CLH Digital - Issue #4

ISSUE 4

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Coronavirus: Lockdown Extended by At Least 3 Weeks as March Sales Drop 58%

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The UK is to remain in lockdown for at least a further three weeks foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced. The announcement follows a survey revealing that March sales for managed pub operators fell by 57.8%, and average beer sales fell by 82%.

Mr Raab, deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson: "Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus. That would threaten a second peak of the virus and substantially increase the number of deaths.

Raab said: "Based on the advice the government has decided that the current measures must remain in place for at least the next three weeks."

He said that there were five measures that the government would have to be satisfied with before measures were relaxed. They are:

• Ensure the NHS is able to cope • A sustained and consistent fall in daily deaths • Reliable information that the rate of infection is decreasing • Confident that the tech challenges of testing and PPE are in hand • Confident that any adjustments will not risk a second peak of infections that will overwhelm the NHS He also said he could not provide a definitive timeline but said the prime minister's warning at the outset of the epidemic that it would take about three months to come through the peak still applied.

The extension piles on more pressure to the beleaguered hospitality and on-trade, and is having devastating affect with industry observers predicting the demise of thousands of restaurants, pubs, other high street businesses, despite the government’s unparalleled financial support and changing insolvency rules

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to give businesses more time to pay debts.

New research compiled by Vala Capital shows that unless the government does more to save small businesses 71% won’t survive six months without additional funding.

According to the latest data from market analysts Coffer Peach Business Tracker Britain’s pub, restaurant and bar sector saw collective like-for-like sales drop 57.6% in March as the country moved into lockdown All parts of the market were hit hard, as the slowdown in sales, which started in February, continued during the first half of the month before the total shut down on March 20. Managed pub operators reported a 57.8% fall in like-for-like trading compared to March 2019, with restaurant groups down 56.2% and bar chains down 60.0%.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)

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CLH Digital

Issue 4

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to Issue 4 of CLH Digital Welcome to the fourth edition of CLH Digital - an “offshoot” from our normal monthly CLH News, which we will be distributing via our digital newsletter, social media and will also available to read online whilst this current Covid-19 crisis continues.

So, we have at least another three more weeks of lockdown.

Furthermore, with proposed measures post-lockdown, such as social distancing, it could be some time before the country’s third largest employer is open for business.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

I have been staggered at mainstream media’s reporting of this crisis. So much so I feel it is having an effect on our Government’s ability to take hard decisions. Like rabbits they appear to be caught in the headlights.

No industry, (and no company including us here at RBC), can close its doors indefinitely.

No matter how much money the Government throws at problem, the damage will be incalculable and too much for many businesses. Philip Thomas, Professor of Risk Management at Bristol University, has calculated that if our GDP falls by more than 6.4 per cent as a result of the lockdown, more years of life will be lost than saved.

If, as some “experts” predict, the lockdown lasts until July, the effect of this on the economy will be catastrophic.

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Britain’s GDP could contract by 25 per cent over the next two years. It shrank by six per cent during the global financial crisis of 2007-09.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) says the lockdown is costing £2.4billion a day.

So, let’s have a look at the most dynamic vibrant and innovative sector in the UK - hospitality: • £130 billion turnover with a 6.5% growth, and 5% of GDP • An industry of entrepreneurs, 90% of hospitality businesses are local SME’s • Employing 3.2 million workers the United Kingdom’s third largest employer double that of the finance sector and bigger than the automotive aeronautics and pharma sectors combined • One in eight new jobs created last year were in hospitality employment - an increase of 18% since 2010 • Productivity growth at 2.5% outstripping the economy • On average each outlet locally employs 32, generates £336,000 gross value added, plus invests 4.4% turnover Yes, the hospitality and licensed on trade sector achieved all this despite being one of the most taxed sectors in the

whole of Europe.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism is launching an urgent inquiry to establish the best ways to support the recovery of businesses hit by COVID19 – at the right time and in line with Government health advice, and we here at CLHNews would like to hear your views and if at all appropriate put them forward to the right people.

You are at the coalface, but as we stare at empty pages once full of valued advertising, you will be staring at empty bars, restaurants and hotel rooms which should, at this time of year, be full of valued clientele.

Being at the coalface always gives a rather more in-depth and unique perspective on matters.

So we really would like to hear your views:• Accessing funds and grants have you experienced any difficulties?

• Have you received enough and appropriate information to support you and help you get through this crisis?

• Do you agree the government’s current lockdown strategy? Or is it to oppressive and should we already be implementing staged return?

• Have you implemented any initiatives to keep the wheels of your business slowly turning during the lockdown? If so what are they?

• What else do you think the government can do or offer to keep you afloat and ready to trade when the crisis ends?

• Are you yet making any preparations for when the crisis ends, or is the uncertainty stopping you from implementing any reopening strategy?

I am the eternal optimist, and I am genuinely of the opinion that come mid-May we could see a significant easing of the restrictions. By that time, I think, the country will have woken up to the long-term dangers extended lockdown is bringing, but only to the economy to mental health, relationships and society in general.

Despite reports, people will, I believe, be only too eager to return to a normal way of life and socialising. And nobody does that better than the hospitality sector.

Now is a good time to start preparing for post-lockdown to get your business and your staff ready for when the country emerges and is ready for something we do best; great British hospitality. As you will see in our digital issues, and in our next printed edition, we are consulting some of the industry’s leading marketeers to provide advice and guidance on best practice to enable you to hit the ground running as soon as the Government lifts the lockdown, fully or partially.

Visit our website for our “Staycation - Your Country Need You” Poster available to download. Only the hospitality sector can put some cheer back into the country, showcasing the wonderful diverse vibrant UK!

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EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Shelly Roche Published by

Out-of-Home Food and Drink Sales Fall Nearly 60% in March Issue 4

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) London trading was down 60.4%, with outside the M25 down 56.8%.

“The drop in sales that began in February and escalated in the next month, meant that even by the end of March, the eating and drinking out sector had fallen into year on year decline, down 4.1% on the previous 12 months, with London down 3.7%,” said Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM. “With shutdown wiping out April sales, apart from a small amount of delivery income, and May likely to be the same, the devastating effect on the market is self-evident. Even if there is an early easing of restrictions, which is far from certain, reopening of the market will almost certainly be phased and gradual. We are looking at a substantial loss of revenue

CLH Digital

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right across the sector,” he added.

business rates for empty sites.”

Paul Newman, Head of Leisure and Hospitality, RSM added: “These latest results simply underline what we already know: that the eating and drinking out sector has been at the coalface of COVID-19 disruption.

There has been tremendous support from Government but more still needs to be done to protect the 3.2 million jobs of those who work in the sector. At a time when cash is so desperately needed to meet the upfront wages for furloughed staff, most operators are still struggling to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme under current lending criteria. Great uncertainty remains not only as to the extent of the current shutdown, but also as to what the lifting of lockdown might look like. More support is needed with property-related costs and this includes support for landlords themselves who remain liable to pay

Results released this week from a survey of small independent breweries across the UK show on average beer sales are down by 82% since the outbreak of Covid-19, with many businesses struggling to survive.

8 out of 10 brewers do not believe the Government is doing enough to support them with more than half (54%) of the UK’s independent breweries being unable to access any Government support. Nearly a third (29%) are now considering redundancies.

Despite beer production being part of the food supply chain - meaning brewers are designated key workers - with pubs, bars and restaurants closed the main route to market for independent breweries has been entirely cut-off, leading to 65% of breweries stopping production altogether.

UK Hotels Expected To Rebound Strongly Post-COVID-19 restrictions on international travel anticipated, as individual countries deal with the widespread outbreak of COVID-19, UK residents are likely to opt to travel rather than abroad.

The UK hotel market will rebound strongly once the economy revives and travel restrictions are lifted post the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to research by leading global property adviser Knight Frank, assuming the UK hotel market reopens by the end of Q2 2020, Q4 is expected to see a surge in investment volumes, whilst London is expected to make a full market recovery in terms of trading performance by the end of Q4 2021.

Knight Frank considers that particularly during the early months of recovery, corporate budgets are likely to be squeezed and unemployment will further dictate the disposable income available and therefore the propensity to spend on leisure-based experiences. Once travel restrictions have eased, international visitor arrivals will return over the coming months, whilst investment activity is expected to resume, with a surge of activity anticipated in Q4-2020, owing to a time lag for due diligence.

Knight Frank’s research analyses the speed at which the UK hotel market has recovered following major events in the past, such as the economic downturns in 2001 and 2009, SARS and Brexit. These findings provide some hope for a reasonably swift return to positive growth figures, despite there still being many unknowns ahead.

The strict measures imposed to control the spread of COVID-19, mean that the immediate economic impact is anticipated by many to be more severe than past economic downturns, with hotels likely to be severely affected from the challenges coming from a period of lockdown.

Despite this, Knight Frank forecasts a V-shaped, stepped recovery, with occupancy growth beginning slowly in Q3 followed by substantially stronger growth in Q4 as travel confidence returns. A full rebound in RevPAR[1] is anticipated once international borders properly re-open and long-haul inbound visitors return, enabling growth in ADR[2].

Shaun Roy, Head of Hotels and Specialist Property Investment at Knight Frank, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event and is having a severe impact on the UK hotel market, which is disproportionately affected in many ways.

“Whilst the lock down continues, the current focus for the hotel market remains one of survival, with cash conservation and liquidity of immediate concern. Yet as we look beyond this, and at how the UK

hotel market has fared following other significant global events, we believe that the UK hotel market will recover and rebound strongly.

“Assuming the UK hotel market reopens by the end of Q2 2020, this will, lead to a potential full recovery in London by the end of Q4 2021, whilst the severity of the economic downturn will determine how quickly regional UK returns to a level of trading enjoyed prior to COVID-19. Together with the ongoing negotiations surrounding Brexit, the pound is expected to remain attractive to investors and support an uplift in investment volumes nationally.”

Knight Frank remains cautiously optimistic about the strength of the recovery of the UK hotel market in 2020, anticipating that a recovery plan will initially be focused on driving domestic leisure demand. This will likely be bolstered by a possible extension to the summer holiday period if schools remain closed until September. With the continued

In the immediate term, hotels are focused on cash conservation and liquidity to ensure their survival, which have been boosted by the range of fiscal measures implemented by the UK government, including the 12-month business rates holiday for the hospitality sector, and the ability to furlough staff for an initial period of up to 3-months.

Once restrictions on social distancing have eased, some hotels may delaying re-opening, choosing instead to reopen once sufficient demand exists and occupancy has increased significantly, to ensure that any operating losses are less than the holding costs of keeping the hotels closed. Some of the larger chains, who have multiple hotels in the same geographic markets, are also likely to phase the opening of their hotels where possible. Hotels which depend to a large extent on the meeting & conference segment, might well stay closed for a prolonged period, before customer confidence is restored and government restrictions allow for large events to be held.

[1] Rooms revenue divided by total number of available rooms [2] Average daily rate

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CLH Digital

Issue 4

How to Get Back to ‘No Vacancies’ When the Lockdown Lifts

By David Hayward, Independent Hotels, Oracle Hospitality

As the UK entered an initial threeweek, government-mandated lockdown period, almost all UK hotels closed. We know one thing for sure: they are keen to re-open, but in keeping with the rest of the hospitality industry, we just don’t know when.

Staying closed will be incredibly tough for a lot of independent hotels, but many have started looking at what they can do to boost business when they get up and running again. After all, a lot of people country-wide will be looking to rebook their family holidays, make use of their annual leave, or honour special occasions that were missed during the lockdown period. So what can hotel owners do now to help boost business and get customers back when the country opens up again?

GIVE YOUR MARKETING A PERSONAL TOUCH Hotels are sitting on a lot of invaluable information they can use to communicate with potential guests while in lockdown. Data can tell us all sorts of things. Assuming you’ve properly obtained the consent of your guests to analyze their demographic data, if the lockdown looks likely to lift in June, then why not look at the demographic of people who stayed last June and reach out to them with deals that will encourage them to return this year? Or look at the people who had to cancel

during April and May – and reach out to them with re-opening special offers.

It's worth noting that a lot of people will have likely booked with you for a special occasion. Using data, you can see the guests who had tables booked in restaurants for holidays like Mother’s Day. Why not run a ‘belated Mother’s Day’ event later in the year and invite those people to book again? If you can add personalisation to your outreach, customers will feel more valued and loyal to your establishment when they look to book again.

OFFER GUESTS AN EXPERIENCE TOO GOOD TO PASS UP

Also consider who is most in need of a relaxing stay at your property, whether they have been a guest in the past or not. Perhaps look at how you could offer NHS or supermarket staff reduced rates or packaged offers so they can have a much deserved break when the lockdown period lifts and their schedule eases.

It’s hard to predict what hotel models will look like when the hospitality restrictions lift. So, it will be important to diligently watch the trends and employ predictive intelligence from technology like revenue management tools to ensure you are pricing rooms both fairly and competitively to attract customers.

GET YOUR SYSTEMS IN CHECK

Pricing can be a make or break factor as to whether someone stays with you again, or looks elsewhere. Again, look at your data to see which rate people booked with you before and consider whether or not you could offer them some extra incentive to encourage them to rebook now for later in the year.

Many hotels are using this time to get their systems updated, so that they can run as effectively as possible when they are able to open their doors again. For example, upgrading to cloud-based systems can significantly lower operational costs and speed up processes for richer functionality, quicker reporting, and more informed decision making.

For example, while being mindful of the expectations and the level of authorization you have from your guests for the use their of their data, looking at it within your property management and food and beverage systems, you can see that a guest always books a meal at the in-property restaurant and orders a certain drink. What if you offered that up as a complimentary perk to their stay? Providing this level of detail and personal touch with customers is often an advantage unique to boutiques that pays off in spades in positive reviews and repeat stays.

With the resources saved, more time can be spent tending to the above suggestions – harnessing more personalised outreach and focusing on creating the best digital-led experiences for customers.

ward-looking recommendations to guide Government as it moves to thinking about recovery. It aims to publish its findings and report by the middle of May, well ahead of any planned reopening.

are able to hit the ground running and return to full strength as rapidly as possible. Ensuring these sectors get back on their feet quickly should be one of the Government’s top priorities.”

The inquiry will look at a number of critical areas, including: the right timing for the reopening of the sector and measures need to make sure it is safe; business support to help the sector transition to the new normality; guidance for businesses to help them get businessready; reigniting the sector’s supply chain; and marketing the sector.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls added: “Hospitality and tourism businesses provide employment, investment and opportunities in every region of the UK. That means that there is no corner of the country which has not seen job losses, shuttered venues and communities anxiously looking to the future.

Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism, Steve Double MP said: “Collectively, tourism and hospitality add around £80 billion to the UK’s economy and in normal times employ 3.3m people.

“Our sector is in a unique position to begin the rebuilding process, both economically and socially, once we emerge and the time is right.

This inquiry will focus on how we get restarted rather than necessarily when.

“These sectors were two of the first to feel the impact of first social distancing and then the lockdown and businesses have been hit hard in every region.

“It is clear we will only be able to recover if the right plan is in place, the Government understands the scale of the task and the opportunities it presents, and the correct support is provided – particularly the extension of the job retention scheme to protect jobs and wages.”

Ultimately, whilst necessary to stay closed for safety during the shutdown, hotels still need to be driving bottom-line revenues to survive.

Rather than seeing this as ‘lost time’ there are things hotel owners can and are doing to enhance their processes, and get ready for when they can welcome guests again.

Urgent Inquiry To Help Hospitality And Tourism Businesses Back Into Work To Launch The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism is launching an urgent inquiry to establish the best ways to support the recovery of businesses hit by COVID-19 – at the right time and in line with Government health advice.

Hospitality and tourism have been two of the hardest and most visibly hit sectors by the coronavirus pandemic.

Restrictions on travel, social distancing and enforced closures of businesses have temporarily halted the ability for businesses to trade, with little indication of when they will be able to return to normal.

The inquiry will assess what is needed to get businesses in these sectors back on their feet at the right time for the country, providing for-

“It is vital that, as the danger of COVID-19 passes, these businesses

Over 200 British Landlords & Tenants Join for a Collective Response to Prevent loss of Business The unprecedented nature of the current Covid-19 crisis has put a huge burden on every business and individual in the UK. We commend the government on much of the action taken, but as time moves on we are faced with greater challenges.The issue facing us all, is that not enough consideration has been given to the issue of Commercial Loans, Mortgages and financial support.

The Night Time Industries and the broader hospitality sector, along with retail, travel and tourism industries are facing a life or death situation right now, with an unprecedented level of business interruption, enforced by the government to protect public health.

We have a solution: ‘The Big Freeze’ What is ‘The Big Freeze’? - The Big Freeze is a portfolio of proposed measures to consider during the COVID - 19 period, in addition to the current measures that exist within the UK. We are proposing that all financial commitments to banks in terms of mortgages, loans and financial agreements be frozen, without effect on any current covenants or balances in terms of interest. Commitments will be reinstated once the crisis period ends.

Important: During this period no debt will be accrued.

It is important to recognise that the financial position of each business will be assessed on a case by case basis, and will be supported through this system, accordingly, ensuring that the correct levels of support will be given to businesses which are at risk.

We as representatives of British businesses including bars, clubs, restaurants, retail and tourism and landlords implore the government to implement ‘The Big Freeze.’

This will give landlords the financial freedom to allow tenants to get back to business after a period of economic hibernation, ensuring that many of the

Issue 4

8 out of 10 brewers do not believe the Government is doing enough to support them with more than half (54%) of the UK’s independent breweries being unable to access any Government support. Nearly a third (29%) are now considering redundancies.

Despite beer production being part of the food supply chain - meaning brewers are designated key workers - with pubs, bars and restaurants closed the main route to market for independent breweries has been entirely cut-off, leading to 65% of breweries stopping production altogether.

The survey of 282 UK breweries by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) reveals the devastating impact of the Covid-19 lockdown measures on one of the UK’s most successful manufacturing industries.

“Unlike the Global beer brands who can supply supermarkets in great volume, small independent breweries sell the majority of their beer through pubs, bars and restaurants, meaning the lockdown measures have hit them much harder. While many have launched local delivery services or online shops to try to stay afloat, the increase in online sales is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall decrease their beer sales have seen” said James Calder, SIBA’s Chief Executive.

“Pubs, bars and restaurants have been receiving help from the Government, but none of the same schemes apply to our small breweries who saw their sales fall off a cliff almost overnight. They urgently need a package of measures to keep them going otherwise many won’t be able to reopen.”

The survey shows that 70% of breweries are offering new delivery or takeaway services in order

5

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UK’s essential businesses that constitute a large proportion of British GDP will survive this crisis.

We know that the British public will support mechanisms that will see our society through this crisis, without further devastation through the intransigence of the banking and the financial sector.

We shall also instigate a review of insurance underwriting as a part of this for the future too.

We invite the Prime Minister & The Chancellor to adopt The Big Freeze as a matter of the utmost national urgency immediately.

Mike Kill CEO Night Time Industries Association said: “It is fantastic news to receive such unprecedented support from so many Landlords & Tenants across the UK, in such uncertain times. We are of course, all in this together which is why The NTIA and many British Landlords are asking the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to adopt The Big Freeze urgently. While the government has come an enormous distance at the very difficult time, we run the risk of losing a huge amount of our businesses who cannot afford and often do not qualify for further debt in addition to their losses due to the Covid-19 shutdown. Landlords and Tenants are all businesses that UK Plc relies upon. This is now urgent.”

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82% Drop in Beer Sales as Covid-19 Lockdown Hits Craft Breweries Hardest

Results released from a survey of small independent breweries across the UK show on average beer sales are down by 82% since the outbreak of Covid-19, with many businesses struggling to survive.

CLH Digital

to help supply their local communities with quality independent craft beer, with around 61% of those breweries now offering free delivery to local beer lovers.

SIBA are calling on Government to relax licensing laws to allow the 1 in 4 breweries who don’t have the relevant licenses in place to deliver beer direct to consumers in a variety of ways. The trade association say this should come as part of a targeted package of support for breweries and the brewery supply chain to match the level received by pubs, including making the grants and exemptions from business rates offered to pubs applicable to breweries.

In addition beer duty payments, which are often a brewers single biggest cost which account for 35% of turnover should be deferred by Government to help weather this storm.

Commenting on new SIBA figures s, CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said: “The stark figures released by SIBA, which show an 82% drop in craft beer sales since the COVID19 crisis began, highlights the devastating impact that lockdown is having on the brewing industry.

“Whilst we have seen an explosion in the brewing industry over recent years, this sombre report is a strong warning that the industry will not emerge unchanged from this crisis. Without swift and substantial support, consumer choice will be hard-hit after the lockdown passes.

“Much more needs to be done to support brewers during this time. With their route to markets all but blocked through pub closures, we need to ensure that brewers have the same access to business rate reliefs, loans and grants that is currently available for pubs. We’d also like to see beer duty payments deferred and licensing laws relaxed so that brewers and pubs that only have on sale licenses can sell to the off trade during the crisis.”

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Success on A Plate: The Future of Eating 6

CLH Digital

Issue 4

By Jeremy Harvey, Creative Partner at marketing communications agency Clarity (uk.wecreateclarity.com) the mix, but the findings still stand. And given the challenges dining sector brands of all types are now facing, the insights uncovered are perhaps more valuable than ever.

The Eating Index scored attributes for each brand we examined, grouping them against a range of factors – from financial indicators to brand strength, innovation strategies to internal communications. Each brand was chosen as we believe them to be representative of different categories within dining, allowing us to benchmark disruption, successes, challenges and overall performance in a way that can be applied to similar brands from each category.

HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS OR FEEDING ON SCRAPS?

Life as we know it has been put on hold, and no industry has felt the effects more immediately than the dining sector. Experts predicted that in 2019 the industry would suffer its fastest year-on-year decline since the beginning of the last decade. Yet pre the current crisis the industry was still valued at almost £19bn in the UK alone.

It’s too early to tell what the “new normal” might look like months from now, when society starts to return to a more recognisable state.

Consumer behaviours will have changed forever in a multitude of ways.

But convenience, great service and a unique experience will remain crucial factors to brand success.

While plotting individual brands on the index we also grouped them into four segments – ousted brands, the challenged mainstream, front runners and dominators. In the ousted group, Jamie’s Italian acts as an obvious cautionary tale. Its business model lacked customer-centricity and was easily undercut. While Jamie’s Italian was on message with a sustainable approach to sourcing and ranked well for internal comms, the chain’s weak brand and proposition were easy to spot. A glaring lack of innovation and agility were sadly the final nails in its coffin.

Brands such as Yo!, Strada and Pizza Express sit in the challenged mainstream grouping. This segment is characterised by financial strife - Strada had already had a bad 2018 when it closed nearly all of its estate blaming “an increasingly competitive market”. Although it has a relatively clear proposition, contented employees and offers convenience, it falls down on aspects such as investment, innovation and customer satisfaction.

Brands in this segment need to find ways to freshen up. They’re going stale and crisis aside were already drifting towards more financial scares that might eventually leave investors cold.

Prior to the situation we now find ourselves in certain brands, driven by technology, smart players such as delivery platforms, subscription snacking propositions and nimble restaurant chains were already innovating to keep up with demand. They were simultaneously fuelling changes in customer habits. We can expect some of the trends we saw then to be accelerated in the coming months.

The likes of Nando’s, Franco Manca and Wagamama make up our front runners group. These are strong brands, growing and profitable, scalable and digitally savvy, but still disruptable with disloyal customers and indifferent employees.

There were some high-profile brand failures in recent years, Jamie’s Italian is an obvious example. More recently chains such as Chiquito and Carluccio’s, already weakened by pre-crisis market conditions, have been tipped over the edge. In contrast delivery services such as Just Eat and Deliveroo were already doing incredibly well, and for now at least current restrictions mean they remain in a strong position.

Nando’s scores full marks for willingness to act and is bang on the money with the bulk of its customer-centricity elements. It has always been faithful to its clear proposition, just as rivals have stretched too far by feeling the need to diversify in the face of changing customer tastes.

This ethos has propelled Nando’s to the front of the casual dining chains striving for Dominator status.

In order to uncover the crucial factors behind these failures and successes, we created The Eating Index – a unique methodology that maps brands according to two key measures of performance: customer centricity and disruptability. The crisis throws a number of new factors into

Regardless of their exact spot on the index, the key challenge for brands in this group is to grasp the nettle. In most cases, a greater focus on marketing and communications - amplifying why they have done well so far and creating more reasons to believe for diners - will turn the dial

up still further. Such moves have paused for now, but should be reactivated like never before if these brands are to regain lost ground in Q4.

Game-changing innovators such as Just Eat and Deliveroo make up our Dominators. Innovators with a clear purpose, proposition and plan with the financial clout to stay ahead, Dominators are the ones to catch.

More than any other type of business in the index, delivery brands are changing the face of dining. Deloitte recently found that a third of Western consumers use meal deliveries, with 7% doing so at least once a week. It’s not hard to imagine in which direction those figures might go.

This really could be a winner-takes-all segment in years to come, with market consolidation seemingly likely as delivery brands jostle for position. In the longer term it’s important to not underestimate the impact of reputation and ethical factors; Deliveroo scored poorly for sustainability in comparison to Just Eat, which is proving its green chops by partnering with Eskuta, the e-scooter brand. In that sense it’s one step ahead of its rival.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS There are clear learnings we can take from these findings. The sector is largely paused for now, but when it restarts sector disruption will continue, with previously unimaginable new developments thrown into the mix. The brands that emerge from this crisis will need to take proactive steps to ensure they’re moving up, not sliding down, the scale. Where should they start? Which specific steps you need to take depend in large part on your stage of organisational maturity.

When it comes to established brands just because they may enjoy high awareness doesn’t mean that enough volume and profit will follow to sustain it. This is the reason chains like Ed’s Diner and Frankie & Benny’s previously had to shutter branches. They have a broad proposition and suffered from the effects of trying to appeal to everyone.

This is where a market focus is crucial. The age-old adage “put the customer first” couldn’t be more apt. What do people actually want?

Working to an existing - often successful - formula might feel safe but blocks the change necessary to remain relevant and embrace bigger opportunities that emerge from new technology, or a trend propelled by other brands. Or unforeseen circumstances.

It’s crucial to be open-minded to new and better ways of operating.

This means driving true change and innovation that goes beyond a quarterly menu refresh to embrace the whole dining experience.

There is no harm in taking learnings from innovation by the newer breed of digital native scale-ups. These brands bring convenience and personalisation to customers and do well because they know what works. Competitors should use some of those ingredients to grow, too.

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Issue 4

New Scheme To Help Rescue Local Cafes and Pubs

CLH Digital

As the coronavirus lockdown continues, a fifth of local businesses fear they will never reopen their doors, even after restrictions are lifted. Now a new, not-for-profit voucher scheme – Saving Local – means customers can help many of their favourite businesses survive the shutdown.

It’s predicted that as many as a million local businesses may not survive a four-week-long coronavirus lockdown. As the isolation period stretches onwards, many formerly profitable restaurants, shops and other local businesses fear they may never re-open their doors.

But a new local business voucher scheme could come to the rescue of many popular local stores and cafes. Saving Local enables loyal customers who are keen to support their favourite local businesses to buy vouchers for products and meals now, for later use when the lockdown period finally ends.

The scheme is the brainchild of the well-known small business entrepreneur Charles Astwood, founder of leading Noughties dining website LondonEating, which pioneered user reviews by ordinary customers. Charles has returned to the fray to help save local restaurants and stores by launching the new voucher-based scheme. Saving Local vouchers enable customers to support the local businesses they love by buying a voucher now, to use when the lockdown ends.

Says Charles: ‘The banks’ Covid-19 response seems to be slow in coming to the rescue of many muchloved businesses, while overheads continue to mount and expensive stock stands unwanted. But while the Government and lenders may be entangled in bureaucracy, it’s businesses’ own customers who can come

to the rescue. For many customers, the Saving Local voucher scheme is both a chance to buy themselves a treat to look forward to when the lockdown ends and, at the same time, it’s a purchase that could help ensure their favourite local shop, pub or café remains in business for the long term.

‘I’ve been really worried that several of my own favourite local business will never reopen and this independent, entirely not-for profit site seemed the best solution. The only deduction is the credit card fee; 100% of the voucher price goes to the venue.’

‘The scheme is open now for businesses to join for free. They can register online at www.savinglocal.com/register-business/. Customers keen to ensure their favourite local firms continue to serve them when the crisis has passed can simply send details to suggestions@savinglocal.com and we will contact them to sign them onboard.’

Perfect for pubs looking to sell their draught beer to customers before it spoils and great for offering a refill service!

The 32oz (1.75 Pints) Amber Growler with Screw Top are now selling at £6.66 each in packs of 12 - OR with a 50% discount to beer trade for pallets of 384!

The 64oz (3.5 Pints) Clear Growler with Screw Top are now selling at £7.80 each in packs of 6 with a 50% discount to beer trade for pallets of 192!

For full details of the new scheme and how to get local businesses registered, see: www.savinglocal.com

New CAMRA Podcast Hits The Airwaves

A new CAMRA podcast entitled Pubs, Pints & People has hit the airwaves, making its debut on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

The podcast aims to shed light on CAMRA, its long and rich history and various topics across the beer world in order to encourage anyone with an interest in beer, cider or pubs to join the Campaign.

Each episode is 30-minutes long and includes two interviews from prominent members in the beer community.

Tune in: https://audioboom.com/posts/7553422unsung-heroes The pilot episode ‘unsung heroes in the beer industry’ features a chat with David Bremner about Robinson Brewery’s collaboration with Iron Maiden and Ben Watson from Beavertown Brewery about the role of a sensory taster.

Future topics include a look at beer writing with legends Pete Brown and Roger Protz, debunking the myths around ‘craft beer’ with Jonny Garrett of the Craft Beer Channel and Channel 4’s beer expert Mark Dredge, and more.

The podcast will also ‘dive into the archives’ each week, finding hilarious stories and interesting news from past issues of CAMRA publications, including its What’s Brewing newspaper which has been published since 1974.

Hosted by volunteers Ant Fiorillo, Matt Bundy and staff member Katie Wiles, it taps into CAMRA’s extensive volunteer network with correspondents ‘in the field’ joining the programme to help conduct interviews.

Podcast producer and CAMRA’s Senior Communications Manager Katie Wiles said: “The

podcast aims to pull back the curtain on CAMRA business and encourage beer and cider drinkers to join the Campaign.

“This is a really difficult time for everyone, and we want to combat loneliness by helping people stay connected to their passion for beer and pubs and keep up-to-date with the industry during this time of isolation.

“From finding spectacular gems from the archives to shining a spotlight on volunteers undertaking the enormous task of organising an event like the Great British Beer Festival, CAMRA has a wonderfully rich history that anyone should feel proud to be a part of. We want to share the good news of CAMRA to the rest of the world.”

CAMRA has also recently launched a virtual pub called the Red (On)Lion where visitors can ‘pull up a stool’ at the public bar, ‘book a table’ with friends and take part in events including ‘Tasty Tuesday’ beer tastings starting next week.

It has also put together maps of brewery, pub and cider initiatives, such as takeaway services and delivery services, to help consumers find locally produced brews to support.

To get involved and find out more, simply visit https://camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/

www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk/special-offers

HS French Flint Ltd. based in London and Lincolnshire but supplying all over the U.K and abroad, still have good stock of Growlers to support Pubs, Hotels, and Farm Shops with their carry-home sales of Beer, Cider, Wines and Oils. As part of the supply chain to the food industry we remain open and able to ship our full range of Glass and Plastic Bottles, Jars, Caps Closures and Pumps.

Our showrooms have had to close but you can call us on 020 7237 1750 or visit our website at www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk

The pubs are closed, but don't let the beer go off!

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CLH Digital

Issue 4

Petition To Include Tips & Service Charge In JRS Scheme Hits Over 8,000 At time of going to print a petition calling on the government to include tips (tronc) and service charge payments within calculated wages for hospitality employers for the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) has reached 8500.

Keep Communicating in the Time of COVID-19

By Caroline Walker, Director of PR, Content and Marketing at Westgate Communications It may seem fruitless to put time and energy into marketing your venue at a time when you can’t actually welcome people through the door but, right now, your potential customers have more time than ever before to read content online and open marketing emails. So, by staying silent and not running marketing activity, you’re missing out on reaching that captive audience.

The petition addressed to Chancellor Rishi Sunak says “ A lot of us are breathing a sigh of relief thanks to the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme but for many of us in the service industry, a large portion of our salary is made up of tronc/service charge. This petition is to ensure that the full salary of base rate and service charge combined is included in the calculations that decide how much 80% of our monthly earnings will be.”

Earlier this month the government was urged to reconsider its stance in not including tips and service charge as part of the scheme with https://catererlicensee.com/hmrc-suggests-hospitality-furloughpay-will-not-include-tronc/ UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls saying the decision was “disappointing”.

She said: “It is incredibly disappointing that the government has seen fit to exclude tronc payments from people’s earnings. HMRC will have evidence that employees are paid tips through a tronc, so there seems no reason not to include it in the Job Retention Scheme.

“This is taxable income that team members have earned. Excluding it from the scheme means that furloughed employees will receive less money to see them through this crisis. Money they should be entitled to.

“Hospitality employees put in a huge amount of hard work to earn their tips, often going above and beyond to give customers a fantastic experience. At such a difficult time for the country, people’s hard work should be acknowledged, and those people should be supported. Not doing so only risks putting additional, unnecessary pressure on the welfare system.

“Hospitality businesses are doing their best to support employees during extraordinarily difficult times. But with zero revenue and persistent demands on cash from landlords and others, there is only so much they can do. Including tronc payments in the Job Retention Scheme would give more people some much-needed support, and we hope the government reconsiders.”

BUILD A BRAND AROUND COMMUNITY RATHER THAN A PRODUCT OR SERVICE The pandemic has increased the value of citizenship and you are uniquely positioned to build a sense of community, support neighbourhood initiatives and create local networks.

Whether that is by collecting food and toiletries for food banks and vulnerable residents, building an army of volunteers to support food producers pick crops and deliver by, or by hosting virtual activities such as a quiz or games night to tackle loneliness – these activities will build your reputation as a caring local business and cement your position in the community.

In the short term, it is important to raise awareness of activities through social media and e-newsletters as well as through local press and encourage more people to help. These are the acts that will be longremembered as the pandemic recedes and will secure business in the long-term.

BE COMPASSIONATE No one can predict exactly how the current crisis will change your customers and how this will affect their habits and choices when normal service resumes. But you can gauge how people are feeling now. A little research will help you to build a picture of the mood of your target audience – hopeful, fearful, anxious, fun-seeking – and enable you to tailor your offering and how you promote it to them.

Now is also a good time to renew contact with regular customers and suppliers as well as the owners of complementary businesses nearby. If appropriate, take 5 minutes to have a chat or virtual cup of tea – it can lift your spirits but also build meaning relationships that can benefit in the future.

PREPARE When you’re in the rhythm of everyday, pre-pandemic-closure life, the important but not-seemingly urgent business activities, such as preparing a marketing strategy or creating social media content, can fall to the bottom of the to-do list. Now is the time to focus on future plans and activity and, as much as possible, plan and prepare content in advance.

Use this time to explore new channels of communication, follow complementary accounts and become familiar with how to use them. Drafting social media posts, blog and newsletter copy in bulk to promote autumn and winter events will save you time later. Run some competitor analysis, exploring other businesses’ online activity and take inspiration for your own events and promotions.

KEEP COMMUNICATING The most important activity you can do is keep communicating with your audiences in lots of different ways. Building social media presence and regularly updating your website is obviously key while people stay at home but mix up communications, varying the message between business updates, community support initiatives, advice and fun! As hospitality professionals, there is also an opportunity to share some trade secrets with your audience. Can you share speed bed-making tutorials and cleaning tips or, if you are famous for your pub roast, show people how they can make the perfect roast potatoes at home?

The exterior of your venue can also communicate to your community, particularly if it is likely to be passed on walks or trips to the supermarket. It is the perfect place to share fun, life-affirming messages or turn into an art gallery for local children’s drawings. You can even encourage passers-by to vote online and award prizes for the best rainbow celebrating carers and key workers!

When it comes to communication, even in times of crisis, the most important factor is to speak directly to your audience. If you make sure the message has their interests and feelings in mind, then success will follow.

Issue 4

CLH Digital

9

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Portal Launches On 20 April HMRC has announced that the web portal for handling Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) claims will go live on April 20.

Under the scheme Government will cover 80% of the salaries of ‘furloughed’ workers, up to a total of £2,500 a month HMRC chief executive Jim Harra told the Treasury select committee the CJRS will be ready to go on Monday April 20. His announcement was accompanied by an HMRC note to tax agents setting out further details: • The scheme is due to go live on 20 April with first payments being made 10 days later • Future claims will be paid within four to six days • The online CJRS service is now undergoing beta testing with a group of selected employers • Applicants will access the system using their current government gateway login • Further guidance will be issued by HMRC next week (week commencing 13 April) explaining on how to use the system • Following the initial backdated claims, claims can be made no more than 14 days before payrolls are run but will be accepted for the different pay periods

UKHospitality Welcomes Licensing Flexibility During COVID-19 Lockdown UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s ed by the coronavirus. recommendation of additional flexibility for licensees Councils have also been advised that they should affected by COVID-19. consider allowing deliveries outside of normal times, flexibility on advertising applications, and the use of The Home Office has written to local authorities remote hearings. recommending flexibility when safeguarding the licensing objectives. The letter recommends a “consid- UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: ered and pragmatic approach should be taken to “This additional flexibility for licensees is some welbreaches of licence conditions and procedural defects come positive news at a moment when any good caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly news is needed. The Government has shown a great where these breaches or defects do not have a signif- deal of common sense in advising local authorities icant adverse impact on the licensing objectives”. to act more pragmatically and flexibly during the Importantly, the letter also states that where busi- outbreak. nesses are experiencing difficulties in paying premis“Hospitality businesses are currently under a huge es licence fees and late night levy charges, “the amount of strain. The majority have no revenue authority should consider delaying any suspension of whatsoever at the minute, and those that are operthe licence where the delay in payment or non-pay- ating in some capacity are working hard to support ment is related to COVID-19” where business make the needs of their communities and key workers. the authority aware of their situation. UKHospitality Pursuing a tactic of “business as usual” would have urges all authorities to take this approach to fee only heaped more pressure on businesses and payments during this period. stretched council resources even further.

UKHospitality had been in close discussions with the Home Office recommending a more adaptable approach to working with licensees currently affect-

“This scope for greater flexibility while the crisis is still in full swing is exactly the kind of lateral approach to business support we need.”

• Tax agents who are authorised to act for PAYE matters will be able to file claims on behalf of their clients • File-only agents and payroll bureaus will not be able to access the service “due to data protection reasons”.

CJRS is intended to run for at least three months from 1 March 2020, but it will be extended if necessary.

The JRS will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March 2020 and is open for workers who were in employment on 28 February.

To access the scheme empoyers will need to: • Designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers’, and notify your employees of this change – changing the status of employees remains subject to existing employment law and, depending on the employment contract, may be subject to negotiation • Small businesses need to classify employees as a furloughed worker, which means they should not undertake any work for the company while furloughed, including answering calls or emails • Submit information to HMRC about the employees that have been furloughed and their earnings through a new online portal (HMRC will set out further details on the information required) For further details https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-throughthe-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

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CLH Digital

Issue 4

Tips to Help Hotels Survive and Prepare for Recovery brand. Improve energy efficiency by closing hotel floors. Reduce waste to keep F&B costs down. Eliminate investment plans, where necessary, said Masih. If you can, negotiate a reduction in rental costs, or a suspension of leasing. However, on room rates, there should be no slash and burn “carpet bombing,” said Sharma, as this will only lead to credibility problems when you try to reinstate ‘normal’ rates later.

HUMAN RESOURCE Set an example here, said Masih. Take care of your workforce, especially their mental health and social-psychological needs. On the upside, help employees serve customers from anywhere - on property, online, or in the community. If staff are working from home, make sure they have full virtual access. She said invest in software and training keep in contact.

Communicate clearly on a regular basis. However, never compromise on security -- on property or online. A good leader will redefine their job and become the Chief Recovery Officer.

All three speakers emphasised that there was no perfect answers for hoteliers. All of us have to show resilience and endurance.

Whether hotels are closed, on skeletal operations, or planning for recovery, here are practical steps that hoteliers could be implementing now.

Practical tips in the I Meet Hotel webinar came from (l to r) Konstantinos Santikos, Sara Abdel Masih, and Dharmendra Sharma.

Three leading hoteliers gave crisis recovery advice to hospitality industry leaders in the inaugural I Meet Hotel industry webinar, 8 April, organised by Bidroom. The three gave tips on how to endure the business impact of the virus -- and come out the other side ready for recovery.

The hoteliers told webinar moderator, the Director of Operations of Bidroom, Marcin Wesolowski, and the webinar audience of 125 hospitality professionals, that decisive action taken in hotel branding, operations, guest relations, communications, finance and HR will help owners, managers, staff and guests pull through the current crisis together.

Dharmendra Sharma, Director of Sales & Marketing at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Dubai, Sara Abdel Masih, President A.D.A Lombardia & General Manager at Hotel Dei Cavalieri & The Square - Milano Duomo, and Konstantinos Santikos, Managing Director at the Santikos Collection, said there we no easy solutions. However decisive action and due diligence in six areas would pay dividends, namely:

GUEST RELATIONS Your brand should be selling, when sales can’t. You should reach out with empathy and practical tips. For example, hotel departments can give advice on subjects such as house cleaning and sanitising for home, yoga stretches to keep fit in confined spaces, and recipes to eat well on less.

Serve first, then sell later, said Sharma.

OPERATIONS If your hotel is still open, or will reopen in a stepped way, you must keep standards up. If you have three restaurants, open just one first. Shut or reduce the number of outlets that don’t impact operations. For example, spa, pool and kids’ clubs can open another day. To boost cash flow and optimise the one restaurant that is open, maybe think about delivering F&B to the local community.

Sharma noted that a Charles Darwin quote was applicable to the current crisis. “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change.”

Additional information: www.imeethotel.com To help hoteliers during the crisis, Bidroom has waived all hotel membership fees for 2020.

COMMUNICATIONS In a time of partial or full hotel shut down, by all means, call your clients, but do not discuss business, said Sharma. The emphasis should be on empathy. Be supportive. Use positive language. Listen a lot and emphasise that #WeAreAllInThisTogether. Under no circumstances have your sales team resort to cold call emails to drum up business. The approach should be supportive, not exploitative. Again, serve first, sell later.

BRANDING Santikos addressed ‘hotel branding in an age of Covid-19’. He said the hotel’s story must be relatable in a time of crisis. When guests come back they will want to see housekeeping making an extra effort with hygiene. All staff should practice social distancing. Anticipate the differing needs of your guests - business people, families, couples. If you're going to open, don’t do it half-heartedly. Be confident in your processes. For example, follow up with guests after they have left. Add value after they check out by sharing fitness, hygiene or cooking tips.

Finance It’s vital to reduce costs. But cut in the back office to protect your

Now in their second year, the team behind Sun Rum can look forward to summer 2020 with enthusiasm as the brand steps into its own during the warmer seasons. It’s vibrant and modern identity twinned with an appealing, smooth taste seems to be wining fans nationally.

Founder Matt England says: “We’ve seen another year of uplift in golden rum demand as well as the other styles in the category. Since the start of 2020 we are pleased the scales have tipped somewhat whereby the majority of new accounts approach us as a result of recommendations by current customers rather than outbound sales pitching. To date, there doesn’t seem to be another brand on the market with the same styling and abruptness as Sun Rum, we are hoping that this will continue to play out positively for us.”

The summer season sees them step up their presence at events aligned with the brand values such as dance music festivals and beach parties. They’ll also be partnering with organisations to conduct beach cleans to help to give something back to the environment.

Enquiries: matt@maedengroup.com 07837579462 or sales@screambrands.com 01580 200044

Restaurants & Bars Among ‘Best Store Types For Opening’ 8.

9.

10.

Health clubs Ice cream parlours Supermarkets

144 92 90

The study also found that, on average, 92% of independent businesses in the UK survive the first year. The figure drops to a 71% survival rate in the third year and further 57% in the fifth.

If you are looking to start a business, then you should think about opening a shop in the South East of England. This region has the highest survival rate in the UK with 64% of 461,170 independent businesses surviving until their fifth anniversary. London placed second at 62% of 561,060 businesses while the East came in third with 63% of 308,180 businesses surviving.

New research shows restaurants & bars are in the top 10 most popular independent business types.

The disruption of online retailer and food delivery apps has rapidly changed the look of the UK’s high street. Pubs, fashion shops and newsagents have all experienced several closures as revealed by a new study from Small Business Prices.

The research also highlights the shops with the highest opening and closure rates as well as the best region to start your business in the UK. Looking at independent business across the UK in the year of 2018, the study reveals that while pubs and fashions shops have been ranked among the 10 worst business types for closure, restaurants and bars have experienced a different and far more positive trend.

218 restaurants & bars opened in the UK during 2018 which makes them the fourth best store type for opening, with barbers taking the top spot after 813 opened in just one year. Beauty salons came in second, and tobacconists came in third.

The top 10 best store types for openings are: 1.

Barbers 813 2.

Beauty salons 495 3.

Tobacconists 244 4.

Restaurants & bars 218 5.

Cafe & tearooms 214 6.

Nail salons 166 7.

Bars 145

The East Midlands, North East and Yorkshire had the lowest rates at 60%.

WHY BRITAIN LOVE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS Brits love going out to eat and though the current pandemic has had bars and restaurants up and down the UK close shop, for the time being, many have nothing to fear. The lockdown has not deterred the British public from wanting to go out to eat, research from CGA revealed 61% of people in the UK said they would dine out with the same frequency once COVID-19 is over and 7% saying they would eat out more.

Independent restaurants are highly favoured among customers that value the personal approach that comes from contributing to a family run business, for example, it offers a great sense of community that a multioutlet chain restaurant isn’t able to.

Furthermore, chain restaurants aim to provide their customers with the same experience regardless of which branch they’re visiting.

This means that in order to maintain the same standard across the country everything from the food to the music they serve has to be the same. Independent restaurants offer unique experiences that customers won’t find anywhere else, which makes them highly unique.

In the last few years, diners have become more aware of their impact on the environment and what they are putting into their body. Independent restaurants offer diners the knowledge that the food is locally sourced which many chain restaurants are unable to do.

Issue 4

CLH Digital

11

Nearly 2,000 Pubs, Breweries and Cideries Offering Takeaway Or Delivery Services During Lockdown Nearly 2,000 pubs, breweries and cideries are now offering takeaway or delivery services to help keep themselves afloat and keep customers served during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the Campaign for Real Ale. CAMRA has put together a directory of these initiatives as part of the Pulling Together campaign, launched in partnership with SIBA and Crowdfunder, to encourage beer and cider drinkers to support the industry during this time of crisis and shop locally for their favourite brew.

Over a thousand pubs offering takeaway and delivery services are searchable using the popular pub directory WhatPub, nearly 600 breweries and over 100 cideries are listed via the Pulling Together webpage.

• 1,276 pub initiatives listed on WhatPub: https://whatpub.com/ • 600 brewery initiatives listed via a searchable map at https://camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/brewery-initiatives/ • 107 cider initiatives listed via a searchable map at https://camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/cider-initiatives/ Ben Wilkinson, CAMRA National Director said: “This is the most extensive list out there of safe and legal takeaway and delivery initiatives offering beer and cider around the country.

“Anyone who loves quality real ale or cider should use this resource to support local businesses, so they’re able to reopen once this crisis has passed. Many pubs are relying on our ongoing support to keep afloat right now, and the best way we can ensure they still exist once the restrictions are lifted is to keep giving them our business.”

CAMRA has also launched an online virtual pub called the Red (On)Lion to help combat loneliness and social isolation during the lockdown, which is open for anyone to use.

Visitors to the Red (On)Lion are encouraged to share what they’re drinking when they log in to show how they’re continuing to support the trade during the crisis.

Government Must Act Now or 70% of Small Businesses Won’t Survive the Summer Issue 4

New research shows that the government needs to do more to save small businesses in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The research, compiled by Vala Capital and the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) based on feedback from more than 250 SMEs, shows that:

• 71% of small firms won’t survive six months without funding • equity funding for small businesses in the UK has collapsed by 70% or more since the outbreak of Covid-19 – this is across all equity funding platforms • nine out of 10 growth businesses needing investment now may disappear within 12 months if government fails to act, with the loss of millions of jobs and tax income The research forms the basis of a campaign, backed by more than 6,000 SMEs and led by investment manager Vala Capital, calling for the government to provide a £600m lifeline to small businesses through increased investor tax reliefs. The campaign is supported by influential industry leaders including EISA, Wealth Club Crowdcube, Sapphire Capital, Kuber and Seedrs.

Many of the most innovative early-stage companies – those working on technologies, systems and processes that can have a profound impact on society – are at risk of closing because they are not eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), while take up is slow. SmallBusiness.co.uk surveyed 1,823 small businesses, of which 53% said their loan application had been rejected since the scheme was overhauled on 3 April. The survey chimes with business secretary Alok Sharma’s admission that only 4,200 loans worth £800m have been awarded, despite more than 300,000 enquiries – a conversion rate of just 1.4%.

The campaign’s call for an immediate increase in the tax allowances available to investors from 30% to 60%, would complement other proposals – such as a Runway Fund – to support UK small businesses.

According to the research, 59% of SME’s said relaxing the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) rules would lead to a rise in equity funding available to them.

Many growth businesses rely on equity-based investments in their initial development years. Yet the impact of the crisis has seen most private investors withdraw from making investments threatening the survival of some of the UKs most innovative companies. Having access to equity capital is essential, the campaigners say.

Jasper Smith, founder of Vala Capital, says: “We cannot afford to lose the potential value of the country’s most innovative businesses. Once these companies are lost, recovery for most is irreversible. A short-term relaxation in the terms of the EIS scheme, matched by parallel funding, is critical if we are to see these businesses prosper. Entrepreneurs are key to economic recovery during and post coronavirus. We need their vision and determination, their stubbornness – and the learning both their failures and successes have created. With the right government support, entrepreneurs can act as the cornerstone of rebuilding our nation.”

Smith adds that the significant benefit to the proposal is that it achieves scale, quickly and at minimal cost – the government gets back more than it gives. Cost analysis shows that for every £75,000 offered in tax relief the government could generate £142,000 of additional tax and National Insurance over three years.

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Mark Brownridge, Director General of the EISA, says: “Our survey shows very clearly that investors have taken fright at the current coronavirus disruption, which is resulting in many of our fast growth businesses fearing for their future. Of the 250 businesses in the survey over half represent the health, fintech, other tech and software solutions sectors, and these the very businesses that the UK will need as we exit the current crisis. The evidence we have in the survey showing that nearly twothirds believe that relaxing the EIS rules would lead to an increase in equity funding, emphasises that the Government needs to act now, and we strongly encourage them to consider the request we have put to them to provide short-term additional reliefs to investors without delay.”

The EIS is an existing framework used by government for almost 40 years and is proven to work for Treasury and the economy. According to EISA, for each £1 invested under EIS, the Treasury gets £4 back in tax revenue and for every £1m invested, nine jobs are created.

The campaign proposes using the national network of regional EIS fund managers and the thousands of investment professionals, advisers and accountants working with them to deploy capital quickly. Coupled with a re-energised and motivated private investor base this decentralised approach delivers capital fast to local businesses throughout the UK and could unlock a minimum of £600m of private investment funds. These funds can start to be deployed within weeks and be repaid to government from tax income (from job retentions) within two years, the campaigners say.

Only 9% Of £11bn Coronavirus Support Package Paid Out So Far

A mere 9% of the government’s £11 billion coronavirus support package has been paid out to small firms that were earmarked for support, according to retail estate adviser Altus Group

involves a one off cash grant of £10,000. Currently there are 720,400 properties liable for business rates with a rateable value less than £15,000 and are in receipt of small business rates relief.

Small businesses have been allocated around £1 billion in grant funding schemes under the Small Business Grant Fund.

Robert Hayton, head of UK business rates at Altus Group said: “businesses were initially told by government that they did not need to do anything but are now being told to complete application forms slowing down the process markedly creating additional pressure for small firms already in distress. The money needs to get to those most in need for

Under the scheme announced last month by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak all businesses in England will be eligible for small business rates relief, which

quicker”.

However the Local Government Association (LGA) The Local Government Association said councils have worked at pace to identify and contact eligible businesses to support them to apply for government funding since April 1 and continue to distribute the cash as quickly as possible.

Some councils they say have set up dedicated teams and redeployed staff to make sure they can quickly process applications. They are also using web-

sites, social media and local media to reach the businesses which they do not hold details for but are eligible for funding.

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA’s Resources Board, said:“Councils are leading local efforts to support communities and businesses as they try and cope with the coronavirus outbreak.Government grants are a vital lifeline to businesses struggling at this time and worried about the future. Councils are working fast to ensure businesses eligible for this money are receiving it quickly as possible.”

14

CLH Digital

Issue 4

Doors Closed, DMs Open! - Using Marketing Communications to Help Survive COVID-19

By Jaime Gee, Managing Director, Jam_, a leading marketing communications agency The COVID-19 crisis has no doubt hit the UK’s hospitality industry harder than most sectors.

Although the situation is changing on a daily basis, the outlook could appear bleak for many independent or smaller businesses as they prepare to weather this storm.

SURVIVING CRISES - CAN WE COME OUT STRONGER? Business owners are understandably worried and unsure about what the future holds, but it’s important to remember that it is in everyone’s best interests for UK hospitality businesses to weather the storm as best they can, and come out of this situation intact and ready for the next chapter.

According to UK Hospitality, the hospitality industry contributes more than £120bn a year to the UK’s economy, and over 3.2 million people work in pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels, making it the third largest sector for employment.

Although the COVID19 crisis has hit the sector quickly and with unprecedented force, this is not the first time that the UK’s hospitality industry has been pushed to its limits. The recession, kick-started by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, had a devastating effect worldwide on many businesses.

For the hotel sector, 2009 represented some of the worst declines in history, with large YOY profit drops recorded in many major cities in Europe.

However, numerous markets were quick to recover, with hotels in London recording growth of 14.1% YOY in 2010 (Source: HotStats).

Turning attention to Britain’s pub sector, the recession hit around the same time as the smoking ban, and at a time when a leap in tech had led to the social media landscape ramping up and replacing more traditional ways of socialising with friends. For many, this was a perfect storm that meant the closure of outlets and the loss of jobs, but others rode the storm and even thrived. And, although this situation is very different, there are lessons we can learn from the survivors.

UNIQUE ROLE OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Although the current crisis cannot be downplayed, resilient outlets and owners can do all they can to weather the storm and prevail. After all, Britain's hospitality outlets play a unique role in providing an environment for friends and families to enjoy dining, drinking and socialising and - after weeks or even months of social isolation or distancing - the sector will

surely be pivotal in combating the loneliness, anxiety and disconnection caused by COVID19.

With this in mind, here are six ways that owners and managers can use communications to get ahead at this time of crisis: 1. Keep your audience engaged with social media Social media can sometimes be seen as a “nice to have” for smaller businesses, or you may neglect your platforms due to time constraints or lack of knowledge.

During this time of crisis, your social media can be used as the main channels to communicate with your customer base and keep your business front of mind. As many people stay off work, work from home or self isolate, they will rely more and more on social feeds for communication as well as information and entertainment.

We have compiled a handy list of ideas to help your hospitality business use social in the best way, including video content ideas, recipe uploads, sharing beautiful photography and more.

2. Get ahead with free tools There are a host of free social media tools to help maintain a strong social media presence, that help you create and schedule engaging posts.

Facebook for Business is a great platform for not only scheduling your posts, but seeing what your customers engage with the most.

If you’re struggling to get through customer queries or want to join in with trends, Tweetdeck is the perfect free extension to your existing account.

And when it comes to managing everything in one place, from scheduling to replying to comments, Hootsuite offers the most comprehensive free software.

Here’s more detail to our recommended free tools.

3. Take the time to up-skill It’s rare to find the time to upskill yourself and broaden your knowledge in other areas as a hospitality owner, so take any quiet time to do just that with free Google garage courses or free online tutorials and downloads. Look for courses in digital marketing, PR, social planning and content writing, all of which will help you to push your business and promote your services when things pick back up again.

Interestingly, since the situation began to unfold and more people have been forced to self isolate, searches for Webinars have rocketed, according to Google trends.

Another good idea to take this time to get some amazing photography of your products and your venue - either do them yourself or (if possible) consider using a local photographer who will be looking for work to replace cancelled events and may offer you a good deal.

4. Crisis communications - keeping everyone informed In times like this, it’s a good plan to update your website and social feeds regu-

larly with informative posts letting your customers and other stakeholders know how you are handling the crisis and what you are doing from an operational perspective; if you are closing, cancelling events, what your staff or supplier policies are, if you can honour any vouchers or competition wins, and how you are supporting the local business landscape.

If you are unsure of how to approach this, you can download a statement template here.

5. PR - keeping your voice heard in the crisis As a business owner, you will no doubt have strong opinions on the unfolding situation, the government response and how it all affects the sector. Consider sticking your head above the parapet and commenting on the crisis. Offer comment and insight to local newspapers, industry publications and trade websites.

You can also share your thoughts on platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter, and engage in other conversations too, to ensure your voice is heard during this crisis.

6. PR - being creative to ride out the storm There may not seem to be much positive news about at present, and it can feel a tad tricky to navigate the landscape to ensure that your tone is sensitive, but at the same time, the news outlets still require content - and uplifting stories or information about products and services might be exactly what’s required.

Keep your target media up to date with news stories about any initiatives you are taking part in, charity or community work and any news about how you may be tweaking your offering to provide new services in light of the situation - offering take out food for example - or discount vouchers for future meals or drinks. In fact, the government has announced that it is relaxing rules to allow restaurants and other outlets to become hot food takeaways during the crisis, and many local groups of businesses are pulling together to offer heavily discounted vouchers for future use to customers, to keep the money flowing.

A steady stream of relevant, authentic news will keep your business front of mind with consumers and stakeholders, helping you to push through the crisis and - hopefully - come out stronger when we emerge.

GET HELP WHERE YOU CAN As well as keeping your communications regular, consistent and bold, keep abreast of what the government is doing to help the hospitality industry though this unprecedented time. At the budget, the Chancellor promised £20 billion of business rates support and grant funding to help the most-affected firms manage their cash flow through this period, which includes giving all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England a 100% business rates holiday for the next 12 months, increasing grants to small businesses eligible for Small Business Rate Relief from £3,000 to £10,000, and providing further £25,000 grants to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value over £15,000 and below £51,000. Keep an eye out on the official Gov.uk website here.

Incredibly, tech giant Facebook has also promised $100 million in grants to small businesses over the next few months. You can find out more here.

And now, more than ever, it is imperative that your social media presence remains active. Staying visible and connected to your followers will keep customers engaged even when you’re not online. Which is why we here at Jam have compiled a free social media toolkit, to provide you with step-bystep instructions on building an engaged following on social media.

Download it, give it a go and let us know how you get on: https://wearejam.agency/covid-19-toolkit/

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Issue 4

CLH Digital

17

How To Take Care Of Your Beer Lines During The Covid-19 Closure Period

By Jeff Singer, Beer Piper

The UK’s hospitality industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, with all hospitality outlets ordered to shut their doors to the public.

With this in mind, it’s crucial to maintain cellar management and implement some immediate actions to ensure that your beer lines remain functional.

Beer left to stagnate inside lines could prove costly, so licensees need to take precautions.

SIGNIFICANT RISK FROM BEER STAGNATING IN LINES Beer Piper, the UK”s leading beer line cleaning firm, has issued the below advice for publicans, bar managers and hospitality owners, to ensure that they eliminate any risk and maintain the safety and functionality of their business.

8 STEPS FOR SUCCESS 1.Turn off all your remote coolers and beer gas lines throughout the period of closure (See point five below before turning off your cellar cooling system!)

2. Run a beer line clean on every draught product in turn, leaving your beer lines in water once the clean has completed.

3. Do not reattach the keg coupler back onto the keg. If you have enough sockets on your ring main(s) leave them attached to a socket.

4. Do not wrap your dispense taps in plastic wrap/cling film as this could trap moisture and lead to mould growth.

5. If you have a substantial amount of beer in your cellar, you may wish to keep your cellar cooling system switched on as casks should be stored at a temperature between 52-54 deg F. Temperatures above 54 deg F will rapidly accelerate ageing which will in turn cause irreversible flavour damage to beer and cause it to go flat. It will also encourage extensive mould growth in damp cellars.

6. If you use a Beer Piper or other beer line cleaning system, use it to flush the water through your lines on a weekly basis (if possible).

7. In the event that the closures continue for a long time, line sanitisers can be added manually to help keep lines in good shape during the period of inac-

tivity. Some products can be left in the lines for up to six months (please note, these products cannot be added using Beer Piper systems, as using a line sanitiser will cause damage and break the system.)

8. Remove all nozzles and sparklers and put them in a pot with sanitising tablets. The nozzles can be left for up to three months, although it’s good practice to use fresh tablets regularly if you can.

Jeff Singer, commercial manager for Beer Piper, commented: “If beer is left to stagnate inside your lines for an extended period of time, there is a significant risk the lines will develop irreversible bacterial contamination, which can lead to gas leak hazards or a costly draught line replacement.

“Beer Piper units and beer line cleaning systems can be used as an important tool to help close down lines with final cleans and flushing during closure. They can also help to maintain the lines and get them ready to be used again at the end of the enforced closure period.

“We are keeping our telephone lines open during the crisis for any customers who wish to speak to us about closing down lines and how best to do it.”

For further information or advice, publicans can contact Beer Piper on 0300 303 2709.

Weymouth Pub’s Virtual Quayfest Raises Crieff Hydro Gives Thanks To NHS Staff, Carers & Frontline Workers Over £13,000 For The NHS

Weymouth’s popular music festival, the Quayside Music Festival, run by the Rendezvous & Royal Oak, headed online on Sunday (12 April) for its first ever Virtual Quayfest. The music festival saw 20 musicians perform over a 12-hour period, from 12pm to 12am, and raised £13,200 for the local Dorset County Hospital.

The success of the event was thanks to a collaboration of efforts from across Weymouth, from tourism group, Loving Weymouth & Portland, members of the local band The Leggomen, to Keith Treggiden, General Manager of Rendezvous & Royal Oak – many chipped in, each of whom was determined for the show to go on. The online festival was sponsored by Medisave, a local medical supplies company, as well as other local businesses who volunteered their services.

Those who tuned in were treated to performances from the likes of The Voice 2018 finalist, Lauren Bannon, The Leggomen, Powelly, The Chase and many more, with DJ Steve Mullins and Zac P stepping up to entertain in between sets.

A fundraising target of £10,000 was set on the Virtual Quayfest JustGiving page ahead of the festival, which was more than surpassed on the day.

Keith said: “I really think that kind of money can do so much to help our NHS – from PPE, to providing some hot meals, we want to show the amazing people at our local hospital that we are 100% behind them and will be forever grateful for what they have done for us throughout the coronavirus crisis. I am so touched by the generosity of everyone who tuned in to watch.

“It was really humbling experience putting on the Virtual Quayfest. Seeing everyone pull together to make it happen and to make it a success, was just incredible. It is a testament to the Quayside Festival and how much it means to our community that we managed to pull it off.”

To catch the highlights, find the Virtual Quayfest on the Loving Weymouth & Portland Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1158567554484021/

Four members of the Leckie family, owners of Crieff Hydro Hotel, took to their instruments at 8pm this evening to give their heartfelt thanks to NHS staff, carers and frontline workers.

The powerful display of their thanks echoed around the Hotel’s Winter Garden.

Stephen Leckie was joined in his bagpipe rendition of Scotland the Brave and Rowan Tree by his sons Richard and Charlie and daughter Louisa on drums The songs were chosen by Stephen’s sister, Ruth Leckie King who is at the front line with her husband working at Tillicoultry Medical Practice and is helping at Stirling’s Covid Assessment Hub. This will take place every Thursday throughout this period from different iconic locations of the hotel as the family tries to keep spirits up. #clapforcarers #weareallinthistogether

Pub Governing Body Agrees Suspension Of All Rent Review Negotiations Issue 4

FOR CODES OF PRACTICE INCLUDE: Rent reviews and other timelines under the Codes of Practice (England, Wales and Scotland)

The Pub Governing Body (PGB) has agreed a temporary suspension of all pub rent review negotiations during this current Covid-19 pandemic.

PGB which is an organisation responsible for promoting the advancement and improvement of Landlord (Pub Owning Companies) and tied tenant relationships in the licensed retail sector, and comprises of the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping, Federation of Licensed Victuallers Association, the Guild of Master Victuallers, UK hospitality, and the Licensees Association announced yesterday (table 15) the suspension of rent review negotiations would last until June 30 unless approval is given for pubs to open before that date.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the PGB said “The PGB in conjunction with the PGB of Scotland has agreed with the pub companies who follow the Tenanted and Leased codes of practice and self-regulation that all rent review negotiations will be suspended while pubs remain closed during the coronavirus epidemic.

“This pragmatic and sensible step is in addition to any agreements individual companies have put in place for their pubs and relieves all tenants of one possible worry during the coronavirus epidemic. It runs from 16th March until at least until the end of June, by when we all hope we will have returned to more normal trading conditions.

“This quick and flexible response to the current crisis shows how voluntary regulation brings real benefits to pubs and we hope it will be welcomed.”

DETAILS OF ANNOUNCEMENT AND CONSEQUENCES

• Suspension of all defined periods within the three Codes whilst pubs are closed. For the purpose of consistency, the suspension will be from 16 March 2020 until 30 June 2020, unless approval is given for pubs to open sooner.

This suspension period will be kept under review by the PGB’s and may be extended if pubs remain closed beyond 30 June.

• The suspension will not cancel or undermine any rights that the tenant or lessee has as set out in the Codes; it is solely for the purpose of acknowledging the practical difficulties of maintaining the defined periods during a period when pubs are closed and many staff are furloughed.

• The Principles of the Codes, as set out in all three documents, remain valid and applicable.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICAL TERMS: • A pause in ongoing and upcoming rental negotiations • No requirement for BDMs to respond within 35 days, though best attempts to do so should be made, and accepting that the response can be made by an alternative representative of the pub company rather than only the BDM • Visits for the purposes of rent assessment being postponed until pubs reopen • Any request submitted by a tenant for a rent review during the suspension period being paused until that period ends.

• Subsequent rent review periods being shortened by the length of the suspension period, i.e. three months.

Codes of Practice – relevant paragraphs that contain defined periods

Rent Assessment • Paragraph 36 E & W 35 Scotland – “Companies will ensure that a responsible officer of the company or its agent involved in obtaining and/or evaluating the supporting material provided in preparing the rent assessment will have visited the premises in question within at least three monthsprior to the

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Dilapidations • Paragraph 73 E & W 72 Scotland – “If dilapidation’s are to be applied, companies will provide a breakdown of repairs or decorations to be carried out within two months of notice being served by or on the tenant or six months prior to the termination of the tenancy.”

• Paragraph 73 Scotland – “In this event, the company will afford the tenant ideally 12 months – but no less than 6 months– to put right the works, save for any repair that require immediate repair under health and safety legislation, needed to prevent damage to the building, void any insurance claim made by either party or are business critical.”

• Paragraph 74 Scotland – “If the agreement contains the ability to assign to another party, companies will respond to a request to assign in writing within a maximum of 20 working days of receiptof the written request and will explain the contractual implications for disposal of the business.”

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• Paragraph 39 E & W 38 Scotland – “Initial rent renewal proposals should be issued no less than six monthsbefore the review date.”

• Paragraph 40 E & W 39 Scotland – “Where the agreement does not include periodic rent reviews, then a tenant may at any timerequest a rent assessment following the conclusion of an agreed rental term.

Pub Independent Rent Review Scheme (PIRRS) • Paragraph 45 E & W 44 Scotland – “With regard to tied contracted-out tenancies, companies must advise the tenant no less than six months priorto the expiry of a contracted-out tenancy whether the tenant will be offered a new agreement.”

• Paragraph 46 E & W 45 Scotland – “An application to PIRRS to determine the rent for a contracted-out agreement for an existing tenant in the premises will only be permitted if the referral is made no more than six months and not less than three monthsprior to the expiry of the contracted out term”

Assignation of Agreements (if applicable)

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Rent Review and Renewals

• Paragraph 26 E & W, 25 Scotland – “The tenant must make their request for assistance in writing to their BDM. Companies will respond within thirtyfive calendar days, unless a further timescale is mutually agreed.”

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Complaint Resolution • Paragraph 77 E & W 83 Scotland – “However, the written complaint must be formally concluded by the senior manager within thirty-five working days of receipt, unless another timeframe is mutually agreed.”

Issue 4

CLH Digital

21

Customer Data: 5 Steps To Success For All Hospitality Business tech. Follow the five steps below and you'll be on the road to being a data powered business.

STEP 1: THINK ABOUT CUSTOMERS, RATHER THAN TRANSACTIONS.

Every business has data it can use to boost sales, enhance its brand and increase loyalty and trust with its customers. Cloud9 Insight CEO Carlene Jackson shares her advice for independent businesses Your customer data is a gold mine. No matter what size your business, whether you run a pub, boutique hotel or restaurant, you’re amassing valuable data every day. Collecting key information, storing it and using it effectively means that, when the customer walks out of your door, they aren’t gone forever.

Businesses that use data have the means to bring those customers back again and again.

You don't need to be a big business or a technological whizz to make use of data. It involves some organisation, common sense and a little bit of affordable

Transactions are data, but what you’re really interested in are the customers. As you’re in the hospitality business, you and your team are already thinking about customers. Get everyone together and ask some simple questions. Who are your ideal customers? Where do they live, how old are they, why do they come to you, when and why? But, also, what do you really want to know about them and how do you envisage contacting them after they’ve bought from you? These kinds of customer-focused insights are key.

STEP 2: COLLECT KEY INFORMATION The best time to collect customer data is when your customers are making a purchase from you. So this is where you need to make use of your tech, the simpler the better. The most basic information you need to gather is a name and email address, so you can add that person to your mailing list. However, if you want to do anything more ambitious; identify your customer, avoid duplicates and tailor your offering, you’ll need more than that. If you can also obtain a postcode, telephone number and date of birth, combined with a list of their transactions, then you’re really cooking with gas.

STEP 3: ORGANISE YOUR INFORMATION At the simplest level, your customer information might be stored on a spreadsheet and you can upload this onto email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp. But, as your business grows, you're going to need a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Microsoft Dynamics has a small business option that will work alongside all your other Office software and costs about £50 per month. Once you have a CRM and are adding data to it routinely, then you can really delve into your customer lists and answer all the questions you started asking at the start. Your mind will already be ticking over, thinking up promotions, offers and strategies. If you have a date of birth then personalised birthday promotion might be a welcome and timely offer.

STEP 4 BUILD LOYALTY AND OFFER INCENTIVES Keep thinking about your customer and how you can offer them value. If people love your brand, they’ll repeatedly want to come to your business and tell others about you. Reward your most loyal customers, especially those who give you data, and ensure they get access to your best offers. I’m a big fan of loyalty cards and schemes, although I can’t stand stamps people want something more sophisticated than that.

Look for something low cost for you but high value to your customer and provide them with that goodie

Unite Wins Wage Security For Redundant Carluccio’s Workers In the first legal test of the government’s job retention scheme (JRS), Unite, the union for hospitality workers, has secured clarification that the scheme can be used by companies in administration during the Covid-19 crisis.

Unite is now calling on Carluccio’s workers who were made jobless in March when the restaurant chain went into administration to respond to the administrator’s offer or get in touch with their union so that they can access the scheme and establish some wage security.

The union took action because it was concerned that those workers who have not yet responded to an offer by the administrators faced

the prospect of being made redundant over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Insolvency laws mean that administrators normally have to dismiss workers within 14 days of their appointment in order to avoid liability for their employment and wages, but the court’s new direction means that the administrators can give more time for employees to respond.

This is the first litigation involving the JRS and provides the blueprint for administrators to make use of the scheme to protect jobs during the virus crisis.

Unite’s assistant general secretary for political and legal affairs, Howard Beckett, said: “Time was running out for some of our members in Carluccio’s. They faced the prospect of being dumped out of work this weekend.

“In taking this action, Unite has secured them some wage security. It

in return for their custom. It might be a free massage, a cocktail or a month’s access to the pool. Try to think of something with a bit of ‘wow factor’ that gets people talking.

STEP 5 LOOK FOR PARTNERSHIPS I’d like to see more partnerships in the hospitality sector as I think they can work really well. A hotel should partner with an appropriate bar, restaurant or nightclub. This can be to the benefit of both and should lead to cross referrals and increased business.

Once you know who your customers really are then you can look for other businesses serving the same kind of demographic. It’s also a chance to learn together and gain further insights. This takes us back to where we started - thinking about customers.

Carlene Jackson is the CEO of Brighton-based tech company Cloud9 Insight, a Microsoft Gold Partner which has provided more than 700 UK businesses with cloud-based CRM software systems. Founded in 2010, the company has 30 staff and is also an award winning provider of training and apprenticeships programmes which it runs through its sister company Vantage Academy.

Carlene established her first business in Brighton aged 17 and then spent nearly two decades in the software industry working for companies including IBM, Xansa, and Sage before going it alone to take advantage of the booming cloud technology sector.

is now essential that all those Carluccio’s workers who have either not received a letter or not responded to the letter from the administrator get in touch with their union, Unite, or the administrator immediately to ensure they are not dismissed and lose out on the opportunity that this court judgement has ensured.

“We will not hesitate to go into court to ensure our members livelihoods are protected in these difficult times.

“The new Job Retention Scheme was put together in record time and its interaction with other areas of law – in this case insolvency law – needed to be looked at by the High Court.

“This important decision ensures that no one is left behind in a hospitality sector reeling from the effects of the shutdown.”

Administrators were appointed to oversee the collapse of the restaurant chain on 30 March, four days after the treasury had published details of its Covid JRS. Three days later, on 2 April, it was announced that companies in administration could make use of the Scheme, protecting jobs for the time being.

Ready To Step Up In A Time Of Crisis?

By Melanie Williams, Partner, DWF

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter daily life in the UK in ways that were unimaginable just a few weeks ago, individuals and businesses are stepping up to do whatever they can to help with the crisis.

In this respect, there’s positive news from the retail, food and hospitality sector. Hotel chains and fitness centres are a notable case in point. Ongoing talks with the government about ways to repurpose their premises and make them available for use as temporary hospitals for low-risk patients, or to house NHS and other healthcare workers, could result in a vital contribution to the fight against the pandemic. This is a great initiative – and a perfect example of collaboration at a time when it’s most needed. While the intentions are good however, businesses should be mindful of the practical implications and necessary legal compliance required to operate safely.

From a real estate and operational point of view, there are a number of steps that operators of hospitality and leisure premises should consider to ensure they’re in a position to help.

TITLE, LEASES, AND PLANNING In the first instance, operators should check the underlying title for any potential restrictive covenants that might prevent a property from being used in certain ways and, where necessary, enquire whether indemnity insurance may be available. Likewise, it would make sense to ensure that the necessary easements are available in order to properly operate the intended new use.

Superior lease restrictions should be reviewed for permitted use, rights and reservations. In the case of shared areas and common parts, operators should check whether the proposed new user will affect the continued uses of those areas – which will very likely be the case in these instances.

From a planning point of view it’s important to check the current authorised use of the premises and consider whether an application should be made for a change of planning use or, alternatively, whether appropriate indemnities could be put in place to cover any potential enforcement action.

NEW LEASES, LICENCES, AND FRANCHISE ARRANGEMENTS So far as new leases and licenses are concerned, consideration should be given to the potential need for specific indemnities to cover any breach of legislation relating to health and safety, and

waste disposal. Provision should be made for making good any damage and full reinstatement; removal of contaminated material; and use of conduits and overloading provisions.

New documentation ought to be shortterm, contracted out of the Landlord & Tenant Act and be incapable of assignment or underletting. And it would be worth considering additional provisions for deep cleaning and inspections at the end of the term.

Where the premises will be used for medical use as an overflow (as opposed to quarantine or the treatment of COVID-19 cases), it would be worth considering restricting use to very specific medical or related uses.

Given that hotels and leisure businesses are often part of a franchise, operators should ensure they seek permission from franchisors to deviate from brand standards where these apply to any specific sites under consideration for repurposing. They would also do well to take account of the future need to reinstate the brand to the most up-to-date brand standards once the property is returned to its former use; and they are advised to request a suspension in franchise fees.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Several other considerations deserve a brief mention.

Hotels that intend to repurpose should consider whether their services can be provided or whether they need rationalising. If appropriate, they should request temporary suspension of obligations and payments.

It would be worth reviewing loan covenants and obtaining a temporary amendment letter to cover the proposed new intended use for the premises and to reflect new income levels. Depending on the specific proposed new use for the premises, operators would do well to carefully consider the potential need for enhanced insurance cover, too.

READY TO ACT Given the unprecedented level of disruption we’re all having to endure in the current environment, the process of repurposing premises will undeniably be stressful and tricky at times. However, taking a few important steps will enable those hospitality and leisure businesses eager to help conquer the COVID-19 pandemic to play their part and then return to a more normal state of business as usual.

Issue 4

CLH Digital

23

Colman’s: The Classic Condiment That Always Cuts The Mustard Colman’s is the nation’s favourite mustard(1) and has been a firm staple with the much-loved roast for many years. But what makes this British brand great is the story behind the locally sourced ingredients which give it it’s bold, distinctive flavour…

Whether it’s Salt Marsh Lamb, Dexter Beef or locally sourced Beetroot we know that chefs are passionate about the heart of the dish. But it’s also important to ensure that these delicious dishes are complimented with great-tasting, quality condiments.

Colman’s perfected its signature English mustard way back in 1814 and today, its distinctive flavour is seen as a British staple – in fact 72% of guests agree that Colman’s is the original taste of mustard (2). Founder Jeremiah Colman was something of a perfectionist, grinding the mustard seeds not once, but twice, to turn them into a pungent, double superfine mustard powder - which is still a key ingredient in Colman’s English Mustard today.

However, Colman’s love for bold flavour extends beyond mustard - they have mint, horseradish, tartare and seafood sauce which are all made with British ingredients. They believe local sourcing is key in achieving knock-out taste. That’s why they have partnered with the National Farmers Union and Red Tractor in support of the ‘Back British Farming’ campaign, which encourages consumers and operators to support the highest animal welfare standards, sustainable farming and great-tasting British-raised meat.

Although carefully roasted meat and flavoursome condiments are a favourite British pairing, condiments are wonderfully versatile – they can bring a kick to marinade, add glaze to pastry, enhance vegan & vegetarian dishes, and much, much more.

So, there you have it - As the nation’s favourite (1), Colman’s is an essential in any outlet, especially if roasts are on the menu! Whether in a pot or stirred into exciting new recipes, it is a key part of the celebrations this Easter.

See the advert on page 12.

(1) UK Nielsen Retail Grocery Value Sales MAT 02.11.19 (excluding brown sauce) (2) Consumer Online Survey, n=1,000 (UK=800 / Ire=200), Cambridge Direction Q2 2018.

Getting Through This CoronaVirus Issue 4

OMG! / WHAT THE? / AND MY OPTIONS? (I can’t use profanities here… even if I WANT to!)

You MUST be wondering what hit you. I know that I am!!!

One minute you have a business, which even then may have been doing very well, or you might have been really struggling like a lot of people… and then… BOOM… CoronaVirus bursts onto the scene.

From Friday 20th March 2020 (or later if an hotel) you suddenly HAVE NO BUSINESS. You are forcibly closed… and yes. admittedly for the good of the nation.

OUCH !!! … and it hurts!!!

THERE IS GOVERNMENT HELP OUT THERE FOR YOU …

FROM THE U.K. GOVERNMENT Without going into the detail right here … and I am not the ultimate authority on Government workings … seemingly the most important help at present includes: 1. The Government covering immediately 80% of the wages of any Furloughed workers … albeit it will take some time for that money to start coming though NOTE: you MUST have formally Furloughed those workers (in writing) for them to be eligible. If you have not done that already, do that asap.

NOTE: THERE ARE some rules that have been imposed about what Furloughed workers may or more specifically MAY NOT do in terms of work, while they are ‘’Furloughed’’.

2. HELP with… Delays now allowed in making your VAT payments 3. HELP with… Delays now allowed in making other HMRC payments 4. HELP with… Reduction in your Rates bills … which probably differs by council

POINT NUMBER ONE - YOU ARE NOT ALONE

5. HELP with… Prevention from being evicted by your landlord

I have teamed up with CLH to offer a FREE OF CHARGE service to any Hospitality Business that has been affected by CoronaVirus shutdown issues - and that must be the vast majority of them.

6. HELP with… Grants being available … one of my clients has already had £25,000

I am hoping to use my 35 years experience as a Hospitality Management Consultant to help as many affected businesses as I can.

You could say that I am ‘’on a mission’’.

I have always focussed on the smaller (under £5m p.a. turnover) privately owned sector - and this is who we are aiming at here. The bigger groups all have their own internal and external help mechanisms, SMEs (Small to Medium Sized Enterprises) don’t.

So, how can I help you?

Best, as in preferred by me, would be for you to pose a query or question by email, to me at: davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk If I can answer that query by email I will do, or I will call you to discuss it further.

Please do remember to give me your phone number in your email.

If you prefer just to give me a call, then do call me - David Hunter on 07831 407984

POINT NUMBER TWO

CLH Digital

25

I can help you though the HR stuff, for example what you need to do to Furlough your workers … and how, and why, you HAVE TO do that…

I can help you with dealing with your staff … and especially in terms of the different approach needed depending on differences in their employment status … ie ie ie

Long service (2 yrs +) / Shorter service …

Full Time / Part Time …

Part Time Minimum Guaranteed Hours / Zero Hours contracts …

Did you know that the Government have just relaxed the rules about how long someone needs to have been employed with you, to be able to be Furloughed and for you to be able to get that 80% subsidy.

I can help you with …

Getting a reality check on whether your business CAN survive this Recession (is there another word for it?) that has been caused by the CoronaVirus pandemic

I can help you with …

Looking over your previous P&L figures … helping you to really understand them … to understand how your business REALLY performs in terms of overall PROFITABILITY …

I can help you with …

NOTE: a Grant is non-repayable 7. HELP with… Government-backed Business Interruption Loan Scheme NOTE: these need to be paid back, and BEWARE … a number of banks are still also OBSCENELY requesting Personal Guarantees!

The best place to find out about the full raft of Government measures and the assistance that they are offering you is to go to the .gov website … it is all there in detail.

Go to this link, and other information on the .gov website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businessesabout-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MOST UP-TO-DATE VERSION

Planning the re-opening of your business … and maybe even getting it re-opened in a better situation as regards overall PROFITABILITY than it was before it closed - giving you a better chance of it surviving longer term

So, just to remind you…

I have teamed up with CLH to offer a FREE OF CHARGE service to any Hospitality Business that has been affected by CoronaVirus shutdown issues.

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME? Best, as in preferred by me, would be for you to pose a query or question by email - to me at: davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk If I can answer that query by email I will do, or I will call you to discuss it further.

Please do remember to give me your phone number in your email.

POINT NUMBER THREE WHAT CAN I, David Hunter, do for YOU I can help you to understand what is out there in terms of what is on the above links for example - how it applies to YOU, WHETHER it applies to YOU and what you need to do next!

If you prefer just to give me a call, then do call me - David Hunter on 07831 407984

BE STRONG … STAY STRONG !!!

Let’s get through this … by working TOGETHER …

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

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DARTMOOR, DEVON Extremely Well Presented Character Freehouse Occupying a Prime Location Close to Dartmoor Main Character Bar (50+), Dining Room (12) 4 Ensuite Letting Bedrooms & 2 Bed Owner’s Accommodation Beer Garden & Patio Areas

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To all of our clients, colleagues, friends and everyone involved in the UK's hospitality and catering industry, we hope that you are staying safe and well during these unprecedented times.

Stonesmith remains fully operational and we are available to offer any advice or support to your business at this time.

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01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

Issue 4

CLH Digital

27

Say It With Pizza! Thank-You Food And Community Meals As Toggle Goes Free Everything from thank-you meals for key workers to food deliveries to isolated friends and family can now be bought online, as gift card platform Toggle makes its service free for the duration of the coronavirus lockdown.

Toggle has already been used to set up a free pizza delivery service for NHS workers in London, while restaurants and pubs switching to takeaway operations are setting up gift cards allowing users to ‘Pay it Forward’ for meals and groceries for those needing them.

in the first day and a total of 229 over the weekend At the Wiremill pub in East Grinstead, Surrey, operator Yummy Pubs has set up a £10 gift card which sends a meal to someone self-isolating due to the virus. Yummy Pubs director Tim Foster said: “People can nominate their family or friends, and we’re also asking the community to

tell us where meals are needed – for example, we have an 89-year-old self-isolating lady living near the pub who has no family. We’re providing gastropub quality meals which our staff have volunteered to deliver – we’re making no money but we’re keeping the pub going.”

Airship CEO Dan Brookman said: “These are unprecedented times.

Many people want to support businesses during the crisis, and equally many of those businesses are going all-out to support their local communities.

Any business can now access Toggle at usetoggle.com to quickly set up a bespoke, branded gift card webshop free of charge. Users can be up and running in around 30 minutes, making gift cards available for customers to buy online and send to recipients by email.

“We’re making Toggle free for the duration of the shutdown, however long it lasts, to help ensure that there’s a thriving hospitality sector when we come out the other side, and we’re using the #FutureFit hashtag to promote all the activity.

The specialist team which operates the system will also provide any technical support needed free of charge.

“We’ve already had more than 40 new businesses sign up, and there’s an impressive range of initiatives, with people not just supporting their friends and families, but key workers and the wider community. We’re also making whatever technical and marketing support is needed available to users to maximise the benefits.”

London pizza restaurant Crust Bros has set up a gift card using Toggle called ‘NHS: Pay It Forward’. The cards, available in £10 denominations, send pizzas to health workers at locations including Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals, as well as the London Ambulance Service. Every £10 is topped up by 20% by the restaurant. More than 120 pizzas were sent

Businesses signing up in recent days include Busaba, Bear Coffee, Urban Pubs and Bars and Middletons Steak Houses.

Pandemic Causes Huge Spike in Alcohol Consumption The sale of alcohol has, according to reports reportedly increased by 291 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic, with observers citing boredom, stress or anxiety During these unprecedented times, much of the world’s population have been asked to selfisolate by remaining indoors.

The outcome of the lockdown is unknown but, according to researchers, increased alcohol use could give rise to a second health crisis.

They have now launched an anonymous survey, to find out how much people’s drinking habits might have changed.

Dr Matt Parker and Dr Lorenzo Stafford, from the University of Portsmouth, are leading the research.

Dr Parker said: “The potential public health effects of long-term isolation on alcohol use and misuse are unknown. Alcohol misuse is one of the leading causes of preventable mortality, contributing annually to about three million deaths worldwide.

“This period of isolation might lead to a spike in alcohol misuse and potentially, development of addiction in at-risk individuals or relapse in recovered addicted patients, therefore placing further strain on drug and alcohol services, and the health service in general, during and after the pandemic.”

The research team is carrying out an international survey to examine how much, and how often, people are drinking during the crisis, and how drinking habits might change as a result of the lockdown.

In addition to giving a snapshot of individuals’ alcohol consumption before and during lockdown, those who volunteer are being asked to report their alcohol use, stress, and boredom levels weekly to monitor any changes.

Dr Parker said: “We are seeing across the world reports of higher than average alcohol use. The global data analytic company Nielson, recently reported online alcohol sales have increased by a staggering 291 per cent increase in the sales of beers, wines and spirits. However, there are no data currently that tell us how much, or how often, peo-

ple are drinking.

“It is unprecedented to have so many millions of people across the world effectively locked away from their jobs, friends and families. How people cope with this is varied, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of people responding by drinking more alcohol worldwide.”

Since the team’s survey launched, about 350 people have come forward and given a detailed and anonymous account of their drinking and how it has changed during lockdown.

The researchers hope many more from across the world will take part.

James Clay, a PhD candidate who is administering the survey, said: “In the first week that the survey has been up and running, people have signed up from across the world, including the UK, USA, Australia and mainland Europe. In time, we hope the results will be of help health providers and governments to prepare for, and potentially mitigate, a second health crisis that could result if many people are consuming more alcohol.”

To find out more information about or to take part in the anonymous survey, please visit: https://brainandbehaviourlab.jimdofree.com/research/alcovid19/

Give your pub and hotel guests a free wireless TV headset • The free AudioZone app lets guests tune into silent TVs with their phone.

• Let sports fans hear match audio while you have music in the bar • Hotel guests can watch TV without keeping other guests awake • Show news broadcasts without ugly subtitles • Fantastic service for hearing impaired guests

The standard AudioZone service is free to all UK pubs and hotels and requires no hardware installation or account registration.

Contact us for promotional materials.

sales@audiozone.net 0207 175 8880 www.AudioZone.net

Issue 4

CLH Digital

29

StarStock Launches mypubshop.com To Transform Thousands Of Pubs Into Community Stores Selling Essential Food Items offer participating venues a food shop ‘starter kit’.

Each transaction made via mypubshop will accrue a 2% fee to cover operational costs; however, the venture is being run as a non-profit, with any surplus revenue donated directly to the NHS.

A ground-breaking new national initiative will enable pubs to trade as food shops and transform into ‘click and collect’ havens, helping to give their local communities access to essential food items.

Powered by StarStock, mypubshop.com will give pubs nationwide the ability to take and process orders online, providing them with a valuable income stream whilst offering their local community a way to access essential household staples such as bread, eggs and milk.

The service is launching in partnership with Brakes, Budweiser Brewing Group, Coca-Cola European Partners and Use Your Local, and is open to pubs across the UK. The initiative has already won the support of Admiral Taverns, which is making mypubshop available to its 1,000 pubs; Greene King Pub Partners, which operates a tenanted and leased estate of more than 1,000 pubs; and St Austell, which operates an estate of 170 pubs, predominantly in the South West.

The partnership with Brakes, the leading food wholesaler, will also open up the service to the 15,000-plus pubs it regularly supplies. It will

Sam Ulph, Founder & CEO of StarStock, said: “We are all aware of what is happening around us, and in these exceptional times this is a vital way for pubs to stay connected, offer an essential service and to secure an income stream during a period when they are unable to trade in their normal way. It will also help to alleviate the pressure on other grocery shops and the supermarkets.

“This initiative is much more than an online pub service. It’s entirely focused on helping communities and we hope that it will drive positivity for pubs and champion the people that run them as the local heroes they are.”

The mypubshop platform will give pubs the ability to host a web shop.

Licensees will be able to select items for their shop ‘inventory’ and provide an online payment service. Once orders are placed by customers, pubs will operate a collection service from their venues.

Joby Mortimer, Head of Sector for Pubs, Brakes UK, said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a meaningful initiative supporting pubs, and helping their customers access essential food items in these challenging times. The pub has been the cornerstone of communities for

Revolution Bars Furloughs 98% Of Staff work.

All PAYE and VAT payments have been suspended for three months from 18 March and rent reductions have been negotiated, as well as contract extensions with key suppliers.

Revolution Bars Group has furloughed 2,775 of its staff (98% of the group’s workforce) by accessing the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, enabling future retention of employment for these employees whilst delivering a considerable payroll saving.

The chief executive, chief financial officer and non-executive directors salaries have been reduced by 50% and the company has implemented significant salary reductions for senior employees remaining in

The actions have reduced the business’ weekly running costs to £400,000, on top of which it has extended its debt facility from £21m to £30m until 31 August 2020.

Natwest has also agreed to support the company by increasing its overdraft facility to £30m And toto waive all financial covenant tests at March and June.

Chief executive Rob Pitcher said: “Prior to this crisis, we were delivering positive like-for-like sales, had significantly reduced our debt

hundreds of years, and long may that continue – and we hope this initiative will maintain the connection between the pub and their customers, whilst also engaging even more consumers with the Great British local.”

The mypubshop service launches this week, is available nationwide and pubs can register to use the service at www.mypubshop.com.

Of the decision to make mypubshop available to Admiral tenants, CEO Chris Jowsey said: “We are doing everything we can to support our pub operators through this extremely challenging period, and partnering with StarStock to give our licensees the opportunity to introduce the mypubshop concept was a no-brainer. Our pubs sit at the heart of their communities, so we’re expecting a good take up of this service so that many of them can act as essential goods stations and support people as best they can.”

Greene King Pub Partners managing director Wayne Shurvinton added: “Publicans care deeply about their communities and in this current crisis it has been uplifting to hear time and time again about pubs going above and beyond to give so much back to their neighbours and friends. We have been working around the clock to offer support to our partners, and now teaming up with StarStock to introduce mypubshop gives our publicans who had maybe wanted to help – but weren’t sure how – the tools to step forward to help their communities. We couldn’t be more proud to support this excellent initiative.” position, were generating strong capex returns, and were on track to meet our full year profit expectations.

“We welcome and are delighted with the additional support from Natwest at this difficult time. They have acted as a true partner to our business and this decisive action has enabled us to be another step closer to being well-positioned to emerge from this crisis.

“We are also very grateful to those other stakeholders, including our employees, suppliers and certain landlords who have approached this crisis in a similar manner, helping to secure the future of this great business.

“However, there is still more which needs to be done to ensure the protection of the 3.2 million jobs in our sector along with the £39 billion of direct tax receipts paid annually to the UK Government.

“Specifically, this includes more support in connection with property related costs during this enforced closure period and beyond, including support for landlords themselves and we encourage the government to take swift action in this respect.”

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

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

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Issue 4

CLH Digital

30

Proper By SCT Proper By SCT is now it its 3rd year supplying the trade/wholesale sectors for shop, camp site, touring sites, bar, hotels, butchers, farm shop and everything else in between.

Products and Services out with FEDEX for next day delivery anywhere in the UK with European deliveries on a 3 day service.

Our Proper Pork Crackling has a 6 months BB, Fabulous Fudge 6 Months and our Delectable Nuts 12 months.

Our full range is available to see on our retail website so please call 01202875280 or email trade@sctsct.com for a trade price list. See page 21 for details.

We now tick more boxes than anyone else in our field.

Proper Pork Crackling: ALLERGEN FREE & KETO Delectable Nuts, Peanuts: VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE & KETO Delectable Nuts, Cashews: VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE Fabulous Fudge: GLUTEN FREE We not only supply are products pre packed but loose with a free 3L display jar, supplied in a large clip seal bucket for the perfectly free taste every time. which give you an even greater margin.

Mermaid Gin is hand-crafted on the Isle of Wight using ten ethically sourced botanicals. A small batch spirit, it delivers a smooth yet complex blend of fresh organic lemon zest and peppery grains of paradise, with a hint of sea air from locally foraged, fragrant rock samphire - for a refreshing and invigorating serve.

Working with column stills for a smoother spirit, the process is tightly controlled capturing only the hearts of each

batch - the sweet spot of any distillation.

This avoids the harsher elements found in the heads and tails to create a pure gin that is perfectly balanced.

We preserve the environment of mermaids by supporting marine conservation projects and presenting our gin in a plastic free package.

Visit www.isleofwightdistillery.com Alternatively call 01983 613653

Caternet, Powered by Zupa

All orders received before 2pm each day are sent

For Lovers Of Speciality Coffee – The Jura WE8 Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Wherever customers can enjoy superlative coffee, the atmosphere is warm and relaxed Anyone who appreciates the finer things in life and the wide choice of speciality coffees, will love the WE8.

The WE8 offers 12 different specialities . JURA has perfected the complete brewing process for short, speciality coffees, allowing the WE line to make them to professional barista standard every time.

Cleanliness and hygiene are essential in the workplace, so integrated rinsing and cleaning programmes, combined with specially developed cleaning products for JURA coffee machines, ensure perfect hygiene at the touch of a button.

Because requirements vary

Free Your Spirit with Mermaid Gin

from one situation to another, the WE8 comes with many options for programming and customisation. The amount of ground coffee and water can be adapted to suit personal preferences and the cups and glasses used.

WE8 packages are available with JURA I Ltr Cool Control and cup warmer, adding to the professional presentation of your customer coffee offering. The suggested daily capacity is 40 cups a day suiting many cosy pubs, bars, restaurants or staff rest areas.

To view the full range of JURA Professional bean to cup coffee machines and full information on JURA, go to uk.jura.com or sales@uk.jura.com or see the advert on page 2.

Caternet is hospitality software developed with operators, buyers and chefs, who have all experienced the same operational and financial challenges as you. It is specifically designed to help the catering sector remove manual processes. You will buy more competitively, manage nutrition and allergen risk, enjoy paperless financial administration, and reduce overheads.

Our live price guide guarantees competitive purchasing for all your procurement needs, not just food and drink. Your trusted suppliers join Caternet for free, and if you’re looking for new relationships, we already have over 2,500 suppliers on board. There are no hidden discounts or rebates.

Mirroring your approved budgets

Free App Gives All Your Guests Their Own Wireless TV Headphones without keeping everyone else up. AudioZone has also been popular with hearing impaired guests.

Unique Creative Media For Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants us the ideal photo of your premises and we’ll do the rest. Original photo editing services are included in the price.

The ultimate personalised Christmas greeting. Your very own ‘perfect picture’ for cards, menus, vouchers and all genres of seasonal point-of-sale. Just send the ideal photo of your premises taken at any time of the year and we’ll just add the snow. Your high resolution snow scene creative is supplied in all modern print and web ready formats.

The spice of life has always been variety and so our Introducing a unique collection of innovative creative exclusive colouring-in sheet packs offer just that. Each media combining traditional hand-crafted art skills with pack features an ever expanding range of designs crafted today’s modern digital production methods to provide to inspire and capture the imagination of a wider age operators with maximum benefits for minimum cost. group, frequent visitors, multiples, large parties and Our new bespoke, digitally crafted watercolours are youngsters who just love a choice! We also create fine art quality, fully editable and come supplied in all bespoke designs. print and web ready formats. This modern versatile artTel. 01634 312166, work gives so much more and costs a lot less! Just send www.uspmedia.co.uk

Retain Payment or ID Cards & Be PCI Compliant Whilst Increasing Profits When a vendor retains a credit card or debit card, or • Walkouts are reduced by at least fifty percent (50%) indeed handing over his or her ID card as security • Tab mistakes drop significantly and finally, against running a tab or renting sporting or other • There is a major uptick in sales equipment, there is always some uncertainty about the If you are concerned about how safety of the card whilst out of the cusCardsSafe works within the PCI scheme, tomers’ possession.

Alan Gill from the independent PCI certifying company Orthus Limited states: CardsSafe® eliminates the need to “The PCI DSS standard encompassed worry about any loss or theft as it is the 264 controls. CardsSafe helps to reduce simplest and most efficient way to ensure the need to meet all of these through the card’s safety from potential misuse. ‘compensating controls’ which allow The CardsSafe® system has now businesses to comply to the standard become the “best practice” way of hanwithout having to change the way they dling credit and debit cards in the hospioperate”. In addition to the commercial tality and leisure industries. More than benefits the CardsSafe® solution thereeighty thousand boxes are in use every fore helps merchants become PCI comday and hundreds more are added every pliant, which truly gives peace of mind week. for all!

Customers who share their experience To order, please contact CardsSafe with our staff report these benefits: Limited on either of: Phone: 0845 • Chargeback drops by more than ninety per5001040 or visit www.cardssafe.com cent (90%)

and utilising your existing finance system, our software provides you with full spend control. Simply set specific, authorised spending levels at a user, group or departmental level across your trading locations. Your budgets won’t be broken, and with paperless reporting, you’ll never chase an invoice or credit note again.

Meeting allergen and nutrition legislation is a constant concern.

Our comprehensive recipes module provides live data from supplier to servery, enabling you to build and publish recipes whilst remaining compliant.

Start saving time and money today.

023 8212 4099 www.caternet.co.uk sales@caternet.co.uk

The standard service includes synchronised TV audio of the main UK free to air channels. For many bars and hotels without Sky this will cover all their guests’ needs. An individually tailored channel listing including premium channels for Sky subscribers can be arranged with a call to AudioZone.

Free app gives all your guests their own wireless TV headphones.

Better still, the standard AudioZone service is provided completely free to all UK venues with no requirement to install any equipment or even register an account.

Over 40.000 people have already installed the free AudioZone app to tune into muted TVs in pubs and airport lounges or to listen to TV in a hotel room

All you have to do is make your guests aware that the service is available. Give AudioZone a call to get promotional posters or TV frame stickers sent out to your site. All your guests have to do is: install the free app, join the WiFi, select the channel they wish to tune in to, and press play.

Why not install the AudioZone app and give it a quick test yourself right now? sales@audiozone.net 0207 175 8880 www.AudioZone.net

Lamb Weston Launches ‘The DUKES, A Proper British Chip That is a Cut Above the Average!

It’s the moment the entire country has been waiting for – discerning citizens rise up and prepare to rejoice in this great British occasion as Lamb Weston launches ‘The DUKES’, elegantly exciting, perfect pub chips – with chips this good, one can see why the British started queuing!

Allow us to introduce to you The Dukes of Chippingdom – Proper British Chips. Distinctively natural, gloriously golden, royally rustic, thick-cut chips – made from 100% British potatoes - The Dukes are more British than a British bulldog in a union jack waistcoat, spiffing!

We all know that everyone loves chips, and none more than pub goers; more than half (56.2%) of pub dinner occasions include chips, fries or wedges as a side, and chunky, thick-cut chips are the most ordered potato product in pubs*.

In a recent consumer test^ almost 40% declared their love of chips as a side, more than 60% said they prefer skinon in a pub, and a whopping 72% said they are willing to pay a bit more in a pub for a British sourced product. The most important attributes of a chip were cited as having a crispy outside, being thick cut with a fluffy inside and a having a hand-cut appearance.

Enter, The DUKES! Brought to you by innovative global leader, Lamb Weston, The DUKES are super tasty, irregularly thick cut

to appear homemade and distinctive in character. With gloriously golden edges, and a richly rewarding taste, Dukes will grace every plate with a guarantee of quality that’s as firm as a gentleman’s handshake.

These little beauties have been irregularly cut, with feathered, golden edges. They are beautifully crispy on the outside – even though they’re non-coated – fluffy on the inside, are available with skin-off and skin-on, and they’re ready to make their grand entrance, gracing pub plates across the land.

So come on, let’s make this chip nation proud! Be upstanding and make some noise for The DUKES! So far, they have already earned their place in the Craft Guild of Chefs highly esteemed Product Endorsement gallery, with an above average rating, they are Red Tractor certified and gluten free.

These are like no ordinary chips; they are the ultimate quintessentially British menu item with a proud and distinguished British heritage. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Chippingdom’s finest creation are proper pub chips, cut from British potatoes.

Step aside, pretenders to the throne, make way for the Proper British Chip. The DUKES are remarkably reliable, fabulously fry-able, marvellously moreish and British, through and through. Characterful in their cut, they’re fluffy and light, yet as reliable as a gentleman’s character and as crisp as his tailoring.

For innovative ideas, recipes and potato inspiration, head over to www.lambweston.eu/uk , call 0800 963962 or email us at salesUK@lambweston.eu or see the advert on the facing page. * LW research 2019 & MCA Eating Out Panel 2018 ^ Consumer survey, 9th September 2019, London. 42kg of chips sampled with 310 consumers

Issue 4

CLH Digital

32

Outdoor Leisure

Increasing Revenue Outside

If you have Outside Space, then you have the potential to increase revenue. During the summer everyone knows this, but just think if you could generate an income for the whole 12 months no matter the weather.

Last Summer we installed a retractable terrace cover with LED lighting in a small local freehold pub. The landlord has reported that he has increased revenue every week since it was installed compared to last year with payback expected by Christmas! All in an area of less than 25m2!

Just think how you could achieve the same……

The choice is vast, so come and chat to us about selecting the structure that will suit you best. There is a choice of retractable or fixed roof in a flat or pitched structure which can be free-standing or fixed to the building! There are also Jumbo umbrellas, garden gazebos and marquee-style canopies or a lightweight retractable structure. It is entirely up to you what you choose, however we will help you with advice and options to ensure you make the most of your space.

For more help and information visit our website or give us a call. We are specialists in shade and shelter and we are ready to help.

To get in touch, call 01480 413050 or email sales@outsidestructures.co.uk

High Quality Outdoor Furniture from LeisureBench LeisureBench are an industry-leading supplier of quality indoor and outdoor furniture, offering unrivalled care and service for our customers.

Our furniture is selected for strength, longevity, quality and value. We source worldwide to ensure that both our ethical standards of production and our high environmental demands for sustainability are met.

We are situated in the very heart of the UK and with over 100,000 square feet of warehousing we can ensure a reliable supply and fast delivery wherever and whenever you need us.

We are also participants in LOFA's 'Made Aware' scheme which focusses primarily on sustainable forestry.

QUALITY

We deliver high quality outdoor furniture suitable for any commercial environment. Nearly all of our products are FSC certified and EU compliant too.

VALUE Because we buy direct from manufacturers worldwide and deliver all our stock direct from our own warehouses we can offer the best value available anywhere both online and offline.

SERVICE Our customer service team will do everything they can to make sure your furniture is delivered to you where and when you want it. We go the extra mile to ensure our customers have the best possible service.

Visit www.leisurebench.co.uk

CINDERS Doubles Product Range

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UK manufacturer Cinders Barbecues Ltd announces a doubling of its product range for 2020.

LPgas innovations include an operator-friendly wok burner for kiosks and trailers and two new barbecues which meet the latest UKLPG Code of Practice 24 for tented areas and build-ups.

‘This is our time to coordinate recovery with our distributors at home and abroad’ says Karen Swift, Marketing & Business

Development Director.

The 2020 range also includes an upgraded version of their popular half-size folding barbecue. ‘the new Festival SG80F is ideal for when customers begin to gather again in smaller groups, preferring outdoor areas whenever possible,’ adds Karen.

Call 01524 262900, email info@cindersbarbecues.co.uk, or visit www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk

Design and Refit Woodman Chairs

Woodman Chairs is a long established, dedicated chair manufacturer and wholesaler who make most of their own chairs. We offer a wide and varied choice of solid oak and beech chair and table styles – both modern and contemporary – with many finish and seat options. Included in our range is an exciting choice of sturdy bar stools and bar tables.

The fact that we make gives us greater control and flexibility. It also enables us to offer bespoke chair and chair frame or component production to end customers or other suppliers and manufacturers looking for their own design or

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seeking to create a unique range or theme, again in both oak and beech, raw or finished.

Always keen to innovate, Woodman are constantly introducing new styles and have recently added Carver options to their more popular dining chairs and have further expanded their range of bar stools to include rush seated and fabric pad options. Here is a simple decision that won’t require a Referendum!

If you want your customers to have the best choice, with honest quality, at affordable prices, with decent lead times and no minimum order, then you need only vote Woodman for your chairs.

For further details call 01884 841789, visit www.woodmanchairs.co.uk or email sales@woodmanchairs.co.uk

The Chair Man at YOTFC

We Produce Solid Oak, Beech & Pine Chairs, Tables, Stools, Cabinets and Components YOTFC is a firmly established, highly experienced and respected manufacturer, importer and wholesalers of modern and classic furniture.

Our stylish ranges are as diverse as the materials we use.

We offer on site, comprehensive bespoke polishing and upholstery services.

The paints and fabrics we use reflect the choices made by your customer.YOTFC was founded in 1990 with the aim of supplying chairs and components to the Antique pine market and the contract leisure industry.

Responding to market demands the company continued

to source and supply an increasing number of high quality domestic and contract furniture products for users in demanding and diverse operations allied to the furniture industry.

We specialise in designing, sourcing marketing products from around the world at the most competitive prices and distributing in the most efficient manner to suit the needs of our client.

To this end we now offer one of the most comprehensive ranges of furniture available in the United Kingdom.

We have our own Assembly / Polishing / Upholstery facilities and we are confident that the services we offer are of the highest order and can only be of benefit to our growing client base.

Visit www.yotfc.co.uk for details.

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Telephone: 01604 890956 Email: md@yotfc.co.uk or brd@yotfc.co.uk

Find the perfect fit for your budget from our extensive range of tables and chairs.

Prices on application.

Large selection of sizes and styles of tables and chairs.

• Bespoke fabrics and leathers • Bespoke polishing service • Ranges of pine and oak fixed top tables

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Increase Awareness of Your Business With HFE Signs be a little goldmine!

The simple answer is awareness, I’m sure they do ok or they wouldn’t be there, but it was just by luck that we stopped, and we spent just over £50.

How many others drove past? How many more £50 could they have taken that day?

Awareness is a vital essential for any product or service if its going to a success – You might have the best Chef with the best menu and keen prices but no customers or you might have average pub grub slightly overpriced and be rushed off your feet.

The key to success is identifying you target market; do you have competition and what can you offer that they don’t? Once you’ve established your market how do you let them know.

I recently walked into a pub after my daughter’s gymnastics competition, the carpark was empty, it was 4:30pm on a Sunday. I popped my head in and asked ‘are you doing food’ – the lady on the bar pointed to the carvery, I called in the rest of the family and we had a super meal, absolutely what we needed after a busy day. Obviously, we’ll go back, and we’ve also told a few people.

So why was the carpark empty when the food was so good? The price was £8.95 for large and £6.95 for medium. There are a few pubs nearby but none of them have a carvery. I went away thinking that place should be full it has potential to

A simple Carvery Banner on the fence would make every passing car aware of what’s on offer.

Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants use Banners all the time for promoting offers and raising awareness.

HFE Signs have a wide range of pre-designed food banners just for this purpose. HFE Signs have Carvery Banners, Steak Night, Quiz Night, Grill Night and hundreds more – Even if you’re just looking for ideas you should check out their library!

HFE Signs have been designing and printing pub and food banners since 1996. A typical PVC Banner with eyelets 8ft x 3ft costs just £45+vat and if you order two, you get a 3rd FREE and also FREE UK Delivery! Check out HFE today at www.hfe-signs.co.uk

The Latest in Electric Boiler Innovation – The Fusion Comet 3-Phase Electric Boiler Available in 12kW, 14.4kW, 23kW and 39kW Outputs

The Fusion Comet Electric System Boiler is an intelligent solution and alternative for a wet central heating system in light commercial properties, hotels, guest houses and large properties with 3-phase electricity. Silent in operation with no requirement for any sort of flue, the Fusion Comet Electric Boiler can also be installed with an underfloor heating system. The Fusion Comet 3 Phase Electric Boiler is very easy to install with minimal upheaval.

With emphasis on safety, we have installed multiple fail-safes in the unit. With proven reliability of our products, we offer 2 year warranty

with the option of extended warranty which will extend the cover to up to 5 years from the date of purchase.

This boiler is not only powerful, it’s versatile. The Fusion Comet boiler can be supplied alone or with a choice of Heat Packs and Unvented Cylinders.

For larger output requirements, this Electric Boiler can be combined on a low loss header to increase the overall output which gives endless install solutions.

For further information or a free brochure contact 01698 820533 or visit www.electricheatingcompany.co.uk

Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience.

Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality.

Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size, then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the walls in a period setting.

Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Made to the same high

standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees.

Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com

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restaurants and public houses.

We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to buy budget as the continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job.

We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand.

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

Bespoke goods are also a speciality with custom made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement. If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz

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unique source and supply service; if you send us a picture of an item we will do our up most to supply to you at the best price.

Contract Furniture Group has been set up to offer quality contract dining furniture to the hotel, restaurant, pub trades and leisure industries at realistic prices.

We carry a lot of our range in stock so we can help you to meet your deadlines. We also offer a

All our furniture is manufactured to the highest standards, we only use hardwood frames which are glued screwed and dowelled for strength. crib5 interliner (if required) sprung seat areas or webbing and top quality Italian leathers and fabrics.

For further information, call 0115 965 9030, visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk or email info@contractfurniture.co.uk

ILF Chairs - Seating with Wider Appeal Crib 5 fire regulations.

The majority of our products are available in a choice of frames, colours and we can offer an extensive choice of fabrics including real Leather and Faux Leather. In addition, we also able to offer a full service on bench seating and re-upholstery.

ILF have been supplying top quality indoor and outdoor chairs and tables for over the past 30 years to the hospitality market. We offer a wide selection of products to suit all tastes and as importantly, budgets!

We pride ourselves outstanding personal service with the motto ' No job is ever too big or too small – it’s customer satisfaction that counts'.

In this demanding Health & Safety led market place we guarantee that all our fabrics and fillings meet the exacting BS5852

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Delivery times are generally 4 weeks from order, but we can also offer a "fast track" service for certain products.

Why not contact us at sales@ilfchairs.com or on 01293 783783 and find out how we can help you fulfil your seating and table needs.

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Design and Refit

Trent Furniture’s Italia Bistro Chair Offers Italian Style at a Competitive Price Bring a hint of Italian style and quality to your establishment with the Italia Bistro chair and tall stool from Trent Furniture. The classic ladder-back design and customisable seat makes this range a perfect fit for any commercial environment from bars and pubs to restaurants, bistros and cafes.

The frames are crafted from solid beechwood and are available in a timeless dark oak or walnut finish. Expertly manufactured, they are durable, sturdy and easy to care for – perfect for a busy contract environment.

fashion using materials from sustainable sources. Trent Furniture offers a huge choice of upholstery patterns and colours which are hard wearing, easy to clean and CRIB 5 fire retardant. As the Italia Bistro range is upholstered inhouse you can even send your own fabric to fit with your décor and branding.

The plush and comfortable seat pads are created in an eco-friendly

MST Auctioneers

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods.

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs. We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA).

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators,

Square One Interiors Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furniture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years.

Having had a history in design and furniture design, an idea was born and he decided to run with it. He loved the idea of a rustic looking, industrial range which was also eco friendly and sustainable. He soon found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as well as several different wood finishes

The Italia Bistro Chair starts from just £29.90 and the Tall Italia Bistro Stool from £44.90 (plus VAT) See the Italia Bistro range and more great options at www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call us on 0116 2986 286 for more information.

banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances.

We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England. Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days.

We have storage and removal facilities. In addition we have forklifts for machinery up to 5 tons.

We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" See the advert on this page for further details.

which would compliment the overall design.

Making furniture from scratch also had its benefits, as Jamie soon found that businesses would approach him with specific needs and requirements, meaning that he was able to provide a fully bespoke service, as well as offering design and advice.

Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture companies and high street names.

Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space!

Visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk

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

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

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

Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market. Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements. Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier We pride ourselves in providing the best quality items at great prices with fantastic customer service and can supply bespoke tailored made furniture such as booths, tables, seating or ‘off the peg’ items.

Drakes Bar Furniture not only sell chairs, stools, tables we also design build and install all types of fixed seating, pews and booth seating for pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and clubs.

When fitting out a premise the seating is almost paramount for a successful space. Fixed seating, booth seating or banquette seating as its also called can come in variety of colours, finishes, types and styles. Below are just a few examples showing what we have done in the past.

With clever planning, seating gen-

erates a great flow for customers and staff around a pub, restaurant, cafe or club. It can be used to divide areas, create new spaces in a room and offer intimacy allowing for the perfect social meet up.

The beauty of bespoke fixed seating is that we can make the most of and take advantage of your space and features. We can come to your venue and measure up, give you advice and show you examples of our past work, finishes, types and styles.

We have a wide range of Bar Furniture, including tables, stools, chairs, outdoor beer garden, fixed seating and banqueting furniture.

If you require a bespoke quote either call us on 01422 839 690 or you can send us an email.

See the advert below for details.

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