CLH Digital - Issue #59

Issue 59

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“Solid Sales” in Pubs & Restaurants Points to Nationwide Economic Boost

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Strong spending data in the first few days of full inside service suggest quicker than expected recovery, as Britain’s restaurants, pubs and bars recorded solid sales.

Consumers braved some of the worst May weather on record and made the most of the great indoor reopening suggesting a continued uplift in spending could help the UK’s economy recover quicker than expected.

29% from the same day in 2019.

UK consumer spending between Monday and Wednesday (May 17-19) rose 10 per cent on the levels recorded for the same period in 2019, before the covid outbreak, which was the strongest increase of any week since lockdown restrictions were put in place in the last March, according to figures from Fable Data, which tracks banks’ transactions.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

Licensed premises bounced back strongly on Monday May 17, with total sales up

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CLH Digital

Issue 59

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL “Never make an excuse for going to the pub, save it for leaving.”

BENNY BELLAMACINA To say it had been a tough week for the Prime Minister and the government would rather be an understatement!

A former government adviser has chosen to “air his grievances in public” over the government’s handling of the pandemic.

The dilemma the government finds itself in now primarily relates to another sector, namely the healthcare sector, and the government’s decision to release patients infected with Covid into care homes, and the subsequent awarding of contracts for PPE.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

However, the Health Secretary appears to be in the firing line, and I for one and concerned that he may attempt to “overcompensate” , bow public pressure and introduce a lockdown delay.

Those of us in the commercial/private sector are sure of one thing, that “the engine that drives” the healthcare train, or any other train for that matter in the United Kingdom is the economy.

Nothing can be done to support any sector unless there is money flowing in, it is simple basic economics, and the economy been shut severely restricted for some 14 months.

“Indian Covid variant threatens 21st of June reopening” have been some of the headlines seen in recent days, and today I saw this, a Professor from University College London and a member of Independent Sage, saying that reopening should be delayed for a few more months - allowing for more of the population to have had both vaccine doses.

What planet do these people live on? It is as though they have absolutely no idea of life in the real world.

Once again, I would urge the Prime Minister to stand firm, from the reports I have read he has been an opponent of lockdowns.

Those of us who live in the real world know full well the consequences of an extended lockdown.

Restrictions no matter what they are do not work in hospitality, social distancing, enforced table service, restricted gatherings simply does not work in most restaurants, bars and hotels.

When people visit a pub, bar, restaurant, or hotel they visit to enjoy a memorable experience with a high level of service and personal interaction, an impossibility if staff must maintain strict social distancing and wear PPE. Public have been very patient in putting up with it, in the anticipation I believe that eventually it would all be lifted, and we could return to normal.

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

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Furthermore, hospitality already operates on a high-cost base, it is taxed to the hilt! In recent years, the sector has faced additional spending including business rates rent increases, increased food and beverage costs, the new National Living Wage, pension contributions.

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Continued restrictions will inevitably result in revenue drops that will make most businesses unviable, add to that the threat of “ad hoc” closures/lockdowns on the whims of “experts “then I suspect many in the sector will simply shut up shop completely.

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There are justifiable concerns which suggest that many people currently do not feel it’s safe to eat out and will avoid visiting us even after lockdown is lifted. And when they pick up a newspaper or switch on the TV who can blame them?

Against this background, when furlough ends in September and restaurants, bars and hotels are reopen but with social distancing enforced and no income from major events and festivals, the result may very well be business closures and mass redundancies, increasing unemployment and the strain on the welfare system.

So once again Prime Minister stand firm!

FAX: 01202 552666 sales@catererlicensee.com @CLHNews CLHNews

EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

Our front page story confirms that the public are keen to get back to normal, and that the sector has gone to great lengths to ensure public safety.

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

According to a report there is an opportunity of a £22 billion staycation boost to domestic tourism this summer. Extend lockdown past 21st of June then that boom would disappear into the horizon.

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN

What an opportunity! Report states “Although the percentage of people who holiday in the UK next year is likely to be lower, there would still be significant benefits if only around 10 per cent of those who would previously have gone abroad instead choose to holiday here, as this would add around £5.5 billion to the domestic tourism industry”.

Matthew Noades Shelly Roche Published Publishedbyby

UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, issued a warning that it is "absolutely critical" that the remainder of the hospitality sector is allowed to unlock on June 21, adding that a million people could lose their job in the industry if lockdown continues past that date, is absolutely right!

Again, Prime Minister stand firm and keep us on track to open unrestricted on June 21!

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“Solid Sales” in Pubs & Restaurants Points to Nationwide Economic Boost Issue 59

Fable reported a 19 per cent increase in spending for restaurants and pubs between Monday and Wednesday compared with the same period in 2019.

Restaurant bookings were 65 per cent higher on Friday and Saturday (May 21-22) than the same period in 2019, according to data from Open Table.

2020 bookings did not climb above 2019 levels until August when they were boosted by the government support scheme “Eat Out to Help Out” .

Yael Selfin, chief economist at the consultancy KPMG, said that the latest data “show consumers have embraced the new freedom they were given, particularly in terms of socialising activities”.

Research and insight experts CGA’s breakdown of drinks sales indicates that many consumers were celebrating the return of inside service with cocktails, sales of which rocketed by 123% over the four days. It confirms recent signs that consumers are seeking drinks that have been difficult to recreate at home, like poured pints and cocktails, and that many are keen to treat themselves to premium options on their return.

STAYCATION Expectations of a nationwide economic recovery were further boosted by report stating that the unprecedented demand for a UK staycation this year could help bring a £22 billion boost to domestic tourism, a new study has revealed.

The report UK Staycations 2021: A Year of Opportunities, published by commercial property specialist Colliers, predicts that indulgences such as room upgrades, spa treatments and afternoon teas will be the order of the day, as people decide to enjoy some personal pampering using savings accumulated during the pandemic lockdowns.

The new trend for luxury staycations presents the UK hospitality sector with a unique opportunity, according to the report, which predicts domestic tourism could benefit from an increased spend of £22 billion this year, with the potential for long term benefits of around £5.5 billion a year.

“Our research shows that UK citizens spent £54.8 billion in 2019 on overseas leisure travel, and we estimate that if just 40 per cent of that is instead spent in the UK this year it would represent an additional £22 billion for domestic tourism.

“UK hoteliers have a once in a lifetime opportunity this summer to attract people who would previously have chosen to travel abroad for holidays and weekend breaks, and if they get it right by giving guests an exceptional experience, they will benefit from future bookings and transform the domestic tourism industry instead of just experiencing a one-off bounce.

“Although the percentage of people who holiday in the UK next year is likely to be lower, there would still be significant benefits if only around 10 per cent of those who would previously have gone abroad instead choose to holiday here, as this would add around £5.5 billion to the domestic tourism industry.”

The report highlights that even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic the UK had a high level of domestic leisure travel at 65 per cent of all overnight spend in 2019, totalling £96.6 billion, and this increased to 71 percent in 2020.

It shows that people now have more money to spend on holidays and weekend breaks as a result of being unable to spend much during lockdowns, resulting in savings ratios in 2020 reaching 15.8 per cent of • MICROWAVES • EXTRACTION CANOPIES • income against a long-term average of 6.5 per cent and creating £140 billion of additional savings, of which some is expected to be spent on travel and hospitality.

The report predicts that the top UK locations for continued staycation demand in 2021 will be Bournemouth; Eastbourne; Plymouth; Brighton; Bath; Norwich; Blackpool and Southampton. These cities and towns were all popular staycation destinations in 2020 and are expected to continue to attract domestic holidaymakers this year.

While the trend last year was for coastal and country destinations, the report predicts an increase in demand for city breaks in 2021 as a result of the reopening of cultural attractions such as theatres and museums, as well as the return of sporting events and concerts. Colliers anticipates that the main beneficiaries will be London; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Manchester; Bristol; Cambridge; Liverpool; York and Stratford upon Avon.

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It has been a big relief to get back to full inside trading across Britain, and these figures show a reasonable start,” says Jonathan Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “But with many sites still to open and like-for-like sales essentially flat, there is clearly still a very long way to go before sales and profits return to pre-pandemic levels. Pent-up demand, and hopefully some brighter weather, give us optimism that trading will pick up as consumers settle into new habits. But COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on hospitality, and sustained support is going to be needed to help reignite a sector that is absolutely crucial to the UK’s economic recovery in 2021 and beyond.”

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Marc Finney, head of Hotels & Resorts Consulting at Colliers, said: “This summer will see a boom in UK staycations, and we are predicting there will also be an unprecedented demand for quality of experience.

• DISHWASHERS • GLASSWASHERS • REFRIGERATION

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TOASTERS • STAINLESS STEEL SINKS & TABLING

After the Pandemic, Is New Import Duty on US Wine Set to Further Cripple UK’s Hospitality Sector

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CLH Digital

Issue 59

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) After its formal exit from the union, these became a part of UK’s independent new tariff system. However, the country is now undertaking a review of the tariff lists to protect UK’s specific interests.

UK’S RETALIATION Now the officials are discussing which US product should be targeted to counter the US levies. According to the UK’s customs data, it imported chocolates worth around £31 million and £224 million worth of wine from the US. Wheat, grapes, and orange juice are also being considered a part of the new tariff basket. Presently, the amount of lobsters UK imports from the US is more than what it exports. These proposals would now be consulted upon publicly to help the government to formulate strategies for the de-escalation of trade tensions.

The trade ministry in a statement has said that the announcements would help in ensuring that the measures are tailored to suit the requirements of the UK economy and to protect all its industries, including aluminium and steel manufacturers.

Soon, chocolates, wine, and lobsters coming from the US into Britain could see new tariffs as part of the British government’s proposals to set the tariff balance right in the backdrop of a trade conflict around steel and aluminium.

Former US president Donald Trump administration had in 2018 slapped 10 per cent and 25 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel, respectively, from the EU, due to national security concerns. Brussels retaliated with duties on tobacco, whiskey, and motorcycles.

Trade secretary Liz Truss stressed the intentions to de-escalate the tensions, but the proposals could be a hindrance to the process. As the US voted in Joe Biden’s administration, Britain has already used its new independence from the common EU tariff policy to exert more economic and diplomatic pressure. Truss last week opened applications for the programme to suspend tariffs that she said would help bring down the costs for manufacturers.

WILL THE UK FOOD AND BEVERAGES SECTOR BE AFFECTED?

The latest sets of announcements widen the scope of the ongoing trade tensions from heavy industry to the food and beverages industry.

There is no clarity yet on whether wines like Oregon Pinot Noir or California Chardonnay would also be on the list of wines that would be seeing revised tariffs.

As part of its rebalancing measures, UK has also chosen to continue with a 25 per cent tariff that both EU and UK had imposed on American bourbon and whiskey imports. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on Britain’s food and beverages sector and the overall hospitality industry.

Three national lockdowns and social distancing norms have spelt doom for the sector. England has reopened gradually after a successful vaccination roll-out, and this could be the industry’s only chance at a turnaround.

Given the rough year it has gone through, the government’s efforts should be directed now to support businesses in the sector and protect as many jobs as possible.

The tariffs already imposed on beverages and the ones that are being considered could impact players from the hospitality sector because of the interconnected nature of portfolios of global spirit and wine businesses. It is important that to safeguard other industries, punitive tariffs should not be slapped on products beyond the sectors that are in dispute. Tariffs on beverages also impact Britain’s investment, and marketing opportunities and it would be in the UK’s favour if spirits and wines are not subjected to tariff wars.

Devon Publicans Open Farmshop And Café To Help Support Local Residents were shielding. During the latest lockdown it ran a Thai takeaway menu as well as offering a traditional Sunday lunch.

Devon publicans Selena and Steve Porter have opened a new farm shop and café at the Shipwright Arms in Shaldon near Teignmouth to help residents stay local for shopping as lockdown eases.

Selena said: “When we took on the pub we had only been open two months when we went into lockdown. We got to know a lot of the people in the local area by offering our takeaway service and many local residents asked us to open a farm shop and café.

The couple took on the pub in December 2019 just months before the first lockdown, and with many elderly local residents and a lack of services in the immediate vicinity, they soon realised there was a need for a farm shop and café in the area.

She adds: “The farm shop and coffee area will be really important in providing not just food but company to many of our customers who have been isolated in lockdown and are desperate to meet and connect with others.

They were able to renovate and transform a side room within the pub to create the shop with the help and a Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services.

The shop offers a range of essentials along with fresh and local produce including fish from Brixham, freshly baked bread, cheeses, freerange eggs, locally sourced meat and handmade burgers. The new development also includes a small coffee area, which will allow local residents to meet and help reduce the risk of social isolation

Pub is The Hub regional advisor Reg Clarke said: “Selena and Steve have come to the aid of local residents with the opening of the farm shop which sells local produce and items suggested by the community The pub also diversified during the year of lockdowns with a range of takeaway food, which the couple also delivered to local residents that

“The café will also offer those living locally the chance to meet and socialise at a time when many of them have been isolated due to lockdown.”

Hospitality Sector Footfall Jumps By A Third After Indoor Hospitality Re-Opens: North West At The Top And London New research has revealed that footfall and visits in the UK’s hospitality and restaurant sector went up by around a third (32%) in the week immediately following the re-opening of indoor hospitality on Monday 17 May. The data includes the first Saturday since restrictions were relaxed.

The North West region saw the largest jump in activity, rising by an average of 39%. However, Greater London came dead last, showing a rise of only 22%.

In the 15 towns and cities showing the greatest rises, the increase ranged between 44% and 56%, suggesting that indoor hospitality added half the number of customers again. The North West and Yorkshire dominated the list: while Slough topped the ranks with a 56% increase in visits, locations such as Harrogate, Bury, Wigan and Preston all showed increases of over 50%.

The research was carried out by Huq Industries, a mobility research business, using its Community Vision product, for use by local councils to support decision-making around the future of our cities, towns and high streets.

Huq’s extensive dataset of real-time population mobility data, comprised of 1bn+ mobile geo-location data-points daily, is used by retailers, investors and the public sector to measure footfall across a range of consumer, business and industrial settings.

The top 15 cities for increases in hospitality sector activity were: 1.Slough 2.Harrogate 3.Bury 4.Solihull 5.Preston 6.Wigan 7.St Albans 8.Newcastle upon Tyne 9.Worcester 10.Scunthorpe 11.York 12.Northampton 13.Oldham 14.Oxford 15.Rochdale

55.9% 55.4% 54.4% 54.0% 52.4% 51.4% 50.9% 49.8% 48.7% 46.7% 45.5% 45.3% 45.1% 44.9% 43.6%

The top ten regional* breakdown for increases in hospitality sector activity was: 1.North West

39.1%

2.Yorkshire and The Humber 3.East Midlands 4.West Midlands 5.South East 6.North East 7.South West 8.Wales 9.East of England 10.London

35.4% 34.3% 32.9% 30.6% 29.8% 29.1% 27.8% 22.7% 22.1% *agreed statistical UK regions

Conrad Poulson, chief executive officer at Huq Industries, comments: “The North of England has definitely led the way when it comes to people returning to hospitality venues, now that we can gather indoors once more.

“It’s interesting that London saw the smallest increase in people returning to indoor hospitality. This could be due to lingering nervousness, or the easy availability of home delivery options. It does suggest that restaurants, pubs/bars and hotels in London may have to work even harder to attract people back after the lockdown.”

Issue 59

CLH Digital

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Employees The Biggest Challenge As Hospitality Reopens Bizimply Survey Finds Most Employers Have Lost Staff During Lockdown Employees, rather than customers, are the biggest challenge facing hospitality businesses as the sector reopens. The majority of operators have experienced some team members refusing to return to work, according to new research by workforce management specialist Bizimply. Half of employers, 50%, say they lack enough trained or experienced staff to fully reopen.

and team leaders was their biggest issue, and 22% highlighted chef recruitment;

The new Reopening Expectations and Challenges survey of employers confirms that many operators are struggling to find enough experienced staff. The findings tally with the views of trade body UKHospitality, which has flagged up the challenge in terms of both the total number of available employees, after many EU citizens left the UK to return to their home countries, as well as skills shortages in specific areas.

•62.5% have experienced some staff being unable or unwilling to return to work. The reasons given included concerns about personal safety, childcare issues; wanting more hours or higher pay, and those who have found other jobs or returned to their home countries;

The Bizimply survey shows that the vast majority of operators, more than 90%, also expect some labour-intensive COVID prevention measures, such as table-only service and social distancing, to be a requirement beyond the 21 June date set by the Government.

In addition, 31.3% of hospitality employers have already increased investment in technology in order to reopen. Shaw says: “This number investing in technology is likely to increase as more businesses reopen.

Remote ordering and payment look set to be a permanent customer expectation.

In addition, hospitality businesses are showing an increased reluctance to “police” customers’ COVID status on behalf of the authorities. Only 25% of businesses said they would welcome a proof-of-vaccine or vaccine passport scheme, compared to 53% who said they supported a scheme pre-opening, in a Bizimply survey in February.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw says: “Our survey shows that the scale of the employment challenge facing the UK hospitality sector shouldn’t be underestimated. Most customers have been in a forgiving mood in the early weeks of reopening, but they won’t accept poor or slow service for too long.

•82.3% have made changes to their recruitment and training procedures to address post-lockdown staff requirements; •75% believe Brexit has made recruitment more challenging;

•31.3% of employers have employed new staff in order to reopen, and 25% have increased investment in staff training.

“Equally, the realities of day-to-day trading with COVID measures in place has clearly hardened operators against the idea of a proof-of-vaccine scheme. The number who do not want to be required to check customers’ vaccine status has increased significantly since hospitality reopened.”

Findings from the Bizimply Reopening Expectations and Challenges survey show: •Only 50% of hospitality employers have enough trained or experienced staff to fully reopen after lockdown. While the challenge is split equally between front-of-house and back-of-house, 25% said finding shift

“Additionally, workforce management systems can benefit both employers and employees, ensuring that staff availability is matched to the busiest times, but also helping to manage the flexibility that employees with childcare or educational commitments need.

“The combination of robust customer data through EPOS, and a clear understanding of the business in terms of labour requirements, provides a strong overview for operators, and also frees up GMs’ time to focus on delivering the all-important high standards of customer service that the current hospitality labour force challenges threaten.”

Stonegate’s Oldest Landlady Celebrates 50 Years Nancy Swanick, licensee of the Peveril of the Peak in Manchester, who is believed to be Stonegate Group’s oldest serving publican is celebrating 50 years running the pub. At 91 years old, Nancy has spent more than half her life at The Pev, as it is affectionately known in the area, and has no plans to retire anytime soon.

During her time at the pub, Nancy has seen Oasis use the building as a backdrop for an early photo shoot, played host to the likes of Manchester United great, Eric Cantona, and raised her three children, amongst a whole host of other milestones and moments. One of her sons, Maurice, now runs the

pub with her.

Simon Longbottom, CEO of Stonegate Group, has written to Nancy thanking her for her service and congratulating her on such a landmark anniversary at the pub.

Nick Light, Managing Director of Stonegate Group’s Leased and Tenanted Business, said: “What a fantastic achievement to have operated the same pub for five decades. Both Nancy and The Peveril of the Peak are well known in Manchester and rightly so! It is testament to her success as a publican that the pub remains the landmark that it is.

“Everyone at Stonegate wishes her every success in her future years as a landlady and beyond. It’s also wonderful to see Nancy’s son, Maurice, taking such a pivotal role in the business. At Stonegate, we think of ourselves as a family and so seeing family-run businesses such as this flourish within the company is thoroughly in keeping with our values.”

Maurice Swanick said: “Mam (Nancy) is not only the longest-serving, but also the best landlady in the country. She’s always run a firm but fair ship, and the number of familiar faces we see on a repeat basis is testament to the homely atmosphere she’s created.”

Update Hospitality Risk Assessments as Pandemic Restrictions Ease 6

CLH Digital

Issue 59

By Rob Biddlecombe, a specialist in environmental, safety and health law at Squire Patton Boggs (www.squirepattonboggs.com)

Earlier this month, three people were injured, including two women who received serious burns, after an explosion involving a gas heater in the beer garden of the King’s Head in Great Cornard, Suffolk.

It has been alleged that an intoxicated customer kept filling the heater with ethanol and eventually sprayed ethanol from a spare bottle on to the heater’s naked flame as a prank, causing the bottle to explode. A statement on the pub’s Facebook page stated that the heater was not one supplied by the pub, and was

brought on to the premises without their knowledge.

reasonably practicable. It is a criminal offence not to comply with health and safety law.

After months of lockdown, customers are naturally excited by the prospect of being able to return to socialise in pubs. However, what steps should be taken by pub licensees/designated premises supervisors to prevent exuberant behaviour from escalating to a point when people’s safety is threatened?

Clearly, not all risks to health and safety will be foreseeable to licensees, but the risk posed by the actions of intoxicated customers should be. It is incumbent on licensees to have arrangements in place both inside and outside of the building to identify individuals who may be posing a risk to others.

Depending on the type of establishment and its location, this may not necessarily require a door supervisor on the entrance or CCTV covering every possible inch of the premises, but it is likely to require staff to actively monitor behaviour and be prepared to take proportionate action to reduce the risk, rather than simply ignoring it.

Under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, employers have a duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of their employees and also of anyone else who may be affected by the employer’s business, such as visitors.

Risk assessment is the cornerstone to effective health and safety. In fact, employers are required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to assess the risk posed to their employees at work and to others who may be affected by the employer’s business, and to put appropriate control measures in place. In other words, although pub operators are not expected to produce risk-free environments for staff and customers, they are expected to reduce foreseeable risks as low as

It is also worth remembering that the sale of alcohol to a drunk person is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003; and that licence holders must promote public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder (as two of the licensing objectives).

Where these objectives are undermined, this could be grounds for a review of the premises licence, which could ultimately result in suspension or even

revocation of the licence. Supervision and management of customers is an important part of ensuring licence compliance and there may, of course, be specific licence conditions requiring CCTV, door supervision and/or regular clearing of glasses, particularly in outdoor areas.

Leadership is a key aspect of health and safety management and the direction set by the licensee is essential; they must lead by example and staff should be confident that they know what to do if they become aware of a customer who is posing a risk to others.

Clearly, no licensee wishes their customers to feel as if they are constantly under surveillance and cannot relax, but a balance must be struck so that they also feel safe and can enjoy the easing of restrictions.

Changes to operation brought about by the pandemic, such as greater use of outdoor areas by customers, should be considered as part of updated risk assessments on reopening, alongside the typical risks associated with licensed premises, to help strike that balance.

Star Pubs & Bars Invests £150,000 Ensuring Its Pubs Are Match Fit For UEFA Euro 2020™ and Summer Of Sport Britain’s restaurants, pubs and bars recorded solid sales in the first few days of full inside service.

Those are the headlines from CGA’s exclusive analysis of trading from Monday to Thursday (10 to 17 May). CGA’s Recovery Tracker shows that average like-for-like sales were virtually flat (up 0.2%) on the equivalent period in April 2019, with 11% growth in food sales balanced by a 9% drop in drinks.

Licensed premises bounced back strongly on Monday, with total sales up 29% from the same day in 2019. However, they soon dropped back, falling 2% on Tuesday, rising just 1% on Wednesday and slipping 17% on Thursday. The negative figures reflect generally poor weather across the country this week, and are a reminder that venues remain severely restricted in their trading.

CGA’s breakdown of drinks sales indicates that many consumers were celebrating the return of inside service with cocktails, sales of which rocketed by 123% over the four days. Spirits were down 4%, while the wine and champagne (down 8%) and soft drinks (down 12%) categories all performed reasonably, driven by food-led occasions—but it was a tougher week for beer and cider (down 19%). Draught beer gained 2% of market share over packaged beer, and sales of world lager were up 1%. It confirms recent signs that consumers are seeking drinks that have been difficult to recreate at home, like poured pints and cocktails, and that many are keen to treat themselves to premium options on their return.

It has been a big relief this week to get back to full inside trading across Britain, and these figures show a reasonable start,” says Jonathan Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “But with many sites still to open and like-for-like sales essentially flat, there is clearly still a very long way to go before sales and profits return to pre-pandemic levels. Pent-up demand, and hopefully some brighter weather, give us optimism that trading will pick up as consumers settle into new habits.

But COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on hospitality, and sustained support is going to be needed to help reignite a sector that is

absolutely crucial to the UK’s economic recovery in 2021 and beyond.”

The first week of inside trading follows a slow final week of outdooronly service in England and Wales, and limited indoor service in Scotland. In the week from Saturday 8 May, average drinks sales were down 58% on the same week in 2019, with pubs (down 55%) faring slightly better than restaurants (down 69%) and bars (68%).

The fifth and final week of outside trading was the worst since hospitality’s return on 12 April, and the fourth week in a row that the comparison with 2019 widened. CGA’s weekly Drinks Recovery Tracker reports have shown a strong initial return amid sunshine and a solid second week, followed by a difficult third week and fourth week as the weather turned.

Outside trading was inevitably tied very closely to the unpredictable British spring weather,” says Jonathan Jones. “After a strong first fortnight drinks sales faded over the next three weeks, though it was still a welcome return to business for many pubs. As 17 May got closer, many consumers were obviously choosing to wait a few more days until they could get back inside, rather than brave the elements.”

95% Of The Hospitality Industry Plan To Continue Using Pay And Order Technology Post-Pandemic nologies. From mobile apps to web ordering, 43% of customers have been using some form of order and pay technology since July 2020.

Before the pandemic, this type of technology was in its infancy and only just emerging in the UK hospitality industry.

This technology has been pushed to the forefront of restaurant owners minds as a useful solution to enable their establishments to open.

34% of hospitality businesses already use order and pay technology, and 42% of those who don’t, plan to introduce it in 2021.

Out of all the 300 owners and management surveyed, a staggering 95% of those using order and pay technology stated they plan to continue using it even after the pandemic is over – meaning order and pay is here to stay.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the hospitality industry has been forced to pivot towards a digital-first approach to deal with restrictions – reinventing what it means to dine in, order and pay at restaurants, cafes and bars.

New research by card payment provider, Dojo, reveals whether these technological innovations are a temporary fix, or forecast to be used and implemented beyond the pandemic.

Dojo surveyed 300 hospitality owners and management staff at smallmedium sized businesses and 500 avid restaurant goers across March and April 2021 to find out.

95% of restaurants plan to continue using order and pay technology after the pandemic One of the biggest digital changes to the hospitality industry in the past year has been the methods of ordering and paying.

The need for a reduced contact service between hospitality staff and customers has propelled the adoption of mobile and self service tech-

Digital menus are the new normal – with 88% of restaurants stating they will continue to use them after the pandemic It is not only order and pay tech that has changed how the hospitality industry operates with customers. The pandemic has also seen a huge increase in the number of restaurants and eateries using online menus, with 57% of them now offering physical and digital menus at their venues.

The resurgence of the QR code has enabled restaurants to offer minimal contact for customers. Restaurant goers can now simply scan a QR code present on the table and be presented with the digital menu via their smartphone, improving both efficiency and customer experience.

88% of these restaurants stated they would continue the use of their online menus after the pandemic has subsided.

55% of restaurant owners expect to be dependent on delivery and takeaway services in 2021 With Government restriction only allowing takeaway services for hos-

pitality during the lockdowns, businesses have had to adapt their models quickly to survive. 80% of small restaurants now offer a takeaway or delivery service making it hospitalities biggest success in the past year.

Takeaway has now become essential with 55% of these owners expect to be dependent on delivery and takeaway services in 2021.

This demand for delivery has prompted a boom in demand for courier jobs. According to a new study by Paymentsense, delivery drivers are the most in-demand job roles for 2020 with over 3.3 million vacancies across the UK. 83% of consumers favour app over phone orders when ordering a restaurant or takeaway Consumer behaviour was forced to change, but consumer preference has also shifted alongside it – with most reacting positively to the new technology. Out of the 500 customers surveyed, 83% stated they prefer to use a mobile device when ordering food and drinks.

This has had a positive impact on brand loyalty and revenue with 29% of consumers more likely to order again from a restaurant that offers online ordering as opposed to telephone ordering, and 27% of consumers more likely to spend more online compared to in-person and telephone ordering.

Jon Knott, Head of Customer Insights at Dojo commented: “Technology has played a huge role in our daily lives the past year – it’s enabled us to connect with our loved ones, as well as order our favourite meals, without leaving our homes.

As lockdown restrictions ease, it’s important for the hospitality industry to reflect on the changes it’s made to adapt. Perhaps this new tech adoption can help create even more efficiencies and help safeguard trading in the future.”

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Acute Staff Shortage Will Hold Back Hospitality Recovery, Government Needs To Step In Warns RSM workers by almost 1 million, which acutely impacts the leisure and hospitality sector. Employers will need to throw the net wider and look at retraining employees from other sectors to fill the gap but furlough could hamper recruitment.

The number of new job vacancies in the hospitality sector rose by 46 per cent in the last two weeks according to new analysis by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM. In total, there are 39,167 live vacancies for hospitality jobs in food and drink posted in the last two weeks on job website Indeed, up by 46 per cent from 26,736 postings the week before when indoor hospitality opened – highlighting acute staff shortages across the sector.

‘Uncertainty is leading to zombie employees who are understandably worried about taking the leap into a new job when they have the security of furlough and the prospect of returning to work in the near future – so the pool of potential employees becomes even smaller.

Of the total vacancies, almost half are listed as chef or cook roles highlighting particular shortages in the kitchen.

‘If the Government is serious about consumer spending driving the UK’s economic recovery then it needs to consider a relaxation of visa barriers. Currently chefs qualify for a skilled worker visa but cooks don’t and this complexity is adding to the staff shortages. What is needed is a fast-tracked recovery visa system for hospitality workers who don’t meet the current point-based system but who are crucial to the sector’s recovery.’

Paul Newman, Head of Leisure and Hospitality at RSM, said: ‘Giving the green light to opening all indoor and outdoor leisure and hospitality businesses is a real boost for the sector. The pent-up demand is there from consumers but the sector is currently facing a jobs crisis that threatens to hold back its recovery ‘The Brexit/Covid-19 impact has reduced the pool of foreign-born

April’s Delivery And Takeaway Sales Up Fourfold On Pre-Covid Levels New survey from CGA and Fourth reveals strong trading during outdooronly service, but concerns about staff shortages Four in five leaders in the managed restaurant, pub and bar sector feel optimistic about the next 12 months—the highest number for more than six years.

The latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth shows 79% are optimistic about prospects for the eating and drinking out market in general. Confidence levels have not reached that level since February 2015, and have risen very sharply from the quarterly survey’s

results in October (18%) and February (50%). Slightly more leaders (83%) say they feel optimistic about prospects for their own business over the next 12 months.

The dramatic upswing in confidence coincides with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and reopening of hospitality. The Business Confidence Survey indicates a solid start to trading since outside service was permitted from mid-April, with 58% of leaders rating their performance since then as ahead of their expectations, and just 8% below.

Despite the strong return only two in five (41%) businesses are now either trading at a profit or expect to do so by the end of June, the survey shows. However, it also highlights some big issues facing hospitality over the remainder of 2021, especially around staff recruitment and retention. Concerns over the Indian variant of COVID-19 and the risk of extended restrictions will also temper optimism in the weeks ahead.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “After the immense challenges of 2020 and early 2021, it is very encouraging to see confidence levels riding so high across the

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managed sector. The figures are testament to the resilience of operators and the enduring appeal of restaurants, pubs and bars to consumers, and we can be optimistic that sales will follow confidence in bouncing back strongly this summer.”

He added: “There’s no escaping the fact that COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on hospitality, with thousands of businesses closing for good and many more still in a precarious position. The road to recovery could be long and uneven, and the sector is going to need sustained support on challenges like rent, rates and recruitment.”

Sebastien Sepierre, managing director – EMEA, Fourth, said: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see optimism levels increase amongst business leaders. This positivity is tempered somewhat by the challenging labour market, with many operators struggling to recruit in the current climate as the demand for workers accelerates with the easing of restrictions. As the industry slowly returns to full capacity, the recruitment challenge will be further exacerbated, so it’s never been more important for businesses to look at driving efficiencies and productivity in their management of labour.”

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Issue 59

Natasha’s Law-Are You Aware? Are You Prepared?

By Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, OBEFounder of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (www.narf.org.uk) In little over 100 days Natasha’s Law will come into force. It requires full ingredient and allergen labelling on all pre-packed food for direct sale that is made on the premises.

Sandwiches, cakes and salads prepared in this way will from October 1 all come under the new legislation which was backed in a Food Standards Agency consultation by 88% of the public.

Most big supermarkets are on track to meet the deadline for Natasha’s Law which covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - indeed, some are already compliant.

However, the picture for smaller, independent food outlets such as sandwich shops and cafes is less positive.

A recent survey by the British Sandwich Association (BSA) shows around a third of its members are not aware of the existence of Natasha’s Law. The BSA says the number of food outlets unaware and unprepared for the change in the law could be even higher among non-members.

The BSA goes on to argue that the low levels of allergy awareness

among independents and the potential for cross contamination in smaller kitchens could actually pose a risk to consumers.

It then makes the discredited case that a conversation between staff and customers would be preferable to ingredients labelling, in order to verbally point out any allergens used in kitchens.

The BSA’s comments suggest a significant number of food retailers and the organisations that represent them, are sticking their heads in the sand when it comes to Natasha’s Law. Our message is simple. Food allergies are a daily trial for the two to three million people in the UK living with food allergic disease. Lives are at risk, the public has spoken, Parliament has spoken, the law has rightly changed and this attempted back-sliding is irresponsible and unacceptable.

Organisations that represent outlets who are unaware of Natasha’s Law should be informing, educating and engaging their members rather than fostering a climate of negativity on a critical customer safety matter.

The law is named after my daughter Natasha, who I watched die at the tender age of 15 on a holiday flight to France because she had been reassured by the partial ingredient labelling on a baguette which didn’t mention sesame seeds, a known allergen.

The 2018 inquest into Natasha’s death exposed the loophole in the law that was being abused and then Environment Secretary Michael Gove agreed with the Coroner that the law must change.

From that point, the shoddy industry practices that put financial expediency and profits before customer safety - and that killed Natasha - had to stop.

Yet when Tanya and I, her parents, were asked for our opinion about the proposed legislation, we agreed that the industry should be given two years to transition and those two years are now nearly up.

The FSA has launched a campaign to help businesses prepare for these changes (www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/introduction-to-allergenlabelling-changes-ppds) This helps identify which businesses and products will be affected by the change in the law.

There are now many suppliers to choose from that offer the software and label solutions to meet Natasha’s Law and costs are as low as £15 per month ‘all-in’ for the small operators.

The FSA has stated clearly: ‘In the most serious cases, if a customer suffers an allergic reaction because the PPDS rules were not being followed, a food business could be prosecuted by the Local Authority. The courts can issue a significant fine (potentially unlimited) and imprison any individuals that are found guilty.’

With people’s lives at stake, no food retailer should be on the wrong side of the law. Food allergies are an industry issue and businesses large and small have a key role to play in ensuring everyone is able to consume food safely.

Tackling the public health crisis around food allergies requires action on many fronts. In 2019 we launched the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (www.narf.org.uk) to fund vital medical research into food allergies and to address the woefully inadequate provision of allergy services in this country.

We are now urging the food industry to do its bit and take urgent action to make sure it is ready for and compliant with Natasha’s Law.

Heineken Launches Pub Of The Future Trend Report and in future years to come.

The past year has seen the creation of brand-new trends, as well as the acceleration of pre-existing ones – Pub of the Future provides information, insights and examples to help operators identify the areas for growth and development in their businesses.

The report will cover three key areas, set to impact the pub experience of the future:

SUSTAINABLE HYGIENE IN HOSPITALITY HEINEKEN has launched a brand new trend report, Pub of the Future, a free resource available for operators to download. The industry insight report explores the evolution of the hospitality experience and the trends shaping the industry, post-lockdown

The pandemic has accelerated innovations in sustainable cleaning and hygiene. This chapter discusses where operators should invest in solutions, both for the year ahead and planning for future developments such as in touchless technology and digital displays.

SMART-TECH INSIGHTS

Here, the report explores the developments in data analysis and consumer insights. It looks at how the rise of Order and Pay apps will give way to new models of service in hospitality, making use of artificial technology to increase efficiency, save time and reduce costs.

CONSUMER CONNECTIONS This chapter studies the accelerated growth of digital entertainment and its integration with the physical pub space. Insights map the evolution of trends such as virtual reality and gamification in pubs, which are increasing in popularity and becoming fully integrated with hospitality businesses.

The Pub of the Future report is informed by the expertise of leading technology researcher, Elena Corchero and advice from on trade operators, suppliers, independent experts and HEINEKEN specialists.

The future of pub and bar technology has been a key area of focus for HEINEKEN UK. Since its launch in 2013, HEINEKEN SmartDispenseTM draught technology has revolutionised the way draught beer and cider is stored and served in pubs and bars across the UK. Connecting dispense technology with service and insights needed to improve quality, reduce waste and save time, it’s an award-winning total business solution for operators.

To discover the trends shaping the hospitality industry, prepare for success and stay one step ahead of the competition, download a FREE copy of HEINEKEN’s Pub of the Future report here – https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/smart-insights/

The Burnt Chef Project Takes On The Skies In Mammoth Fundraising Skydive The Burnt Chef Project is raising funds for its ongoing work through a national charity skydive. The skydive is aiming to be one of the biggest in the UK with over 20 locations to choose from and jumps available throughout the first week in July.

involved with the sky dive and help fight the continued campaign to challenge mental health issues within the trade.

The Burnt Chef Project is looking for fundraisers to participate in the sky dive and join the continued campaign to challenge mental health stigma within the trade.

Kris Hall, founder of The Burnt Chef Project said “We wanted to do something that was awesome, pushed our boundaries and raised money for our ongoing work. The sky dive feels like a perfect way to shout from the rooftops (or far above!) about our fight to end the stigma associated with mental health in the hospitality industry .We’re want to get 100 people involved to make this one of the biggest national skydives the UK has seen!”

The non-profit hospitality based project, is a campaign, toolkit and clothing brand which seeks to challenge mental health stigma. The project is looking for fundraisers to get

If you’d like to take part in the sky dive head to theburntchefproject.com/skydive to register.

The charity is now calling on brave or thrill seeking hospitality professionals to get involved and commit to the sky dive whilst raising £400 for the charity.

Hospitality Like-For-Likes Sales UP 9% On Indoor Re-Opening Week In the first full week since operators were able to serve guests indoors since November 2020, hospitality sales were up 9% compared to the same week in 2019. However, these figures paint a picture of mixed fortunes for the industry, with a significant bounce in food sales and the continued collapse in drinks revenue.

ago, when two thirds of operators were trading at below 90% of 2019.

The significance of being able to trade indoors is highlighted when looking at the difference between last weeks sales and the week prior, when it was outside only. Sales were up 83% last week compared to the last week before operators could serve guest inside and 95% up when only looking at sites outside of London.

Food sales were up nearly 30% on the same week in 2019, representing significant demand for out of home dining. While there was pent up demand for eating out, remaining restrictions prohibit vertical and late-night drinking, resulting in the continued decline of drink sales, down 7% on 2019 levels.

While there was an overall bounce in like for like performance in the U.K., sites in London were level with the same week in 2019, with all the growth driven by sites outside the capital.

of sites in the U.K. are trading at above 2019, even if many are only marginally so. Last week, only 19% of sites traded at 90%

For the first time since hospitality re-opened in April, the majority

or less than their 2019 levels. This is in contrast with two weeks

S4labour’s Chief Customer Officer, Sam Wignell added, “life is coming back to the sector and we are buoyed by the green shoots, but we are concerned for our customers who are so heavily impacted by the restrictions. It is critical we do not delay the freeing up of our pubs and night-time venues from social distancing measures that are preventing them from trading profitably”.

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Only 2 In 5 Business Leaders Say They’re Trading At Profit But Confidence On The Rise New survey from CGA and Fourth reveals strong trading during outdoor-only service, but concerns about staff shortages Four in five leaders in the managed restaurant, pub and bar sector feel optimistic about the next 12 months—the highest number for more than six years.

The latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth shows 79% are optimistic about prospects for the eating and drinking out market in general. Confidence levels have not reached that level since February 2015, and have risen very sharply from the quarterly survey’s results in October (18%) and February (50%). Slightly more leaders (83%) say they feel optimistic about prospects for their own business over the next 12 months.

The dramatic upswing in confidence coincides with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and reopening of hospitality. The Business

Confidence Survey indicates a solid start to trading since outside service was permitted from mid-April, with 58% of leaders rating their performance since then as ahead of their expectations, and just 8% below.

Despite the strong return only two in five (41%) businesses are now either trading at a profit or expect to do so by the end of June, the survey shows. However, it also highlights some big issues facing hospitality over the remainder of 2021, especially around staff recruitment and retention. Concerns over the Indian variant of COVID-19 and the risk of extended restrictions will also temper optimism in the weeks ahead.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “After the immense challenges of 2020 and early 2021, it is very encouraging to see confidence levels riding so high across the managed sector. The figures are testament to the resilience of operators and the enduring appeal of restaurants, pubs and bars to consumers, and we can be optimistic that sales will follow confidence in bouncing back strongly

this summer.”

He added: “There’s no escaping the fact that COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on hospitality, with thousands of businesses closing for good and many more still in a precarious position. The road to recovery could be long and uneven, and the sector is going to need sustained support on challenges like rent, rates and recruitment.”

Sebastien Sepierre, managing director – EMEA, Fourth, said: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see optimism levels increase amongst business leaders. This positivity is tempered somewhat by the challenging labour market, with many operators struggling to recruit in the current climate as the demand for workers accelerates with the easing of restrictions. As the industry slowly returns to full capacity, the recruitment challenge will be further exacerbated, so it’s never been more important for businesses to look at driving efficiencies and productivity in their management of labour.”

Sales Steady As The On Premise Opens Doors For Indoor Trading Outside trading was inevitably tied very closely to the unpredictable British spring weather,” says Jonathan Jones. “After a strong first fortnight drinks sales faded over the next three weeks, though it was still a welcome return to business for many pubs. As 17 May got closer, many consumers were obviously choosing to wait a few more days until they could get back inside, rather than brave the elements.”

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It has been a big relief this week to get back to full inside trading across Britain, and these figures show a reasonable start,” says Jonathan Jones,

The first week of inside trading follows a slow final week of outdoor-only service in England and Wales, and limited indoor service in Scotland. In the week from Saturday 8 May, average drinks sales were down 58% on the same week in 2019, with pubs (down 55%) faring slightly better than restaurants (down 69%) and bars (68%).

The fifth and final week of outside trading was the worst since hospitality’s return on 12 April, and the fourth week in a row that the comparison with 2019 widened. CGA’s weekly Drinks Recovery Tracker reports have shown a strong initial return amid sunshine and a solid second week, followed by a difficult third week and fourth week as the weather turned.

SA

Licensed premises bounced back strongly on Monday, with total sales up 29% from the same day in 2019. However, they soon dropped back, falling 2% on Tuesday, rising just 1% on Wednesday and slipping 17% on Thursday. The negative figures reflect generally poor weather across the country this week, and are a reminder that venues remain severely restricted in their trading.

CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “But with many sites still to open and like-for-like sales essentially flat, there is clearly still a very long way to go before sales and profits return to pre-pandemic levels. Pent-up demand, and hopefully some brighter weather, give us optimism that trading will pick up as consumers settle into new habits. But COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on hospitality, and sustained support is going to be needed to help reignite a sector that is absolutely crucial to the UK’s economic recovery in 2021 and beyond.”

R DISPO

Those are the headlines from CGA’s exclusive analysis of trading from Monday to Thursday (10 to 17 May). CGA’s Recovery Tracker shows that average like-for-like sales were virtually flat (up 0.2%) on the equivalent period in April 2019, with 11% growth in food sales balanced by a 9% drop in drinks.

CGA’s breakdown of drinks sales indicates that many consumers were celebrating the return of inside service with cocktails, sales of which rocketed by 123% over the four days. Spirits were down 4%, while the wine and champagne (down 8%) and soft drinks (down 12%) categories all performed reasonably, driven by food-led occasions—but it was a tougher week for beer and cider (down 19%). Draught beer gained 2% of market share over packaged beer, and sales of world lager were up 1%.

It confirms recent signs that consumers are seeking drinks that have been difficult to recreate at home, like poured pints and cocktails, and that many are keen to treat themselves to premium options on their return.

NE

Britain’s restaurants, pubs and bars recorded solid sales in the first few days of full inside service.

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Employment Screening Expert Warns Hospitality Employers Of Non-Compliant Social Media Screening In a recent online event hosted in conjunction with AI-powered technology services company, Fama Technologies Inc., Sterling revealed it has experienced a 120% growth in demand for social media screening solutions. With a general increase in interest around social media screening, Sterling warns employers in the leisure and hospitality sector not to attempt a DIY approach as post-pandemic hiring rates increase.

Tim Stokes, Head of Sales, EMEA, at Sterling commented:

As the hospitality industry continues to slowly reopen as restrictions ease, specialist background screening and identity services firm, Sterling, has warned employers not to compromise on compliance when screening new hires, particularly on social media.

"We've seen a lot of engagement and enquiries for social media screening solutions in the leisure and hospitality field as businesses scramble to hire more staff to manage the steady growth the sector is seeing as Covid-19 restrictions ease. In any customer facing roles, it's easy to see why businesses want to screen an applicant's online profile for any red flags that could impact the consumer experience. The challenge from a

compliance perspective is that incorrect use of a person's online information to judge their suitability for a role could expose an employer to claims of discrimination.

"It's important to consider that social media screening should only be used to identify behaviours that are portrayed online that could be cause for concern for the business or the job role specifically. It could include anything that may be derogatory, bigoted, indicate violent behaviour or obvious discrimination, for example.

It should not be used to identify particular characteristics of an individual that wouldn't necessarily be screened in a 'standard' vetting process. If you take a DIY approach and simply scan a social media platform to look at an applicant's profile and activity, you may not know what to look for, you may end up with an incomplete or inaccurate picture, and you run the risk

of being influenced by unconscious biases. This could lead to making bad decisions and even being challenged by a candidate that a decision not to hire has been made based on a protected characteristic. That's where professional social media screening experts and tools can remove the risks for employers."

"Social media screening isn't new, but companies are more confident now than they were just a few years ago when it was arguably in its infancy. But that confidence shouldn't translate into complacency and the view that a DIY approach can work. This can be incredibly risky, especially where firms are perhaps relying on one person's viewpoint. In order to compliantly screen an applicant online you need to ensure that you're only flagging information from an individual's social media profile that is relevant to their job. A human can't filter that out, but tech and AI can.”

Oakman’s Eyes Growth Despite Recording Losses The Oakman Group has produced an EBITDA loss of £2.6m and a total loss of £13.9m over the last year, as the business files its results for 2020. As the group’s performance in the past year was severely affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company stated: “As with the rest of the hospitality industry, performance in the year was severely affected by the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the enforced closure of the business the company

had been trading well with like-for-like sales growth of +4% and total sales growth of 13%. Whilst the costs of the closure impacted on these results, the government support did not produce a benefit until after the year end.

This left the group with net liabilities of £10.8m, a figure that increases to positive assets of £13.6m after reclassification of shareholder loans as shareholder funds. There has been significant post-balance sheet activity and the company is stable, well-funded and ready for further growth.

The Oakman Group is on course to make a substantial Ebitda profit in 2020/21. In corporate terms, 2020 was clearly a frustrating and disappointing result, but the covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented crisis that has affected both the sector and country as a whole in myriad and tragic ways.

However, thanks to the support of all our stakeholders, the group’s operating ability and its prospects

remain rock solid. Indeed, the business has not only managed to survive the multiple closure periods but has grown its site pipeline, raised significant equity for growth and is expected, over the next 24 months, to be a net beneficiary of the pandemic. Since the June 2020 year end: £9m of equity has been raised post year end, split between £4.9m of new funds and £4.1m of shareholder loan conversions.

Pledges have been received for at least a further £4.8m of loan conversions; the damage to the cashflow from the second and third lockdown has been entirely offset by significant government support in the form of a VAT cut on food and accommodation, business rates cuts and, to a lesser degree, grants. The group will have opened eight new sites by the end of June bringing the total number of sites to 35; these were: two Oakman Inns and six Seafood Pubs.

Oakman has a substantial pipeline and expects to have 40 operational sites by the end of FY22. When we were allowed to trade, our results were on average

over 40% ahead of the market, suggesting that we have understood changes in consumer behaviour of which, post-pandemic, we are well placed to take advantage. Sales in the first week after reopening indoors were very strong with like-for-like sales +38.5% and total sales +71.4% versus the same week two years ago with average sales per fully invested Oakman Inn hitting £45k net of VAT.” Executive chairman Peter Borg-Neal said: “Our chief executive Dermot King, and his team have done an outstanding job navigating our business through this difficult period of time. We are trading very successfully, have retained the vast majority of our colleagues and have grown our estate. In addition, Steven Kenee’s excellent work in attracting equity investment from existing and new shareholders has provided not only financial stability, but also firepower to continue our growth.”

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CLH Digital

Issue 59

Best Practice for Reopening Hospitality Venues: Regulatory Considerations

By Nicola Smith, a Director Specialising in Licensing and Food Law at Squire Patton Boggs indoors). Breach of these requirements might result in prosecution or closure, or indeed review of an operator’s premises licence (for example, on the grounds of failing to promote public safety).

17 May 2021 was a milestone moment for many hospitality premises, permitted to open their doors to customers indoors once more, albeit with a “heavy dose of caution”, but also with hope of the (final) end of enforced closures. Bringing staff back off furlough, recruitment, training and ordering stock according to anticipated demand are all challenges as we travel through the roadmap, but there are also challenges with keeping up to date on regulatory responsibilities.

First, there are, of course, ongoing restrictions under health protection regulations affecting customers, currently including social distancing, mask wearing, COVID-19 signage and QR posters, and maximum group sizes (currently gatherings of up to 30 people are permitted outdoors and gatherings of up to six people or two households of any size are permitted

There are also “workplace guides” from the government, with a specific guide covering people who work in or run restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes or takeaways.

This guidance covers the requirement to carry out a suitable and sufficient COVID-19 risk assessment, identifying control measures to manage that risk. As part of any such assessment, you should think about elevated risks associated with planned entertainment (such as the possibility of greater transmission risks with raised voices and singing if background music is loud), as well as the service of food and drinks. Local authority officers and police can request a copy of your COVID-19 risk assessment.

However, you should also revisit your other risk assessments to consider whether other measures may be required to address risks that may arise from new ways of working and measures put in place in response to COVID-19. For example, consider whether different table placement could impact upon fire escape routes, or whether potentially reduced staff numbers will affect the availability of adequate first aid provision. You may also need to assess any potential risks to health and safety, in consideration of matters such as lack of maintenance and hygiene/cleaning during a period of closure, expired safety certification and/or overdue inspections or tests. In particular, if the water system

has been inactive, you may wish to carry out legionella testing. You may also want to check for pest damage and make arrangements for pest control visits.

Finally, it is important to remember and refresh staff understanding of licensing requirements that existed before the pandemic hit and are still crucial to the successful operation of licensed premises. Considerations could include: • If you will continue to provide a delivery service of food and alcohol in addition to service on the premises, remember that long term your licence needs to cover you for sales of alcohol for consumption “off ” the premises, as well as “on” (the current automatic ability to provide off sales if you are licensed for on sales, in most circumstances, is due to expire on 30 September 2021). Check if you have different/restricted hours for “off sales” that would apply to any takeaway or delivery services.

• Remember that if there is no designated premises supervisor (DPS), there is no authority to sell alcohol. Therefore, if you have made redundancies, or if some staff have not returned from furlough, you may need to make an application to name another personal licence holder as DPS to allow sales to continue.

• Keep under review the number of employees who are personal licence holders (in each premises, where you operate multiple premises/venues) to ensure proper supervision of alcohol sales.

• During any period of closure, annual fees will still have fallen due for payment on the anniversary of the original

grant of the premises licence. If annual fees are not paid, they are recoverable as a debt, and licensing authorities are required to suspend premises licences for non-payment (which would remove authority for sales of alcohol/other licensed activities). Therefore, check payment has been made and/or is scheduled.

• Check your licence conditions and assess whether you can still comply. Some conditions require minimum numbers of personnel at certain times (for example, door supervisors, stewards and/or personal licence holders). There may also be requirements for refresher training periodically, for example, every six months.

• Reminding staff of the requirements under licensing laws and your proof of age policy, and tracking such training, can be an important protection for you if you want to demonstrate that you had reasonable precautions in place to prevent an offence being committed.

• Consider liaising with your neighbours to keep them up to date with your plans for reopening. You may need to address elevated noise levels from an increased use of outdoor areas over recent weeks, and it is a good idea to provide contact details so that residents can contact you directly if they experience unreasonable disturbance.

• Check CCTV is working and in accordance with any relevant licence conditions. Monitoring CCTV coverage can be important for the effective supervision of customers.

Having in place a checklist of issues that may be relevant for regulatory purposes as we come out of the pandemic should help to ensure a successful transition to reopening.

Local Family Pub Reopens After Lockdown Transformation The Old Kings Head, a community pub in the historic Worle in Weston-super-Mare, has reopened following a major transformation. The pub, which is owned by community pub group, Admiral Taverns, has been run by licensees Glynn and Linzi for the past three years, and in the family for over 35 years, having been passed down from Linzi’s parents.

Whilst the pandemic put a halt on their business, Glynn and Linzi, with the help of their three sons who also work at the pub, saw this as an opportunity to develop the Old King’s Head. During the various lockdowns, they adapted and developed the outside garden into an amazing space, which now includes a children’s play area, a fire pit, festival style lighting, two gazebos, seating pods and a spectacular outside bar.

ments. As soon as lockdown forced us to close, we were looking at what else we could offer the local community. It’s been amazing to see the reception from the locals who have loved what we have done, and we can’t wait to welcome more people back.”

The pub has a very strong connection with the local community. They are constantly supporting local charities through quiz nights and fundraising games Most recently, the pub helped raise over £30,000 for a local boy, who sadly had a lifethreatening condition, to send him on his dream holiday. The pub also sponsors local football club, Uphill Castle.

Phil Warne, Business Development Manager at Admiral Taverns, commented: “Glynn and Linzi have done a terrific job, and tackled the past year with an amazing attitude. Both the inside and outside of the pub are looking fantastic and are worthy winners of the regional garden competition. It’s also no surprise how connected the pub is with the community, they are always looking for new ways to support each other, whether that includes donating food to the local foodbank or most recently, raising money for the NHS.”

The redevelopment of their garden also saw the pub crowned winners of their regional garden competition, run by Admiral Taverns.

Glynn Smith, Licensee at the Old Kings Head, commented: “We are delighted to be back open and welcome customers into the pub with all of the new improve-

Legislation Should Ensure Covid-19 Health Status Certificates Are Only Used During the Pandemic, Study Argues context of deployment of these certificates; (2) the impact on rights and freedoms; and (3) the necessary safeguards in place.

“By contrast, there are increasing concerns about the equity of requiring Covid-19 health status certificates for access to restaurants, shops and other private venues.”

Safeguards should be in place to guarantee against the risks posed to people’s privacy and human rights by new measures such as vaccine passports, according to the study.

Dr Ana Beduschi, from the University of Exeter Law School, who authored the study, said: “There is no “one size fits all” solution for Covid-19 certificates that would be equally appropriate in all countries or even in all sectors of the economy.

The study highlights that the degree, nature, and duration of the interference with people’s rights need to be considered.

Governments should also ensure Covid-19 tests are affordable or free to avoid unlawful discrimination against those who cannot be vaccinated or will likely not be vaccinated soon.

“While we are seeing a consensus being formed about requiring Covid-19 health status certificates for international travel, the domestic uses of these certificates are not straightforward.

The study, produced as part of research funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)’s rapid response to Covid-19, highlights how Covid-19 health status certificates providers will still have to comply with the GDPR principles.

The study urges policymakers to carefully consider when and how to adopt Covid-19 certificates. It proposes a framework to help them determine whether to implement them, and if so, how this should be done. The framework considers three essential elements: (1) the

“On a spectrum, some situations may justify an obligation to display Covid-19 health status – for instance, to visit relatives in care homes and hospitals, where doing so may well be necessary to protect the health of vulnerable individuals.

It says maintaining the confidentiality of health data should be paramount. Health data, such Covid-19 test results and vaccination records, must be processed in a manner that complies with the requirements of security and confidentiality, preventing any unauthorised access,

Lawmakers around the world should include “sunset clauses” in legislation to ensure Covid-19 health status certificates are only used during the pandemic, a new study says.

accidental loss, damage or destruction of the data (Article 5-1 (f) GDPR).

Providers should carry out data protection impact assessments before any large-scale deployment of these certificates.

Dr Beduschi said: “The technological solutions adopted during the current pandemic will have a lasting impact on our societies. A variety of initiatives to develop and deploy Covid-19 health status certificates are currently underway.

However, it is not sufficient to develop technical solutions for the verification of people’s health status.

Because technologies do not evolve in a legal vacuum, the existing laws and regulations must be respected.

The risks of implementing such technologies must be anticipated and mitigated as much as possible before any large-scale deployment.”

Glasgow Licensed Trade ‘Languishing In Limbo’ Over Fan Zone for Euro Football Scottish licensed trade operators are questioning why Glasgow Life is being permitted to set up a 6,000-capacity fan zone in Glasgow Green for the Euro 2020 football tournament with trade group the SLTA saying the move “adds insult to injury” while Glasgow remains “in limbo” at level three with hospitality premises restricted to only serving alcohol outdoors.

Commenting after Nicola Sturgeon said today that there are “some signs for cautious optimism” that the Covid outbreak in Glasgow is stabilising, SLTA media spokesman Paul Waterson said: “That the situation is looking more positive is, of course, to be welcomed, particularly if the First Minister announces on Friday that Glasgow can move into level two.

“But there is intense anger among licensed hospitality trade operators in the city that 6,000 people are to be permitted to converge on Glasgow Green and buy alcohol in what we understand will be tented areas when many pubs that have followed the guidelines and invested in all the tools to stop the spread of the virus and operate in a safe and controlled environment are sitting shut.

“I cannot underestimate the level of rage there is about this – my phone has been ringing off the hook with publicans asking me to explain why this is allowed to happen when they are languishing in limbo. Can’t the Government and Glasgow City Council see that this is adding insult to injury? People are

understandably upset.”

Mr Waterson added: “While we appreciate the approval is provisional at this stage there is a fear that an event of this size and scale will take business away from the licensed trade operators who pay their rates year in, year out and have been absolutely hammered over the last 14-15 months and who are waiting patiently to move into level two so they can serve their customers indoors.

“Obviously we are delighted that Scotland have qualified for Euro 2020 and will be playing at Hampden but there must be a level playing field for the licensed hospitality trade operators in the city.”

Avoid a Personnel Crisis and Save Your EU Staff

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By Yash Dubal, Director and Senior Immigration Associate, A Y & J Solicitors

Brexit has been a series of challenges for the hospitality sector and on June 30th one of the final hurdles will be reached when the grace period for EU workers ends. The potential impact is huge.

The deadline effectively ends free movement. It means that EU, EEA and Swiss workers in the UK who have not been granted, or applied for, settled status, and who continue to work in the country without a visa will be doing so illegally.

Those employing them will also be breaking immigration rules.

With many businesses already experiencing acute staffing shortages due to the pandemic, it is important for employers to encourage any staff who wish to continue working in the UK and have not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme to do so.

Anyone who started living in the UK before 31 December 2020, and can prove so, will be eligible. If the Home Office are satisfied, the applicant will be granted either settled or pre-settled status and will be entitled to continue working. The scheme offers a lifeline for the sector

which has already been profoundly affected by personnel shortages.

Since the settlement scheme launched in March 2019, more than 5.4m applications have been received. The government claims this demonstrates how straightforward and user-friendly the application process is.

Another measure that employers who rely on migrant workers, or plan to use them in future, should take is to register to become an official Home Office sponsor. Businesses and organisations in the UK must be registered sponsor licence holders to employ migrants. To qualify for a licence, they must fulfil certain duties such as accurate record keeping of migrant employees. Once registered with the Home Office, employers can then employ visa holders.

Much has been said about the new immigration system and politically the messaging has been focussed on how it is designed to help the UK control its borders and reduce the unfettered migration from the EU that free movement allowed. While this is undoubtedly music to Brexiteers ears, it has had a profound effect on business. Indeed 1.3m people born abroad are estimated to have left the UK between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2020. If correct, the figures, published by the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence, constitute the largest drop in the UK population since the Second World War. However, there is a glimmer of good news for those struggling with staff shortages. While the talk has been of reduced numbers, there have been some clever smoke-and-mirrors diversion tactics here, because when you scratch the surface, the UK’s new immigration regime is effectively liberal. The talk is tough, but in reality certain measures have been included that will encourage more people to come to work in the UK, rather than to deter them.

These measures include the abolition of the resident labour market

test, a reduction in the skills threshold applied to visa applicants and a reduction in the salary threshold at which certain visas are granted. The two-year post-study visa that allows foreign students to stay in the UK after their studies conclude has also been reinstated. All these measures create a favourable environment for migration. The proof is already becoming apparent as we have seen a four-fold increase in visa inquiries from non-EU nationals.

The UK government estimates the points-based system will reduce annual migration from long-term EU workers by around 70% over the first five years of the policy. This would mean a fall from over 100,000 annually to between 20,000 and 40,000 per year. However, the lower skill threshold of the new system will make around 150 occupations newly eligible. This lowering of the skill requirement, in conjunction with lower salary thresholds, are assumed to open up opportunities for between 10,000 to 30,000 people per year.

Unfortunately, many of the front-of-house roles that employers are currently struggling to fill are classes as unskilled and so do not qualify for visa status. Some hospitality roles do, such as supervisory, managerial and some chef positions. It is advisable for businesses in the sector to find out what roles can be filled by skilled migrant workers.

Staff shortages are forecast to remain, but by encouraging current EU workers to apply for settlement status before the deadline, by becoming a sponsor licence holder and familiarising yourself with roles that are eligible for work visas, you can insure against further staff losses.

Yash Dubal biog: Yash Dubal is a Director of A Y & J Solicitors and Senior Immigration Associate. He founded the company on the principles of honesty, professionalism, reliability, helpfulness, and approachability. The firm is a Legal 500 law firm and won ‘Best Immigration Law Firm’ in 2018.

Hygienically Clean: TSA and UKHospitality Campaign to Help Hospitality Re-open Safely UKHospitality. The two associations have established joint guidelines designed to help hotels, restaurants and other sites that use a laundry service, or have an onsite laundry, to understand the latest advice and regulations.

The campaign also includes marketing materials that will help operators allay any concerns that their guests and customers may have concerning the hygiene of textiles such as bed linen and towels.

Research shows laundering kills Covid-19 - but effective soiled/clean segregation is essential As the hospitality industry comes to terms with the latest advice on hygiene and Covid-19, the TSA (Textile Service Association) has updated its Hygienically Clean Linen campaign. The TSA represents commercial laundries serving hospitality and the campaign is being run in association with

A key addition to the campaign resources is related to research undertaken by De Montfort University (DMU), and supported by TSA, which looked into Covid-19's survival rates on textiles and how the laundry process affected them. It found that Covid-19 can survive on cotton for up to 12 hours and on polyester for up to 72 hours. The good news is that Covid-19 is killed in all washing processes above 40°C with agitation and detergent. However, a key consideration has to be cross contamination - it's essential that dirty and clean linens are segregated effectively,

to avoid any possible infection transfer.

"TSA safety guidelines manage cross-contamination, and all commercial laundries will segregate soiled and clean linen," says David Stevens, CEO of the TSA. "If you are operating an onsite laundry it is essential to set up segregation and cross-contamination procedures.

"Soiled to clean contamination is the highest risk area - it's where critical control points are vital."

Key to the successful reopening of the hospitality sector is making customers feel safe and secure.

That's why the Hygienically Clean campaign includes the Rest Assured Scheme, which includes marketing material that TSA laundries can give to hospitality operators to display, verifying that their linens and towels have been hygienically processed.. There are different versions of the literature for different sectors, such as hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities.

and understand some guests may have been worried about the hygiene of the bedroom linens and towelling," says Stevens. "The Hygienically Clean campaign underlines and explains the research and the procedures we have implemented. In simple terms, the key message to consumers is, "It's safe to go and enjoy the hospitality services we have all missed for so long. You can sleep well!"

The Hygienically Clean guidance and documents are available to download from the Covid Resources section at tsa-uk.org. For marketing materials, hospitality operators should talk to their laundry service supplier.

The TSA is the trade association for the textile care services industry. The TSA represent commercial laundry and textile rental businesses. Membership ranges from family-run operations through to large, multinational companies. Visit www.tsa-uk.org for more information.

"We want to help the hospitality industry re-open

Pubs to Serve 42 Million Pints Over the Spring Bank Holiday – 21 Million Fewer Than Normal BBPA says removing all restrictions in pubs on 21st June is essential to survival of sector

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said:

The British Beer & Pub Association has today revealed it estimates 42 million pints of beer will be sold in Britain’s pubs over the Spring bank holiday weekend – 21 million fewer pints than normal.

“We estimate Brits who go and support their local this bank holiday weekend will buy 42 million pints. Whilst that is better than being closed with no trade at all, it is 21 million pints fewer than normal for the Spring bank holiday.

The trade association says that despite a positive looking first week of indoor and outdoor trading, the restrictions currently placed on pubs including table service only are significantly reducing the number of customers they can host and thus the number of pints they are selling.

“Revenues for pubs this bank holiday weekend will be £80 million lower than normal when it comes to beer sales. That is a huge amount of money and could be the difference between surviving or thriving for thousands of pubs in communities across the country.

It means that this bank holiday weekend alone pubs will lose out on £80 million in revenue from pint sales – down 34% on revenue for a normal spring bank holiday weekend and crucially revenue that could be the difference between survival and closure for so many pubs.

At present, approximately 95% of the UK’s 47,000 pubs have re-opened.

However, they face significant restrictions that greatly limit their ability to trade as viable businesses. These restrictions include table service only, 1 metre plus social distancing, table sizes of up to 6 indoors and no bar service.

Upwards of 2,000 pubs are still closed, unable to reopen under the current restrictions in place because they are too small to do social distancing or table service only.

“Despite 95% of pubs being open, they cannot stay open and survive under the current restrictions they face. Upwards of 2,000 pubs in the UK still aren’t able to reopen at all because they are too small for social distancing or table service only.

As more and more individuals across the UK receive their vaccination, and with latest updates from the Government and newspaper reports on the Indian variant looking positive, the BBPA says all restrictions must be removed in pubs on 21st June – as per the Government’s roadmap – if pubs are to have a fighting chance of survival and recovering their trade to viable levels.

“As more and more people get their vaccine, and if reports continue to suggest that the Indian variant is less prevalent than originally believed, all restrictions must be removed in pubs on June 21st as per the Government’s own roadmap.

“Pubs only have a fighting chance of recovering from more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions if they can fully reopen as normal.”

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Nestlé Professional Reveals Top Tips As Industry Re-Opens Indoors

Nestlé Professional has revealed its top tips to support operators as hospitality moves back indoors.

Stephen Norris, sales director, Nestlé Professional UK & Ireland says: “After months of uncertainty, initial data is showing promising signs as the industry re-opens with 46% more bookings made for the week commencing 17 May compared to the first week of outdoor opening in April .

“These last few weeks have shown us that consumers are keen to get back out there, which is very encouraging but uncertainty still lies ahead. As an industry, it’s important that we work together today in order to build a better tomorrow. So, following weeks talking to customers, we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help navigate these unprecedented times.”

Nestlé Professional’s top tips:

1) Order little and often to prevent waste and maximise profits

4) Offer something consumers can’t get at home

Unpredictable consumer demand will continue to make forecasting stock levels a challenge. We know wholesales, caterers and chefs are looking to keep stock levels to a minimum – both to avoid waste and increase profitability. To help, we’re working with customers to simplify menus and encourage stocking more versatile ingredients that can be used in a number of different dishes. We are also having conversations across the supply chain to ensure that we have the stock available

There is high demand to get out and meet friends and family in pubs and restaurants, with bookings up 28% nationwide in the three weeks since 12 April compared with the three weeks in July 2021.

However, consumers are expecting a high standard and something they can’t get at home. To support, we’ve created a bank of free, downloadable recipes packed with inspiration and menu ideas: click here.

2) Harness the trust of brands

Almost 87% hospitality employers have said that they were finding it difficult to recruit for kitchen and back of house roles and this has meant that they have to invest more time and money into retraining to ensure current employees are prepared after several months of furlough . From specialist barista trainers to development chefs, food technologists to nutrition and sustainability experts, our solutions ensure we can give your business the know-how where you need it most. We have been running successful virtual samplings to ensure that staff are knowledgeable about our products.

Harness the trust of brands by being vocal about which ones you use on your menu. With more than two-thirds of #1 brands seeing higher than average share in April 20201, it’s apparent that consumers look for brands they can trust in times of uncertainty .

3) Pullon the power of plant-based We know that 44% of consumers would like more restaurants to offer plant-based meat alternatives .

The plant-based category presents a large growth opportunity across all channels. Pull on the power of plant-based by making sure there are veggie and vegan options available on your menu to cater to this growing demand and encourage repeat visits / purchase.

5) Get the basics right

between working from home and going into the office for collaborative sessions. Research shows that face to face meetings can boost team performance by 35% and the food and drink offering will be key in helping to facilitate this. From seasonal promotions to meal deals, there are lots of ways to drive your potential and satisfy your customers and using our extensive research and industry-specific experience, we can help find the most effective strategies to achieve this.

7) Continue to embrace delivery to increase revenue streams

6) Boost productivity with your food and drink offering in the workplace

Delivery has been a lifeline for many establishments during lockdown. In fact, 27% of British adults ordered more deliveries than usual (or for the first time) during lockdown, with signs indicating they will continue their high frequency including from pubs and bars . Planning for the future with a mix of takeaway and delivery-friendly dishes will help cater to changing consumer demands as well as generating additional revenue streams. By partnering with us you can access some of the best development chefs in the industry. As well as benefiting from a constant stream of innovations, you can also use their knowledge to develop your own cutting-edge food and drink products.

We are likely to see a hybrid workplace model emerge in which employees divide their time

For more information or support with the reopening, please visit https://www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/

Heineken Launches Super Pint Campaign Celebrating Sustainability In The On Trade

HEINEKEN UK has revealed its new Super Pint campaign, celebrating the Green Pint pubs across the UK serving more sustainable, energy-saving pints Pubs from across the UK, with the support of this campaign, will be able to shout about their green credentials and educate and inspire consumers to make conscious decisions about the pints they drink Over the past seven years, the impact of Green Pint pubs that use SmartDispense technology has resulted in 107m pints of water, and 394 tonnes of CO2 saved collectively[1] HEINEKEN UK has launched a new awareness-driving campaign for its Green Pint pubs, to help pubgoers understand that they can choose a more sustainable pint. The Super Pint campaign will hero the operators that use SmartDispense technology to serve greener, more sustainable, consistent quality pints.

With 79% of consumerschanging their purchase preference based on sustainability[2], pubs across the UK will now be able to shout about their sustainable Green Pint credentials, the Super Pints they are serving and the savings they are making for the planet.

HEINEKEN will be driving potential customers to find and seek their nearest Green Pint pub on the ‘Green Pint map’, hosted on Useyourlocal.com.

Participating operators have also received Green Pint window stickers and access to a digital toolkit filled with social media assets to help them tell their customers all about the Super Pints that they serve.

past seven years[3]. That’s the equivalent of almost 340,000 full bathtubs full of water[4] saved, just by enjoying a sustainable pint from a Green Pint pub.

A Green Pint pub powered by HEINEKEN’s SmartDispenseTMtechnology saves 83% of water compared to a pub using a standard dispense system[5], whilst ensuring their customer gets a perfectly poured pint served at sub-5°C every single time.

Richard Stephens, Head of Technical Services at HEINEKEN UK said: “As consumers we are making more and more sustainable purchase decisions. However, when we think of these purchases we’ll often think of cars, clothes or groceries, but perhaps not our choice of pub. Our Green Pint pubs, powered by SmartDispense technology, are at the forefront of the latest innovation in sustainability and waste reduction, saving them time, energy and waste. We want to help our customers tell their consumers about the sustainable choices they’re making as a business, and we think our Super Pint campaign is the platform to do so.”

Since its launch in 2013, SmartDispense draught technology has revolutionised the way draught beer and cider is stored and served in pubs and bars across the UK. Connecting dispense technology with service and insights needed to improve quality, reduce waste and save time, it’s an award-winning total business solution for operators.

To find out how you can become a Green Pint pub and discover how operators like you are doing their bit for the planet whilst serving consistent, great quality pints, visit: https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/green-pint

Green Pint pubs have collectively saved an incredible 107m pints of water and 394 tonnes of CO2 in the

Tyrrells Serves Up Boost For Pubs with £40,000 Pub Garden Makeover Promotion KP Snacks, the no.1 supplier of Bagged Snacks in pubs and bars and its premium snack brand Tyrrells, are proud to support British pubs this summer with the launch of a brand new competition offering pubs the opportunity to win one of four £10,000 garden makeovers.

Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks adds: “As we look ahead to the summer and to restrictions lifting, there is a feeling of positivity and excitement among both pubs and pub-goers, with ‘starved’ consumers returning with a vengeance! We know that 52% of customers purchase snacks on impulse and we want to turn these impulse opportunities into incremental snack sales for pubs and bars. While snacks won’t replace meal occasions, they do offer pubs and bars the opportunity to trade up drinks-only visits, with pre-packaged snacks delivering a quick and safe solution for customers”.

The £40,000 pub garden makeover competition, which launches on 3 May, will see four lucky winners receive £5,000 worth of Tyrrells branded pub garden merchandise alongside a £5,000 garden makeover donation, to spend on whatever their garden needs most. With branded parasols, planters, blankets and bean bags up for grabs, the Tyrrells pub garden makeover merchandise will help any pub garden look more inspiring and inviting this summer. 10 cases of 40g Tyrrells Crisps for five runners up will also be available.

Sarah Lawson, Marketing Manager at Tyrrells says: “It’s been a hugely challenging year for the whole country and particularly for pubs. At Tyrrells, we want to do our bit to help pubs get back on their feet and what better way to do this than celebrate the great British pub and beer garden. Pubs are at heart of the community which is something we’re really proud to support.

“Tyrrells is a quintessentially British premium crisp brand that prides itself on producing the best quality premium hand cooked crisps on the market. With consumers choosing more premium snacks and trading up, we have the perfect brand to support British pubs on their journey to rebuilding and growing profitable sales”.

Tyrrells pride themselves on quality, English provenance and authentic ingredients attracting consumers all over the UK. The range also includes vegetable crisps alongside its most known Hand Cooked potato crisp range. With a £53.9m RSV, the brand is growing in value +10.1%[3] MAT in the UK. With an impressive 86 Great Taste Awards across the range, Tyrrells crisps are the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer or glass of wine when out relaxing, socialising and reacquainting with friends at the pub.

Having an attractive outdoor seating area is one of the biggest draws for people as the weather gets warmer with research showing that over half of drinkers (55%) say the pub garden is their favourite place for a pint during the summer. Keeping this in mind and featuring the Tyrrells flagship tagline ‘Tyrrellbly Tyrrellbly Tasty’, the initiative aims to support the On Trade Channel recover and drive sales by helping pubs maximise their outdoor spaces.

The competition is open for entry from Monday 3 May to Monday 14 June, with competition entry available at https://www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk/pubgarden To qualify, pubs need to purchase three cases of Tyrrells 40g crisps, available in Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar & Chive, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar and Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper or Tyrrells Veg Crisps via Tyrrells Court Farm on 01568 720244 or from their usual stockists.

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Calls to Regulate Ratings Industry to Prevent “Cowboy” Surveyors Taking Advantage of Business Rates Distress “A group of conmen” “exploiting businesses to sign unfair contracts”. This is how Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Member for Thirsk and Malton described rogue rating surveyors in a Parliamentary debate today focusing on the significant escalation in the number of cases of “cowboy” rating surveyors targeting struggling businesses looking to reduce bills during the pandemic.

Mr Hollinrake named and shamed rogue agents who he claimed are “effectively conning” businesses, including those in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries into signing long term contracts, which are not in their interests , for reliefs they would have receive anyway and then pursuing them through the courts for payments.

The Westminster debate on the “Regulation of business rates reduction services” today called for industry regulation to protect vulnerable businesses who are suffering financial distress, in part because of high business rates, from falling victim to such rogue rating sur-

veyors. Mr Hollinrake has called for the Insolvency Service to step in, but so far this body has not agreed that it is their role to regulate. According to the rating team at Colliers, it should be the RICS, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors that urgently needs to step in and regulate the ratings industry.

According to Colliers, and borne out by the debate today, an increasing number of businesses, including Colliers clients, are being approached by rogue rating surveyors promising to obtain a marked reduction in their business rates bills.

Some retail and hospitality businesses, unaware they are entitled to reliefs are being targeted by the rogue agents to secure Business Reliefs or “Covid” reliefs despite the fact the businesses are in sectors that would have received them for free – by purely writing to the local authorities. The business involved is then charged an annual fee of up to 52% of the “saving” for the length of the contract. In some cases, businesses

have been tied in for 10 or 12 years.

“Businesses are getting desperate, “says John Webber, Head of Business Rates at Colliers. “Some who are entitled to reliefs were not aware of them and have therefore been targeted by rogue rating surveyors.

Others, often ancillary businesses to the sector who are not receiving any support, but with no announcement by the Government of any forthcoming, have been clutching at straws. Rogue agents are able to take advantage of this distress. The current business rates system with its high multiplier and complex system of reliefs has created an unsustainable system, as has the widely criticised and calamitous system of Check Challenge Appeal introduced by the Government in 2017. Both have played into the hands of cowboys extracting money up front.”

“We believe the situation will only get worse after the end of June, when the 100% rates holiday comes to an end for businesses in the retail, hospitality and

leisure industries and Government support lessens.

Businesses must beware of false promises.”

Webber continued, “We have long been campaigning for the rating industry to be properly regulated and we are supportive of Kevin Hollinrake MP raising this issue in Parliament. We believe there should be a register of appeals professionals, which should be regulated by the RICS, in the same way the FCA regulates financial advisors.”

He continued, “The lack of such a register gives a cowboy element the opportunity to gain credibility and persuade vulnerable businesses that it can save them serious funds. In the current crisis this situation is getting more out of hand. We call the RICS to take robust measures to effectively show these cowboys for what they are and to take some leadership on a problem which has existed for many years.”

The Source Trade Show Will Be One Of The First Trade Shows For A Year – And Help Stimulate South West Trade

lations will allow this trade show to happen. All the measures are in place to make this a safe and enjoyable visit. Thousands of car parking spaces, all within 5minutes’ walk of the entrance, lots of space inside, wider aisles, grab and go catering, and new outside space make this a great venue and trade show to come to and reconnect with the market.”

The Source trade show has taken place in Westpoint, Exeter annually for more than 10 years, and will be one of the first trade shows for food and drink in 2021, when it takes place on Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th June. Attracting buyers from retail, hospitality, and catering, it showcases the best the South West region has to offer, from artisan food & drink to essential goods and services.

Mike continues “We know that suppliers, as well as everyone involved in food retail and hospitality, are looking forward to getting back together to network and find out what is new after a year of isolation. Source can help stimulate this sector, showcase innovation and provide a platform for producers”.

Although not open to the public, this trade show provides an important stimulus for the South West food and drink trade - offering buyers the chance to come and meet suppliers face to face for the first time in more than a year.

“For those buyers wishing to come and see new suppliers and get great ideas for their business, this event takes some beating!” says Mike Anderson, MD of show organisers Hale Events. “We are delighted that government regu-

For more information about the show, to book a stand, or for trade buyers to register to attend, please call 01934 733433, follow the show on Twitter @sourcefooddrink, or visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk.

The trade show that’s got the South West covered.

YO U R CO M F O R T A N D S A F E T Y • Park free of charge in easy walking distance of the entrance • Large show entrance to avoid queues • Wide aisles • Outside catering and features • Covid-19 measures in place

Presenting you with the latest food and drink products, services and ideas for your business.

WHY NOT REGISTER NOW!

To get your hands on your free trade entry badge:

8 - 9 June 2021 Exeter thesourcetradeshow.co.uk t @ SourceFoodDrink

Register online or call 01934 733456. Stands are selling fast - to enquire call 01934 733433.

These trade only shows are organised by Hale Events Limited.

Telephone 01934 733433. www.hale-events.com

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UK’s Leading Hotels Fail To Hit Five Stars When It Comes To Managing Their F&B Guest Relationships providers to handle guests’ restaurant and bar reservations instead of leveraging direct booking platforms.

Notably, more than 1 in 10 don’t have any online reservation systems in place to handle bookings for the F&B outlets within their properties.

Just over one in four of the UK’s best hotels allow guests to go direct for restaurant bookings Hotels across the UK are eagerly welcoming back guests after a long winter in lockdown. Yet new research by SevenRooms indicates that many are going to be missing out on valuable revenue opportunities when it comes to their food and beverage (F&B) offerings. The study of the nation’s leading hotels reveals that over half (55%) are using third-party reservation

The ‘Hotel Inspection’ study from SevenRooms, a data-driven guest experience platform for the hospitality industry, looks at how prepared the UK’s best hotels are for enticing consumers back this summer via their food and beverage offerings. Providing exclusive dining packages for guests to book as part of a stay is one popular route for hotels, however the findings reveal that over one third of the country’s leading hotels aren’t offering these experiences to consumers.

The research also examined how well these hotels have adapted to the changing needs of guests in the last 12 months, which has seen more consumers ordering delivery than ever before. Despite the extended period of closure and growth of online ordering, the study indicates that 84% of the UK’s leading hotels do not have solutions in place to enable consumers to place orders for delivery and takeaway from their F&B outlets. Operators will leave both cus-

tomer data and revenue on the table if they do not adapt to meet the needs of their local customer through off-premise offerings.

Danilo Mangano, General Manager Europe at SevenRooms, comments: “Hotel operators up and down the country are eager to make up for lost time as the hospitality sector emerges from lockdown. Yet, without the right technology in place to meet and exceed the changed expectations of guests, hotel operators will be left behind as their savvier counterparts excel in building deeper, long-term relationships. The hotels we have looked at as part of this research are the best of the best, recognised nation-wide for their exemplary customer service, but having a complete view of their guest is paramount to upholding this.

Integrating a guest experience platform across F&B outlets is crucial in providing a 360-degree view of each and every guest -- whether they choose to dine on property or closer to home. The valuable F&B data collected through these platforms before, during and after a customer’s experience can be used not only across the restaurants and bars, but extends into the experiences offered property-wide. This could mean

adjusting a mini bar to remove allergens, offering a preferred bottle of wine at check-in, or even simply a ‘welcome back’ to someone who has only dined, but never stayed, at the property. These hyper-personalised interactions drive loyalty and repeat business with customers.

With a greater proportion of the country likely to opt for a staycation this summer, and many consumers also looking to support businesses in their local area, it’s more important than ever that hotels are thoughtful in adapting their operations -- whether through technology or in the experiences it enables. This not only means providing guests with a direct way to book reservations with their restaurants and bars, but also looking at new ways to diversify their offerings through unique F&B packages.

Alongside this, while the world may be reopening, it’s important that hotel operators recognise the need to continue to meet the varied expectations of diners.

Having technology in place that ensures operators are able to facilitate online ordering and takeaway will be fundamental over the next few months of recovery to add much needed pounds to their bottom lines.”

Deadline Extended for National Chef of the Year Competition This allows competitors more time to work on their menus. The Guild wanted to relieve some of the pressure chefs are feeling to complete their entries whilst ensuring that they do not miss out on this exciting and potentially once in a lifetime opportunity.

Chefs now have until midnight on Sunday 6th June 2021 to submit their entries at www.nationalchefoftheyear.com.

With the reopening of hospitality, it has been an extremely busy week for the industry, so the Craft Guild of Chefs has extended the deadline for entries into its National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) competition.

Vice-President of the Craft Guild of Chefs, David Mulcahy, said: “There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of this competition. Dining out is one of the activities the nation has missed most during the pandemic and so the spotlight is on our industry now more than ever before.

“This year’s brief, set by Paul Ainsworth, focuses on a chef’s own personal story of the pandemic and provides an opportunity to be part of history. The menu that chefs are working on right now could lead to

them serving up their dishes to some of the biggest names in the industry, including Paul Ainsworth, Clare Smyth and Claude Bosi, later this year.

ment, by improving the diversity of the crops we consume as well as having excellent nutritional credentials.

“As chefs ourselves, the Guild fully understands that time is very precious in the coming weeks which is why we wanted to give everyone more time to create an award-winning menu and be part of the UK’s most prestigious culinary contest.

To celebrate great British suppliers who have been hugely impacted by the pandemic, the main course should incorporate both fish and meat of the competitor’s choice. It must reflect a chefs’ passion for helping those food heroes, who offer high quality, local, British produce from land and sea.

“Whatever stage you get to in the competition, you will learn from the process. After the challenges of the last year, focusing on your skills, personal growth and future career is absolutely vital.”

For those chefs working on their entries, sustainability is more important than ever. Competitors must serve up a vegetarian starter incorporating ingredients on the KNORR® Future 50 Foods list. These ingredients have been identified with the support of WWF as having a positive impact on the environ-

The dessert must explore those memories from the start of the pandemic; when food items were sparse, and families came together to invigorate a love of cooking and baking using raw ingredients. NCOTY judges are looking for a twist on some of those great British classics that bring a sense of comfort during difficult times.

You can read the full brief in detail at: https://nationalchefoftheyear.co.uk/live/en/page/ncoty

National Tourism Agency Sets Out Priorities to Support Tourism Recover and Rebuild Its forecast for inbound tourism spending in the UK this year is £6.2 billion, less than a quarter of the £28.4 billion in 2019.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Britain’s tourism industry is a huge driver of our economy but has faced many challenges over the past year.

National tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland is bringing tourism industry leaders together at its annual review event to set out its priorities to support the sector to recover and rebuild.

The ‘hybrid’ virtual and in-person event, being held during English Tourism Week, will reflect on the agency’s work and its priorities for the year ahead to aid the recovery of domestic and international tourism, stimulating demand and supporting the rebuilding of a more resilient, sustainable and accessible industry.

VisitBritain’s latest forecasts show a slow recovery with domestic tourism spending estimated this year at £51.4 billion, just over half of the £91.6 billion in 2019.

Last year alone saw about two-thirds of the value wiped off the domestic tourism industry a £58 billion loss to the economy.

“We've provided more than £25 billion in support, and I have been impressed by VisitBritain/VisitEngland and the wider sector for its agile and innovative response, coming up with new ways to provide hospitality and entertainment while maintaining social distancing and protecting people's safety. I look forward to working closely with them all as we build back better to create a sustainable, productive and resilient industry."

British Tourist Authority Chairman Lord Patrick McLoughlin said: “When COVID-19 arrived on our shores, it hit our industry first and hardest. Successful destinations and businesses across the country saw their cash flow dry up and had to close their doors to visitors. Inbound visitor spending dropped by a staggering 78% in 2020 compared to the previous year, and domestic spending by 63%, resulting in an estimated loss to the economy of £285 million per day from tourism. The sector faced an unprecedented challenge”.

Lord McLoughlin said that the UK Government’s support measures including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the VAT cut for hospitality businesses and the business rates holiday were a lifeline helping many businesses survive and keeping people in jobs. As

the months went on and pubs, hotels, attractions and events remained closed or found social distancing meant they could not open economically, cash reserves began to run dry.

During the last year VisitBritain/VisitEngland had realigned its focus to rally behind the industry, directing efforts to where it could deliver the most value, stepping up its support for businesses and destinations from providing consumer insights and actionable data to facilitating industry and Government dialogues and developing the ‘We’re Good to Go’ reassurance scheme. When possible it had run marketing campaigns to build demand, developing assets that could be shared across the industry.

Lord McLoughlin said that while businesses had now started to reopen with hopes for a better summer and autumn, this was only the beginning and there was much more to do as the industry began to rebuild. The agency was also looking forward to the publication of the Tourism Recovery Plan, which will set out the role the UK Government will play in accelerating the tourism sector's recovery from COVID-19.

"Tourism has a proven track record as a growth sector. Worth £127 billion to the economy, the industry is the UK’s third largest service export and provides jobs for more than 3.1 million people. As a sector, we have a lot of experience in levelling-up, supporting local economies right across the country.

"By working together to drive demand and build back visitor spend as quickly as possible we can emerge from the pandemic a more resilient, sustain-

able, inclusive and innovative industry."

The tourism agency last week launched a £5 million ‘Escape the Everyday – Enjoy the UK this Summer’ campaign to build back domestic demand with a focus on cities and city visitor attractions as well as regional gateways which have been particularly hard hit by the lack of international visitors and that rely on overseas visitors and their spending.

With international travel restarting and plenty of pent-up demand from people around the world to get travelling again VisitBritain’s focus is to make sure they choose Britain, whether as a place to do business, to site their convention or to explore on holiday.

“Our international competitors have been readying their battle strategies to compete for the return of international tourists. Nevertheless, we have a lot on our side. Not only are our nations rich in culture, heritage, and experiences that are unique to the UK, but the major events taking place here next year are set to be significant tourism draws. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Festival UK 2022 all present opportunities to promote Britain globally.”

“Tourism is a critical industry for our country, delivering jobs and economic growth across the nations and regions and strengthening our place on the world stage. We will continue to work with the UK Government, as it sets out its recovery plan and ambitions for tourism, and across the industry, to cement the recovery and the future of one of this country’s greatest industries,” said Lord McLoughlin.

British free British range liquid egg

Range Farm Liquid Egg products are produced from fresh free range, British eggs. Available as Whole Egg, Egg Whites and Yolk supplied in pallecons, BIB and cartons. To start cooking with ease, call 01249 732221 or email Adrian.Blyth@stonegate.co.uk

Getting Customers Back Through The Door 22

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your deals & banners to be attractive to the desired audience.

Question 2 – WHAT IF WE OPEN AND NOBODY COME THROUGH THE DOORS? Karl: The main point here is to give notice, 'warm up' your customers, get them excited to come back and even offer some new deals. PVC Banners are ideal for doing this.

Question 3 – WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PRICES, BUT WE’RE WORRIED THIS WILL PUT PEOPLE OFF? Karl: Price is always an important factor, but remember its not the only factor, if your staff are friendly, the environment is pleasant and your USP is matched to your audience you will easily be able to justify price increases.

HFE Signs are the UK’s preferred suppliers for Signs and PVC Banners - we contacted their MD Karl Hunter to see if he could help answer some common questions around re-opening.

Question 4 – WE’RE IN A BUSY TOWN, ALL THE OTHER PUBS ARE FIGHTING FOR TRADE AND PRICES ARE GETTING TOO CHEAP, ITS HARD TO MAKE ANYTHING NOWADAYS. Karl: You have to again think of your niche, a busy town will have lots of choices for the customers but likewise it has lots of customers too, don’t get drawn into the price. Essentially you are there to make a profit so offer something special to your customers. People are happy to pay more for something different - that may be nicer décor, relaxed environment, big TV’s, live sports, live music or barmaids in fancy dress! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, its not all about the price.

Question 1 – IF A PUB HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SO LONG AND BEEN UNABLE TO TRADE, HOW CAN THEY REGAIN THE CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE LOST TO SURROUNDING PUBS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR FACILITIES? Karl: With any marketing, psychology is key, you have to understand your market and analyse your competition. Who are your target audience, drinkers, families, couples or oap’s? With this information you tailor

Question 5 – WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE PEOPLE COME BACK? Karl: You can’t force people to come back and you can’t force people to spend money, people are there in the first place because you have appealed to them, you need to ask yourself what got them through the door in the first place and have you lived up to expectations? If the answer is yes, then they’ll come back. I would emphasise the importance

With so many pubs, hotels and restaurants being closed for so long, opening back up can be quite a daunting thought - several questions and concerns have been raised.

of staff impression, this includes smart appearance bubbly personality and friendliness – your pub is bricks and mortar, your staff are your business!

Karl is the founder and owner of HFE Signs Ltd – HFE Signs have been printing PVC Banners since 1996 and have a dedicated online library for pubs and food. Currently HFE offer free UK delivery with any two banners and also a buy 2 get 3rd free (mixed designs). HFE also offer a free bespoke PVC Banner design service, no wonder people go to them!

Visit www.hfe-signs.co.uk or see the advert on page 7.

Bounce Back Loans: What To Do If You Can’t Repay? cannot be used to pay dividends or to pay for personal items, such as a mortgage or household purchases.

Earlier this year, the government rolled out the Pay as You Grow Scheme which was designed to allow for more flexible repayment on Bounce Back Loans over fears that businesses will struggle to repay the money owed with the first repayments being due from May 2021.

This allowed companies to be able to delay repayments by a further 6 months, extend the length of the loan from 6 years to 10 years at the same interest rates and make interest-only payment for 6 months.

However, many will still struggle to pay the loans back due to the severity of their financial difficulties caused by Covid and the lockdowns.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN’T REPAY THE LOAN?

It has been a turbulent time for hospitality, with a large number of restaurants and eateries caught up in a financial crisis that has been sparked by a number of factors including rising costs and ongoing economic uncertainty. Even before Covid hit, many successful restaurant chains were falling by the wayside as we saw the likes of Jamie’s Italian and Prezzo closing their doors.

Covid-19 was set to hit the sector even harder and, keen to buoy up a struggling sector, the Chancellor handed out a lifeline in the form of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. This allowed businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover, limited to a maximum of £50,000.

Applications for the scheme closed in March 2021, and thousands of businesses took advantage of the government backed scheme to allow them to stay afloat.

If a company can’t afford to repay the Bounce Back Loans and they are discussing their situation with an Insolvency Practitioner, the declarations made by the director(s) at application stage will be reviewed by the Insolvency Practitioner and the company’s actions looked at closely.

This is because when applying for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, business owners were asked to formally declare that the pandemic was the reason that their business was facing difficulties and that before the pandemic the business was ‘financially sound.’

So, if a company can’t pay back the Bounce Back Loans and the directors are found to have provided false information in this declaration, the directors might be made personally liable for the loan once the company has been liquidated.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR COMPANY CAN’T PAY BACK THE LOAN?

However, with repayments now starting to kick in, from May 2021, many business owners are struggling to pay back what they owe.

Earlier this year, the Chancellor extended the flexibility of the loan, meaning businesses are not obligated to make repayments on their loans until 18 months after they originally took them out.

John Bell is director and founder of licensed insolvency practitioners Clarke Bell and here he explains the purpose of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and what business owners can do if they cannot repay the loan.

Businesses first began to receive loan payments in May 2020, meaning the first repayments are due in May 2021. So, if you are continuing to struggle, you can take advantage of delaying the loan repayments for a further 6 months.

WHAT IS THE BOUNCE BACK LOAN SCHEME?

However, if you can’t repay Bounce Back Loans due to a deeper cashflow problem within your business, it might be time to look at other options. These can include HMRC time to pay arrangements, options for business rescue including Company Voluntary Arrangement, or in the case that your business is not viable, liquidation via a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme was initiated by the government to help small to medium businesses that were originally excluded from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme. It was designed to offer a quick cash injection to struggling businesses to sustain them during the pandemic.

So, if you can’t pay back the Bounce Back Loan and your company is no longer sustainable, you might consider liquidating through a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL).

This is a voluntary form of liquidation that allows the company to close whilst settling debts they owe to creditors.

A CVL is a formal insolvency process carried out by a licensed Insolvency Practitioner who liquidates the company, stopping it from trading and operating.

(This is opposed to Compulsory Liquidation, where a company is forced to stop trading by creditors who issue a winding-up petition to the court if a company owes them £750 or more and their payment demands have gone unfulfilled.)

Businesses struggling to pay back the Bounce Back Loans may also consider a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). However, this will only be available to companies that have real chances of business rescue.

A CVA is also an option open to insolvent businesses, however, unlike liquidation, a CVA aims to turn the business around and restore it to profitability.

A CVA allows an insolvent company to come to an agreement with creditors to repay its debts over a fixed period of time. Whilst a company is under a CVA, the director remains in control and it can continue to trade.

This is a process that is also carried out by an Insolvency Practitioner who will work with the company directors and their accountant. An Insolvency Practitioner is also appointed to carry out the CVA and is the ‘Supervisor’ during the length of the CVA – which is typically three to five years.

CAN’T REPAY BOUNCE BACK LOANS? If your company is struggling financially and you can’t repay your Bounce Back Loans – or any other company debts – you should immediately seek professional advice. Get the situation sorted out as soon as possible to get rid of the problem and the stresses associated with it.

If part of your Bounce Back Loan has been spent on non-business items (e.g. your mortgage), this will need to be repaid – and your accountant and Insolvency Practitioner can help you with that.

The loans are interest free for the initial 12 months and then have a 100% government-backed guarantee for lenders. Once the first 18 months are up, there is an interest rate of 2.5% per year and repayments can be stretched for up to 10 years.

CAN BOUNCE BACK LOANS BE WRITTEN OFF?

The best option might be to put your company into a CVL and you make a redundancy claim to help pay the loan with monthly repayments. Your Insolvency Practitioner will help you with your redundancy claims – many do not charge an additional fee for this, which means there is more money available for your repayments.

As Bounce Back Loans are loans to the company, and not the individual such as the director, if the company goes into liquidation, the loan will be written off.

Most insolvency practitioners will offer you a free, no obligation initial consultation to discuss your situation and agree a plan to help you navigate the next steps for you and your company.

The loans can be used for a range of purposes, from paying staff wages, covering business rates to covering monthly business costs or overheads. However, they must be used for business purposes and

However, if some of the Bounce Back Loan has been used to pay for non-company items – such as paying the director’s home mortgage or other household bills – that amount will need to be repaid.

Having a business with debts it can’t pay back is difficult and stressful for a company director, but there are experts who are experienced in this area and ready to help you get through this phase of your life.

Get accurate energy bills with smart meters Avoid estimates and only pay for what you use. Ask your energy

information you need to help reduce your consumption and

supplier if you are eligible for a smart meter.

therefore save money.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for

On top of that, smart meters can help save you time. They can

businesses across Great Britain. As firms begin opening up amid continuing restrictions, many are assessing their financial situation and focusing on how to operate in this difficult new trading environment.

In these uncertain times, many businesses are looking for ways to save money and maintain a healthier bottom line. The good news is that getting a smart meter for your business is a small change that could make a big difference.

Smart meters are a great way to gain more control and understand how much energy you’re using. Since energy is a key expense that businesses factor into their outgoings, identifying ways to reduce your consumption could help you save money.

Smart meters are available for many businesses. Depending on your circumstances, your smart meter could come with an InHome Display (IHD), which will enable you to see up to date consumption in pounds and pence, making it easier to visualise how much energy you actually use. In fact, some business owners who have had one installed said it highlighted areas of spending they weren’t even aware of. This could give you the

automatically send meter readings to your supplier, so you no longer have to. That’s one less thing on your to-do list!

Your energy supplier will be ready to fit your smart meter once your eligibility has been confirmed. They will arrange a date and time that is suitable for you and your business requirements. A trained installer will then call round to your premises and fit your smart meter, and after the installation process is complete, they can show you and your staff how it works and answer any questions you might have about it.

Contact your energy supplier about eligibility for your business.

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How To Stay Top Of The Game: Heineken Shares Tips and Insights to ™ Maximise Opportunity of UEFA Euro 2020 Tournament This Summer er occasions . What’s more, offering Heineken® on draught means more money through the till as it has the strongest value rate of sale as the sole stocked mainstream premium lager and can command the highest price per pint in the category . Heineken® appeals to the younger consumer willing to spend more money per pint , making it the best mainstream premium brand to back for this year’s tournament.

• As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport , Heineken® is offering tips and insights to help operators make the most of the tournament this summer • From creating the perfect set-up, to enhancing the atmosphere and driving visibility, Heineken® has the know-how to help operators win big over the UEFA EURO 2020™ trading period • Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on Matchpint and invested over £200k in pub gardens to help drive footfall before and during UEFA EURO 2020™ Aligning with the highly anticipated reopening of the on trade, UEFA EURO 2020™ is set to be one of the most important sporting events ever for driving footfall and revenue. Football tournaments attract millions of customers who are willing to trade up and spend more , so it’s key to make sure your outlet is a go-to for fans. As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport , Heineken® has the insights and advice to help you attract customers, increase dwell time and boost sales – ultimately delivering an unforgettable tournament experience.

On top of over £2million worth of investment provided directly to pubs through its UEFA EURO 2020TM support packages, Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on MatchPint. Fans are encouraged to visit their local in the run up to the tournament for the chance to win over 100 pairs of match tickets. Heineken® is also supporting stockists with over £200k investment in pub gardens to maximise capacity and increase viewing areas.

CREATING THE PERFECT FORMATION Great atmosphere is a vital consideration for UEFA EURO 2020™ fans , so think about how you can enhance this in your venue and bring the tournament to life safely whilst delivering a great experience. Position screens in well-lit and open spaces, outside where possible, to maximise space and promote social distancing while ensuring all tables have a clear view of the game. Check your speakers and volume in advance to ensure fans can hear every moment of the action.

Take advantage of tech innovations including Order & Pay services to manage table bookings, speed up service and even take pre-orders! We know that 77% of consumers don’t want to queue at the bar while enjoying sport , so this can help keep your customers satisfied and your table service system running smoothly. But don’t let tech do away with the social connections that your customers have missed – friendly greetings, good service and recommendations from staff truly make the on trade experience!

To ensure that premiership service, focus on the pinch points. Is everyone fully trained on the till systems so they can easily process any out of stocks, new lines or kitchen notes? Just like a football team, it’s also useful to allocate specific roles to certain members – like glass collection or prompting repeat orders at table, particularly during the actual game itself which can avoid bottlenecks immediately before kick-off, at half time and at the final whistle. If your squad is well trained and ready,

Considering that 60% of British consumers are looking to “treat themselves” this summer , stocking Heineken® Served Extra Cold is perfect for those looking for that more premium experience, just the ticket for consumers trading up to celebrate the tournament. Its eye-catching dual iced fount increases visibility and helps boost revenue, with a rate of sale uplift of +24% versus the classic Heineken® fount .

Don’t forget the moderators! With 50% of UK consumers now moderating their alcohol intake , Heineken 0.0 is the perfect alcohol-free option for UEFA EURO 2o20™ fans who want to feel part of the occasion. Heineken 0.0 is the number one no and low alcohol brand and delivers twice the rate of sale than other packaged brands in this segment .

everyone wins.

ENHANCING THE ATMOSPHERE Decorate to create a buzz! Dress your venue with flags and team colours to set the mood and create a carnival atmosphere, switching it up from game to game so that customers feel part of the action. If you requested a UEFA EURO 2020™ visibility kit from Heineken®, put your posters up in hot spots like entrances / exits, toilets and in your outdoor space to drive footfall and spend, and encourage staff to get into the spirit by wearing the t-shirts and scarves while serving.

SCORING THE RIGHT FOOD AND DRINK OFFERING As 51% of customers want food before the game starts and 37% after the match finishes, offering food and drink deals such as simple ‘burger and drink’ promotions or package deals for larger groups, will help extend your trading period and increase spend per head. Refine your menu and encourage pre-ordering of food and drink packages for groups who reserve a table – this will aid your kitchen staff, as well as help manage stock orders. Don’t forget your match-day offers need to be easy to understand and quick to serve, as everything has to be geared to making the most of the big occasion.

A whopping £4.7 billion worth of drinks were sold (the equivalent of 546 million pints of beer) over an 8-week period during the World Cup in 2018, so delivering what your consumers are looking for is vital – and that’s beer!

Bring in the key beer players, especially classic lager. Lager is the top choice for consumers during sporting events , with 87% of UEFA EURO 2020™ consumers finding the range of lager important . Heineken® is the number one beer associated with sport and Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™. Actively sought out by consumers to enjoy while watching the match, Heineken® lager over-indexes on social get-togeth-

Drink sales really ramp-up from around 1.5 hours before the match and are often five to six times higher than normal around kick-off . To help relieve pressure on staff, aim to create more serving spaces where possible, particularly outdoors. Make use of countertop draught systems such as BLADE or think about renting moveable SmartDispense™ BarPro systems to help you serve more, great quality pints during the tournament. Whatever you do, it’s important to deliver a perfect serve, every time. A fresh, cold, perfectly poured pint is something that consumers can only get from their local and therefore plays a huge role enticing them back into the pub and shaping their sporting experience.

PROMOTING AN UNRIVALLED OFFERING AND KEY FIXTURES Once you’ve established a winning offering, don’t forget to shout about it! Considering 70% of consumers get their information on an outlet’s offerings through social media, promote the sporting events you’re showing well in advance on your website and social channels as well as on A-boards outside the pub, to drive footfall and sales.

Social posts ahead of match days or events will remind people of your venue as a sports destination, helping encourage pre-booking and generating buzz. For best practice, it’s recommended that each specific sporting event gets 2+ posts in the lead up to match-days and that you state all the details clearly on the day of the game. Excite and tempt customers with videos of perfectly poured pints, outdoor space and the exhilaration of match day. Familiarise yourself with the fixtures and plan accordingly – while there’s no guarantee as to the home nations’ performance, let’s prepare to win!

Visit https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk /smart-technology/bar-systems/ for more information on SmartDispense™ BarPro systems.

Building Back Better -

The Role Leaders Have In Creating A Positive Culture

By Dr Aaron Turner, Founder and Senior Partner, One Thought (https://onethought.com/) As the hospitality sector awakens from an enforced hibernation and looks forward to a busy Summer dominated by staycations. Business owners large and small are encouraging staff back to work and expecting them to be on top form and welcome guests with open arms.

However, in my experience as a performance and leadership coach, people running the business often fail to make a connection between their own state of mind and the atmosphere and culture in the workplace.

In this article, I want to outline the importance of leadership on culture and illustrate the fundamental impact a positive culture can have on your business, which is as relevant to single site operators as it is to multi-nationals.

A stressed state of mind in a leader sets a tone for the organisational culture.

Which in turn determines the effect of your culture on your business.

To illustrate this, we worked a branch of a large hotel chain. The culture before we started was a very common one: stress was normal and expected because of the demands of the job. Team members were reactive to each other rather than listening and working together. Everyone was committed and working hard, but no one was happy. In this hotel, staff were preoccupied and not present. Guests were largely ignored.

We worked with the heads of department, to show them that stress is optional and not helpful. A stressed mind is a speeded-up mind, and we encouraged leaders not to make decisions when their mind was speeded up. Instead, taught them to let it pass and learn to operate and make decisions in in a clear unstressed state of

mind.

In our follow up, the results in the leadership team were significant, they felt happier, more engaged, and reported working less hours and getting more done and being more responsive to each other and their teams. The atmosphere in the hotel felt light.

Team members in the public areas were more present, happier, and more engaged. A barista, who had not been on the One Thought training, no longer stood, head down, behind the cash register. She spent her time walking around the public area, talking to guests and adding thoughtful touches to their napkins and drinks. The guest experience was transformed.

I would encourage single site operators to set a tone of clarity, presence, and well-being. This will create a positive culture right through the business and enable your team to operate more easily and effectively. Avoiding many of the problems that arise from stress, tension, and reactivity. Like burnout, being overwhelmed, lack of focus and organisation, poor communication, tension, and conflict.

It is wonderful that the hospitality industry is opening up, and it provides a rare opportunity to look at how we run our businesses. An awareness of our state of mind can have a positive impact on staff, guests, and the bottom line.

Dr Aaron Turner is founder and senior partner at One Thought, a performance coaching company that improves the way improves the way individuals and companies feel and function. Clients include, Dishoom, Zetter Group, My Hotels, Leon, and Holiday Inn.

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Products and Services

Southern Contracts

Southern Contracts is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of industrial laundry, catering and commercial cleaning equipment.

We work for many care homes, hotels, restaurants, holiday parks, cruise lines, offshore platforms, marine companies and local authorities, the NHS, the MoD as well as schools and colleges.

Founded in 1964 to initially supply and maintain commercial laundry equipment, we are still family run today and are proud to have become a global supplier of not only laundry equipment, but also professional kitchen appliances and commercial cleaning equipment, to well known independent and national clients. We pride ourselves on delivering the very best products and service to our customers.

and budget; our expert team of technical staff are on hand to ensure your business is supported through every aspect of your purchase. From initial advice on current government standards (eg. infection control for commercial washing machines and meeting government legislation with regard to kitchen appliances) we understand the importance of minimal disruption to our clients and cover all aspects of installation to customer training and ongoing maintenance service and repair.

For more information regarding our services for : - Laundry equipment - Kitchen appliances - Commercial cleaning equipment Contact us now on 03301 222888 or follow us on : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

By stocking the leading products of commercial washing machines, industrial tumble dryers, cleaning and catering equipment, we are able to offer independent and unbiased advice to ensure your purchase precisely meets your requirement

Tune Into Customers’ Healthy Mindset & Grow Sales With Good Earth

It’s a good time to review your soft drinks offering and bring in something new that taps into current consumer trends. Good Earth, an exciting new brand, has two premium adult soft drinks which appeal to the growing number of mindful and health aware consumers. “Our drinks are brewed with care and love for the natural,” says Liliana Jaurequi, Brand Manager for Good Earth.

On trend Good Earth Kombucha is an intriguing healthier alternative to usual soft serves.

Awarded Product of The Year 2021* it’s an indulgent, premium drink experience. Each Kombucha has a base of the best organic teas blended with natural juices and gets a gentle effervescent lift from live cultures. Clean on the palette, vegan friendly, with low sugar and 40 calories, it’s an attractive drink for the discerning.

As an ambient range it does not need fridge space and has a shelf life of 12 months, but is recommended served chilled. Available in premium branded 275ml bottles and coming soon 250ml cans, three flavours of Natural; Ginger & Lemon; and Pomegranate & Blueberry are available.

Good Earth is all about delivering natural mindful pleasure, and is a new take on energy for customers that like the lift of an energy drink but want something a little lighter and lower in sugar. If you have customers like this then Good Earth’s new Good Earth Good Energy is worth a look.

Super Quick, Free Range, Super Easy

Range Farm Liquid Egg products are ready to use, easy to handle, and provide convenience for those working in foodservice. All products are free range, 100% pasteurised and meet British Lion standards. Available in Whole Egg, Egg Whites and Yolks, with no product waste or mess - all your eggs in one carton!

Range Farm Free Range Hens are free to roam and forage in the natural environment. Freshly laid, our eggs are processed at our state-ofthe-art facility in Wiltshire and dispatched to customers in our fleet of refrigerated vehicles ensuring they arrive perfect and ready to

use.

Range Farm Liquid Egg is sourced from 100% UK based farms so quality and continuity of supply is guaranteed. We are also conscious of our environmental responsibilities so please be assured that our cartons are recyclable.

We provide a range of sizes and packaging according to the needs of our customers, with all Range Farm Liquid Egg products available in pallecons, BIB and cartons. To start cooking with ease and find out how we can meet your requirements, call 01249 732221 or email Adrian.Blyth@stonegate.co.uk

JURA - Speciality Coffee

For lovers of speciality coffee, the updated WE8 automatic coffee machine is now even more perfect.

The WE8 now prepares twelve different specialities at the touch of a button. It now offers macchiato, espresso doppio, special coffees and hot water for green tea at the touch of a button. The new fine foam frother is made from the highest quality materials and has a stunning look and feel. Specially designed for the preparation of speciality coffees with milk foam, it makes cappuccino and other beverages with the very best fine textured foam every time.

Recommended maximum daily output 40 cups per day.

The GIGA X3c / X3 G2 allows JURA to impressively demon-

strate Swiss innovation and professionalism down to the very last detail. Anywhere where a capacity of up to 150 cups is the order of business, the machine impresses users with its quality, functionality and reliability. Coupled with top performance in every respect, this results in a high tech automatic coffee machine that is ideally tailored to the requirements of hotel breakfasts, restaurants, bars and seminar / conference venues. Recommended maximum daily output 150 cups per day.

Photos WE8 in chrome, GIGA X3 in aluminium.

Visit uk.jura.com or email sales.uk@jura.com for further information or see the advert on page 3.

Anything’s Possible with Saniflo clean tasting, light, and refreshing drink with a natural boost of feel good energy. Blended with natural fruit juices for added vitamin C (7.5% RDA ) each can has 50 calories and 80mg of natural caffeine sourced from Guayusa. Available in Blood Orange & Tangerine and Raspberry & Blueberry.

Ethical and environmental considerations have risen up the agenda and Good Earth puts the environment at the heart of its brand. All packaging is 100% recyclable and recognising that it’s nature that’s helped it to deliver the quality of its products, it seeks to give back to nature through the 1% for the planet initiative, donating 1% of its total retail sales to help environmental causes, so a feel good buy all round.

Find out more and ask for samples from Good Earth at tradeenquiries@goodearth.co.uk. See the advert on page 27.

include grease traps and water salvage pumps.

Saniflo is one of the most widely recognised brands in the UK plumbing market thanks to its range of pumps, lifting stations and macerators that enable domestic and commercial customers to install bathroom, kitchen and washing facilities almost anywhere – particularly when gravity drainage is not an option. As well as models that are installed indoors to pump out waste, there is now a huge choice of models that can be sited outdoors and installed underground. These robust liftings stations pump black and grey waste from single buildings or multiple small buildings. Recent additions to the range

Saniflo’s sister company, Kinedo, manufactures shower products for domestic and commercial settings. The range includes integrated cubicles that feature internal and external panels and door, shower tray, shower valve and head in one easy to install package. A range of contemporary shower enclosures and premium shower trays complete the portfolio.

The company has an unrivalled reputation for after sales service which is enhanced by its unique nationwide network of 100 service engineers supported by the technical support team based at Saniflo UK. Visit www.saniflo.co.uk for further information.

Helping Hotels and Restaurants Microsave and WINIA, A Perfect Match to Bounce Back With vegan friendly, organic natural ingredients it’s a

*Kombucha - Winner chilled fortified drinks category.

Survey 9,865 people by Kantar

for Short Order Regeneration

The benefits of easy cleaning and large reductions in service costs of the Microsave microwave cavity liner are well known, but the advantages of this clever invention can sometimes be lost on smaller cavity microwaves, where the cooking capacity drops to less than ½ Gastronorm size with the Microsave inserted.

This is not an issue when the Microsave is used in conjunction with the excellent range of commercial microwaves from WINIA. The extra-large cavity of the 1500W & 1850W range ( 370mm x 370mm x

198mm WxDxH ) means that with the Microsave protecting the cavity, these ovens can still accommodate a ½ Gsatronorm or two 1/3rd Gastronorm dishes.

Perfect for fast turnaround, different item cooking and still only a matter of seconds to clean the oven at the end of service.

Regale are so keen to ‘spread the word’ they are offering three free gastronorm dishes with every 1500w and 1850w oven, whilst stocks last.

See the advert on page 10 or www.regale.co.uk

Aspenprint, a leading design and print agency for hotels and restaurants, has cleverly devised a whole range of branded social distancing items to help hotels to bounce back this year, at the same time as keeping staff and guests safe and compliant.

The various new items include disposable menus, NeverTear indestructible menus / leaflets, door seals, cutlery sleeves, branded screens, face masks, hand sanitising stations and more.

Combining clever marketing with creative design and strategic thinking will give your holiday-makers longlasting memories as well as staying socially distanced and safe.

One of their latest products to take the hospitality

industry by storm is Aspenprint’s anti bacterial laminate which can be used on a range of printed materials including menus, signage, brochures and posters. It kills 99% of all germs which touch its surface with the specialist anti bacterial laminate coating. This laminate has been widely used by hotels and restaurants, as well as the NHS and schools due to its ability to protect the public.

Aspenprint has also promoted the huge social media market for hotels by adding giant deckchairs to their extensive list of products to ensure 2021 is a success.

Aspenprint are helping many hotels and holiday parks to ensure guests have a successful staycation this summer with a range of fun printed materials from signage to deckchairs, branded parasols, feather flags, banners and more.

Visit Aspenprint’s website for more information www.aspenprint.com or call 01202 717418 to speak with one of the friendly team.

See the advert on page 5.

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Groundbreaking Health Technology Products Will Support Hospitality Reopening A UK business partnership is bringing health technology to the hospitality industry to support businesses as the easing of lockdown restrictions begin.

Scientists from Fujita Health University in Japan have confirmed that low concentrations of ozone gas can be used to neutralise coronavirus particles without causing harm to humans.

According to the university research, low-level ozone gas in concentrations of 0.05 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) could be key to neutralising the spread of coronavirus in healthcare settings such as examination rooms and waiting areas. It also provides hospitality businesses with an alternative method to sterilise the air and surfaces in their premises and delivery vehicles without the use of chemicals.

Medklinn International, the health technology company that has pioneered research and development into negative ionisation and ozone in the sterilisation process, already provides air and surface sterilisation solutions in ASIA, the USA, Canada, Australia and Germany. Now the business is set to launch in the UK. Daniel Lu, chief technology and innovation officer of Medklinn International, said: “We are looking forward to bringing our health technol-

ogy to the UK. The announcement from the team at Fujita Health University in Japan further demonstrates that ozone sterilisation technology is a viable alternative to the use of chemicals for disinfection.”

Steve Jones, Brand Manager Medklinn UK, said: “We’re really excited to be launching Medklinn UK. Our products are already used by some of the leading global brands in the hospitality industry, including Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental and Singapore’s Changi Airport. We believe that they will be particularly useful as we make steps towards easing restrictions and reopening the UK following the lockdowns over the past 12 months.”

In addition to the latest breakthrough in neutralising coronavirus particles, Medklinn products are also proven to be effective in: • Killing 99.9% of harmful microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, mould and fungi by destroying their RNA and DNA structure • Eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those with adverse health effects • Neutralising allergenic organic compounds such as pet dander and the protein in the faeces of dust mites, which are often the cause of allergies

The Hospitality Sector Needs To Heed New Cleaning Techniques With hotels, restaurants and cafés all due to reopen to the public, establishing a thorough cleaning regime is crucial for the safe return of guests. The HoReCa sector has seen one of the biggest upheavals in its practices since the pandemic began; closing its doors, furloughing staff and installing new safety equipment and ongoing

cleaning procedures to kill all virus’ whilst providing a safe environment for both customers and staff.

Cardiff-based Genesis Biosciences has developed a unique anti-microbial, surface sanitiser that is proven to be effective against Covid-19 and is free from any harmful chemicals.

Genesis’ Sanitiser – part of its Evogen Professional range – delivers safe, high performance cleaning and disinfection of all types of hard surfaces.

Medklinn UK will offer a range of air and surface sterilisers designed for business use including: • Permanent units for spaces up to 1,000 sq ft such as hotel guest rooms, washrooms, offices and classrooms • Permanent units for large spaces of 3,000 sq ft or more such as hotel corridors, washrooms, restaurants, halls, offices, exhibition centres, supermarkets, food processing and manufacturing plants • Portable units for ad hoc treatments of indoor odours recommended for hotel guest rooms, restaurants and facilities management It will also offer ozone water systems (for washrooms, industrial kitchens, food processing factories) and integrated sterilisation systems (for public washrooms, food processing and F&B outlets and supermarkets).

The consumer range from Medklinn will feature two products - one suitable for the home and travel and one for use in vehicles.

For further information about Medklinn UK please visit uk.medklinn.com or contact medklinn@tunnelight.net.

The utilisation of natural, biodegradable active ingredients offers an ecobenign alternative to many of the harsh chemicals commonly used for sanitisation.

Genesis Biosciences is one of the few companies in the UK to have gone through rigorous external anti-viral testing to validate its surface sanitiser’s effectiveness against all enveloped viruses, including COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. The sanitiser is available 1,000L IBC, 200L, 20L, 5L and 500ml concentrates offering a cost effective and environmentally responsible anti-viral solution for all applications.

To find out more about the Evogen Professional cleaning range, or to purchase direct, visit www.evogenprofessional.com.

Engraved Table Numbers and QR Discs Facilitate Social Distancing as Pubs and Restaurants Re-Open The hospitality sector begins to re-open its doors after yet another long lockdown faced with the continued challenge to maintain social distancing.

Government guidelines state pubs and restaurants should encourage the use of contactless ordering from table and should adjust their service approach to minimise staff contact with customers.

Brunel has made a substantial investment in additional state of the art engraving equipment in order to produce individually etched table numbers and QR code discs which will provide clear markings and information for the

public in order to satisfy the requirement for social distancing.

The individually engraved table numbers and discs will enable customers to link to Apps or menus, reducing staff contact and eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus.

“We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that we can answer the increasing demand for our engraved products”, said Martyn Wright, managing director of Brunel Engraving and founder

of the company.

Established over 30 years ago, Brunel Engraving is a pioneering engraving specialist which leads the way in technical innovation. The company has ISO9001 accreditation and its highly skilled team of professional engravers is trained to the highest standards in the UK. In addition to rotary engraving Brunel offers laser engraving, chemical etching, anodic print, dye sublimation print, flatbed UV print and wide format UV print.

For further information please contact: 01275 871720

Technology proven to kill viruses and bacteria including Covid 19 at prices that don’t damage your profits

Versa Air+Surface Sterilizer Effective against

Bacteria & viruses

VOCs & toxic gases

Bad smells

Cross infections

Allergens

Mould

Cost effective solutions for spaces 250sq ft - 3000sq ft and vehicles

www.uk.medklinn.com

Distributed by Tunnelight, Telford, UK | medklinn@tunnelight.net

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Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control Evaness 100% Biodegradable Consumables Range

Issue 59

Consumable Supplies brand EVANESS is the only full range of biodegradable products for the catering industry, from various sizes and strengths of bin liners, to clingfilm and food/freezer bags.

EVANESS is a derivative from the word ‘Evanesce” meaning to vanish and the technology used in the biodegradable range is scientifically proven to degrade the material if it gets into the open environment and then facilitate the secondary process of biodegradation, without causing micro-plastics.

New recent additions to the product range include compostable bin liners which are manufactured to EN13432 certification for home and industrial composting, and the UK’s first ANTI-VIRAL Grip Seal bag, which although are non-biodegradable are specifically designed to combat the transmission of viruses and bacteria.

The pandemic brought about many concerns over how to store and handle a range of items, which were handled by

many a person to avoid the transfer of viruses and bacteria.

Consumable Supplies created a Grip Seal bag which incorporates an advanced British technology D2P by Symphony Environmental, which provides protection to the surface of the Grip Seal bag against microorganisms or viruses for the lifetime of the bag and offers a 99.9% Anti-Viral reduction after 1 hour of contact.

Although the bag can be used for the storage and handling of any items you wish to protect, as the product is Food-Safe, it also offers its use to storing food.

The initial bag size offered is 150mm x 200mm, so useful for smaller items and can form part of your existing health and hygiene protection routine.

Consumable Supplies strives to offer unique quality environmentally friendlier products at reasonable prices with a great no-quibble customer service. Free delivery on any order.

See the advert opposite or visit www.consumablesupplies.co.uk

Clean Rooms and Fresh Laundry Are a Top Priority for Successful Hotels & Restaurants Clean rooms and fresh laundry are a top priority for successful hotels & restaurants. You’re in safe hands with MAG Laundry Equipment who are one the UK’s leading suppliers for commercial laundry machines.

MAG supply commercial washing machines, tumble dryers and ironers to meet the budget & demands of any business however large or small. Their equipment is backed up with an excellent service by their nationwide fleet of engineers across the UK that can assist with maintenance, repairs, spare parts for all brands & models of laundry machines.

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

MAG also offers free trails & demonstrations of

their Super ActivO ozone generator which sanitises the air & surfaces of any indoor room in as quick as 15 minutes. This can remove the strongest of odours and eliminates 99% of bacteria & viruses including salmonella, e.coli, covid-19, mites and more.

Efficient, reliable and professional, ask about MAG’s competitive purchase and pay monthly options.

Telephone: 01569 690802 Email: info@laundrymachines.co.uk

Why choose SANOZONE? ■ SanOzone generates Ozone and completes a deep and accurate sanitation cycle ■ Ozone sanitisation is cheaper and faster than alternatives like fogging ■ Swiftly cleans and sanitises rooms of all sizes, removing harmful microorganisms ■ Reaches every corner of location, acting more rapidly than other disinfecting agents ■ Machine generates ozone from the air, which decomposes to oxygen after use

SANOZONE CLEANS INDOOR SPACES OF ALL SIZES FOR COVID SAFETY Ozone sanitising is the most effective way to deep clean residential environments of all sizes and it is easier, quicker, and more cost-effective than manual cleaning or fogging.

Once in position, an easy-to-use key-pad enables the operator to set the optimal ozone concentration for the size of the room.

The system then automatically converts the ambient air into ozone that fills the room, sanitising floors, walls, ceilings, surfaces and equipment.

The complete sanitisation of an average sized room will take approximately two hours. This includes the production of ozone, maintaining the required concentration for total cleaning and then returning the room to its usual habitation state.

SanOZone is one of the most versatile and efficient sanitisation systems available to healthcare, commercial property owners and facilities management companies. It offers many benefits over manual cleaning and we believe that it is three times quicker and more efficient than alternatives like fogging.

THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SANOZONE ARE: • Highly efficient in the fight against Covid viruses • Effective against the majority of microorganisms tested • Requires only low volumes of ozone to kill bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses • A standalone system that eliminates the need for chemical substances • More cost-effective than traditional cleaning operations or materials • Automatic cleaning cycle; easy to move from room to room SanOZone units are fully mobile, easy to programme for hourly or daily cleaning and have acoustic and visual warning indicators for safe operation. As it creates its own ozone, no chemicals or additional cleaning products are required. There are no ongoing costs.

SanOZone Easybox systems are available from Barbel now, with prices starting from £1,750 ex VAT for the Easybox 5

For more information, contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net or visit the website at www.barbel.net

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Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Issue 59

Enhance the Perception of Clean with a Venue That Smells Great cleaning procedures. While the washroom may be the cause of the worst odours in a building, improving the air quality and freshness throughout premises brings many benefits.

“Restaurant and pub managers should not overlook the power of scent in the workplace. Choosing the most appropriate fragrance to apply throughout a building can help create a happier and more relaxed experience for staff and guests, says Mark Wintle. “After all, shopping centres and high-end retailers have been using ambient scents to positively influence customer perceptions for years. P-Wave has worked with leading fragrance houses to develop a range of well-researched and consumer-tested popular fragrances.

“As innovators in the air freshening industry, P-Wave understands that cleanliness and hygiene are the most important aspects of managing premises, but with the heightened awareness created by Covid-19, restaurant and pub managers need to action every option available to ensure safety and reassure employees and visitors,” says Mark.

WASHROOM FOCUS

Now that there is a roadmap for coming out of lockdown, restaurant and pub managers need to ensure that premises are not only clean and safe, but also restore confidence for returning staff and diners.

First impressions count, and can begin before people even see if a venue is clean. The sense of smell is the strongest of the five senses and one of the body’s front-line defence mechanisms, designed to set off alarm bells if a foul smell is detected. According to research, 75% of all emotions generated each day are due to smell, and we are therefore 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over anything we hear, see, or touch. A bad smell is a warning of a bad experience to come.

“Many restaurants and pubs have been closed for months, and while they might have been cleaned, air quality will be poor, and with a reduced frequency of cleaning routines, they will not smell as fresh as they should,” says PWave® Sales and Marketing Manager Mark Wintle. “People’s trust in the cleanliness and safety of a venue can be negatively impacted if it smells bad, as they will wonder why, and suspect that it is not hygienic.”

Foul smells in any building are typically caused by the presence of bacteria which has been left to grow through either inadequate or infrequent or

In all premises, to feel safe, consumers need to see – and smell – that the washroom is immaculately clean, but poor plumbing or maintenance, or an inadequate cleaning regime can lead to unfortunate odours which are unlikely to receive 5-star reviews. However, in urinals it is the actual minute-byminute usage that can cause the biggest problem.

“We’ve been solving the most common hygiene issue in urinals for years, as randomly splashed urine causes a headache for cleaners, plus a bad smell and a reduction in hygiene standards.

“But there’s something even more important at this unprecedented time.

According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), Coronavirus can spread in an infected person's urine. This is called ‘viral shedding’, which means that if traces of contaminated urine become aerosolised and inhaled while using a urinal, the disease can infect others in the washroom1. That’s why P-Wave recently delivered a new angle on splash prevention, coupled with a major step forward in urinal deodorising technology with the launch of a new highly fragranced urinal screen.”

To ensure washroom cleanliness and hygiene it is worth installing bio-enzymatic cleaning solutions in cisterns. They release billions of beneficial bacterial to consume bio-materials that cause odours, keeping the bowl clean, blue and fresh, while also reducing water consumption by displacing water that would normally be present.

The Jade Air Purification System

The Jade Air Purification System is among the most advanced and effective Air Purification Systems on the market today, bringing the clean, fresh and re-energising air to your business premises. Engineered to maximise the air change rate by moving large volumes without the air drag that often occurs in more inferior air purifiers. The top air outlet design allows air to cascade out the top and efficiently flow throughout the room while keeping the sound volume at an industry leading low level. It's as quiet as a standard household dishwasher. Household quiet, but with the strength to provide healthier air in even the most demanding of environments.

Toilet bowls should not be overlooked, and there are passive highly fragranced solutions which can be clipped over the outside of the toilet rim (under the seat) or hung anywhere.

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE AIR FRESHENERS Passive air fresheners are ideal for smaller areas where consistent fragrancing is important. From simple, highly fragranced units for installation in bins, the back of doors, under a desks or in washrooms, to more powerful units which can be placed near a door or any space with good air flow, the openair design ensures maximum surface area exposure for effective and efficient fragrance release.

Active air fresheners replace aerosols and are better for the environment.

Systems are available to freshen small, medium and large spaces. Discrete wall or ceiling mounted systems can comprehensively freshen up to 16m3, and feature an intelligent fan which powers down when the lights go off to conserve the battery.

For use in toilet cubicles, lifts, gyms and spas or even on a desk in an office, another motion-actvated solution delivers more targeted, clean and efficient air freshening in small spaces exactly when and where it’s needed, reducing fragrance overload, nasal fatigue, and aerosol residue.

Also available are powerful, yet silent active fresheners which feature advanced micro-diffusion technology. Delivering coverage from 200m3 to 1200m3, one option features bluetooth control and advanced programming via smartphone or tablet, while the largest, features fully adjustable start/stop, diffusion and stand-by intervals as well as a weekend on/off function.

“When specifying air freshening solutions, restaurant and pub managers also have the environment on mind and only choose and install products and consumables that are 100% recyclable,” says Mark.

“As restaurants and pubs reopen, there’s no doubt that first impressions are hugely important and restore confidence. Owners and managers need to do all they can to ensure that staff and guests trust that premises are hygienic, safe and clean. Now is the time to address cleaning and maintenance issues, but also to ensure that premises smell clean and have a pleasant and inviting ambience.”

For further information visit www.p-wave.co.uk 1 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf

Our exclusive six stages of technology not only filter the air – we also sterilise it. We diminish everything that is in the air: bioaerosols, odours, gasses, disinfectants, particulates, moulds, viruses, bacteria and fungus. We also re-energise the air to combat fatigue and to give the air a ‘lighter’ feel.

Headaches, fatigue, itchy eyes, dry skin, coughing, sneezing, and the need for inhalers are all ways polluted air can cause discomfort and inconvenience. We eliminate the causes of these problems.

The Jade is designed with premium in mind, in its beautiful contemporary styling on the outside, its sophisticated technology on the inside, and its airflow performance throughout.

Find out more or purchase your Jade unit at www.scaukandireland.com

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control Issue 59

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New Ground-Breaking ‘Always-on’ Room Sanitiser System Launched to Help UK Businesses Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 A new ground-breaking ‘always on’ air and surface sanitiser system has been launched to help hospitality venues get back to business by giving customers and staff complete peace of mind.

system remotely 24/7, ensuring hospitality venues can welcome customers inside with confidence.

PureSan continuously sanitises any indoor space whilst in normal use, preventing the transmission of harmful viruses and bacteria, including COVID-19.

Tested by a UKAS accredited lab in many commercial environments, PureSan is certified and proven to create and maintain a clinically clean indoor area.

The PureSan window sticker will soon become the internationally recognised hallmark of a space that is continuously sanitised and always clinically clean, ensuring both customers and staff feel safe in a ‘PureSan protected’ environment.

The system has been certified and approved by the EPA and NSF, is approved for use on food contact surfaces with no rinse required [NSF rated D-2] and produces no harmful by-products.

Each system has its own SIM card that enables the PureSan team to monitor and control the

In addition to eliminating COVID-19, PureSan is proven to eradicate over 35 harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi.

PureSan has huge commercial benefits to help hospitality businesses recover from the pandemic, including raising customer confidence and footfall, and dramatically reducing staff absence due to sickness.

The system is highly cost effective with low monthly running costs and can often prove cost neutral with the low cost easily offset by an increase in revenue.

For more information, please visit: www.puresan.org

Sundeala SD Safety Screens and Sundeala Safe Push Door Plates Sundeala have been manufacturing in the UK since 1898 and we are now proud to offer a wide range of products to help you create physical partitions and keep environments hygienic and safe.

Many products in our Covid Compliance range including Safe Push Door Panels and SD Safety Screens are made using our Sundeala FR Board.

Our Sundeala FR Safe Push Door Plates are 100% coronavirus free in 5 minutes and are designed to be attached to doors with no-screw fixings making them easy to remove after use. Safe Push Door Plates require no cleaning and are fantastic for reducing the spread of viruses from high touch door surfaces.

After undergoing ISO 17025 compliant laboratory testing we are delighted to reveal that our Sundeala FR Board (used extensively in circulation spaces, corridors and other high-footfall areas) is shown to be 100% safe from viral transmission from contact with the surface and 100% coronavirus free throughout after 5 minutes of infection, making it completely safe to touch, cut, sand and recycle.

Available in 7 subtle shades, we can create bespoke sizes to fit any door and supply each pack of Door Plates with adhesive tabs to ensure easy installation.

Our Sundeala SD Safety Screen is an environmentally friendly safety screen, perfect for encouraging social distancing in high foot fall environments to help prevent viral spread via droplets or aerosolisation.

Sundeala FR Board is manufactured in the UK from UK waste materials.

Sundeala notice boards protect the environment outside while improving the environment inside.

Sundeala SD Safety Screens are made from 100% recycled paper fibres and are highly porous as well as being extremely durable and robust. They are a practical, environmentally friendly way to assist with social distancing and can be pinned with informational and/or decorative posters, signs and paper.

For any more information or to find out how we can safeguard your spaces, contact our sales team on 01453 708689 / enquiries@sundeala.co.uk

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Issue 59

Hospitality Technology Less Work and Better Results?

Your Guests Hold The Secret and reduces the chance of losing information or recording something inaccurately.

Have you ever thought “there’s got to be an easier way to run my property”?

Small accommodation providers can achieve this same sense of convenience and simplicity with hotel management software. Eliminating your need for physical notebooks or ledgers, manual data entry, and timeconsuming admin, software makes running your property as easy as using an app on a smartphone - as so many of your guests do.

There’s a growing trend amongst your guests, and society in general, that can go a long way to helping you manage your property easier and more successfully.

You may have noticed more and more people managing their home life, work days, and holiday trips online via their smartphones or computers. They make notes, keep appointments, research, socialise, do their banking, and book travel.

The advantages of this are all based around convenience, speed, and simplicity. It keeps all their information in one place, lets them perform actions quickly,

There will always be a perception that technology is complex and difficult to understand, and only people with a background in tech can understand it. This is not the case at all. In fact some providers design their software for exactly your property type, to the point where you can get started within a day.

To learn more about how you can run your property better and get time back in your day, check out Little Hotelier - a solution built specifically for small accommodations.

For further details visit the website at www.littlehotelier.com/hotel-management-software

It's Time For You To Get Budget Proof

By Dan Brookman, CEO of Airship (www.airship.co.uk) and Toggle (www.usetoggle.com) Now, I am an optimist. Those who know me, know that I have a passion for business and generally a positive outlook; especially around the hospitality sector that I’ve spent my working life in. My preset as a founder and entrepreneur is to push for business growth and to seek out opportunities, however there have been occasions over the last year when I shouldn’t have jumped as quickly as I did, consolidation and cost control would have been a better strategy. It’s a tough shout though when you’re pushing for growth.

Budgeting though, enables control of costs and as long as you know the costs coming down the track, you can turn dials based on expected revenues.

Right now the future remains uncertain but one thing we do know is there’s going to be an immediate boom for hospitality - we’ve seen it already in the volume of bookings and we’ve been incredibly lucky with sunny (if not chilly) trading.

This boom might be followed by a lull, or further restrictions, or it might just all get back to normal.

But whatever the future, the key now is to control costs, maximise margins and make the most of this initial surge of customers.

There’s going to be a deluge of new data and you are going to want to market to that data. Platforms such as Mailchimp charge based on the size of your lists, some platforms have additional broadcast charges alongside licenses; you succeed and then you pay more money for your success. Whereas Airship

and Toggle are #BudgetProof. Any customer can signup and the price will be fixed for the length of their contract. This is no matter the size of your database (nor how it grows whilst we’re working together) or the amount of emails that you send. Or the revenue generated through Toggle. Or the amount of support that you use.

Now’s the time to choose partners which won’t penalise you for your success. Where you won’t be charged based on volume, where you won’t be refused additional support when you need it. Choose one that wants you to succeed.

Visit www.airship.co.uk and www.usetoggle.com

ConnectSmart from QSR ®

QSR Automations, the leading provider of kitchen automation, guest management, off-premise technology, and predictive analytics, announced the launch of the ConnectSmart Platform. This move strengthens and simplifies company and product offerings.

The platform effectively combines QSR Automations’ software suite into a single platform: • ConnectSmart Kitchen, industry-leading kitchen display system • ConnectSmart Go, an off-premise order management system • ConnectSmart Host (formerly DineTime), a guest experience, reservation and table management solution • ConnectSmart Insights, a business intelligence tool • ConnectSmart ControlPoint, hardware management software

• ConnectSmart Recipes (formerly TeamAssist), a kitchenintegrated recipe viewer By connecting the back end and integrating these solutions into one operational platform, operators can work with a solution that shares data from all its components and make holistic restaurant decisions in real-time. Flexible APIs and robust integrations allow operators to tailor the platform to their specific needs and focus on what’s most important — the guest experience.

Restaurant owners and operators can learn more about the ConnectSmart Platform at www.qsrautomations.com

Hospitality Technology

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CaterCloud Enhances its FREE Offering - The Secret Ingredient to Menu Management Success and Compliance with Natasha’s Law costing system offers a wealth of enhanced functionality to help caterers gain significant efficiencies in their operations, to control costs and profits.

CaterCloud helps businesses ensure food safety remains a key focus.

With food labelling regulations set to change in October 2021, as a result of Natasha’s Law, all England-based businesses working in the food industry will be required to clearly label all foods for direct sale, produced and packed on their premises with a full list of ingredients detailing the full allergen profile.

Designed to help businesses prepare for this upcoming regulation, CaterCloud provides sub-allergen information and tagging; QR Code menu scanning for live allergen and nutritional information, along with the ability to print Natasha’s Law compliant food labels. CaterCloud also offers customers access to a range of accredited training for allergen awareness and food safety in conjunction with Allergy Accreditation.

Manchester-based, e-f group has released the latest enhanced feature version of its FREE TO USE cloud-based, menu management platform, CaterCloud.

The easy-to-use, next generation allergen, nutrition, menu planning and

CaterCloud’s innovative functionality also boasts many other benefits to enable easy to use menu and cost management for caterers across the hospitality, healthcare, education and retail sectors. The flexible menu planner, with a drag and drop feature, allows the user to instantly evaluate rotational menus, costs and nutritional values using the nutritional database with 1,000s of ingredients. All this combined allows your business to assess its performance using the interactive KPI dashboards.

Users of CaterCloud have special access to the e-foods’ Buyers’ Club and benefit from its substantial buying power. The Buyers’ Club is made up of a network of trusted accredited suppliers across the UK. Users can purchase food and non-food goods from these suppliers and expect to generate savings of between 5 to 10%.

Paul Mizen, Chief Executive, e-f group said: “During the pandemic we haven’t rested on our laurels and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes internally and with existing clients to innovate and enhance the features of our Catercloud system.

With the hospitality industry, set to explode again, we wanted to be ready to offer that sector especially, this enhanced FREE software which will most certainly help catering managers and chefs maximise efficiencies, streamline processes and save costs.

We continue to be at the forefront of delivering the innovate features the industry needs. As we’ve previously stated this is our way of giving something back to the industry upon which our business was founded.”

CaterCloud is without doubt the smartest, most intuitive platform available to caterers.

For more information go to www.catercloud.com or www.e-foods.co.uk

Table Tap Offers Exceptional Customer Service and Social Distancing at Dusk Top nouvelle restaurant and lounge, Dusk, Brentwood, has installed Table Tap, an innovative solution to help customers and waiting staff communicate from leading telecommunications company, Brentwood Communications.

to Table Tap, we’re able to be on top of our game.”

Table Tap runs over a radio frequency and transmits a signal from a button placed on a table, which connects to a watch on a waiter’s wrist and can be set-up in just five minutes.

With a single tap on a button, customers can inform staff that a table is ready to order, pay the bill, or simply call for the waiter’s attention without leaving their seat.

James Miller, MD, Brentwood Communications, adds: “The idea for Table Tap came about after we installed similar technology into fitting rooms for Nike stores across Europe, which allowed people to alert staff it they wanted to swap items. We knew we could adapt this technology for the hospitality sector, which would be vital as premises re-open, helping customers to remain seated, stick to social distancing rules and still experience quality customer service.”

Sharif Uddin, Co-Owner, Dusk, says: “We have a large alfresco dining area and were concerned there may be crowding in bar areas, with customers ordering drinks or wanting to pay a bill. Thankfully, we decided to trial Table Tap to see if it could help customers socially distance and enable us to deliver excellent customer service.”

He continued: “Table Tap has been great, it’s helped us keep customers in their seats, which is ideal for social distancing. We run a very fast-paced dining environment with 28 tables, we pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and thanks

GonnaOrder, The Online Ordering System That Delivers ROI

Table Tap is available for free trials, visit www.brentwoodradios.co.uk/tabletap.

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The perfect solution ffor or any business looking to experience add a buzz to their customer e xperience with a fantastic Covid compliant service innovation!

With a single tap customers can call ffor or attention xpect! and get the rapid response they expect!

your sales by increasing table turnover and operate in a more efficient manner. Ordering through QR menus empowers your customers to safely order and preorder faster from anywhere (their table, home, office or on the road). This will result in higher profit margins and greater customer retention—with an end-to-end seamless dining experience.

Improve customer experience No wasted server time Proven to Increase sales

BREAKING FREE FROM THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY PLATFORMS Third-party delivery companies are causing alarm for many restaurant, bar and pub businesses with their increasingly high commission fees. GonnaOrder not only help you break loose from third parties by digitally controlling customer data and menus with 0% commissions, but also allows you to build customer loyalty with a rich set of features (such as special offers, giveaways, discount vouchers).

BENEFITS OF USING GONNAORDER Looking for a cost-effective, highly configurable food ordering and payment solution for your business?

LOOK NO FURTHER! GonnaOrder is here to support businesses becoming truly independent, streamlining their processes and gaining back control of their business.

THE FUTURE OF ORDERING IS DIGITAL While online ordering and delivery were already gaining momentum before the coronavirus outbreak, the pandemic accelerated their adoption. Interactive QR menus, online table ordering, and online payments—all solutions offered by GonnaOrder—are about to become the new norm at the restaurant of the future.

TECH ON THE TABLE: QR MENU & ONLINE TABLE ORDERING Using GonnaOrder’s self-ordering system, table ordering and QR menu technology will help you boost

• 0% commission online ordering app for takeaway and delivery • Dedicated Consumer Mobile App • Improved table turnover with an easy-to-use table ordering system • Branded native iOS and Android App • Streamlined operations with automatic order printing • More repeat customers with frictionless loyalty features REGISTER FOR FREE TODAY!

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- 10x Table Tap Buttons - 2x Server Watches

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– anywhere a customer might want to ask

HIRE OPTIONS

for a little help.

1

Customer taps to call for service

PACKAGE 1

Server Recieves Message

2

Request is Completed

3

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£10.00 PER WEEK

£15.00 PER WEEK

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10x Table Tap Buttons 2x Server Watches Free replacements £95.00 deposit

20x Table Tap Buttons 4x Server Watches Free replacements £150.00 deposit

Request trial offer today

Try it for Free today! Visit: www.gonnaorder.com or contact our sales team at sales@gonnaorder.com 1

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Keeping Food Hot? We Have All The Answers First of all, you will want one of our world beating Kanga boxes and a Carbon Heater. You can then keep food hot indefinitely and fully comply with HACCP regulations.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well we only supply premium German manufactured products from stock at incredibly low prices. The insulated box manufactured from top quality expanded polypropylene is a dense closed cell insulation material but incredibly light to handle when empty for example the GN insulted box with a 117 mm internal depth only weighs just over a kilo and yet holds a massive 21 lts capacity. Now combine the Kanga box with a Carbon Heater and the magic begins, hot food all the time!

Our range of Carbon heaters offers two voltage

options 12 volts for car operation using the cigarette lighter socket or 230 volt mains voltage for internal or external mains use. The big advantage of the Carbon Heaters they are absolutely fool proof just insert them in the bottom of the box turn on and forget, there are no consumer controls the temperature is pre-set at the factory at 75 deg C. The Carbon Heater is very light at only 700 grammes and does not take up much room only being 10mm thick. Dishes can be place on the Carbon Heater straight out of the oven up to 120deg C. Finally quick and easy to clean just wipe over with a damp cloth.

Contact Catering Equipment Limited on Tel: 0121 773 2228 or visit www.clickonstore.net or www.kangaboxuk.com

Bring In Much Needed Revenue with an Outdoor Menu This Summer

With pub gardens and outdoor seating due to open from 12th April, having an outdoor menu offering will provide a much needed revenue boost for hospitality venues across the UK. We have a wide range of products that will help you create the perfect outdoor kitchen, in any outside space.

With the 'super deduction' tax allowance introduced in the 2021 budget, businesses can also reduce their tax bill by 25p for every £1 spent on new equipment purchases, so return on investment can be gained even faster!

Crown Verity Professional Barbecues offer a high quality, adaptable cooking solution, with a wide range of add-on accessories for a varied menu. From the compact MCB30 to the MCB72 'King

of the Grill', there is a model for every operator.

Simply Stainless Tabling works alongside Crown Verity to create the perfect outdoor kitchen. Working with our fabrications division we can also offer you a bespoke stainless steel solution for any requirement.

Hygiene and safety is still a huge consideration, our Mobile Hand Wash Station & Sanitiser Unit help you to provide hygiene facilities outside for all customers and staff to keep safe.

R H Hall offer the full package...

From site visit, design and quotation - to supply of the perfect outdoor kitchen!!!

Contact our knowledgeable sales team on 01296 663400 or sales@rhhall.com to help you choose the perfect equipment for any operation!

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

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

We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season.

It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to buy budget as the

continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job.

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

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

Herald Bolsters Eco-Friendly Range Having introduced a selection of 100 per cent compostable hot cups, with both double and ripple wall options, Herald is strengthening its commitment to providing its customers with a varied choice of premium, ecofriendly products this summer.

The quality disposables supplier is offering a choice of greener products to meet the increased demand from the catering, pub, bar and food to go sectors, with outdoor events back on the agenda, post-Covid, and restaurants and cafes aiming to maximise their takeaway options.

Recognising that many new customers are keen to provide fully sustainable and green products, Herald has prioritised providing an additional ripple wall option to its line of compostable hot cups, along with a selection of sizes.

The sizes – 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz – acknowledge the needs of existing customers who may want to to

make the switch to the 100 per cent compostable product by complementing the lids that Herald currently has available.

Managing director of Herald, Yogesh Patel comments on the current market status as businesses shift to accommodate changing government guidelines: “The increase in takeaway demand for cafes, restaurants and pubs means that the market has expanded for disposable cups and many of the new customers that we’re attracting are conscious of their own customers’ environmental considerations.”

Other products in Herald’s eco range include a wider selection of single, double and triple wall cups and a choice of eco sip lids.

For further information on Herald and its products, log on to www.heraldplastic.com or call 0208 507 7900 to order a copy of the new catalogue.

Outdoor Spaces Environmentally Sustainable, Ecodek Solid Decking Boards With its solid composition - intended to prevent water and moisture from rotting the decking from within - Ecodek is a long-lasting, ecologically sustainable solution that offers increased resistance to impact damage. Its solid structure gives it greater noise absorption properties, so it’s quieter underfoot; helping to reduce noise levels in dining environments.

With the increase in development of outdoor hospitality areas looking set to stay, more restaurants and bars than ever have been reviewing ways for customers to safely enjoy dining and drinking experiences out of doors, using environmentally sustainable, Ecodek solid decking boards.

Whilst many hospitality premises have been closed during lockdown, and others open for the sale of take-away orders only, businesses have been using the period to research, consider and install suitable outdoor dining solutions that can accommodate premises’ customer capacity as regulations change and warmer months approach.

Safer and more hardwearing than a wooden outdoor floor surface, Ecodek is a sustainable and effective alternative to hollow boards. It is simple to install, manufactured in the UK and supported with a 25-year guarantee. Split and rot resistant, this hardwearing decking solution is ideally suited to commercial purposes and can be relied upon for customer comfort and safety in both wet and dry conditions.

For further information about the Ecodek composite decking solution, including design ideas, environmental credentials, and recommended installation partners, visit ecodek.co.uk or speak to a product specialist on 01978 667840.

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

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LeisureBench Announce New Exciting Comprehensive Website

LeisureBench Limited, one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of high quality outdoor furniture, is proud to announce the launch of our new exciting comprehensive website.

Other products showcased on our new website include a new range of dining huts, ideal for outdoor dining whatever the weather. We can also supply and install quality awnings and sails.

All our range represents excellent value for money.

We also have an extensive choice of parasols and gazebos.

Among the new features installed, is the introduction of automatic bulk discounts off our list prices and stock availability is clearly shown.

In these difficult times, there is also the facility to preorder any item, to secure the products you require.

There are exciting new ranges for 2021 including 100% recycled plastic products including picnic tables, benches, planters and more.

Among our existing product ranges for this year, are wooden round and A Frame picnic tables, teak and pine benches, Rattan chairs, tables and sofas, outdoor dining sets, metal furniture, a full range of polypropylene chairs in many different colours and styles, and much more.

Visit our new website, www.leisurebench.co.uk or email us on sales@leisurebench.co.uk. Telephone 01949 862920.

CambridgeStyle Canopies

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

Our product range includes:

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

• Wall mounted non-fragile or glass roof canopies with up to 6m projection and unlimited length • Free standing canopies with up to 12m projection and unlimited length

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

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

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

Our product range includes:

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

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

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

Previous Clients Include:

Outdoor Spaces

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Space-Ray - We Know Heat Space-Ray is an industry leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality infrared radiant and warm air heating systems. With electric heaters, radiant tube heaters and radiant ceramic plaque heaters we know we have the perfect heating solution for you.

Our heaters are popular for large open areas and buildings such as patios, restaurants, outdoor and indoor bars, sports facilities etc. Space-Ray heaters can help to maximize the revenue potential of outside areas by providing targeted heat where you need it. Many of our heaters are IP55 rated to protect against the elements, making sure your heaters stay in top working condition no matter the weather conditions.

We take pride in our entire family of commercial

heaters and our commitment to quality standards in the design, manufacture, and performance of Space-Ray products — heaters with low maintenance at a competitive price, and a proven record for long life.

We have a dedicated and experienced external and internal sales team ready and willing to help satisfy your heating needs.

Contact us now at info@spaceray.co.uk, www.spaceray.co.uk or 01473 830551

Enhance Your Customers' Experience with Ambimedia Ambimedia Ltd provide audiovisual solutions for a range of environments such as retail, leisure, education, corporate and hospitality venues. We provide a whole range of services from specification and design to installation and maintenance and we have our own, award winning digital signage and background music platforms.

We are experts in digital signage and work closely with our clients to create a customer experience which exceeds their expectations, whilst offering a cost effective, user friendly service.

In recent months, we have helped many businesses adapt to the changing requirements of the new regulations imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a range of out-

door high-brightness, weatherproof TV’s which allow customers to watch TV even in bright sunlight, whilst also extending WIFI networks and installing outdoor sound systems to enhance the outdoor areas in anticipation of the summer season and upcoming sports events.

In addition to this, we also provide hand sanitizer stations with a built in advertising display, allowing venues to inform, advertise and promote to a captive audience whilst keeping your staff and customers safe.

Call us today to arrange a survey with one our technical experts and let us help you transform you venue.

T: 01246 906958 E: info@ambimedia.org W: www.ambimedia.org

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

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Design and Refit Get Ready For Summer With Waterproof Furniture Finding hardworking and stylish outdoor furniture has never been more important for the hospitality industry as it gears up for summer 2021. However, even the best of Great British Summers will include downpours, so waterproof furniture is a must.

Trent Furniture supply a wide variety of waterproof tables sealed to prevent swelling caused by rain.

The stylish stainless steel Vista Table has plenty of room to accommodate groups and is perfectly complemented by the smaller Alma Round Aluminium Table.

Or for a cool and contemporary look, why not opt for the new Cannes Outdoor Table constructed in aluminium with a black powder-coated finish?

The Cannes Outdoor Armchair and Cannes Outdoor Chair complement the Cannes table perfectly. Our Vista tables go with a wide variety of chairs but the water resistant Monaco Aluminium Stacking Chair is always a popular choice for sturdy style.

Whichever look you go for, our Vista, Monaco and Cannes ranges are easy to stack and look just as good in indoor settings.

To find out more about Trent Furniture’s great-value range of waterproof contract grade outdoor furniture, with prices starting from just £29.90 for the Monaco chair, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 2864 911.

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier

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

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

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

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

With clever planning, seating generates

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

The beauty of bespoke fixed seating is that we can make the most of and take advantage of your space and features.

We can come to your venue and measure up, give you advice and show you examples of our past work, finishes, types and styles.

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

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

Design and Refit

CardsSafe Pays for Itself!

“Average spend is up and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.”

Timothy, Bar Manager at Youngs.

For bars and restaurants, the CardsSafe system also helps to eliminate walkouts. For businesses who retain cards, the temptation for their customers is eliminated, saving the establishment hundreds of pounds per year.

To increase spend, there is a solution. Phil Dixon, previous advisor to the BII, was adamant that “If you want to increase spend, you must retain cards.” A simple solution, and one that could be a quick and easy win.

The CardsSafe system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab or trial a product or service.

Staff can retain customers’ bank cards, store them securely in the CardsSafe unit while their customers enjoy the facilities. When they are ready to return the items or pay their bill, they hand back the key, and their card is returned by staff.

CardsSafe is now used by over 5000 major brands in the UK. In the hospitality industries, Young’s pubs, Hilton Hotels, and many independent restaurants and bars.

The system helps them to increase spend, prevent walkouts and fight credit card fraud.

CardsSafe is affordable and pays for itself. Each unit, which contains ten card drawers, can be hired for just £9.99 per month. Each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and free replacement keys.

Additional units can be added at any time. The question is, can you afford not to consider CardsSafe as a part of your business?

“Turnover increased significantly after CardsSafe was installed, and the system easily pays for itself.”

Siobhan, The Prodigal (Barracuda) Sign up to CardsSafe here https://cardssafe.com/account/create-account Or call 0845 500 1040

Seating with Wider Appeal from ILF Chairs make your customers want to come back?

Never fear, ILF Ltd. have the solution with a comprehensive selection of outdoor chairs and tables in many finishes and colours which we are able to supply quickly from either our UK location or our European location. We have selections of seating in aluminium, resin, plastic, polycarbonate, teak and imitation rattan plus, there are also tables and barstools for exterior use.

Hospitality has now got the Green light last to reopen outdoors from the 12th April. Will you be ready and able to cope with the rush? Will your Café, Restaurant, bar have the right outdoor ambience and comfort to stand out from the rest and

Whatever your outdoor furniture needs might be we at ILF are here to help.

Why not contact us on 01293 783783 or send an email to:- terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

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Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers Celebrating 40 years of experience in the sale and manufacture of wooden trolleys for the catering trade, Euroservice trolley manufacturers have now acquired a worldwide reputation and still offer an extensive /comprehensive range of top quality wooden trol-

leys manufactured in the UK. Top quality is a priority in the production of all of our products and Euroservice are specialists in the manufacture of sturdy and beautiful looking trolleys which will grace any environment from the small privately owned restau-

rant to the splendid 3 to 5 star hotels, resorts and Residential homes.

Euroservice’s excellence in the manufacture of wooden trolleys is backed by a personal, efficient and friendly service second to none. We are always busy researching the needs of the market and launch new ranges according to market demands.

Whatever your needs you can be assured that Euroservice can cater for them and we look forward to your call.

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com See the advert on page 2 for further information.

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.

Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating.

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

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

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 and lounge furniture.

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

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

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

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

Property and Professional

Capify - We’re Here To Support You For over 13 years, Capify has worked closely with the hospitality sector, providing them with much-needed funding when some of the more traditional routes for financing have been closed to them. Now is no different as we have a £50m fund to help your business recover as the economy begins to open up again.

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• purchasing new catering equipment Capify's lending criteria will consider the challenges of the past year for each business. Our flexibility means we will try and look beyond your credit history when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth.

If you'd like to find out how much finance you qualify for to help you continue your post-Covid recovery, click here - https://bit.ly/3aLzPsg. You'll be taken to Capify's website, where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes. You'll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments.

A Capify business loan is easy to apply for and can be approved and paid out in as little as 24 hours. Our business loan's flexibility means that you can use it for any business purpose, such as; • managing short-term cash flow issues • purchasing extra food and drink • making your premises Covid safe

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For those businesses not yet open, you can register your interest in the fund today.

To find out more click here - https://bit.ly/3gVeFeO - or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.

• hiring additional staff

Weekly Figures Analysis & Reporting Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Service from David Hunter David Hunter has been in the business for over 30 years, and with his vast amount of experience has become an expert in ensuring that businesses reach their full financial potential.

For years he’s provided a bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service to a select few, and he has always provided with that, free-ofcharge weekly figures analysis and reporting … yes, weekly.

David has now come up with a way of making his amazing Mentoring & Consultancy service more accessible to the wider market, and for a lower monthly fee.

Instead of being charged for monthly consultancy, you can now access David’s knowledge and expertise via his already-established and very well-used weekly figures reporting system. He will send you weekly

reports on how your business is doing and will throw in FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE AT ALL, four half-day on site Mentoring & Consultancy visits per year (or two full days, depending on location). He will also always be at the end of a phone for you, or email, if you needed him, and he also has access to legal experts as well as a ‘’tried and trusted’’ Bowden Group Alliance colleague who can advise you … again FREE OF CHARGE … on how to save money on your utility bills.

If you have a Pub, Restaurant or Hotel business which is facing financial or operational challenges … why not let David have a look, and help you maximise your full potential. There is no cost to David having a look at your figures, and letting you know what COULD be achieved.

Call David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or on 01628 487613.

Much like the mythological bird, Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions was born from the ashes of an industry which has grown tired and disassociated from the people it is designed to protect. Phoenix is built to be different, our main focus is you.

We have built our business with care at the core of everything we do. We strive to offer a quality personalised service which is tailored to each individual’s needs — we listen to you, get to know you and aim to support you every step of the way.

Your business is in most cases the biggest risk and the biggest asset you will ever have from the initial days of worrying about business levels and cash flow through to staff and HR issues and then back to business levels and cash flow, a revolving cycle. Within your business you will also have your trusted partners, your accountants and bankers, do you include

your insurance broker? If not why not?

Commercial insurance should not just be about the lowest possible price, it should be with someone you can work with and trust, someone flexible to the changes your business faces and someone who can advise you of which covers you may like to consider and not just the ones which you are legal required to have. Does your business description on your policy actually match your business, are your sums insured reviewed and adequate, do you have seasonal stock increases? Have you declared the accurate turnover and wageroll?

We work with you to help you establish and maintain an insurance program which meets your needs and provides the best value for money.

See the advert on page 17 or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

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