing the best chairs for our use, helping to meet our particular requirements, and the delivery on schedule that went exactly to plan.”

“The chairs are being admired greatly and we look forward to using them for many years to come.”

For further information contact: 0161 485 1717, sales@rosehill.co.uk or www.rosehill.co.uk

Mayfair Furniture Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 12 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

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

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

bishment we also offer a complete clearance service.

We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish.

01733 310115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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

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Cater For The Crowds With Brilliant Bar Stools

Whether it’s supplying seating for busy Friday nights or the special events that regularly come along such as this summer’s Euros, every pub and bar wants to make sure it can seat as many people as possible in comfort.

There is no easier and more cost-effective way to do this than with stools.

Here at Trent Furniture, we supply a huge range of stools to suit every budget and décor scheme. Nothing represents the Great British pub like traditional stools such as the Small Wooden Stool. With a small footprint, it’s perfect for providing seating during both busy and quiet periods, and can easily be moved around by staff and customers as required. For a more contemporary look in a modern bar, look no further than the Small Zeta Chrome Bar Stool with its clean lines and comfortable seat.

Tall bar stools are also a great way to maximise your bar space or place alongside poseur tables, such as the perennially popular Chrome Pyramid Poseur Table.

From the bestselling Tall Boston

Bar Stool with its comfortable back rest, to the traditional detail of the Tall Brass Rail Stool, we have a tall stool that will look right at home in your pub or bar.

As contract grade furniture made for use in the hospitality industry, all of our stools are designed at the standard height for use at bars or with our tables. Also, across our extensive range, you can opt for the simplicity of a hard wooden seat or choose an upholstery option in faux leather or in a vast choice of fabrics to blend in seamlessly with your existing colour scheme. o find out more about the great range of stools we supply, many of which are available with quick delivery times, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk Alternatively, you can call us on 0116 286 4911 or fill in our contact form for more information.

Restaurant Furniture Store

Restaurant Furniture Store, the leading UK supplier offering a wide selection of affordable and high-quality indoor and outdoor restaurant furniture. Whether you're searching for restaurant chairs, tables, table tops, or table bases, we have the perfect options to suit your needs. Our extensive range caters to various styles, from classic to contemporary, ensuring that you find furniture that complements your establishment's aesthetic. We understand the importance of affordability and good value, which is why our collection offers competitive prices without compromising on quality.

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

With thousands of products in stock, including faux leather restaurant chairs and laminate table tops, we are well-prepared to meet your immediate requirements. We take pride in our commitment to next-day delivery, ensuring that you receive your furniture

promptly. And here's the best part: we offer FREE delivery to enhance your experience, making it even more convenient for you to furnish your space.

At Restaurant Furniture Store, customer satisfaction is our top priority. We strive to create a collaborative environment where we work together to bring your vision to life. With our reliable and durable products, we offer a warranty to ensure your peace of mind.

Whether you're furnishing cafes, hotels, bistros, bars, or restaurants, we have the furniture solutions you need. Browse our online store, take advantage of our next-day delivery, and enjoy the convenience of purchasing in-stock items or personalised made-to-order pieces.

Visit www.restaurantfurniturestore.co.uk

Property and Professional

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Capitalise on the Summer Season with a Capify Loan Summer’s here, bringing a sportspacked season that’s a golden opportunity. With everything from Euro 2024 to the Summer Olympics on the schedule, big events are set to bring bigger crowds into pubs, bars, and restaurants. And that means one thing: it’s time to get ready for the rush.

Data shows that on major sports days, spending in UK pubs can jump by as much as 23%. Sports bring people together, and when they gather, they eat, drink, and enjoy the atmosphere.

BOOST YOUR STAFF AND STOCK So, how can you make the most of this? Think beyond just showing the action. Make sure you’ve got enough hands on deck. Hiring extra staff for these peak times helps keep service swift and smooth. Whether it’s extra servers, bartenders, or kitchen staff, more team members mean you can handle more orders and keep everything

running like clockwork.

Stocking up is just as crucial. You don’t want to run out of fan favourites during halftime. Load up on beers, snacks, and whatever else your crowd loves. Think about adding special menu items just for game days to make the experience extra memorable.

INVEST IN YOUR VENUE To make the most of the summer sports buzz, venues should step up their game-watching setup. Investing in some top quality screens and sound systems means everyone gets a great view. And making sure your seats are comfy and those in-demand outdoor spaces are warm and dry, will keep people around.

If you need funds to get set for the summer season, Capify is here with flexible business loans. Whether it’s for sprucing up your space or expanding your team, a little extra capital now can lead to big returns when the games begin.

Give the Capify team a call on 0330 8080 302 or visit capify.biz/caterer to see how much your business could borrow today. See the advert on page 21.

Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

With over 30 years of industry experience in the Hospitality sector, The Bowden Group’s Managing Consultant David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements: Profitability, Operational Strategy, Staff Management, Marketing and The Future of your business.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS Our experts will analyse your entire operation and also its key operating figures if they are available. We then help you to identify strategies to manage costs and overheads associated with the core Profitability of running a Hospitality business.

The largest overhead, even higher than Cost of Sales, is the Labour cost, so, with detailed analysis of your wages and being able to understand ‘’the way your business actually works’’ we can ensure that you are maximising the labour usage in your business.

Budgeting, Forecasting, Menu Management, Stock Controls, Purchasing, and controlling Variable Costs are

just a few of the other areas that David Hunter, your Restaurant Consultant, will work on with you, and improve with you.

MANAGING PEOPLE Managing people brings with it a whole set of new skills that are now needed more than ever. From ‘’Managing the Managers’’ through to Service and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management, Motivation, guidance and Development.

MARKETING 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.

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

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

D! L SO

D! L SO

BUTTERLEIGH INN, BUTTERLEIGH, DEVON

!

LD O S

D! L SO

SHIP INN, BURCOMBE, WILTSHIRE

W! NE

PALM BAR, EXMOUTH, DEVON

!

LD O S

!

LD O S

PRICE: £149,950

W! NE

OFFERS OVER £100,000

SWAN INN, BAMPTON, DEVON

!

LD O S

DUKE OF LEEDS, LEEDSTOWN, CORNWALL

BOATYARD BAKERY, EXETER, DEVON

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOSPITALITY OR CATERING BUSINESS? CALL US FOR A FREE APPRAISAL.

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

D! L SO

OSTLER INN, UFFCULME, DEVON

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

BANTHAM, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4892

PRICE: £50,000

W! NE

LEASEHOLD

PRICE: £60,000

REF: 4907

• Stunning Hotel & Inn with Luxury Rooms Overlooking Dartmoor National Park • Steeped in History with 7 Luxury En-Suite Letting Rooms • Extensive Trade Gardens, Patio, 2 Paddocks & Private Field • Separate 3 Bedroom Owners Bungalow & Gardens • Genuine Retirement Sale of a Very Successful Business

PRICE: £1,500,000

FREEHOLD

W! NE

• Stunning Town Centre Period Property & Highly Successful Business • 8 Superior Letting Rooms with Character Cafe Trading Area & Function Room • Large Residents Lounge/Breakfast Room & Alfresco Covered Seating Area • Well Established ‘Chamaeleon’ Business with Great Potential to Grow Trade • Genuine Retirement Sale

PRICE: £575,000

W! NE

CONFIDENTIAL, SOUTH DEVON

• South Devon Harbourside Premises • Splendid South Facing Location within Busy Parade • Year Round Café, Bar, Bistro Popular with Locals & Tourists • Indoor & Outdoor Dining 80+ Covers • Further Growth Potential & Development Opportunities

W! NE LIVE & LET LIVE, LANDSCOVE, DEVON

SOLD IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024.

• Spectacular Location for Licenced Store & Café • Panoramic Views Across Avon Estuary, Bigbury Bay & Burgh Island • Huge Benefit of Owners 3/4 Bed Accommodation with Parking • Trading Throughout the Year with Local & Seasonal Customer Base • Amazing Owner/Operator Lifestyle Opportunity

SOUTH ZEAL, DEVON

REF: 4940

SOUTH BRENT, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4939

W! NE

• Beautiful Pub with Land in Charming Somerset Village • Character Trading Areas Recently Refurbished to an Exceptional Standard • Pretty Trade Gardens & Outside Seating Areas • Scope to Develop Land and add Letting Rooms to Increase Income Streams • Priced ‘To Let’ on a New Free of Tie Lease

BISHOPSWOOD, SOMERSET

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4914

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

• Restaurant Premises with Guest Rooms in the Beautiful Town • Fronting a Busy Pedestrianised Street • Operating Daytimes Only with Scope to Increase Trading Hours • Guest Rooms Available All Year • 1 Bedroom Owner’s Accommodation & Bedsit Currently Let on an AST

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4918

• Historic Building, Sympathetically Converted to Create Versatile Property • Very Well-Established B&B/Hotel with Significant Net Profit • 10 Superior En-Suite Letting Bedrooms, all Individually Designed/Decorated • Breakfast Room & Conservatory, Fully Equipped Kitchen & Guest Car Park • Newly Renovated, Self-Contained & Separate Bespoke Owner’s Cottage

TOTNES, DEVON

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £1,500,000 FREEHOLD REF: 4320

W! NE

PRICE: £55,000

NEWTON ABBOT, DEVON

• Iconic Building Housing Popular Café • Busy Central Location Amongst a Variety of Traders • Ground Floor Seating for 36, First Floor Function Room • Commercial Kitchen & Outside Seating for 6 • Operating Daytimes Only with Potential to Extend into Evenings

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4898