CLH Digital - Issue #226

THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR & LICENSED TRADE Issue 226

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Sector Unites Behind Rates Reform…

As Hospitality Costs Rise Sharply

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Hospitality and on-trade organisations have united in a call to reform business rates and are calling for further support as a “concerning” new survey reveals how almost every hospitality business has seen steep increases in wages and food costs.

Year-on-year, 95% of hospitality businesses have experienced increased wage costs. It’s a similar story for food (89%), insurance (84%) and energy (57%) costs,

according to a new survey by the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping, Hospitality Ulster and UKHospitality.

Figures revealed this week, confirm that inflation in hospitality remains notably higher than the headline rate would suggest, and has for 2024 remained 2.4 times higher than retail inflation.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital A Call for Fairness – The Urgent Need for Reform in the UK Hospitality Sector EDITOR

Peter Adams

As we inch closer to the government’s Autumn Budget, the collective voices of UK hospitality and licensed trade organizations are growing louder, unified in their call for much-needed reforms.

The sector, which as we know, has long been a cornerstone of the UK’s economy and social fabric, is now urgently calling for relief through a reformation of business rates, a reduction in VAT for hospitality, and a cut in alcohol duty.

These measures are not just desirable—they are essential for the survival and growth of our industry.

The recent Euro tournament provided a stark reminder of the disparity in taxation between the UK and our European counterparts. England fans who cheered on their teams from pubs in Germany or Spain enjoyed significantly lower costs. While they paid just 5p in duty on an average pint, those of us watching at home paid a staggering 54p— 11 times as much.

Spain’s VAT rate on accommodation and eating out is half ours, standing at just 10%. This isn’t a new revelation; many EU countries have long recognized the importance of reducing VAT for hospitality, creating an environment where the sector can thrive.

Yet, successive UK governments have continued to take this sector for granted, ignoring the obvious benefits that a fairer tax regime could bring.

The latest figures from market intelligence experts Lumina paint a mixed picture for the UK pub and bar market.

The sector is set to grow by a modest 1.7% in 2024, reaching a value of £23.6 billion.

However, this growth lags behind the total eating-out market, which is projected to grow by 2.8%.

While any growth in this economic climate can be seen as a positive, the reality is that this performance is nothing short of a miracle given the government’s current approach

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Higher staff costs, coupled with poor weather, have mitigated improvements in household finances and economic conditions, leaving the sector in a precarious position.

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This unsustainable situation must be addressed. The government can no longer afford to ignore the warnings from sector leaders. A reduction in VAT for hospitality, alongside a cut in alcohol duty, would provide the much-needed breathing room for businesses to grow and prosper.

These changes are not just about fairness; they are about ensuring the long-term viability of an industry that contributes so much to our economy and society.

One glimmer of hope on the horizon is the potential end to the hugely damaging train strikes. These strikes, always timed to inflict maximum disruption, have cost the hospitality sector enormously. UKHospitality estimates that, as of April 2024, the industry has lost almost £750 million due to rail strikes this year alone, with the total impact since the strikes began in June 2022 nearing £5 billion. The resolution of these strikes cannot come soon enough.

In conclusion, while there are some reasons for optimism, the government must act decisively in the upcoming budget. The UK hospitality sector has shown remarkable resilience, but this cannot be sustained without fairer taxation and support. The time for reform is now. Let’s hope the government is listening.

I can always be contacted at edit@catererlicensee.com

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EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Charlene Fox

Published by Published by

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

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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Sector Unites Behind Rates Reform…

Issue 226

CLH Digital

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As Hospitality Costs Rise Sharply

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

VAT & DUTY REDUCTION

Figures for Q3 show that the rate of inflation has risen for the first time this year, according to the Office of National statistics (ONS) .

INFLATION INCREASE Overall prices rose by 2.2% in the year to July, slightly above the Bank of England’s target of 2% where the rate had been since May. The latest figures mean that prices are now rising faster across the UK than in previous months, but still at a slower pace than in 2022 and 2023 when the public and businesses were hit by higher energy and food bills.

Prices fell by 0.2% in July, helped by cheaper hotel stays, however this was smaller than the 0.4% decrease in prices in July 2023, when energy bills dropped sharply, meaning that the headline rate of inflation increased.

The ONS’s chief economist, Grant Fitzner, said: “Inflation ticked up a little in July as although domestic energy costs fell, they fell by less than a year ago. This was partially offset by hotel costs, which fell in July after strong growth in June.”

However, the issue of business rates is top of the “hospitality agenda”, with the government's 75% business rates relief for hospitality and retail properties scheduled to end on March 31, 2025.

RELIEF SET TO END 2025

In addition to business rates reform, businesses said both a VAT reduction for hospitality (85%) and a reduction in alcohol duty (34%) would be an important measure to allow their business to grow.

In a joint statement, the trade bodies said: “It’s crystal clear that there is an overwhelming desire from the hospitality sector that the Government rapidly delivers on its manifesto commitment to replace business rates and reduce the burden on high street businesses, as well as continue current support.

“Hospitality continues to remain an outlier sector, with costs continuing to rise sharply compared to the rest of the economy.

“With cost increases affecting almost every venue, this vital sector is being prevented from investing in businesses and communities, which would boost economic growth and new jobs. Instead, they’re having to use dwindling cash reserves just to pay the bills.

“The clock is ticking, with a cliff-edge looming on April 1 when relief ends and rates are set to increase again. Inaction would see bills spiral yet further, putting venues under increased threat of closure.

“Alongside our members, we hope to see clear and decisive action toward delivering on the Government’s manifesto commitment from the Chancellor at the Budget in October.”

SECTOR FRAGILITY

The relief, which is part of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief scheme, applies to eligible, occupied properties from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2025. The relief provides a maximum of £110,000 per business in relief each billing year.

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association said: “We have observed the slight uptick in inflation from 2% to 2.2% in July, but for our sector, the impact will be minimal. The real focus for night-time economy businesses remains firmly on the upcoming Autumn Budget. With a growing government narrative around the voids in public funding that are fuelling inevitable tax increases by the Chancellor on the 30th October.”

With the relief set to end the sector is overwhelmingly in favour of reforming business rates, a government manifesto commitment, to help reduce costs, which, they say, must be a priority at the Budget, with 80% of respondents clear it would have a positive impact on their business.

“The potential for further tax increases, could place an additional burden on businesses still recovering from the challenges of recent years. The Autumn Budget must not lose sight of the fragility of our sector, and prioritise the continuation of support for our sector, ensuring that we are not left behind during this critical period”.

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Issue 226

Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) Could Be The Next Big Thing For The Hospitality Industry

By Millie Counsell, M&A Assistant Manager at LAVA Advisory Partners (https://www.lavaadvisory.com/) In the dynamic landscape of UK business, Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) have emerged as an increasingly compelling model, particularly for sectors like hospitality that thrive on a strong and motivated workforce. Introduced by the Finance Act 2014, EOTs offer a structured pathway for business owners looking to exit while protecting their legacy and ensuring continuity, employee engagement, and significant tax advantages.

WHAT IS AN EOT? An Employee Ownership Trust is a mechanism that allows a business to be owned, indirectly, by its employees through a trust. This model provides the team with a tangible stake in the company, fostering a strong sense of ownership and responsibility that has been proven to increase loyalty and personal investment. Unlike traditional employee share ownership plans, an EOT holds the shares collectively on behalf of all employees, creating a more stable, long-term ownership structure, largely unaffected by inevitable churn.

BENEFITS FOR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES The hospitality sector, characterized by its reliance on customer service and staff engagement, can benefit even more than other sectors by transitioning to an EOT. Here’s how: 1. E nha nced em ployee eng ag em ent a nd retention: o In an industry where high turnover rates are common, an EOT can significantly boost employee morale and loyalty. When employees have a vested interest in the success of the business, they’re more likely to commit to the company and perform better. This improved engagement leads to better customer service, which is so crucial in hospitality.

2. S m ooth succession pla nning : o For business owners looking to exit, an EOT offers a structured and employee-friendly succession plan.

Instead of selling to external buyers, which might lead to significant upheaval and the threat of redundancies, selling to an EOT ensures that the business continues to operate with its existing culture and values intact.

This not only strengthens long-term customer relationships but also bolsters brand reputation.

3. Ta x a dva nta ges: o A key benefit for hospitality in particular is the fact that the first £3600 in employee bonuses can be income tax free – a significant retention driver for these types of workers and something the government were keen to promote.

o One of the other attractive aspects of transitioning to an EOT is the capital gains tax (CGT) relief.

Currently, business owners who sell a controlling interest (more than 50%) to an EOT can benefit from a 0% CGT rate, as long as the company isn’t sold in the following tax year, making it a highly tax-efficient exit strategy. This benefit was promoted by the government to encourage more businesses to adopt the model.

4. Access to novel funding opportunities: o Businesses under an EOT structure can access novel funding opportunities that might not be available otherwise. For instance, they can attract investments focused on socially responsible and sustainable business practices. Additionally, employee-owned businesses often have better relationships with financial institutions due to the perceived stability and long-term planning that comes with having employees as stakeholders and part of the board.

5. E nha nced business perform a nce: o Research and case studies have shown that employee-owned businesses often outperform their nonemployee-owned counterparts. The John Lewis Partnership is a prime example within the UK, demonstrating sustained success and resilience. Employee ownership can lead to increased innovation, productivity, and overall business performance.

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS While the benefits are compelling, transitioning to an EOT requires careful planning and consideration: • Valuation and financing: o The business must be accurately valued, and a financing plan should be established to fund the purchase of shares by the EOT. This often involves a combination of internal financing from cash reserves, seller financing, and external loans, but can be made significantly easier through engagement with a solid M&A advisor.

• Legal and structural setup: o Setting up an EOT involves legal complexities. It’s essential to work with legal advisors who are experienced in this field to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and to structure the trust appropriately.

• Employee communication and engagement: o For the transition to be the most successful, clear and transparent communication with employees is crucial. It’s been shown that EOT transitions are more successful when employees understand how the EOT works and what it means for both their individual roles, and the future of the business.

CONCLUSION For hospitality businesses in the UK, transitioning to an EOT can be a strategic move that ensures business continuity, enhances employee engagement, and provides significant tax benefits to the vendors. By aligning the interests of employees with the success of the business, EOTs can create a sustainable and thriving business model that benefits all stakeholders. As more businesses explore this innovative ownership structure, the hospitality sector stands to gain substantially from the adoption of EOTs.

UKBG Launches Fundraiser To Commemorate Founder On Its 90th Anniversary THE UK Bartenders Guild has launched a fundraising campaign to commemorate its founder as the organisation nears its 90th anniversary.

the next development, skill or opportunity that we have to expand the hospitality scene in the UK, it’s also crucial to remember where we came from.

As part of the organisation’s wider 90th Anniversary Celebrations, a fundraising campaign has been set up to pay tribute to its first ever President, Harry Lawson Craddock, by renovating his grave at Gunnersbury Cemetery in London. Harry and six of his peers founded the organisation in the city in 1934, with the guild now having grown to over two thousand members, making it one of the largest bartending and hospitality industry organisations in the country.

“As we arrive at our 90th anniversary, we thought it was a good time to make sure that we’re paying respect to our history, and in particular our founder, Harry Lawson Craddock, who laid the foundations for the thousands-strong organisation that we have today.

The celebrations for the UKBG’s 90th anniversary will also include an exclusive industry event, allowing members to engage and network with each other, while sharing their skills and knowledge across the sector.

And on the 29th August, the birth date of Harry Lawson Craddock, the UKBG board members, and anyone else who wishes to attend, will gather at his grave site to pay its homage to their founding President.

Claudia Carrozi, Guild President for the UK Bartenders Guild, said: “While we’re always looking forward to

“He did something that was almost new to the industry back then; guilds and trade organisations were often for manual or skilled labour jobs, like masonry. Harry pushed for a national organisation that helped to grow the profile of the bartenders, made training easier and increased standards, and most importantly allowed us to come together to address the problems our industry faces as one.

“I think that he would be immensely proud of how the guild has grown, and the strength of the hospitality industry in the UK right now, and we see no better way to honour his memory than to show our respect by ensuring that his final resting place is a true testament to his dedication and commitment to success.”

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Issue 226

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Pub & Bar Market To Reach £23.6 Billion In 2024 Despite Cost Pressure And Closures favouring independent and high-quality venues. Within the alcohol sector, there is a noticeable trend of consumers purchasing fewer drinks per visit but opting for more premium options, prioritising quality over quantity.

The UK pub and bar market is set to grow by +1.7% in 2024, reaching a value of £23.6 billion, according to the latest Lumina Intelligence UK Pub and Bar Market Report 2024. Growth is lagging the total eating out market’s projected growth rate of +2.8%. Higher staff costs and poor weather are mitigating improvements in household finances and economic conditions, presenting a mixed performance outlook for the sector.

The frequency of pub visits is declining, down by -1.7% year-on-year, reflecting broader lifestyle changes and health trends, including reduced alcohol consumption.

The report highlights a disparity within the market, with managed operators outperforming expectations. Managed pubs and bars are anticipated to see turnover growth of +2.4%, boosting their market value share to 51% from 25% of sites in 2024. The broader pub market faces notable challenges. The total sector is projected to experience the net closure of six pubs every week in 2024, an outlet decline rate of -0.8%, with the total number of sites expected to fall to 41,729. Key factors contributing to these closures include rising business rates, alcohol duty and staff costs, which are rendering many sites unviable.

Leading operators are addressing these shifts by attracting younger visitors through innovative ‘zoning’ strategies. This approach involves utilising different areas of venues for various mission types, incorporating technology, and creating differentiated offers to enhance the customer experience.

Consumer behaviour is evolving, with core dinner and drink-only occasions driving pub visits in 2024.

Quality-led experiences are in demand, as consumers choose pubs for weekend dinners and social gatherings,

Looking ahead, economic stability is expected to support a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +1.9% from 2024 to 2027, with the market value projected to reach £24.9 billion. Operators are likely to focus on growth levers including premium experiences, accommodation, and zoning to create versatile spaces catering to diverse occasions.

The changing lifestyle patterns, including reduced commuting, are driving renewed attention towards suburban sites.

Dukes Head in Wokingham in New Hands!

A Wokingham-based couple have breathed new life into the Dukes Head Pub in Wokingham, after a ten-week renovation.

“People were also saying that they missed the original artwork so we dug it out from the cellar and dusted it off rehung it.

With a background in hospitality, Claire and Ed Deegan, a couple of 25 years, have now taken over the historic and grade 2 listed pub.

“It’s been really positive and we’ve been able to keep everyone informed about our progress.”

Claire and Ed previously managed The Emmbrook Inn, and Claire’s background in social media marketing, and DJing will be used to let the public know what’s happening at the pub.

The renovated pub, now sporting a snug and traditional aesthetic, opened on Thursday, August 8.

Mrs Deegan, originally from Kent, praised the community’s broad support, even extending to their social media initiative on TikTok. She said: “We took locals’ advice on renovating the pub. They wanted us to get the pool table moved back where it used to be under the light.

Since then, their efforts have not gone unnoticed, with the community showering praise and encouragement, painting promising imagery of the pub’s revival.

Claire perfectly summed up their ambition -‘We love Wokingham, and we hope the community will love us too!’

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Navigating Social Media: A Strategic Approach For Bars And Restaurants

By Emma Critchley-Lloyd founded of the award-winning agency BIG little LDN (https://www.biglittlelondon.com/) Social media can be a double-edged sword for the hospitality industry. While it offers unprecedented opportunities to engage with customers and promote your venue, it also carries risks that can significantly impact your reputation. As someone who has worked extensively in marketing and PR for bars and restaurants, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-crafted social media strategy can be the cornerstone of success.

promptly and positively helps to build a community around your brand.

THE POWER OF ONLINE REVIEWS

To safeguard your venue’s reputation, it’s imperative that all staff understand the importance of social media etiquette. Your policy should outline what is acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to posting about the venue, particularly on personal accounts. It’s advisable to have clear guidelines on not disclosing confidential information, avoiding negative commentary about the workplace, and not engaging in public disputes.

Online reviews are often the first port of call for potential customers when deciding where to book. They serve as digital word-of-mouth and can influence a wide audience.

Therefore, it’s essential that bars and restaurants not only encourage positive reviews but also manage negative feedback with grace and professionalism.

A strong social media policy should include guidelines on how to respond to reviews - both positive and negative. It’s crucial to acknowledge positive feedback, as this reinforces customer loyalty and encourages others to share their experiences. For negative reviews, the key is to respond promptly and constructively. Avoid confrontation; instead, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Offer to take the conversation offline to resolve the issue, which shows other potential customers that you value feedback and are willing to make things right.

ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS Social media shouldn't be used as a one-sided conversion, it should converse with your followers and customers just as much as it advertises. It’s a space for fostering interaction, creating FOMO and building a community outside of the venue itself. Operators should engage with their audience regularly not just by sharing content that resonates with them, but by responding to comments and engaging with similar or neighbouring accounts. It's natural for people to go to other places, so be a proper friend and talk to them there too - not just when they turn up at your place. When customers comment on posts or share your content, responding

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One of the insights from my experience is the importance of authenticity. Your social media presence should reflect the true spirit of your venue. Ensure your online tone and content are consistent with the experience customers can expect when they visit. If you sell the dream on social and they turn up to miserable staff or dirty toilets, expect the fall out to appear on social.

PROTECTING YOUR REPUTATION

Training sessions can be useful to ensure that staff understand these guidelines and the potential repercussions of missteps. Encourage staff to be your brand ambassadors online by sharing content on their own channels, but always with the understanding that they are representing the business. Any person, including staff, who have a commercial interest in a business and is posting about it on social must include #Ad to avoid backlash from the ASA. Limit who has access to the main business account and ensure you have clear brand guidelines, narrative and high-res assets to work with. Make sure the person is always up to date with the latest social formats and algorithms as these frequently change and can have a huge impact on your organic reach.

Purchase a Canva Premium account so your brand assets can be uploaded and social posts can always be created in the correct format.

TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES Finally, social media should be seen as a tool to address issues before they escalate. If a customer raises a concern online, this is an opportunity to showcase excellent customer service. Address the issue head-on, with a calm and solution-focused approach. Publicly resolving a complaint can turn a potentially damaging situation into a positive display of your venue’s dedication to its customers.

A well-considered social media policy is essential for bars and restaurants in today’s market. By fostering positive engagement, maintaining consistency with your brand, and handling challenges with professionalism, you can use social media not just as an advertising tool, but as a powerful platform to build and protect your venue’s reputation and encourage more customers through the doors.

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Issue 226

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A New Era in Hospitality as 5,000 Hotels Worldwide Adopt WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)celebrates yet another milestone as over 5,000 properties across more than 80 countries have now embraced its Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) programme.

Hotels in major destinations across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific have adopted Basics, and the programme continues to receive global support with new partnerships in tourism powerhouses such as Japan, the Philippines and India.

Designed to guide hoteliers in their initial steps towards enhanced sustainability, Basics is an independent verification program, supervised by renowned assessors Green Key and SGS, ensuring rigorous standards and credibility.

The programme empowers hotels of all sizes with a comprehensive 12-step criteria aimed at reducing carbon emissions, energy, water and waste management, and ensuring local communities benefit from hotel operations.

Leading hotel brands, including Jin Jiang, one of the world’s largest hotel groups, European giant Louvre Hotels Group, Choice Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group, and Accor have adopted Basics.

The Japan Tourism Board has partnered with WTTC through its Japan Sustainable Tourism Initiative (JSTi) to support the launch of Basics across the country. A pilot programme sets the stage before extending the initia-

tive to all Japanese accommodation providers.

In the Philippines, Tajara Hospitality Group and Greenview have partnered with the global tourism body on the market launch of Basics through their annual sustainable hospitality event PhilHost.

Basics is also set to expand across India with support from WTTC Members The Indian Hotels Company Limited, Radisson India, WTTC India Initiative, Hotel Association of India, and the country’s leading online travel agency MakeMyTrip.

Travel + Leisure is now an official supporter, helping leverage Hotel Sustainability Basics across its portfolio of 245+ sites.

To meet international demand, Basics is now also available in multiple languages, offering comprehensive resources in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, stated: “WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics is a powerful testament to our collective effort in promoting sustainable practices in the hospitality industry.

“Surpassing 5,000 verified properties is more than just a milestone; it demonstrates Travel & Tourism’s readiness to embrace sustainability globally. This initiative unites hotels, industry partners, and sustainability standards to create a resilient, responsible, and planet-friendly future.”

Award Winning Read’s Restaurant In Faversham To Close After 47 Years In Business Photo Credit – © Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence-https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3546 Award winning Read’s restaurant in Faversham Kent that once boasted a Michelin star for 20 years is to close for good at the end of the month after 47 years trading.

The owners of Read’s in Faversham say they have taken the decision to close with “a hint of trepidation” as “Father Time” has caught up with them.

David and Rona Pitchford launched the restaurant in Painters Forstal in 1977 before moving it to Macknade Manor, off Canterbury Road, in 2000.

During its 47-year run the restaurant won a number of awards and accolades, but none more prestigious than the Michelin star it secured in

1993 and held for 20 years.

“We have genuinely been dreading this day for some time,” the couple said.

“We have been blessed with the most wonderful and unbelievably loyal staff over the years.

“To see our current brilliant team broken up is incredibly sad. If it were not for the perils of age, we would continue for another 47 years “It is not only our staff who have been incredibly loyal over the years but our customers too, many of whom have become friends.”

The decision to close comes more than a year after they put the site up for sale for £3 million, however they now say they will hold onto the Georgian manor house to live in.

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Reaching A New Wave Of Adventurous Drinkers With Innovative Menu Creation

By Aoife Taylor, head of bars at Rockwater (https://rockwater.uk/), comments on changing consumer behaviour The CGA’s latest Mixed Drinks Report revealed that consumers are increasing their experimentation in cocktails, creating an opportunity for bars to work with lesser-known flavours.

than just great taste in their cocktail. The construction of the drink; its depth and mouthfeel, are as important to the overall drinking experience as the flavour itself.

Aoife Taylor, head of bars at Rockwater, shares her insights into how the fast-growing coastal hospitality brand is responding to consumer trends by continually innovating new cocktails.

“Fat washing is a method we’ve been using a lot and is proving popular. Putting spirits through this process allows us to adapt the viscosity of a drink creating unique twists on customer favourites.

Additionally, Aoife comments on how a bar team can ensure its cocktail menu is suited to a more discerning consumer.

“For example, the key flavours in our ‘Pump Up The Jam’ cocktail are recognisable to anyone who enjoys a Negroni.

UNDERSTAND WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT FROM THEIR DRINKING EXPERIENCE

We’ve adapted this classic to create a distinctive drinking experience by adding sweet vanilla butter to our vermouth and gin, and infusing strawberry into Campari.

“Consumer confidence to try and buy serves with unfamiliar flavours is incredibly freeing for a mixologist.

Being creative in research and development is critical to delivering a drinks menu that continues to excite an experimental customer.

However, inspired development must be complemented with a deep understanding of the target consumer.

“We track drink sales each week across both our Rockwater sites. This enables us to understand which cocktails are most popular and assess the flavour profiles and ingredients that perform the best. In doing so, we’ve been able to create more cocktails that are unique to Rockwater, in confidence they’ll appeal to our guests.”

THINK BEYOND FLAVOUR PROFILE

“Being innovative with what’s available to you in the bar is a great way to reduce waste too. For example, creating unique sugar syrups from left over champagne is another way I bring an edge to our drinks.”

GIVE LOVE TO YOUR 0% OPTIONS “No-and-low-alcohol-options are becoming increasingly important to our customers. Alcohol free options are here to stay, and so it’s critical that the spirit of innovation carries over into the 0% menu.

“Customers still want to enjoy stand-out flavours, without the booze. We’ve worked hard to perfect our ‘Cherry Bomb’ mocktail to create a traditional sour experience without the alcohol. Consumers expect the same look, feel, and ultimately taste from a non-alcoholic cocktail.

“Although consumers are broadening their flavour horizons, a discerning customer is now looking for more

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.CATERERLICENSEE.COM

Issue 226

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Total Drinks Sales Up 7% as Heatwave Hits the Country Last week’s hot weather brought a 7% uplift in total drink sales, as consumers flocked to beer gardens across the UK – helping the channel return to growth after last week’s drop in sales.

As popular choices in warmer weather, beer (+2.1%), cider (+19.5%), and soft drinks (+0.7%) all experienced sales growth. Spirits and wine experienced declines of –12.8% and –3.1% respectively.

The numbers from CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker show a strong start to the week, coinciding with when temperatures hit 31 degrees in parts of the country.

“Hot weather always receives a warm welcome from the On Premise, as consumers flock to beer gardens and terraces and it’s a welcome boost to category sales. “Says Jonathan Jones, CGA by NIQ’s managing director, UK and Ireland.

Sunday (+17%) and Monday (+19%) experienced double digit growth vs the same period in 2023. Tuesday saw more moderate growth at 11%, but Wednesday doubled Tuesday’s performance at +22%.

After the short heatwave, sales performance cooled off on Friday (0.5%) and Saturday (-1.7%). Weekend performance is likely to have been negatively affected by protests across major UK towns and cities.

But as beer, cider, and soft drinks saw a boost in sales during the warmer weather, it was a different picture for the spirits category which continues to see notable declines. Its crucial suppliers understand the spirit consumer’s changing needs, in order to create strategies that will attract people back to spirits from the other categories.

Applications Open for Prestigious Andrew Fairlie Scholarship The industry charity, Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland, is inviting aspiring chefs working in Scotland to apply for this year’s Andrew Fairlie Scholarship as applications open.

Launched in 2019 by the late Andrew Fairlie, the scholarship is provided in partnership with HIT Scotland, an industry charity Andrew was closely associated with. Now in its fifth year, the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship is supported by HIT Scotland, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Perth College UHI and The Gleneagles Hotel.

Last year, two winners were awarded the prestigious scholarship.

Lecturer of Culinary Arts at City of Glasgow College, Darren Seggie, and Rachel Bremner, Commis Pastry Chef at The Balmoral, were selected for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance their culinary horizons.

An all-star panel of the country’s finest chefs will judge the 2024 competition. Lead judge, Stephen McLaughlin, Head Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, will be joined by fellow 2 Michelin starred Chef Patrons, Tom Kerridge of the Hand and Flowers and Sat Bains at Restaurant Sat Bains. Gary Maclean, the Winner of MasterChef The Professionals and National Chef of Scotland, will also be judging the candidates on their performance.

The winner of this year’s Andrew Fairlie Scholarship will be taken on a 2-day educational trip to France with Grande Cuisine, gain hands-on experience at the 2-star Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, and undertake a stage at the 3-star Core by Clare Smyth in London. Held over two years, these educational experiences will inform and inspire the scholar’s professional development and knowledge over a period of

time.

Stephen McLaughlin, Head Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, commented: “The Andrew Fairlie Scholarship is Scotland’s finest Chef Scholarship. It is a true chance to showcase your talent and passion, along with the opportunity to help yourself be guided and nurtured into being as good a chef as you want to be.

The prizes for this year’s scholarship recipient are some of the best educational and development driven learning experiences in the world!

“Be mindful in your application to stay true to yourself and to pull from all your resources to make sure that your application is as polished as it can be. Only the very best applicants will make it to finals day. Good luck Chefs and happy cooking!”

David Cochrane MBE, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, added: “Applications for the 2024 Andrew Fairlie Scholarship are officially open, and with it, the chance for aspiring chefs in Scotland to advance their career and broaden their professional horizons.

“The scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for upcoming culinary talent to gain practical experience in the finest establishments and learn from the very best chefs the world has to offer. With so much at stake, applicants must give it their all to impress the judges!”

Applications open 12 August 2024 and close 22 September 2024. Find out more information and apply here-https://hitscotland.co.uk/2024-andrew-fairlie-scholarship-application

Taking On New Workers: Buddying, Engaging, Retaining 10

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By Laura Chinyere-Ezeh, HR consultant at UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson Staff retention is one of the greatest challenges for care providers, with the 30.4% staff turnover rate in social care double the UK average of 15%.

However, care providers would be wise to develop their own bespoke induction process that covers integral parts of the job not covered by the certificate – namely, administering medicine, manual handling and handling challenging behaviours.

Many organisations report that keeping hold of new employees is often the most difficult task, as they are often thrown in at the deep end without the necessary ongoing support due to a lack of resources.

BUDDYING UP Training and paperwork are important aspects for any new starter, of course, but arguably the main impact an employer can have during their first weeks is by ensuring the employee has access to a support network.

The induction process will play a pivotal role in keeping staff long term and should therefore be treated as a priority.

It’s likely they will have many questions about the role, residents and organisational processes. A “buddying” system, in which a small number of experienced staff are made available across various shift patterns to answer those questions and offer general guidance, can therefore provide the reassurance needed.

Key to this is high-quality and regular engagement to ensure the new starter feels valued, alongside a “buddying” system that provides them with a point of contact to direct questions as they get to grips with the new job.

For the “buddies”, this also presents an opportunity for career development as the role can also involving mentoring, an important step towards management and leadership.

INDUCTION STARTS BEFORE NEW EMPLOYEES JOIN Engagement doesn’t just begin on day one of the job. There is an opportunity to do this at every interaction throughout the recruitment process.

Multimedia channels such as the organisation’s website, social media pages and newsletters should be harnessed to showcase all that’s great about working for the company.

Content such as staff testimonials, care stories or “day in the life” videos can be a powerful tool to stand out as a great sector to work in.

Remember, it’s likely that candidates will be applying for roles in other sectors, so it’s important to tell them why the caring vocation is for them.

The high demands of social care mean that a number of hurdles must be passed in the onboarding process, including detailed reference checks and a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

For someone with a historic and relatively minor criminal record, such a process could be a humiliating experience so it’s imperative that employers handle this sensitively and explain thoroughly why all the checks are necessary.

BEYOND THE CARE CERTIFICATE The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects regulated providers to provide an induction that at minimum covers the Care Certificate standards, such as nutrition and fluids, safeguarding, and working with people with dementia.

These individuals should be well-trained and competent in care standards, ready to pass along good habits to their new colleagues.

REGULAR FEEDBACK AND SUPPORTING CAREER DEVELOPMENT Alongside the buddy’s support, line managers should provide regular feedback via one-to-one meetings. This may be the case for any new job, but is particularly crucial in care settings.

It’s not uncommon for new staff to have doubts about whether they are doing a good job and, left to their own uncertain thoughts, may lead to chucking in the towel.

Given that they’re expected to hit the ground running and care for unfamiliar residents, perhaps with different ways of working to what they’ve previously experienced, reassurance from their manager can make a huge difference in both the short and long terms.

Feedback sessions shouldn’t just be part of the initial three to six-month probation period. Regularly checking in with staff, even informally drives high-quality care while ensuring managers are aware of their team members’ career ambitions and can keep track of any changes to circumstances that may lead to new opportunities.

New starter surveys, in the first month, are also useful tools to engage staff and respond to any issues that arise.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT Having a robust plan to help new joiners navigate those difficult first few weeks and months will establish the foundations that help people to quickly feel confident in their new surroundings.

This in turn can keep morale high and lead to job satisfaction – which ultimately assists with employee retention and high-quality care.

Greene King Hires Milestone 250th Prison Leaver Through Its Releasing Potential Scheme Pub retailer and brewer Greene King has reached the landmark of hiring its 250th prison leaver through its Releasing Potential programme, which helps prisoners to develop new skills in hospitality, with the goal of offering them employment once they leave prison.

The programme was launched in May 2019 to support those leaving prison to find employment with the company following their release from prison. It works with more than 65 prisons across the UK, providing information and support for prisoners to develop their skills in food preparation, customer service, barista trainig and housekeeping to prepare them to work in Greene King pubs and hotels upon their release.

Working in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Scottish Prison Service, New Futures Network and Novus, Greene King has invested in two training kitchens within prisons at HMP Thameside and HMP Grampian. Each site emulates a Greene King kitchen and delivers bespoke training programmes, which help to build confidence and teach prisoners the skills needed to cook popular dishes from pub menus so that they can take up a role with Greene King on leaving custody.

As part of its commitment to hiring prison leavers, Greene King became one of the first employers in the UK to take part in a pilot programme offering apprenticeships to prisoners in open prisons in October 2022. Earlier this year, Greene King’s first apprentice through the programme, who started their apprenticeship whilst in custody, has become a full-time kitchen team member for Greene King. The pub company and brewer is currently working with a number of other candidates who are planning on starting an apprenticeship before their release date.

As part of the Releasing Potential programme, Greene King works closely with charities, such as Only a Pavement Away and The Recruitment Junction to help with wrap around support for prison leavers when they leave custody, ensuring the best chance of not only sustaining employment but reducing reoffending.

Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, said: “We are committed to championing social mobility through providing everybody, regardless of their background, with the chance to pursue a long-term career in the hospitality industry. With pubs at the heart of local communities across the country, our Releasing Potential scheme supports prison leavers nationwide on their journey to successful rehabilitation. We are proud to have offered a second chance to 250 individuals and look forward to welcoming many more successful applicants in the months and years ahead.”

Minister for Probation and Prisons, James Timpson said: “The criminal justice system exists to keep our streets safe, but employers can play their part too by helping offenders turn their back on crime through the stability of a secure job.

“We can’t ignore that nearly 80% of offenders are re-offenders. Partnerships like our one with Greene King help tackle this by tapping into a disregarded talent pool, helping to rehabilitate prison leavers, cut crime and grow our economy.”

In July 2024, Greene King was included in the government’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers List. Since launching its apprenticeship scheme in 2011, the company has supported more than 17,500 apprentices through the scheme.

Issue 226

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Inflation Rate Rises For First Time In 2024 To 2.2% The rate of inflation has risen for the first time this year, official figures from the Office of National statistics (ONS) reveal.

Overall prices rose by 2.2% in the year to July, slightly above the Bank of England’s target of 2% where the rate had been since May. The latest figures mean that prices are now rising faster across the UK than in previous months, but still at a slower pace than in 2022 and 2023 when the public and businesses were hit by higher energy and food bills.

Prices fell by 0.2% in July, helped by cheaper hotel stays, however this was smaller than the 0.4% decrease in prices in July 2023, when energy bills dropped sharply, meaning that the headline rate of inflation increased.

The ONS’s chief economist, Grant Fitzner, said: “Inflation ticked up a little in July as although domestic energy costs fell, they fell by less than a year ago. This was partially offset by hotel costs, which fell in July after strong growth in June.”

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association said: “We have observed the slight uptick in inflation from 2% to 2.2% in July, but for our sector, the impact will be minimal. The real focus for night-time economy businesses remains firmly on the upcoming Autumn Budget. With a growing government narrative around the voids in public funding that are fuelling inevitable tax increases by the Chancellor on the 30th October.

The potential for further tax increases, could place an additional burden on businesses still recovering from

the challenges of recent years. The Autumn Budget must not lose sight of the fragility of our sector, and prioritise the continuation of support for our sector, ensuring that we are not left behind during this critical period.”

The ONS figures also reveal a 6.4% monthly fall in hotel prices, Zen Valli, managing director of EMEA for hotel technology specialist RMS Cloud said: “Hotel prices may still be giving the Bank of England a headache when looking at the annual trend but there’s been a complete about turn in the past month. They were blamed for a lot of the upward pressure on inflation in June but fast forward a month and they’re the reason inflation isn’t significantly higher than it is.

“People talk about surge pricing, or what’s known in the industry as dynamic pricing, fuelling price rises but this month’s data is a lesson in how that isn’t a one-way street and you’ve got to take the market with you.

Hotels appeal to both consumer and business travellers but both can be very price sensitive, and it’s significant that this retreat in the trajectory of prices comes at the start of the peak holiday season. The spending power of holidaymakers appears to now be softening.

“Major online travel agents had revealed strong demand this year for international travel but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some further cooling off in the coming months. Last year’s inflationary peak has been unwinding for a while now after a period in which hotels were desperate to raise prices where they could to offset a post-pandemic upswing in operating and labour costs.”

Suncream Ice Cream - The Great Taste of the Summer For over fifty years Suncream Ice Cream has been manufacturing their award winning Italian ice cream in Tamworth Staffordshire, earning many awards along the way we are proud to be classed as Great Taste Producer.

Family-owned business offers an impressive array of products including traditional scoop ice cream, vegan, sorbets and even ice cream for dogs.

ical concern for many consumers and highlighting their dedication to high safety standards.

For those seeking a touch of luxury Gelato Lusso offers an artisan experience. This ice cream is robot-filled and hand-dressed, made with whipping cream to deliver a sumptuous, creamy texture that promises to impress. Gelato Lusso undoubtedly adds the "wow" factor to any offering.

Rebecca Manfredi, Managing Director, emphasises the versatility and quality of their Gelato Gold range. Made with 20% double cream, this premium ice cream comes in 21 exquisite flavours like Sea Salted Caramel and Black Forest Gateau. Ideal for standalone scoops or as an accompaniment this range can certainly elevate your dessert offering. Gelato Gold is a perfect addition to any dessert menu. Suncream ensures their clients are well-equipped to present these delights with comprehensive menu cards and a full range of point-of-sale materials.

Suncream Ice Cream’s diverse and high-quality offerings continue to set them apart, ensuring delight for every customer, be it human or canine.

Suncream's commitment to inclusivity and safety is evident in their vegan ice cream range, which is free from the main 14 declarable allergens. "We are proud to be a nut-free site" Rebecca states, addressing a crit-

For more information on Suncream Ice Cream please contact 01827 282571 info@suncreamdairies.com www.suncreamicecream.com

Not forgetting our four-legged friends, Suncream introduces Gelato Woof, a lactose-free ice cream designed for dogs. Made with carrot and apple puree and fortified with calcium, it provides a delicious and healthy treat, promoting strong bones, heart health, and muscle function. A wooflicious treat for your furry friends.

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Six Steps To Enhancing Guest Satisfaction Pa ola Wa schbusch is a Rooms Division & Susta ina bility Lecturer a t Les Roches M a rbella .

With ma ny yea rs’ experience a s a ma na ger f or top bra nds such a s M a rriott, M élia a nd Sta rwood Hotels, Pa ola ha s been on the frontline of guest rela tions throughout her ca reer.

Guest satisfaction is at the core of the hospitality industry. This is a people-to-people business, so all hotels are aiming to have the highest performance in terms of guest satisfaction. Those who consistently achieve high scores are more likely to generate customer loyalty and benefit from word-of-mouth advertising, which ultimately helps them boost their revenue.

I’ve always worked in operational departments and have been a mystery guest, auditor and quality assurance specialist, so I’ve had the pleasure of seeing firsthand how properties around the world are striving to achieve this. It’s why they invest so much in trying to provide all the tools and resources their teams need to attain high customer satisfaction levels.

When I started in the hospitality industry over 20 years ago, the environment was completely different. But today, with social media reviews and all the information available to guests before they even arrive, expectations are now higher than ever. We’re living in such fast-paced times and new trends are emerging all the time, so it’s becoming even more of a challenge for hotels to adapt to changing guest behaviours and preferences.

They’re now having to not only meet but also exceed guest expectations. And the pace at which they change means it’s incredibly difficult for hotels to stay aligned with them.

1. UNDERSTANDING WHAT GUESTS EXPECT When looking at how to increase guest satisfaction in hotels, understanding what a guest’s expectations are is critical. So one of the things hotels almost always ask is the reason for a customer’s stay. That simple clue helps hotels gain a basic understanding of what guest expectations will be. For example, I’m not the same if I’m travelling for business purposes as I am if I’m travelling with my kids. I’m the same guest, but have completely different needs.

All the new systems we have in hotels that allow us to build guest profiles provide crucial information for hoteliers. And if it’s a loyal guest, hotels can build up a very clear picture about their preferences. That data is incredibly helpful because it allows hoteliers to anticipate needs and prepare better for meeting expectations, which in turn helps them create memorable experiences and boost customer loyalty. The resulting higher levels of guest satisfaction can, of course, lead to increased revenue.

A good example of that is cultural awareness. It can help so much when trying to create emotional connections with guests.

2. MEETING AND EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS TO ACHIEVE HIGHER SATISFACTION LEVELS One of the great ways of meeting and exceeding guest expectations and therefore achieving higher customer satisfaction levels is through providing a personalised service.

That’s why hotels focus on personalising service, using the valuable customer information they have gained through previous interactions, purchase history and other personalisation techniques to deliver exceptional guest experiences. There’s also a great opportunity to upsell and generate more revenue by tailoring guest experiences. Because the more you get to know your guest, the more you can offer things for which they really are willing to pay a premium.

It’s almost a virtuous circle too, because those improved financial results will give you the funds you need to create good training programs for employees, which helps ensure they are equipped to deliver those memorable experiences to guests.

3. CREATING A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE Hotels can use many different techniques for creating a memorable experience for guests by personalising their stay, including leaving welcoming gifts in their rooms or offering complimentary refreshments. Often they are just little things that don’t cost much but can create a lasting impression.

However, in my personal experience, I do not remember how luxurious the hotel was or the specific services offered. I remember people. Yes, the personalisation techniques are important, but what really creates that customer loyalty are those human connections.

So of course, hotels need to deliver a consistent high-quality product and services adapted to the guests’ requests. But at the end of the day, what enables them to create those memories is actually employee engagement.

For management, it becomes a question of caring for employees and guests at the same time. If you create that ‘hospitality mindset’ as the general manager, you will be co-creating those special memories. Of course, you can build guest profiles from all the advanced technology you have at your disposal. But sometimes you find out how you can make a stay truly memorable through just a small guest-employee interaction. That’s why having employees who are engaged is so important.

There is a nice Japanese concept called Kuuki Yomenai that I love because it refers to reading the ambiance and having the sensitivity to notice, for example, if a guest wants to talk or not. Once you start being aware of a customer’s feelings, you can really make a difference.

It would be amazing to create ‘wow’ experiences every time we have an interaction with guests. But in real life, that’s not possible, even in the most luxurious hotels in the world. However, if you foster that guest-oriented culture in which employees are engaged, at some point in what we call the ‘guest cycle’, there should be moments when you can create that emotional connection.

4. THE KEY TO MAKING A STAY MORE MEMORABLE When it comes to delivering more memorable guest experiences, I believe employee satisfaction is critical. If you’re happy where you are working and if you know you have support no matter what situation and are empowered, that will help you meet and exceed guest expectations.

The industry is facing many challenges at the moment and high employee turnover rates mean it’s difficult to retain the kind of talent you need to deliver memorable experiences. So from my point of view, ‘conscious leadership’ that is committed to employee engagement is what hotels need to meet those challenges.

This is a people-to-people business and we should focus on employees who are the real stars of creating memorable experiences for guests. If employees are being the best version of themselves, they will enable hotels to attain the guest satisfaction levels they need. So they need to be given the support, the tools and the feedback that will enable them to shine.

5.

MAKING USE OF FEEDBACK

Of course, as the saying goes, if you don’t measure something, you can’t improve it, so it’s critical for hotels to gather feedback from guests about their stays as well. This not only helps them gauge the effectiveness of their internal processes, it also helps when it comes to personalising the interactions you may have with guests in future.

Asking for feedback can be great for generating positive reviews that can lead to increased bookings, but it can be dangerous too. For example, if you have a survey sample of 50 people and just two guests mention the buffet offer is not up to their expectations, of course you need to follow it up, but it’s not something that means you need to completely change your strategy.

Another thing hoteliers should consider is that complaints are also an opportunity to exceed guest expectations. If a guest is taking the time to ask to speak to a manager, it’s because they really want to share what happened to them.

That means you can gather information that’s useful for improving service in future and maybe turn things around for the guest at the same time. It’s also a chance to forge a connection, solve a problem and make the guest feel you have listened to them and care what they think.

I’m still in contact with some guests who made complaints to me in the past. They still send me messages, so despite the situation, they knew I was willing to help and try to solve their problem.

6. HOW TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN BRAND LOYALTY TO DELIVER ON GUEST EXPECTATIONS Many of the larger hotel brands have different tiers designed to appeal to specific audiences and so align with their particular expectations. During my time with Westin – part of Marriott International – I was part of a program looking at how to connect its brand promise with real life across all our different programs and offers.

One of these was the value of ‘wellbeing’ and involved a range of initiatives such as ‘sleep well’, in which we provided lavender essential oils and different pillows depending on guests preferences. Hotels have genuine opportunities to customise their offer to align with certain guest expectations and people for whom those values are important will tend to gravitate towards such brands.

Creating a brand identity and delivering on that brand promise helps you provide the kind of experience guests are expecting, which in turn helps boost your guest satisfaction levels if you are genuinely delivering on them. Not every hotel is able to provide personalised service and that’s mainly due to a lack of resources. But if brands create something specific that is aligned with their guests’ desires and expectations, they can create powerful connection with them.

On the flip side, failing to deliver on those brand promises can create dissatisfaction, though again, that may provide you with the opportunity to put things right. For example, in my last property, we had challenges with guest satisfaction among our top tier loyalty program members. They put a lot of business our way throughout the year, so whenever they were on holiday, they expected to stay in suites. But in high season, we were not always able to accommodate those expectations.

Again, it came down to small details and trying to recognise their loyalty level with simple extras to make those guests feel important. It didn’t cost much; it was more about making that emotional connection. And we reached the highest satisfaction scores in the loyalty program for the whole of the EMEA region. It was a question of appreciation and meant more than just sending them a complementary gift or something.

Human needs are always the same – we want to feel appreciated, cared for and that we belong. In this case, as soon as we started making those customers feel that way by recognising their loyalty, we were able to uplift guest satisfaction to unprecedented levels.

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 mouth-watering 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

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Heatwave Could Pull In More Than £30 Million for UK Pubs, According to BBPA Andrew Tighe, Director of Strategy and Policy of the British Beer and Pub Association said: "Nothing says summer more than a pint in your local beer garden and many Brits will be raising a glass to some muchneeded warm weather.

Pubs could be set for a massive multi-million pound boost as the sunny weather rolls in With Britain heading into a predicted to a heatwave, the sector could enjoy an uplift of 7 million pints and a £30 million windfall.

“After months of wet weather, this projected windfall could bring a ray of sunshine for pubs everywhere and help raise profits for a sector that plays a unique and important role in our culture and communities up and down the UK.

The projected boost was based on comparing sales from a week in September 2023, which experienced similarly sunny weather.

Over this period pubs sold 7.1m more pints than they did in an average week for the rest of that month. At today’s prices that would generate additional turnover of £34.2m.

“Pubs are an essential part of the British bank holiday, and the BBPA urges everyone to make the most of the sunny weather by visiting their local pub.”

As pubs across the UK work their way towards the bank holiday, August may be the month the sector has been waiting for.

Win A Keg Of Beer Every Month For A Year which Ross is calling on punters to find the pub that serves the best pint in the UK.

Ross Kemp is offering one lucky licensee the chance to win a year of free stock, as part of his partnership with HEINEKEN SmartDispense®

Consumers are being asked to rate their pints on the Use Your Local platform in order to win a VIP Ross Kemp Pub Package, which includes a visit from Ross himself, pints on him, a range of his favourite bar snacks and the best seat in the house for them and their mates. In addition, the pub with the highest-rated pints will also receive a visit from the famous on-screen publican, who will pull a few pints behind the bar during his visit.

With the third episode of the Ross Kemp Behind Bars campaign launched this week, the actor, journalist and documentary maker, Ross Kemp is celebrating by offering one licensee a free keg of beer every month for a year.

In the final episode of the series (watch here) Ross visits two iconic London pubs, The Elephant’s Head and The Henley Arms, to investigate how HEINEKEN SmartDispense® enables licensees to reduce beer, cider, water, CO2 and cleaning material wastage by up to 85%*, and pour the perfect pint every time.

To further support the UK pub trade, at the same time he is launching a competition to win free beer for a year, open to any licensee that signs-up to install SmartDispense® in venue between August and the end of October. The winner will receive a free keg of any HEINKEN UK beer brand of their choosing, each month for 12-months in 2025. HEINEKEN’s leading beer brands include Heineken®, Foster’s, Cruzcampo, John Smith’s, Amstel, and Birra Moretti. To enter, simply visit https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/events/behind-bars/ and fill in your details**.

At the same time, a new consumer competition aimed at driving footfall into UK pubs, is being launched in

Will Rice, On-Trade Director, at HEINEKEN UK says, “To celebrate the third and final episode of our hugely successful Ross Kemp Behind Bars campaign we are launching both a trade and a consumer competition, with the aim of further supporting British pubs.

“We know how hard pub operators work and how important quality is to consumers and so we wanted to give something back at the same time as driving footfall into pubs across the UK. The pint is at the heart of the British pub experience and at HEINEKEN SmartDispense®, we’re on a mission to ensure every pint is perfection.”

For more information on HEINEKEN SmartDispense® and to enter the competition to win a free keg of beer each month for a year, click here.

Miscommunication’ Over Drink Order May Have Led To Girl’s Death, Inquest Told fine”.

A young girl with a severe dairy allergy may have been served a Costa Coffee hot chocolate that was made with cows’ milk after a possible “miscommunication” an inquest has heard.

Other questions included whether Ms Akter was provided with any training in her own language, if refresher training had been provided, if she knew what an allergen was, and if she knew the potential consequences of being subject to any allergy.

13-year-old Hannah Jacobs, who was allergic to dairy products, along with fish and eggs since she childhood, suffered an “immediate reaction” to the beverage, despite her mother ordering two hot chocolates with soya milk. Hannah died within hours of taking one sip of a hot chocolate coffee drink in February 2022, East London Coroner’s Court was told.

She was also asked if anyone confirmed her understanding of the training and if she ever wrote anything on a drink to identify what was in it.

Ms Akter, who was assisted by an interpreter while giving evidence, exercized her legal right, under coroners’ rules, not to answer a series of questions that could be seen as incriminating as she gave evidence.

Urmi Akter who had been working at the coffee shop in Barking, east London, for approximately eight months told the court she took the order from Abimbola Duyile for the takeaway drinks, and said she could see and hear Ms Duyile “clearly” at the time.

Ms Akter said Ms Duyile had asked for two hot chocolates, and asked “can you wash the jug because my daughter has a dairy allergy?”

The court heard that under Costa’s rules, customers who ask for a non-dairy product or state they have a dietary requirement should be shown a book kept under the till which includes ingredients and details of how a drink is made.

In her statement, Ms Akter said she did not show Ms Duyile the book “as she told me washing the jug was

Emily Slocombe, representing Hannah’s family, asked: “If you had got out the allergy book and shown and discussed this with Hannah’s mother, this would have been an opportunity for any miscommunications to be cleared up, wouldn’t it?”

Ms Slocombe also asked Akter if she had repeated the order back to Duyile and queried why she did not confirm whether cows’ milk was being used and if she had told the barista who went on to make the drink about the allergy.

Ms Akter did not give an answer to these questions, and the inquest continues.

Global Careers In Hospitality: How To Find The Perfect Balance 18

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By Stanislas Helou is Visiting Faculty in Luxury Brand Management / Ultra-Luxury Travel Experiences at Glion Institute of Higher Education general manager.

for you:

From a purely professional point of view, having international experience is definitely seen as a plus by employers – giving you potential to get in prime position for roles that will increase your earning potential and/or offer enhanced job satisfaction.

1.

THE CHALLENGES OF A GLOBAL CAREER While I would always endorse the choice of an international career, it would be wrong not to acknowledge the challenges you’ll face along the way.

When I’m talking to Glion students, my message is always “do it early, before you acquire too much baggage”. By that I mean family and financial commitments. Heading off to a job in Bora Bora is an amazing adventure when you are 25 and single; less so when you are 45 with a partner and two kids, a mortgage, and a sick parent to look after.

You always make it there You make it anywhere It’s up to you New York, New York!

Everyone knows the famous Sinatra song. Maybe you’ve sung it at a karaoke one time. Me? I lived it, right after graduating from Glion Institute of Higher Education.

You see, New York was my dream destination for a first job in hospitality, even though at the time (this was the mid-2000s) Dubai was seen as THE place to go and many of my classmates were heading there.

I grew up in Lebanon and had also lived for a while in Saudi Arabia, so the Middle East was familiar territory. I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone and try something really challenging, and I guess you could say that is one of the attributes it’s useful to have if you are ambitious to set out on a global career.

Another is – of course – to choose hospitality as your career path, since it happens to be the most geographically diverse of all industries.

There’s a hotel in every town, in every country. If you want to see the world while you work, you can’t choose better than a hospitality career.

THE BENEFITS OF AN INTERNATIONAL CAREER The year-and-a-half I spent in New York was the first staging point of a career that’s so far taken me to eight different countries, leading up to my present home in Andorra, from where I’m running the consultancy Thinking Luxury with my wife Miriam Palà and my co-founder (and Glion alumna) Stéphanie Steinbrecht-Aleix.

So, what benefits and advantages do I feel I’ve gained from all this international exposure? Thinking back to when I started out in New York, I’d say the biggest benefit was that it made me grow up fast and become a man. Why? Because I’d never paid taxes before. I had to get my Social Security number. I had to find a place to rent and put a down payment on it. And of course it put me in a different time zone to my family, so I had to become more independent.

I often joke that my time working in New York was like doing Master’s degrees back-to-back; on leadership, management, absolutely everything.

Although at that time I spoke English fluently, it wasn’t my first language, French was. So being immersed in an English-speaking culture definitely helped me perfect my English, which is good, since I teach Glion students exclusively in that language today.

Working in New York scratched a lifelong itch, but when the time came to move on I wanted totally different surroundings in which to continue building my global career. I decided to try to get a job on a resort island – but one where I didn’t speak the language, because I was still very much in a personal growth mindset.

This ambition took me to the island of Crete, and a new resort hotel opening that a friend of mine was involved with.

This new experience could not have been more different to my time in New York – and not just because of the location and typical clientele.

The hotel was very much a family business, with a number of relatives working across the property. That created a totally different dynamic for a 24-year-old looking to build a management role, and this taught me a huge amount about leadership styles, in particular how to soften my approach. I also learned how to gain the respect of my reports by rolling up my sleeves and doing the jobs I required of them.

I have no doubt that being in such diverse work environments can enhance our skills in leadership and problem-solving, as well as cross-cultural communication; and in a cultural melting pot like hospitality it becomes essential to go through this learning experience if you’re ambitious to reach senior leadership positions such as department head or

It perhaps goes without saying, but of course you must also be culturally open-minded to make an international assignment work. This was perhaps even more the case in the days before the internet, whereas now you can become immersed in a culture online before you experience it in person. But even today you must leave your prejudices and preconceptions at the airport if you want to experience the best of your new environment.

Glion students are lucky in that cross-cultural fluency becomes second nature as they mix on campus with around 100 nationalities. With a wide choice of internship destinations it gives them a head start in developing a strong cultural understanding.

But probably the biggest challenge of a global career is what to do if a job doesn’t work out? This tends to hit harder than when changing jobs in the same city or country, because to relocate you’ve inevitably invested much more time, effort and potentially money to make it happen.

This is exactly what happened to me after leaving the resort in Crete, and while I don’t have the perfect answer as to what to do, I can at least relate from my own experience.

I moved to a hotel in London, taking a lower position than I was qualified for on the promise that I would be promoted when a colleague relocated to Abu Dhabi. But the whole thing was a disaster – nothing worked, the leadership was bad, and the working practices were archaic.

In my head I was like ‘why am I accepting this?’, but I still had a bit of that New York mentality which was just to push it for one more month, one more month, in the hope things would work out.

So my advice, if you like, would be to give it your best shot, but to recognise when a job is simply not for you, and act quickly and decisively. For me that came after four months – I left the business and never looked back.

BE BOLD AND AIM HIGH

Few jobs land in your lap, and even fewer when it comes to international markets. So I’ve always aimed at the top – as the old saying goes, ‘Why pray to a saint rather than God’.

A personal example was how I landed my role with Luxury Retreats, the luxury villa rental company which is now part of Airbnb. A friend of mine got a position there and I thought about trying to get a role with them at their headquarters in Canada. So I went straight for the thenCEO, first via LinkedIn, with no response. Then I tried various combinations of what I thought could be his email address, until a message finally got through. He answered in five minutes, saying to call his office and arrange something while he was in Europe on an upcoming business trip.

Sure enough, we met, and by this time I’d conceived an idea to be their ‘man’ in Europe. By the Friday of that week we’d mapped out the position, and I started 10 days later.

2.

GET ORGANISED

This is true of life in general, but it becomes especially true when living and working abroad. I was chatting about this to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company at the airport recently, and I showed him how my Outlook calendar is arranged.

Everything – business and personal – is colour-coordinated and shared with my wife, and I make ample use of reminders to trigger me to do something. And this is not because I am disorganised, it’s simply that when you are juggling lots of responsibilities you need a little extra help like this.

3.

KEEP LEARNING

If you are in a new country, try to learn at least some of the language.

It’ll really help you become better immersed in the culture, among other things. Even during my time in Crete, where I’d vowed not to try and learn Greek, I still committed to learning 50 or so words.

Even today, while balancing my entrepreneurial and teaching responsibilities, I still want to keep on learning. For example, I’m currently following a LinkedIn course on finance, because it’s an area of business I dislike, so all the more reason to get more to grips with it.

4.

PRAY FOR PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR

There’s a lot of truth in this old maxim. I already mentioned my ‘failure’ MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE in London, and we all have to be prepared for things not to go our way.

ALONG THE WAY Although not exclusive to international careers, the issue of work-life balance is sure to be one you’ll face if that is your desired pathway.

Hospitality is hard work in often unsocial hours; that much is common knowledge. As such, you have to be careful not to become too deeply immersed in your job to the detriment of all life outside it. And this is especially true when working in a new country, where you’ll often be away from family and your friendship network.

Although I really enjoyed the role, I experienced this to a degree when working at a hotel in London, where I was Assistant Front Office Manager. I learned a huge amount there, particularly when I was on the night shift, because in a hotel everything that happens in the middle of the night is not ‘normal’.

But my work-life balance became poor at the same time, because I couldn’t stop working. I even had calls transferred to my personal mobile – crazy!

In your early career there’s a certain trade-off between working too hard and the experience you gain from doing so. We all have it in us to do this in our 20s, but again the secret is knowing when to say ‘enough’ and move on.

For me, this meant leaving the operational front line and taking an office-based role with the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Barcelona. That was an amazing experience – I learned another language, Spanish, and I also learned a lot about time management, as well as the area I was specialising in, namely events. And I also met my wife there, so it was pretty much a perfect posting.

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY WORK ACROSS COUNTRIES, LANGUAGES, AND CULTURES To summarise, here are my five top tips to make a global career work

Think about your exit strategy, and don’t stick around too long in a role that simply isn’t working out.

Here you might also want to read up on ‘positive indifference’, which is a philosophy whereby an attitude of indifference to events and experiences that are beyond our control helps bring about a sense of calm. It also tends to free us up to focus on aspects that we can influence or control, giving us a greater sense of personal empowerment.

Tough situations can also make us grateful for the quality of our professional network. As Glion alumni, we are lucky that there are around 16,000 professionals out there who are always willing to lend their support or advice. It’s a return on investment in schools like Glion which is frequently overlooked.

5.

ENJOY IT!

Last but by no means least, get out and enjoy your global career. It’s a truly amazing experience to be in a new country, with a completely new way of life laid out before you. Your cultural understanding will take a leap forwards, and you are sure to become a more rounded – and thus employable – professional.

I’ve taken something away from every country I’ve lived in; whether it was language skills, leadership attributes, a cultural interest, or just a deeper knowledge of what I am – and am not – capable of. I would always endorse a globetrotting career, just as I would endorse the hospitality industry as the best way to experience it.

Stanislas Helou is Visiting Faculty in Luxury Brand Management / Ultra-Luxury Travel Experiences at Glion Institute of Higher Education

Train Strike Resolution In Sight As Union And Government Agree Deal 20

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Issue 226

Train drivers are to vote on a new pay deal aimed bringing an end longrunning strike action.

The proposed vote follows talks between representatives of Aslef and the Department for Transport aimed to resolve the pay dispute between drivers and train companies in England.

The new offer is for a 5% backdated pay rise for 2022/23, a 4.75% rise for 23/24, and 4.5% increase for 24/25.

Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary, said: “The offer is a good offer – a fair offer – and it is what we have always asked for, a clean offer, without a land grab for our terms and conditions that the companies, and previous government, tried to take in April last year.

“We will put it to members with a recommendation for them to accept.”

Transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “When I took this job, I said I wanted to move fast and fix things – starting by bringing an end to rail strikes. Finally today the end is in sight.

“If accepted, this offer would finally bring an end to this long-running dispute and allow us to move forward by driving up performance for passengers with the biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation.”

There have been 18 strikes since June 2022 which are estimated to have cost the hospitality industry more than £4b in lost sales.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “This is an extremely positive development and I hope that this leads to a firm end to ongoing strike action.

“We estimate that hospitality businesses have lost more than £3.5 billion in sales throughout the period when businesses have been forced to shut, staff prevented from coming into work and families forced to cancel plans.

“I’m pleased that all parties involved have come together to reach this proposal and I hope this will see a line drawn under the dispute. Once resolved, we can enter a period of rebuilding trust in our rail network.”

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association said: “The breakthrough in negotiations between the government and ASLEF is a crucial step forward for our sector. For over two years, industrial action has severely impacted the night-time economy, creating significant barriers for businesses, workers, and patrons alike. The proposed pay deal, which marks a potential end to the long-running rail dispute, is a positive sign that the tide is turning.”

“While there is still much work to be done, particularly in rebuilding the financial stability of our sector, the prospect of renewed stability in rail services is a welcome development. Reliable transport is the lifeblood of the night-time economy, ensuring that millions of people can access our venues and events safely and conveniently.”

“We have endured immense challenges, and this breakthrough offers a glimmer of hope for the future. It is imperative that we continue to engage in constructive dialogue to address the remaining hurdles, ensuring that our sector can thrive once again. This moment is a testament to the power of collaboration and the shared commitment to revitalising our industry.”

Urban Pubs & Bars Announce Acquisition Of The Herne Tavern In East Dulwich

London pub and dining group Urban Pubs & Bars has announced its latest pub acquisitions across the capital.

The Herne in East Dulwich is an iconic Victorian pub which was built in the mid-19th Century with a huge beer garden that is much loved in the area.

Urban Pubs and Bars have already installed a new menu which features pub classic and a hearty Sunday Roast with meat from award winning butcher HG Walter.

Urban Pubs & Bars has purchased the site and plan to continue trading as normal.

This takes Urban Pubs & Bars tally of London venues to 44 locations, in line with company expansion plans.

This adds to the tally of UP&B sites opened this year which includes iconic Spitalfields pub The Gun from East London Pub Co and The Red Setter located in the vibrant Northcote Road community between Battersea and Clapham.

The latter venue had undergone a £1m refurbishment and building programme. To celebrate the opening UP&B urged owners of Red Setter dogs and other dogs to join the launch to create a special image of the

distinctive dogs standing proudly outside.

Earlier this year UP&B announced group EBITDA of £6.4m for the financial year-ended April 30, 2023, an improvement of 11 per cent versus the prior year.

The leisure group revealed like-for-like sales were up 17 per cent and turnover increased by almost 60 per cent to £52.2m.

Since the start of the current financial year, the business has successfully opened four new sites including The Red Setter, Victory at Waterloo Station, Railway in Putney and The Junction in Islington, with trading exceeding expectations.

The UP&B Group, includes flagship pubs Nest, Bishopsgate, The Wheatsheaf, Tooting and The Gatehouse, Highgate, is encouraged by the news and predicts further growth despite economic forecasts, transport strikes and the general state of the UK economy.

UP&B Managing Director, Chris Hill, said: “We are delighted to add The Gun in Spitalfields and The Herne in East Dulwich to our growing portfolio. These are iconic pubs and we will continue to offer the excellent food, drink and great service that Urban Pubs and Bars are famous for.”

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

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FSA Issues Updated Notice On Plastic Containers And Utensils Containing Bamboo In Northern Ireland, these products have already been prohibited for sale as a food contact material, following the European Commission Food Contact Material legislation and businesses continue to comply with this ruling.

The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have continued to advise consumers not to use plastic containers or utensils containing bamboo and other unauthorised plant-based materials.

Businesses are reminded not to sell such products as they are noncompliant with legislation and come with safety concerns.

The advice does not apply to items made solely from bamboo or plant-based materials, only those products which use a combination of plastic and plant-based materials. Businesses are being asked to take care to check that any bamboo or similar-plant products remaining on the market do not contain any plastic components.

The advice comes after the FSA and FSS told the industry in May 2022 to stop selling food contact materials containing bamboo and similar unauthorised plant-based materials such as rice husks, wheat straw and hemp and called for evidence to assess the long-term safety of these products.

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) have now considered the new data submitted to the FSA and FSS and found that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that these products are safe and there remains concerns over the impact on health from long-term use.

In light of the new data both the FSA and FSS have taken the decision to continue to require industry to remove them from sale and advise consumers who may still have them at home to not use them for foodrelated purposes.

The COT concluded that, the presence of bamboo and similar plant-based matter in plastic materials can result in formaldehyde and melamine leaking into food or drink products above the legal limit, which is unsafe for consumers.

Formaldehyde is naturally produced by the body but when ingested at high levels can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms. While melamine consumed in the short-term has low acute toxicity, long-term exposure at high levels can result in kidney damage and damage to the urinary tract.

Whilst it is very unlikely that the short-term use of these products would result in an immediate risk to health, the FSA and FSS recommends reducing exposure to these products as the long-term impacts from regular use of these items remains unclear.

Therefore, the FSA and FSS are advising that these products should remain unavailable for sale in Great Britain (GB) and people should dispose of them or repurpose if they still have them in their homes.

Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the FSA said: “At the Food Standards Agency, our mission is to ensure food is safe and this also includes ensuring the products which come into contact with our food, such as containers and utensils, are safe too.

“Following our robust risk assessment process, we have found there to be insufficient evidence to provide us with confidence that these products are safe for consumers to use and therefore, our position remains that food containers and utensils containing bamboo composite material should not be sold in GB.” “We don’t know the long-term impacts to health from using these products and we continue to have concerns that chemicals such as formaldehyde and melamine might leak from these materials when they are in contact with food, especially hot or acidic foods.

“Previously, businesses were asked to remove these products from sale and, as a precautionary measure, consumers were advised that they should not use any of these products they had previously purchased until a full investigation into the potential risks had been completed.”

“Now this is complete, we are advising consumers who still have these items not to use them for storing or serving food, but to dispose of them in general waste, and for businesses to ensure these products are not made available for sale.”

“These products are not compostable and can’t be recycled and so, consumers who still have these items should discard them in the general waste bin or re-use them for non-food purposes.”

The updated position statement from COT can be read at here

Heartwood Collection Acquires The George & Dragon, Marlow And The Red Lion, Stratford Upon Avon Heartwood Collection, the award-winning hospitality group, has acquired the following sites from Whitbread Plc:

• The George & Dragon, Marlow • The Red Lion, Stratford upon Avon Both properties will undergo multi-million pound refurbishments with The George & Dragon becoming Heartwood’s seventh pub with rooms and is scheduled to reopen in 2025.

The pubs join the seven other sites already confirmed by Heartwood for the next twelve months as part of its growth plan to reach over 60 sites by 2027.

The George & Dragon is a historic inn located in Marlow’s bustling town centre. The refurbishment will see its 17 rooms transformed into boutique bedrooms that reflect the town’s history and location on the River Thames. They will be infused with Heartwood’s signature warm, welcoming style with 200 internal covers in the spacious bar and dining room and a further 50 external

covers.

The Red Lion is located on the canal in historic Stratford Upon Avon and just moments from the Royal Shakespeare Company. A listed building, the pub will be sympathetically renovated to create 175 internal covers across the bar and dining room with an additional 200 external covers created in the spacious garden.

Richard Ferrier, CEO of Heartwood Collection, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have acquired these two iconic pubs from Whitbread. We have tracked them for a long time so to get them over the line is really pleasing. We will now invest significant time and capital in them.”

“Both the George & Dragon and the Red Lion will add a huge amount to our Heartwood Inns business.

We have real momentum in our acquisition programme at present and a busy 12 months ahead.”

Greenleaf’s Christmas Collection Unveiled have something that reflects their ethos and culture.

phs Greenleaf has launched its 2024 Christmas tree collection, featuring everything from sustainable moss trees to novelty Christmas jumper trees.

“We have the traditional trees in reds and greens, and a luxury collection for a truly decadent festive display. We also monitor the market all year round to create our ‘trend trees’.

phs Greenleaf has been providing Christmas trees and decorations to businesses for over 20 years, including pre-decorated artificial and real trees, bespoke displays and festive accessories for both inside and outside a premise.

This year’s range includes a collection of traditional trees, luxury trees and trend trees and matching accessories, including wreaths, garlands, tabletop trees, desk florals and parcels.

“Christmas is an opportunity to make a statement about your brand,” said Stephen Dieppe, Managing Director of phs Greenleaf. “That’s why we have created such a diverse collection so that every business can

“With sustainability front of mind, we created our new ‘Festive Forage’ tree, which uses natural decorations, and, as a nod to nostalgia (which is big this year!) our ‘Deck the Halls’ tree is an ode to the Christmas jumper “We also make bespoke trees and displays for our customers. This is a great way to create that big Instagram moment that so many brands want at Christmas.” phs Greenleaf’s new Christmas 2024 brochure is now available online.

Business Cost Recovery ‘Essential’ To Edinburgh Visitor Levy Scheme 24

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Issue 226

UKHospitality Scotland has urged City of Edinburgh councillors to adopt the cost recovery mechanism recommended in the draft visitor levy scheme.

dation providers to recover their costs has been a key ask on behalf of our members and I’m pleased that City of Edinburgh Council officials have acted on this.

In the draft scheme published ahead of the Policy and Sustainability Committee meeting on 22 August, it is recommended that 2.5% of proceeds collected by the levy is retained by the accommodation provider to recover its cost.

“Businesses ability to recoup 2.5% of proceeds will be an important way to deal with the additional burden this scheme will bring.

Crucially, it will reduce the impact of the scheme on our sector’s ability to invest.

This was a key ask of UKHospitality Scotland and is essential to ensure the scheme doesn’t impede the ability of accommodation providers to invest, deliver economic growth and create jobs.

“I’m pleased that half of the funds raised will be spent across culture, heritage, events and destination management, but it must be spent in a way that will boost the visitor economy, keeping the city as a leading destination.

The draft scheme also recommends: • Hospitality representation on the visitor levy forum through the Edinburgh Hotels Association, a member of UKHospitality Scotland.

• A levy of 5%, capped at a maximum of seven consecutive nights • Half of funds raised to be spent on culture, heritage, events and destination management.

Responding, Leon Thompson, Executive Director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “The ability for accommo-

“It must not be used as a way to top up day-to-day council operations.

“UKHospitality Scotland has been clear about the negative impact this scheme could have on hospitality and tourism, if done wrong, and the inclusion of cost recovery, ringfencing and hospitality representation on the forum is a positive start. I hope the council takes forward these recommendations.”

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 presales 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.

Maximising Revenue, Compliance and Customer Experience with a Lift Whether you're opening a new hospitality venue, renovating existing premises, or looking to comply with regulations, a lift could be the solution.

Any hospitality business aims to provide unparalleled customer service, facilitating easy movement for customers throughout the building and enabling staff to serve quickly and safely.

Lifts in hospitality settings generally fall into two categories: front of house lifts, which ensure smooth movement of people and occasional goods (such as luggage), and back of house lifts, which facilitate the transport of goods and sometimes staff.

A front of house lift, depending on the size and needs of the establishment, is typically a passenger or platform lift.

• Where stairs to a mezzanine floor or steps in front of the building create a barrier for wheelchair and buggy access, a step lift can provide a practical solution where installing a ramp is not feasible.

• For moving customers between floors: In smaller establishments and existing buildings, a conventional platform lift may be sufficient. For a more enhanced customer experience, a cabin platform lift, which gives the look and feel of a traditional lift, could be ideal. Platform lifts benefit from lower pit and headroom requirements and involve less building work than a conventional lift.

A platform lift designed to match the building refit at a restaurant in London For larger establishments and new buildings, the primary choice should always be a passenger lift, as it can

robustly handle high volumes and frequent use.

Not only do these lifts improve overall customer experience but also ensure inclusive access. Failure to give equal, dignified access is a breach of the Equality Act, and with the Purple Pound valued at £274billion per year, it’s a vital source of business revenue.

Behind the scenes, back of house lifts play a crucial role in maintaining excellent customer service. The most well-known is the dumbwaiter, also known as a food or catering lift. With options such as heated shelves to help keep food warm, it’s an invaluable tool when kitchen and restaurant areas are on different floors. This setup prevents the risks of manual handling for staff and improves safety for customers if using the same stairs.

The benefits of a Stannah dumbwaiter include their ability to fit into the even smallest spaces, quick installation time, and relatively low-cost addition to the overall fit-out cost.

For larger working restaurants, trolley lifts and goods lifts are available, including an option for attendant control so a staff member can accompany the load.

Fast and efficient service enhances the customer experience and ensures staff safety at work. Including a lift as part of a refit or fit-out can be a relatively small investment with significant benefits. Are you considering a renovation or thinking about a lift? Look no further than Stannah Lifts, www.stannahlifts.co.uk.

Download our free manual handling guide here https://resources.stannahlifts.co.uk/manual-handling

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Trade Drinks Expo 2024 - The UK’s Premier Event for the On & Off-Trade Drinks Industry Returns to ExCeL London Bar and pub owners, micro-brewers and international decision makers for the largest beverage brands across the country are eagerly awaiting the return of Trade Drinks Expo. Known as Europe's leading event dedicated to on-trade and off-trade drinks, this trade show and industry conference will return to ExCeL London on the 15th & 16th of October.

This year promises to be the event’s most dynamic yet. The expo is set to be attended by thousands of beverage-serving professionals, ready to gather and explore a vast array of delicious drinks, groundbreaking ideas, delivery solutions, essential services, and more. The Expo is designed to help businesses discover forward-thinking solutions to boost profits, attract guests, and retain clients. It’s an exceptional opportunity to discover emerging trends, cutting-edge products, and network with professionals shaping the future of beverages.

Innovative Exhibitors: The show will feature a wide range of exhibitors at the forefront of the industry, showcasing products and services to give businesses a competitive edge. From pre-mixed cocktail brands to electric point-of-sale technology, visitors can expect to find everything they need to drive profits and improve customer satisfaction.

Inspiring Speakers: Attendees can expect to glean insights and inspiration from the brightest minds in the industry. The lineup of speakers will share expertise on a range of topics, including the bar experience, nonalcoholic options, event promotion, and more. It’s a great opportunity to learn from the challenges and successes of representatives of the sector’s biggest institutions.

Sustainability Trail: With sustainability coming to the forefront of importance in the café industry, we’ve curated a dedicated trail of exhibitors at this year's show that have best utilised and implemented sustainable strategies within their business.

Innovation Awards: Time is set aside at the show to celebrate the most groundbreaking alcoholic and low-to-no drinks of the year in an Innovation Awards ceremony. Recognising excellence and creativity in flavour and marketability, these awards highlight industry game-changers, offering a glimpse into the future of trade drinks.

Networking Opportunities: The event offers attendees the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, industry experts, and potential partners. The Expo provides countless chances to build relationships, collaborations, partnerships, and business opportunities, with a diverse yet relevant clientele.

Trade Drinks Expo is more than just an event; it’s a hub for innovation, education, and collaboration and with it running alongside six other industry-leading events, it’s part of the largest B2B event for the hospitality industry’s growth. This convergence offers attendees a comprehensive view of the industry, exploring diverse opportunities and insights under one roof.

So, mark your calendars for the 15th & 16th of October and secure your FREE ticket today to take advantage of countless opportunities to help your drinks business thrive. Register now to be inspired, informed, and connected at the Trade Drinks Expo 2024!

For more information and to secure your free ticket, visit: www.tradedrinksshow.co.uk

Hospitality Skills Scheme Can Help People Back Into Work Unemployment fallen ‘unexpectedly’ while wage growth continues to slow, new ONS data reveals, with observers saying latest figures highlight the difficulty facing the new government in tackling economic inactivity.

The UK labour market continues to show “signs of gradual cooling” as vacancies fall, despite unemployment also marginally falling and wage growth continuing to slow, according to data released this morning by the Office for National Statistics.

According to August’s Labour market overview vacancies in the UK fell by 26,000 in the May-July quarter to 884,000 for the 25th consecutive period, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The unemployment rate was lower than expected a year ago and fell to 4.2 per cent at the end of June, down from 4.4 per cent the previous quarter. While the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was estimated at 74.5 per cent in the April-June quarter, the ONS said it remained lower than a year ago but increased in the most recent quarter.

However, a pre-employment programmes for hospitality, led by UKHospitality and the Department for Work and Pensions, working together with training providers and businesses are helping people currently

unemployed into new roles in hospitality.

The pilot delivered an 85% completion rate, with 80% of those finding employed in the sector.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “With the number of economically inactive increasing, the government should look to hospitality as a sector that has a track record of helping people of varied ages, backgrounds and skillsets into employment.

“Our skills pilot with the Department of Work and Pensions was designed specifically to help those not working into new jobs and it was incredibly effective, with eight in 10 successful participants securing a job.

“A permanent rollout of that pilot could be transformational in helping people into work and would allow hospitality to help the government deliver its target of an 80% employment rate.

“Hospitality provides jobs for everyone, and this scheme can help get people back into work, as well as bearing down on persistent vacancies in the sector.”

Riots Caused 10% Drop in National Hospitality Sales The impact on sales in towns where rumoured protests were planned to take place was as high as 40%, with businesses reporting footfall down by as much as 75%.

There were widespread cancellations, particularly in coastal towns where coach and day trips were pulled. City centres also saw mass cancellation of events, with many workers instructed to work from home.

Over the weekend, the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds backed our calls for insurance companies to act swiftly to help businesses recover.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “These figures are startling and shows the enormous impact the riots, and threat of further disorder, have had on our high streets and communities.

“Bustling, vibrant city centres were turned into ghost towns as the public stayed at home and businesses shut.

“Thankfully, protests and riots didn’t materialise as feared this weekend and we can now turn to how we support our high streets to recover, at a time when many were already struggling with the affordability of running a hospitality business during challenging economic times.

“Hospitality is the glue that knits our communities together and our sector stands ready to work with the government to play a central role in the renewal of our high streets after the challenges of the last 10 days.

“For those businesses sadly affected, that work has already begun and I’m grateful that the Secretary of State has backed our call for swift action from insurance companies dealing with claims. Quick action on practical measures like insurance claims will be crucial for businesses to get back on their feet.”

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Data Reveals Hospitality Employees Stay With A Company For Just Three Years The hospitality industry has the second lowest tenure in the UK, according to a new study into employee retention.

The ‘Employee Retention Report’, compiled by equity management platform, Vestd, analysed a total dataset of 398,006 employees from 1,400 UK companies on LinkedIn to determine the average median employee tenure across 14 industries.

Hospitality had the second lowest tenure with employees staying an average of three years at a company, just ahead of the marketing industry with 2.8 years.

This research comes after a CIPD report found that 30% of UK employees leave to join another organisation every year, with Google trends data revealing 7,000 web searches for ‘letter of resignation’ in the past month alone.

Hospitality has a notably young workforce, as although young people aged 16-24 only make up 10% of the overall UK workforce, they make up 50% of waiting staff, 48% of bar staff and 48% of baristas according to ONS data. This may influence the lower tenure as research suggests younger generations are more likely to stay in jobs for shorter periods, with over three-fifths of 20-24 year olds only remaining in a job role for up to two years.

Although 41% of surveyed hospitality businesses improved their well-being processes in the last five years, 29% employees reported they had no communication from well-being leads regarding resources, support and training.

The data also revealed that the IT industry had the third-lowest tenure (3.1), with employees more likely to stay in startups and SMEs (3.3) compared to an enterprise-size business (2.8).

In addition, startup and SME companies had on average lower tenure than enterprise companies, likely because startups offer less stability, with around 60% failing in their first three years of business.

Commenting on the findings, Ifty Nasir, CEO of Vestd, said: “Employee tenure is a key indicator of job satisfaction and company culture. Our findings demonstrate that, while it is natural to see movement between companies, industries like marketing, hospitality, and IT are struggling to effectively retain staff for long periods of time, leading to higher turnover rates and disrupted workplaces.”

“But with financial stability and well-being becoming a key priority for employees across all industries, offering robust packages that respond to these shifting needs has become a powerful incentive to not only retain current staff, but attract new talent.

Tattershall Castle Set To Celebrate Its 90th Anniversary With Event On The River Photo Credit: Floating Restaurant by Phil Dolby via Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/126654539@N08/31432578611

from 8pm onwards for the rest of the evening, keeping the party lively and engaging for guests who can enjoy a journey through history.

Tattershall Castle, the iconic floating pub on the River Thames, is set to celebrate its 90th birthday in style.

In addition to the live music, guests will have the opportunity to explore historical exhibits that detail the boat’s journey from its original route as a car ferry between Hull and Grimsby to its current status as an iconic pub on the River Thames. These exhibits will include stories of its sister boats, Lincoln Castle and Wingfield Castle, and their shared history.

With a rich history that began as a car ferry in Grimsby, Tattershall Castle has transformed through the years into a beloved London landmark, enjoyed by thousands of guests every week, with a prime position opposite the London Eye. To commemorate this milestone, a nostalgia-filled event will be held, featuring vintage entertainment, live music, and historical reflections.

The venue will be decorated throughout, with the Tattershall team donning outfits representing different eras, to mark the occasion.

Following the main event, the celebration will continue in the onboard nightclub, keeping the festivities going until 2am.

The music acts will be a central point of the day and will take guests through the ages, with the celebration set to start at 3pm. Kicking off the day with 30s/40s jazz swing music on the upper deck, the house jazz band will set the tone for the nostalgic journey. This will be followed by an energy-packed performance on the Upper Deck from London’s premier rock n roll band, The Runaround Kids, who will bring the 1950s to life with their nostalgic music.

Tattershall Castle’s journey is marked by significant milestones throughout its 90 years, including its launch by Pamela Wilson, daughter of Sir Murrough Wilson, Chairman of LNER, and its inauguration as London’s first floating Art Gallery and Conference Centre by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Lindsay Ring, in 1975.

The live performances aim to recreate the vibrant atmosphere of the different eras, allowing guests to step back in time and experience the golden ages. Later, a DJ will join to play 70s, 80s, 90s and 00’s music

This event will honour these milestones and celebrate the rich legacy of Tattershall Castle, whilst also celebrating the iconic pub on the Thames as it stands as today.

Boost Your Team’s Skills: Invest in Essential Safety Training Introducing the Navitas Safety Shop, your one-stop destination for comprehensive online safety training. With essential courses in Food Safety, Health & Safety, and Fire Safety, Navitas Safety ensures your team is equipped with the knowledge needed to maintain a safe and compliant workplace.

In the hospitality industry, staff turnover and seasonal employees can disrupt safety practices. Navitas Safety offers flexible, CPD-accredited, and EHO-approved training that can be quickly implemented for new hires, ensuring even temporary staff receive essential training. Our rolebased packages cater to diverse hotel roles, from kitchen staff to management, ensuring consistent safety standards across your team, regardless of tenure.

By choosing Navitas Safety, you’re ensuring compliance across your entire workforce, reducing the risks associated with turnover. This proactive approach not only enhances workplace safety but also provides peace of mind, knowing your team is always prepared.

Take advantage of our introductory offer of 30% off all courses until September 30th, with courses starting at just £8.40 and 12 months of access included. This limited-time promotion is the perfect opportunity to invest in your team’s skills without breaking the bank.

In today’s regulated environment, staying on top of safety protocols is more important than ever. By choosing the Navitas Safety Shop, you’re taking a proactive step towards ensuring a safe and productive workplace. Our easy-to-navigate platform and comprehensive courses make it simple to get the training you need when you need it.

Explore our courses today at shop.navitassafety.com Navitas Safety is a leading safety solutions provider supporting over 15,000 organisations globally. From cutting-edge digital food safety and health and safety management software, to elite training programs, and a team of expert safety consultants, we’re here to make safety simple. Find out more at navitassafety.com

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT WWW.CATERERLICENSEE.COM

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CLH Digital

Bar Snacks

Issue 226

The Rise of Pub Snacks: A Profitable Opportunity in the UK Hospitality Sector

In the ever-evolving landscape of the UK hospitality industry, where trends come and go, one thing remains a steadfast companion to pubgoers: snacks. Often overlooked but essential, pub snacks have emerged as a lucrative market segment, providing crucial support to the licensed trade. In this feature, we explore the significance of pub snacks, their evolving popularity, and how they present a unique opportunity for operators amidst changing consumer behaviours and the backdrop of a major sporting summer.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SNACKS IN THE PUB SECTOR Pub snacks have long been synonymous with the quintessential British pub experience. These modest offerings play a pivotal role, especially during times when economic constraints or shifting consumer habits impact dine-out behaviour. As people opt to eat out less frequently due to economic uncertainty, pub snacks offer an accessible and affordable alternative, aligning perfectly with the pub's social ambiance.

The pub sector's reliance on snacks has deepened over the years.

According to industry data, sales of pub snacks have experienced steady growth, with an increasing number of consumers opting for light bites or quick nibbles during their pub visits. This trend underscores the importance of snacks as a revenue stream, contributing significantly to the overall profitability of pub establishments. While snacking is popular all year round, consumers look to the savoury snacks category during summer holidays and sports events when they can enjoy quality time with friends and family. Comfort is key when it comes to pub and bar food choices and stocking customers’ favourite flavours will heighten their enjoyment.

encouraging customers to explore different combinations.

• Enhanced Presentation: Visibility is Key. Ensure your snacks are visible! Elevate the presentation of snacks through attractive serving platters or themed offerings tied to major sporting events.

• Seasonal Specials: Introduce seasonal snacks or limited-time offers aligned with sporting fixtures, fostering excitement and boosting sales.

• Social Media Engagement: Leverage social media platforms to showcase snack offerings, promote special events, and engage with customers.

Snacks are an important driver to increase out of home spend. Snack sales in Pubs & Bars are now well exceeding pre COVID-19 levels and in a 2023 report, savoury snacks was worth £4.16bn and growing at +13.8%. Snacking occasions are growing +2% with savoury snacking (+20%) growing ahead of sweet (+11%) in pubs and clubs.

In an era defined by shifting consumer behaviours and economic uncertainties, pub snacks emerge as a beacon of opportunity within the UK hospitality landscape. Their enduring appeal, coupled with the upcoming summer of sport, presents pub operators with a golden chance to not only boost revenues but also foster lasting patronage. By embracing innovative strategies and catering to evolving consumer preferences, pubs can transform snack time into a profitable venture while keeping punters engaged and satisfied, one bite at a time.

• 38% of pub visitors say they are interested in seeing snack menus in Pubs • 62% of out of home customers buy snacks

THE SUMMER OF SPORT: A BOOST FOR PUB SNACKS The convergence of major sporting events—such as the Olympics— provides a unique opportunity for pub operators to capitalize on increased footfall and heightened consumer engagement. During these peak seasons, traditional pub snacks witness a surge in demand, as patrons gather to cheer on their favourite teams while enjoying a selection of savoury treats.

TIPS FOR BOOSTING SNACK SALES To optimize snack sales and enhance the pub experience, operators can implement strategic measures:

• Diversify the Snack Menu: Introduce new and innovative snack offerings to cater to varying tastes and preferences, including vegan and gluten-free options.

• Promotional Bundles: Create enticing snack and drink bundles,

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

Tayto Has ‘Snacking Sorted’

As the largest family-owned, British-based snack company with a stable of well-known British brands, Tayto has ‘Snacking Sorted’.

Bar Snacks offer a brilliant opportunity to increase sales through the ‘double whammy’ of generating incremental sales AND boosting dwell time. Our unique offering provides hospitality and licensed venues with a snacking ‘onestop shop’.

Here are our top tips on how to maximise sales - and profits - from snacks! *Stock a wide range of proven, premium snacks that have been developed for the licensed sector Pub consumers look for brands they can trust and it’s important to stock proven sellers! Tayto has a range of award-winning snacks to suit every pub and cover a large range of ages and dietary requirements: • Midland Snacks Traditional Scratchings – No 1 brand and our best-selling pubcard – boasting a 2-star Great Taste award, with its traditional hand cooked recipe that has stood the test of time.

• Mr. Porky Original Scratchings – the No 2 brand1 is the most recognised name in scratchings and also a 2-star Great Taste Award winner.

• Mr. Porky Crispy Strips - a lighter bite, akin to crispy bacon rinds, for those who want all the taste of a scratching but a less hard texture, and another Great Taste award-winner • REAL Hand Cooked Crisps – premium, award-winning, food service focussed crisp brand with 9 strong flavours (of which 7 are Great Taste Award winners). All recipes are gluten free, vegetarian and with no added MSG. REAL has relaunched it’s punchy Ham & Mustard flavour and has partnered with Colman’s, the UK’s number one mustard brand2 to bring you REAL Handcooked Ham & Colman’s Mustard.

• Animal Adventures – vegetarian, gluten-free, with no added nasties, is a lightly salted animal-shaped fun snacks that kids love.

1

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER Boost sales by tailoring your range to their tastes. Our research shows that younger male consumers prefer the meaty flavours – like Roast Ox, Ham & Colman’s Mustard whereas the more traditional flavours are popular with the 45yrs+ - Salted, Cheese & Onion and Sea Salt & Black Pepper.3

PROMPT SERVICE

We know that less than 20% of people regularly buy a snack with a drink and the main reason for not doing so is ‘I just didn’t think about it’4. By simply asking “Would you like a snack with that?”, staff can easily increase incremental sales and profits – and add to the customer experience.

SEEING IS BELIEVING Snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are more visible5. Put your snacks where customers can see them o Pubcards or clip strips behind the bar o A full range of crisps on the bar o Bar runners and coasters are great eye-catching prompts Tayto provides pub-focused solutions such as eye-catching pubcards for pork scratchings to be hung behind the bar and a range of FREE POS available at include trade sales QR CODE

PREMIUM PROFITS By not offering a range of premium snacks, pubs could be leaving money on the table. Research shows that most people either have no idea what they pay for pub snacks, or expect to pay over £1 a pack, so venues can easily make over 50p profit per pack4.

Premium crisps are another essential bar snack given 82% of pub goers eat them6 and consumers are willing to pay up to 30% more for premium over standard products7. Having products that aren’t available in supermarkets, such as REAL Hand Cooked Crisps, enables venues to justify premium pricing.

HOG THE LIMELIGHT – DON’T FORGET PORK SNACKS! Snacks also have the potential to increase sales of drinks. Pork scratchings are a great example. The perfect partner to cider, wine, and especially premium beers and lagers, their unique taste balances the sharpness and carbonation of some drinks, while the saltiness enhances the flavour and helps get your thirst on.

Scratchings really are the ULTIMATE PUB SNACK! In a 2021 poll, they topped the list when 2,000 pubgoers were asked to name their favourite pub snack.8 This comes as no surprise as 83% of pork snacks are consumed with a drink9. The combination of a pint and scratching has been passed down generations and is fundamental to the Great British pub experience. There really is no matching a scratching!

Tel: 01536 204200 www.taytogroup.com SOURCES: 1. Circana Symbols & Independents GB | Pork Snacks | Value | 12 w/e 06-May-23 2. Kantar Topline Report 23.10.23 3. 1,500 Craft Gin Clubber March 2021 4. Norstat | Nov 20 5. HIM! Foodservice 2016 6. Norstat | Consumer Usage | March 2019 7. CGA Strategy Research | 2016/2017 8. Perspectus Global Poll | March 2021 9. Norstat | Jan 20

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CLH Digital

Issue 226

Cleaning and Hygiene

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

Cleanliness is Always in Season

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 ecofriendly 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 in seconds,

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

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.

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CLH Digital

Food Safety

Issue 226

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 226

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.

Exceeding Customer Expectations tomer that the venue cares about their card security.

Hospitality should be based on exceeding customer expectations. The better the operator does to impress its customers, the better its reputation and customer retention.

Unfortunately, it's not always possible to get customer service right every time, no matter how hard you try or how good staff training is. UK businesses lose £12 billion annually due to poor customer service.

This may sound astronomical, but there are ways to improve how customers see your business.

Alongside great staff training, investing in the latest technology will help improve your reputation.

CardsSafe Ltd.'s technology has been a part of customer service for numerous restaurants, hotels, bars and golf courses for over twenty years. The system protects businesses by deterring dine and dash and securely protects customers' bank and ID cards while they run a tab. The bar tab-keeping units signify to the cus-

If a customer wishes to run a tab and their bank card is slotted in the wallet or stuffed into a till, things don't look good for the business. The impression of the brand is diminished, resulting in less loyalty and, ultimately, a reluctance for that customer to return.

One of CardsSafe's longeststanding customers, the leading global hospitality brand Hilton, has used their system since 2005. They say, "All our customers are pleased that we look after their cards more securely with CardsSafe." CardsSafe's tab systems are in multiple hotels nationwide.

So, the choice is yours. To exceed customer expectations, ensure your technology benefits your business and reap the benefits of reputation and loyalty.

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040.

VK Enters Alcohol-Free Category with VK Blue 0.0% Kinedo Launches Stunning NEW 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%’.

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

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 18-24 age demographic.

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.

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.

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 con-

sumers stay energised throughout their night.

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.

“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.”

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 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.

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

Kinewall Panels

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.

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.

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 226

Chef's Buyer's Guide

Northern Ireland - Bringing Character to Your Business Over 100 years ago Northern Ireland introduced whiskey to the world and now our distillers and craft brewers are in the midst of a vibrant renaissance. Over the last decade our drinks sector has become one of the region’s most dynamic, innovative and export-driven industries. Our drinks producers are winning awards across the globe, driving buoyant sales at home and abroad and our buzzing visitor centres and tap rooms are enticing tourists into cities, towns and villages across the four corners of our beautiful country.

This resurgence is driven by a compelling blend of long-established distilleries such as Bushmills, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey producer, and a wave of innovative newcomers. Bushmills doubled its production in 2023 with the opening of its £37mn Causeway Distillery, taking sales to over 1 million cases for the first time. Also taking strides are newcomers Echlinville Distillery, a pioneer in field-to-glass distilling, McConnell’s Irish Whiskey, a brand with roots tracing back to 1776 and Rademon Estate Distillery which has created the first peated whiskey in the region in over a generation. Impressive visitor centres at Hinch, Belfast Distillery and Titanic Distillers offer insight into the history and provenance of Northern Ireland spirits, whilst Killowen Distillery and Two Stacks showcase genuine innovation with their unique flavours and product formats. Killowen has enjoyed critical acclaim for its rum and

raisin single malt, Two Stacks for its ‘Dram in a Can’. In total, Northern Ireland is now home to over 20 distilleries and breweries producing single malt, pot still and blended Irish whiskeys, gin, poitin, vodka, rum, craft beer, cider and hard seltzers.

Drawing on the region’s rich natural resources, distillers are crafting spirits with a unique sense of place. An emphasis on quality is aligned with a global trend towards premium beverages and strong value growth in the sector.

There has never been a better time to buy Irish whiskey from Northern Ireland.

The region’s unique post-Brexit position due to the Windsor Framework offers an advantageous gateway for both the UK and EU markets. This strategic positioning promotes business opportunities and sets the stage for the further boost to Northern Ireland’s thriving drinks industry.

For more information contact Michelle Charrington E: michelle.charrington@investni.com or Iain Joannides E: iain.joannides@investni.com Buynifood.com Photo courtesy of Titanic Distillers, Belfast.

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 Listed Suppliers Taking Part in 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.”

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 226

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 226

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

T he S pecialists in Technology Technology Dep loyment The Specialists Deployment & Support in R etail, Hospitality Hospitality and P harmacy.

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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

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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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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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Cinders ‘Classic’ Barbecue LEDsynergy - LED Video 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.

Screens & LCD Displays

With over 40 years’ experience in the LED industry, LEDsynergy is a market leader in the field of Programmable Electronic Display Systems and can offer a vast range of LED displays to meet a wide variety of customer applications from simple information displays, right up to large scale, full colour video boards for both Indoor and Outdoor use.

We are incredibly proud, that as a British manufacturer, we have recently become a registered manufacturer with ‘The Made in Britain’ organisation. We design, develop, and manufacture right here in the UK, so that as a customer you can be assured, we have quality at the forefront of our principles and, in addition, we offer outstanding service and of course on-going support to our valued customers.

We have a highly dedicated and professional team all working in synergy to offer the complete solution from initial design through fabrication to installation and commissioning. We provide the best advice, very competitive prices, and highly reliable products. With a vast range of LED products, we can compete at all levels of

tendering.

Within the hospitality sector we can offer LED video screens which can be used in many ways; such as large TVs, stage backdrop screens, information screens, site entrance displays and ‘what’s on’ event information.

The key to our success is reliability coupled with the highest quality of design and service, with a total commitment to every customer through all aspects of their project.

Flexibility and careful design are key factors in ensuring accurate compliance to customer specifications with relatively short leadtimes.

If you want to find out more about how we work, then why not give us a call on 01264 303030 or email us on sales@LEDsynergy.co.uk. Or why not come to visit us in Andover, Hampshire, we have a showroom where you can have a play with the displays, and you can see just how impressive and versatile they are. www.ledsynergy.co.uk

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

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Outdoor Spaces

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

Mobile Coffee Is The Growth Sector!

With the increasing number of outdoors events and festivals, the enthusiasm for mobile coffee continues to take off in a really big way! Serving great quality coffee away from the traditional high street coffee shop location also brings with it some operational challenges!

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

Fracino manufacture one of the most powerful LPG powered espresso machines range available and continues to develop the innovation to further improve the user experience.

As a result, 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 their many different 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 type of outdoors catering venture with the perfect solution for their specific requirements. Operating from LPG – in the form of regular barbeque type gas bottles - and a 12v battery, connected through an inverter to the machine to

power the electronic systems, these innovative models ensure full ‘off grid’ 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!

Integral durability is the result of construction from high quality stainless steel and the Fracino Dual Fuel models are developed to be robust and strong to ensure they can handle the rougher treatment of moving around the roads and fields their owners take them to.

Fracino have already increased their range of LPG products to include a powerful and ‘steam free’ water boiler – and will launch further new innovative models later this year; watch this space!

Where there’s people, the motto is lucratively becoming, serve coffee!

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:

PROMOTE UPCOMING GAMES WITH VIBRANCY 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.

CREATE A THEMED ATMOSPHERE Inside the pub, banners can transform the space to reflect the fervour of the games. Hang banners of the teams playing in the upcoming matches to create a themed environment that resonates with fans. This visual appeal can make your pub the go-to place for fans looking for an immersive game-watching experience.

HIGHLIGHT SPECIAL OFFERS AND PROMOTIONS Custom banners can 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.

USE BANNERS FOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE 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.

CAPITALISE ON LOCAL PRIDE 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 showcasing your pub as a supportive hub for the community can significantly boost patronage.

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SOCIAL MEDIA TIE-INS

Outdoor Spaces tainment, such as live music, karaoke, or a DJ. This can turn game day into an all-night event, increasing your sales and patron satisfaction.

Use banners to promote your pub’s social media Implementing these strategies with banners not only hashtags or handles, encouraging patrons to share their elevates the game-watching experience but also solidigame-day experiences online. This not only increases fies your pub's reputation as the ultimate destination your pub's visibility but also creates a digital community for sporting events. By visually communicating exciteof fans who frequent your establishment. ment, offering, and community, banners can significantly influence sports fans' choice of venue, ensuring your ANNOUNCE POST-GAME pub is their first pick for enjoying the game.

ENTERTAINMENT Attract patrons to stay longer or come in after the game by using banners to advertise post-game enter-

Check out the online Banner Library at www.hfe-signs.co.uk for promotional ideas!

Elevate Alfresco Dining with Quality Wines from Lanchester Wines James Dainty is business unit controller at Lanchester Wines: When it comes to alfresco dining experiences - be it festivals, picnics or venues where glass isn’t permitted - there’s no need to compromise on the quality of wine served. Lanchester Wines offers innovative solutions that ensure outdoor events can still feature exceptional wines.

INSPIRAL: PREMIUM HOUSE WINES IN SUSTAINABLE PET BOTTLES Our Inspiral range features high-quality house wines in recycled PET plastic bottles, making them perfect for any outdoor event or function where glass is unsuitable. These rPET bottles are made from sustainable materials and are fully recyclable. Specially designed for wine, each lightweight bottle includes a barrier that extends its shelf life to at least 24 months—four times longer than regular PET bottles.

WALLFLOWER: FUNKY AND FRESH WINE IN CANS

Introducing our latest range, Wallflower—a collection of 187ml Spanish wines in a trendy can format.

Ideal for on-the-go occasions, festivals, events or as a single serve in ontrade settings, Wallflower ensures your wine offering is both stylish and convenient.

The Wallflower range includes: • Red Wine: A fruity blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

• White Wine: A zesty mix of Airen, Macabeo, and Sauvignon Blanc.

• Rosé Wine: A delightful Garnacha Rosado.

With Lanchester Wines, alfresco dining can be both environmentally conscious and a celebration of great taste. Our innovative packaging solutions ensure you can offer high-quality wines that are practical and sustainable, enhancing the outdoor dining experience for your customers.

See the advert on the previous page for details.

Catering Equipment Ltd Catering Equipment Ltd are the authorised UK Distributor for the range of Kängabox thermoboxes that keep items Hot or Cold. Kängabox is a revolutionary new high density EPP series of containers in which hot or cold items can be transported with an average temperature loss of less than 1°C plus or minus per hour within a temperature range of -40°C to +120°C. Kängaboxes are available in a range of capacities and attractive colours. Kängabox are available in eight different designs and four different depths. The various gastronorm, pizza, ice cream and euro norm formats are available.

Our Transport Boxes perfect for keeping food HOT or COLD whether delivering food, running an event or managing extra food production in the Kitchen.

Comprehensive product details can be found on our

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 Incorporating patent-protected

website www.kangaboxuk.com.

We are also leading suppliers of European manufactured Stainless Steel items such as Sinks, Gastronorms, Accessories and other products. In addition Catering Equipment Ltd are also the UK's largest specialist supplier of European manufactured gastronorm containers, ice cream containers, sinks, hand wash and restaurant equipment. See our extensive range of products on our website clickonstore.net.

Catering Equipment Ltd are a family firm that has been trading for almost 30 years. Our commitment is to our customers you are the most important people in our business.

Our promise is that you can count on Catering Equipment Ltd to help you and that our team will do their utmost to ensure that dealing with us is a pleasant and worthwhile experience. Call the team on 0121 773 2228 now. 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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Pro Auction to Showcase Exclusive Savoy Hotel & The Dorchester Hotel Prestigious Auctions of The Savoy, this glass-domed atrium has been the home of the famous Savoy afternoon tea for over a century. The reimagined space aims to elevate the experience for The Savoy’s discerning clientele, turning it into a vibrant new dining destination on London’s culinary scene.

articles will be sold as The Savoy undergoes a transformative refurbishment, all while remaining open to guests.

The Savoy, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, has been at the forefront of the luxury hotel scene for over 130 years, offering guests an experience that continuously evolves to meet the desires of the modern traveller. Situated in a prestigious location near London's most famous attractions, The Savoy's upcoming auction promises to be a monumental event, offering an extensive range of items that have graced its rooms and halls.

with The Savoy's rich history.

The first phase auction will be held in The Savoy’s iconic ballroom on August 8th, 2024, starting at 10.00am. Viewing is by appointment on August 7th, 2024. The sale catalogue is available at Bidspotter.

Pro Auction is thrilled to announce exclusive auction sales at two of the world’s most famous and iconic hotels.

The first, a fine classic and modern art on behalf of The Dorchester Hotel, London. This prestigious sale follows a comprehensive refurbishment of the iconic hotel, and will take place on July 16, 2024, in the hotel's luxurious ballroom.

The second auction, at The Savoy Hotel, which synonymous with luxury, history, and prestige, is set to captivate the world once again with an extraordinary auction event. Over 1,800 captivating articles will be sold as The Savoy undergoes a transformative refurbishment, all while remaining open to guests. The first phase auction will be held in The Savoy’s iconic ballroom on August 8th, 2024, starting at 10.00am. Viewing is by appointment on August 7th, 2024. The sale catalogue is available at Bidspotter.

THE DORCHESTER The Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world's foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA, each reflecting the distinctive culture of its destination.

The Dorchester Hotel, London, is a flagship property within this esteemed portfolio.

Among the remarkable lots on sale are treasures from the Personality Suites, named after some of the most famous guests who have stayed at The Savoy.

Bidders will have the chance to acquire memorabilia linked to stars like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and Sir Winston Churchill. Owning an item from these suites is not just about luxury; it’s about owning a piece of history. Imagine the stories these artifacts could tell—the conversations, the decisions, and the moments of reflection that took place in their presence.

THE SAVOY The Savoy Hotel, synonymous with luxury, history, and prestige, is set to captivate the world once again with an extraordinary auction event. Over 1,800 captivating

The Thames Foyer is set to reopen in early November 2024 with a completely new design, name, food and beverage concept, and menu. Known for being the heart

The auction will feature an array of fine art, bespoke furniture, and handcrafted luxury pieces that have adorned The Savoy’s elegant rooms. From intricately designed mirrors and plush sofas to exquisite tables and chairs, each item has been selected for its quality and historical significance. The collection includes items from

The auction at the Dorchester will feature an exceptional collection of art and sculptures from renowned artists such as Luigi Mayer, Antonietta Brandeis, and Alexandre Defaux, and offers a wide selection of art across multiple genres, providing a unique opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to acquire rare and valuable pieces. Viewing is open on July 15, 2024, between 12 noon and 6.00pm. The sale will be live and webcast from the hotel starting at 10:00am on July 16, 2024.

The sale offers a wide selection of art across multiple genres viewing is open on the 15th July 2024 between 12 noon and 6.00pm with the sale live and webcast from the hotel from 1000am on the 16th July 2024 download the catalogue at: www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auctioncatalogues/pro-auction/catalogue-id-pr10440

In addition to the guestroom furniture, the iconic Thames Foyer at The Savoy will be undergoing a major transformation. Bookings for the Thames Foyer will close on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The next day, on August 23, a public auction will be held to sell the contents, spearheaded by Pro Auction, in preparation for a full renovation of the space.

Commenting on the renovation, Managing Director Franck Arnold says, “This is going to be a complete transformation of the Thames Foyer and Upper Thames, and we are so excited to unveil our new, vibrant dining destination and outlets later in the year. The new dining concept will harmoniously blend tradition with innovation, ensuring our guests have the perfect setting to relax, drink, and dine, and enjoy a truly unique Savoy experience.”

Pro Auction is a leading auctioneer specialising in the hospitality industry, and luxury goods, and has a burgeoning reputation as London’s leading auction house, following sales at some of London’s most respected establishments, including The Dorchester, The Lanesborough, Mandarin Oriental, and Simpson’s in the Strand. These particular auctions will be conducted by an expert team of auctioneers, ensuring a seamless and prestigious event. www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auctioncatalogues/pro-auction/catalogue-id-pr10436

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the hotel’s 267 luxury rooms and suites, decorated in either an elegant Edwardian or Art Deco style.

Simon Rose, the auction director, described it as a “landmark event for both The Savoy and us.” The auction is expected to draw significant interest, offering a rare and exciting opportunity for bidders to connect

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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. www.ilfchairs.com/email terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

Their online website offers both indoor and outdoor seating and table solutions.

Divided into Contemporary seating, Boutique, Lounge Seating, Period Seating, Outdoor seating and tables plus Indoor Dining & Coffee height wood tables, creating a great selection of products to view at your leisure.

Most made to order indoor seating and indoor wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification. Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Enquiries can be sent to ILF directly from the website and they will reply within 24 hours. ILF hope you will enjoy the experience of viewing their easy to navigate website and they look forward to helping clients get the best products for their hospitality site.

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ϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ͘ϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ i Xϙϙϙϙϙϙ͐͏ϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ i Xϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ͐​͐ϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ i Xϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ͐͑ϙϙϙϙϙϙ i Xϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ͐͒ ĺƯôôϙēôĖČēťϠϙ"ĖIJĖIJČϙēôĖČēťϙÍIJîϙ ĺŜôŪŘϙēôĖČēťϟϙ>ŪīīϙŜôīôèťĖĺIJϙĺċϙťÍæīôϙťĺŕŜϙÍīŜĺϙÍŽÍĖīÍæīô >ĺŘϙÍϙċŪīīϙŜôīôèťĖĺIJϙĺċϙŕŘĺîŪèťŜϙſôϙèÍIJϙĺƯôŘϠϙŕīôÍŜôϙŽĖŜĖťϙĺŪŘϙſôæŜĖťôϡϙϙſſſϟĖīċèēÍĖŘŜϟèĺı ϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙϙ

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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 We are a sustainable refurbishment company that can transform any surface with our 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.

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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It’s The Small Touches That Make A Big Difference: British Luxury Lampshades So much effort goes into making guest experiences special and memorable in the UK’s 10,000 or so hotels. It could be down to the softness of the bed or the tartness of the lemon dessert ...it all takes professional care and attention from all the skilled staff working their magic day in day out.

Here at Tringhams we believe that the ambience of the rooms in a hotel have a massive impact on the positive experience of guests that stay there -the warmth of the lighting and the quality of the lampshades is where we specialise in making a real difference to guest experiences.

These are areas that are so often overlooked or seen as less important than other higher profile areas of the hotel.

Our consumer research tells us that guests love to relax in quintessentially British décor...in surroundings that they aspire to have in their own homes.

It also tells us that housekeepers and hotel proprietors struggle with finding the time to look at the smaller touches that make up a stunning hotel room-that’s why we have created the Tringhams’ Lampshade Fitting Guide to make the process as stress- free as possible for our customers.

At Tringhams we have been supplying handcrafted luxury lampshades from our family-owned business in London since 1986.

We are proud to have supplied many of the most beautiful houses, hotels ,castles and palaces in the UK but it’s helping the Independent Hotel sector transform their special spaces into stunning rooms that is our true forte.

If you want to order new luxury lampshades or replace or restore existing one’s please see the advert on this page for details.

The Final Touch - Delight Your Clients With Gorgeous Art Fitzwalls.com offers a range of high quality photographic images with you in mind.

Enhance your new build or refurbishment with glorious images from www.fitzwalls.com.

Find that perfect finishing touch for your building, whether new build or refurbishment, home, office, restaurant or pub.

Subjects include, Travel, Water, Boats, Rigging, Venice, Horses, as well as abstracts and images inspired by the natural world.

Transport your clientele to a favourite or planned holiday destination, with fabulous images of Venice and the islands, or a Safari with Zebra, Elephant and Lions from Kenya.

Abstract images are also available, which cause the viewer to stop and consider what is depicted there. We all see things differently.

For horse-lovers choose from a selection of attractive breeds, magnificent Friesian ‘warhorses’, elegant

Portuguese Lusitanos, free running Icelandic horses, and wild, white Camargue horses.

Modern and sophisticated presentations as acrylics are available, which, with no heavy wood frame, can fit with any style of building.

Easy to clean, maintain and ready to hang they are eminently suitable for offices and public areas of buildings.

Some of the images are available both with existing black frames as well as unframed.

Images bought unframed are supplied with a mat border.

For more details, or if you have questions arising from the website contact Kate by email or phone. kate@fitzwalls.com M: +44 (0)7812 341517 Freephone 0808 197 2726 www.fitzwalls.com

Bring your walls to life with Fitzwalls.com

Dreaming of Venice or simply love the serenity of water scenes?

Do your clients have a soft spot for horses?

Maybe you're a fan of abstract colour bursts?

Say goodbye to tedious cleaning and hello to beautiful acrylic presentations.

No matter what your needs, check us out on www.fitzwalls.com Contact Kate on kate@fitzwalls.com or by phone +44 (0)7812 341517

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

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Design and Refit Sanicom. Proven & Reliable Pump Solution for Hospitality Saniflo is best known for its range of domestic macerators that pioneered the ability to install bathrooms in spaces where gravity drainage was unavailable. The full range of products from Saniflo includes models to pump grey water waste from laundry rooms, washing facilities and kitchens, including those in commercial premises. The Sanicom range, in particular, has become a mainstay in hospitality projects when a pumping mechanism is required to lift waste water away from catering or cleaners sinks, dishwashers, glass washers, ice machines and washing machines.

The powerful floor mounted lifting station range includes two models; the single pump Sanicom 1and the Sanicom 2 which features twin pumps for applications where continuity of use is imperative. The motors operate alternately for even wear but each is a fail-safe back

up for the other in the event of a pump issue. The second pump will also assist the first in the event of a large deluge of water.

Both models operate automatically via a pressure switch and dip tube that controls the activation of the motor and have multiple connections so that a range of products can be connected. The tank of the Sanicom 2 is equipped with 2 immersion tubes to control the motor and alarm.

Frequently used in buildings that are undergoing ‘change of use’ the Sanicom 1 and Sanicom 2 can pump up to 11m and 15m respectively, making basement or underground installations a breeze.

Easy to install, maintain and operate, the Sanicom range can provide drainage discharge whatever the project.

For further information, see the advert on this page.

Leading the Way in Table Numbers & QR Code Labels for the Hospitality Industry

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

Brunel Engraving proudly stands as the UK’s foremost supplier of table numbers and QR code labels, catering to the evolving needs of the hospitality sector. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, we offer swift and efficient solutions to enhance the dining experience for both establishments and their patrons.

Our investment in cutting-edge equipment and software underscores our dedication to meeting the increasing demand for personalised table numbers and QR code discs. These meticulously crafted items serve as invaluable tools for modern establishments, seamlessly integrating technology into their service offerings.

By utilizing our table numbers and QR code labels, businesses can streamline operations and elevate customer satisfaction. Guests can effortlessly access menus, promotions, and other pertinent information with a simple scan, eliminating the need for physical menus and expediting the ordering process.

At Brunel Engraving, quality is paramount. Our ISO9001 accreditation ensures that every product meets stringent standards of excellence, reflecting our

unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. Our reputation for reliability and superior craftsmanship is further underscored by the continuous stream of 5-star ratings we receive on Trustpilot.

In addition to our signature rotary engraving, we offer a comprehensive suite of printing and engraving techniques, including laser engraving, chemical etching, and various printing methods. This diverse range of capabilities allows us to cater to the unique needs of each client, delivering tailored solutions that exceed expectations.

From large blue-chip chains to local privately owned establishments, our table numbers and QR code labels can be seen installed across the UK. Join countless satisfied clients in experiencing the Brunel Engraving difference. Contact us today to learn how our solutions can transform your establishment’s operations and elevate your guest experience.

T: 01275 871 720 E: info@brunelengraving.co.uk W: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

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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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Find The Perfect Table For Your Restaurant Your restaurant tables need to be able to withstand everything that heavy use in a busy hospitality setting can throw at them, but the good news is practicality needn’t come at the expense of style. Here at Trent Furniture we supply a vast range of restaurant tables ranging from the traditional to the contemporary.

The Shaker Table is a firm favourite with restaurateurs thanks to its stylishly simple design and durable construction. Available in dark oak, light oak or walnut wooden finishes and in rectangular, circular and square versions, it can blend into any décor scheme and be mixed and matched to cater for a great range of party sizes.

For a traditional look built to last for years to come, our Farmhouse Table range also comes in a great selection of sizes and finishes. Or for why not opt for a touch of early 20th century glamour with

the cast iron Art Deco Table? If you’d like your restaurant furniture to reflect a cool and contemporary menu, look no further than the clean lines of the Chrome Pyramid Table.

Whichever table you choose for your restaurant, you can be assured of contract grade furniture that is easy to clean and maintain. Of course, we also supply a huge range of chic and comfortable chairs to complement our great choice of restaurant tables.

For more information on the fantastic range of restaurant tables 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 to discover more.

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.

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

Issue 226

CLH Digital

59

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

W! NE

SOUTH CORNWALL COAST

CHAGFORD, DEVON

SOMERSET COUNTRY VILLAGE

Free Of Tie Village Pub/Restaurant

Well Known Character Café & Tearoom

Destination Country Pub & Restaurant

Stunning & Profitable Business

Tearoom 24, Catering Kitchen

Bar/Restaurant Areas 66+, Garden 60+

Impressive Bar & Dining Areas 104+

Easy Daytime Hours, 5 Days A Week

2 Bedroom Owners Accommodation

Gardens, Parking, Owners Accom.

Successful & Profitable Business

Landmark Trading Position

Excellent Reputation & Reviews

Tremendous Potential & Opportunity

Affordable & Profitable Business

LH £37,500

4850

LH £40,000

2150

FH £295,000

EXMOUTH, DEVON

SOUTH HAMS TOWN

POPULAR DEVON VILLAGE

Café, Coffee Shop & Restaurant

High Turnover Character Village Inn

Prime Town Centre Location

60+ Covers & Commercial Kitchen

Bar & Dining Areas 68+, Kitchens

Fully Equipped With 42 Covers

Landmark High Street Position

4 E/S Letting Rooms, 3 Bed Owners

Vibrant Coastal Town

Easy Daytime Hours, 6 Days A Week

Beer Gardens 98+, Car Park

Tremendous Potential

Thriving Turnkey Business

Impressive & Profitable Business

2109

LH £75,000

2168

FH £695,000

4859

PORT ISSAC, CORNWALL

DEVON VILLAGE

DORSET VILLAGE

Coastal Licensed Café & Takeaway

Stunning Country Inn & Restaurant

Traditional Pub & Restaurant

Prime Central Trading Position

Bar & Restaurant Areas 48+ Kitchens

Bar Areas 48+, Gardens 78+

Purpose Fully Fitted Premises

Superior 4 Bedroom Accommodation

3 Bed Owner’s Accommodation

Potential To Develop Business

Extremely Successful Business

Sought After Dorset Village

Customer Seating 18+, Kitchen

High Turnover & Six Figure Profits

Profitable Wet Led Village Pub

LH £19,995

2170

FH £725,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

4864

FH £495,000

W! NE

4794

Licensed Café, Bar & Restaurant

LH £24,950

PRICE: £149,950

4851

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

OFFERS OVER £100,000

• 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

BANTHAM, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4892

PRICE: £50,000

CONFIDENTIAL, SOUTH DEVON

W! NE

LEASEHOLD

PRICE: £60,000

• 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

REF: 4907

W! NE

• 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

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