CLH Digital - Issue #75

Issue 75

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The hospitality and licensed on trade sector is being urged support this month's “Tax Equality Day”, which highlights the disparity between levels of VAT pubs and restaurants compared to supermarkets, as part of an ongoing campaign to reduce the tax burden on pubs and other hospitality venues.

Presently all food and drink in pubs bars and restaurants is subject to 5% VAT brought in by the chancellor Rishi Sunak in July 2020 to support the beleaguered sector reeling under the effects of lockdowns and subsequent restricted trading.

However, this will change on October 1, when the VAT rate will rise to 12.5 per cent, with the Government’s aim of returning VAT to 20 per cent, in stages, in

2022.

By comparison, supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, and are able to use that saving to sell alcohol to its customers at a discounted price.

Leading the campaign pub group JD Wetherspoon is cutting the price of all food and drinks in its pubs by 7.5 per cent on Thursday 23 September – to highlight the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry.

To mark Tax Equality Day, prices at the company’s 870 pubs will be reduced for one day only.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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CLH Digital

Issue 75

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL In today's current trading climate, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Covid and media hype about potential lockdowns, it seemed a good idea to lead on our front page in support of next week’s “Tax Equality Day” and highlight previously raised concerns regarding our ludicrously high levels of duty/tax.

I’m not too sure how many businesses will be throwing their weight behind this year’s campaign.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

So far we have only received reports from Weatherspoon, and I have spent some time today doing a little research and have not yet found any other businesses supporting it.

The industry has highlighted the crippling effects of high duty in the hospitality and on trade for many years, and we have reported it regularly.

I remember reporting a few years back about total alcohol duty in the UK compared to the EU. We pay as much in alcohol duty as Poland, Germany, cannot extend this to 2023, I see no reason why he does not see this as an Spain, Italy, and Portugal put together. The 5.5 million people living in Essex investment instead of a cost! will pay more in alcohol duty than the 84 million people living in Germany I really do hope more businesses join in the Tax Equality Day, we would be in the course of a year. delighted to share your Tax Equality Day stories, a poster for you to display The Chancellor's welcome VAT reduction down to 5% is due to end at can be downloaded at www.catererlicensee.com/TaxEqualityPoster.pdf the end of this month, increasing to 12.5% and then back to 20% in March So please do get behind this campaign - don't just leave it to next year.

Wetherspoons!

This is one of those rare occasions that circumstance can bring about real A big shout out for tomorrow's National Hospitality Day! (See page positive change.

7).

After the toughest trading period since World War Two the sector is The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) says that it hopes pubs will slowly getting back on its feet, but has had to invest considerable expense serve 18 million pints this Saturday. in getting their premises hygienic and Covid proof.

The nations favourite cafés, pubs, restaurants, hotels and entertainment However the population is still hesitant, and the reduction in VAT has venues play a vital part in people’s lives and the wellbeing of local communibeen a welcome gesture to encourage the public to eat and drink out ties; many businesses are struggling to survive and they need the public’s more, and bring balance to the overtaxed sector. support to stay afloat, so get your poster and other ideas to celebrate the For the life of me I can see no reason whatsoever why the Chancellor day at www.nationalhospitalityday.org.uk

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Tax Equality Day - Chancellor Urged to “Create Equality Between Pubs & Supermarkets” Issue 75

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER...)

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TAXES:

“However, as a result of the VAT increase to 12.5 per cent, we will have to increase food prices by around 50p per meal.

Over 50 MPs from all parties and nations of the United Kingdom attended the debate.

“We urge the chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets by making permanent the current VAT régime for pubs.

In the debate Mike Wood, Conservative MP for Dudley South said: “Beer duty remains much too high.

It is much higher than in any other major beer-producing country in Europe. In fact, someone who bought a pint in each of the five other major beerproducing countries—Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Poland—would still have paid less duty on those five pints than they would on a single pint in Britain.”

“However, it is unfair that supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, but pubs and restaurants, in normal circumstances, pay 20 per cent.

“Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades, owing to the tax disadvantages which they have with supermarkets.

“He should note that the main impact of tax inequality is on high streets and town and city centres, which depend heavily on a diversity of prosperous hospitality businesses for economic, social and employment success.”

REFORM OF TAXES While Tax quality day highlights the disparity between the on trade and supermarkets, the sector has been reeling with excessive taxation over the past twenty-five years, says campaign group Long Live the Local.

Taxes have increased to the point where pubs and breweries find themselves overtaxed and under genuine pressure, with the UK paying some of the highest rates of duty on beer in Europe – second only to Finland.

The campaign group have repeatedly called for change, asking for investment to allow pubs and breweries to grow.

Nationally, the on-trade sector adds nearly £23 billion to the economy, paying £13 billion in taxes, with UK beer drinkers paying 54p in beer duty on every pint (5% abv) – eleven times higher than beer duty in Germany and Spain.

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Sarah Atherton MP, Conservative MP for Wrexham said: “A few years ago, I owned and ran a microbrewery, so I know some of the difficulties facing breweries, including the fledgling Magic Dragon brewery in Wrexham.”

Anyone wishing to join the Tax Equality Day campaign can download a CLH poster at www.catererlicensee.com/TaxEqualityPoster.pdf

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“Customers in our pubs on Tax Equality Day will find that the price of their food and drinks will be lower than normal.

• A permanent lower level of VAT for all food and beverages sold in pubs • An overall reduction in Beer Duty • Lower business rates for pubs equitable to other similar businesses In February 2020 MPs from across the political divide called on the Chancellor to back the 250,000 supporters of the Long Live the Local campaign and cut beer duty. MPs also supported the campaign in a Westminster Hall debate on taxation on beer and pubs, secured by Mike Wood MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary • MICROWAVES • EXTRACTION CANOPIES • Beer Group.

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Wetherspoon’s chairman, Tim Martin, said: “Taxes should be fair and equitable.

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TOASTERS • STAINLESS STEEL SINKS & TABLING

Hospitality Sector Likely to Witness Quick Turnaround in Q4 2021 4

CLH Digital

Issue 75

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk)

Hospitality sector has been one of the worst hit industries following the market-wide consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, but, of late, the sector has been encountering severe difficulties which are not prevalent in other jurisdictions.

gain from the holiday spending spree in the upcoming quarter. There is a potential likelihood that the businesses will manage to find a way to employ people in many of the hard-to-fill vacancies as people will be looking out for good employment opportunities subsequent to the removal of the government-backed furlough scheme.

Businesses operating within the hospitality industry are battling to survive the staff shortage scare, when consumers are more willingly to step out of their homes to visit cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants, and they are looking forward to attending large gatherings, enjoying other leisure services.

The fact is quite evident that the number of payrolled employees are rising at a faster rate across all jurisdictions. As per the ONS data, London, Scotland and the South East were the only authorities with fewer number of payrolled employees in August of 2021 as compared to the levels in the beginning of the pandemic.

There are actually ample job vacancies across all the major sectors with the figures increasing by 35.2% during the June to August period of 2021. In absolute terms, the number of job vacancies breached the 1 million mark for the first time ever, since the authorities started computing the record, in the corresponding stretch.

Of the total rise in vacant positions, the accommodation and food services businesses have witnessed the highest increase in the level of vacancies. Surprisingly, the total vacancies are now 249,000 more than the number of vacancies during the pre-Covid period, January-March quarter of 2020.

On the contrary, employment levels are invariably rising as the businesses resume their full-fledged operations after the withdrawal of lockdown restrictions and social distancing mandates.

Hospitality sector have faced the direct heat of unforeseen repercussions as businesses were immediately told to curtail their operations or to shut entirely if there was any hardening by the government in the scope of pandemic protocols and lockdown restrictions. As a result of multiple disruptions, a large section of enterprises are still reeling under significant amounts of debts and other credit facilities which have been availed to counterbalance the insufficiency of funds.

The introduction of vaccine passports has been outrightly criticised by the UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls. The industry fears that any potential disruption before the commencement of holiday season will have further setbacks for the businesses.

The upcoming quarter will be a make or break for the hospitality sector as businesses will desperately look for avenues that can substantially ameliorate the revenues, so that they can comfortably service the existing debt obligations, as well as the entire quantum required to oblige the employee-benefit expenses.

Any further stimulus from the government in form of direct subsidies or a considerable reduction in taxes is likely to augment the business functions as it will be an added advantage for enterprises alongside the anticipation of higher consumer spending in the final quarter.

Master Innholders Cycling Team Raises £41k for Hospitality Action

As far as the growth of businesses in the hospitality sector is concerned, all the enterprises are poised to

The Master Innholders and professionals from across the hospitality industry have raised more than £41k for industry charity Hospitality Action after taking part in a sponsored 255km bike ride through the south east of England.

and organiser of the event, said: “Our team of riders had a fantastic two days cycling through the Sussex and Kent countryside and despite one of our team suffering an injury on the first day, and a short downpour, the event was a success and, most importantly, achieved its aim of raising vital funds for Hospitality Action.

Twenty-six cyclists set off from The Rubens at the Palace in London’s Belgravia on Friday 10 September, stopping at Ridgeview Estates in Sussex before finishing the 135km journey at Exclusive Collection’s South Lodge Hotel in Horsham.

“I would like to thank all riders who took part, our supporters, key sponsors, Procurement Partners and others as well as Ridgeview Estates, Domaine Evremond and South Lodge, who looked after us so well.”

On Saturday 11 September, the cyclists, including Master Innholders Jonathan Raggett, Rob Flinter, Stuart Johnson and Joanne Taylor-Stagg, continued their ride through Sussex and into Kent, clocking up an additional 120km and finishing at Domaine Evremond vineyard in Kent.

The ride, which was sponsored by Procurement Partners and supported by Avvio, has raised just over £41k so far, with further funds expected to roll in over the next few days.

Matt Tough, managing director, Procurement Partners, said: “We are delighted to support Hospitality Action and The Master Innholders for the 2021 Cycle Challenge.

Action in support of hospitality workers facing financial and emotional uncertainty in the wake of the pandemic.

Jonathan Raggett FIH MI, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels

Funds raised through the challenge will be donated to Hospitality

“I have been involved with both organisations for over 20 years and it is clear they both make a fundamental difference to our industry and are needed now more than ever given the past 18 months. A huge congratulation to all involved from the cyclist to the organisers, it was a spectacular weekend which we were proud to be part of.”

International Real Vanilla Day at LittlePod Why not Join us for a weekend staycation and join any of LittlePod celebrations whist you are here.

During the two days there will be a selection of talks: Made - our vanilla farmer updating us on the collaborative farm.

Aisha - former LittlePoder now responsible for global innovations in plastics (UNILEVER) Inspiring us with new recycling solutions.

Imogen - a local Beekeeper sharing her passion for bees.

Sarah - a former colour artist for Liberties will help you to create your own colour pallet.

Professor Patrick Devine/Wright - will share his Gaelic songs in the Saxon chapel.

Manju Malhi BEM - hosts a curry dinner with recipes from her new book.

Talks from the LittlePod team.

A nature walk around the castle.

COMPETITION Recycle your vanilla tube to create the most attractive bug for our bug ball display. The top twenty bugs will be displayed in the Great Hall and the winner will feature in next year’s LittlePod Calendar. For instructions on how to enter see our Instagram @little_pod.

To book a room visit https://bickleighcastle.com Don’t be disappointed if you can’t stay because you can join in virtually via our Instagram. Book a session with Chef David from NYC and the Holistic Chef (Jamie Raftery) for a live cooking demonstration.

Listen in to an update from Irine our vanilla farmer’s daughter from Tanzania and tune in during the weekend online.

See the advert on the page opposite for further details.

Government Sets Out Winter Plan Issue 75

Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson has revealed plans for combatting Covid throughout the coming autumn and winter months.

Covid laws that are no longer required will be abandoned and plans for vaccination passports for nightclubs and other large crowd venues have been shelved.

Mr Johnson focused on pushing more vaccinations instead of enforcing another winter lockdown.

“We’ve got to do everything that’s right to protect the country,” he said.

“But the way things are going at the moment we’re very confident in the steps that we’ve taken.”

The PM said the success of the vaccine rollout gave him the “confidence” the country would not have to have more lockdowns, he said he was “confident in the vaccines that have made such a difference to our lives”.

Adding: “When you’ve got a large proportion, as we have now, with immunity then smaller changes can make a bigger difference and give us the confidence that we don’t have to go back to the lockdowns of the past.”

Lockdowns in winter will be “absolutely the last resort”, the vaccine minister confirmed earlier on.

Commenting on the Government’s plan Kate Nicholls UKHospitality Chief Executive said: “It’s critical for the recovery of the hospitality sector and the wider economy that businesses are allowed to continue to operate in viable conditions throughout this winter. Hospitality venues are still in a fragile state with significant debts, making their first steps on the road to recovery and rebuilding broken balance sheets, any setbacks over the coming months will result in more businesses closures. The announcement from the Secretary of State, the continued focus on vaccination roll out and boosters, is much welcome, as their success has been critical to protecting our healthcare system while allowing for the reopening of the economy and businesses to trade without restrictions.

“However, we must caution Government that the introduction of those measures that are left in reserve for this winter, would have significant and drastic impacts on the sector. The use of vaccine pass-

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ports, logistically unworkable and with questionable effectiveness, will have a devastating effect on nightclubs and large-scale events. These sectors have been hit hardest and have been at the very back of the queue for reopening and such measures would severely undermine their profitability and ability to recover over the winter months. Similarly, work from home orders or guidance would have a significant impact on our city and town centres, not only damaged by restrictions and enforced closures but also significantly reduced footfall.”

The British Beer & Pub Association also responded.

The trade association has said the repeal of COVID powers to close-down or apply restrictions to premises like pubs are welcome news for the sector.

It said the measures would hopefully provide stability for the sector by enabling it to keep trading through the winter months, building confidence in the sector at this critical time in its recovery.

The trade association did caution that although the ‘Plan B’ measures in the Government’s Winter Plan were to enable businesses like pubs to stay open, it did have concerns that asking people to work from home as part of ‘Plan B’ would impact the recovery of the sector – especially city centre pubs – and that covid certification has not been ruled out entirely.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “It is very welcome news for our sector that powers to close-down or apply restrictions to our pubs will be repealed.

“Forced closure during lockdowns and unnecessary restrictions such as the 10pm curfew, rule of six and substantial meals rule have greatly damaged our sector.

“Publicans across the country will sigh in relief knowing they have stability to keep trading over the winter months. We also urge the devolved administrations to follow the approach that has been outlined today.

“Of course, ‘Plan B’ measures suggesting working from home are concerning as they would impact the recovery of our sector – particularly city centre pubs – if implemented. It is also vital covid certification continues to be ruled out for pubs under any future plans.”

If you have any interesting news articles that would be of interest to our readers please email us at

edit@catererlicensee.com

Seven Things You Must Do To Promote Your Restaurant 6

CLH Digital

Issue 75

AJ Sharp, Founder of Food and Drink PR Agency Sharp Relations (www.sharprelations.com), shares her top seven things you must do to promote your restaurant locally.

3. Special Events. Interesting experiences are the perfect way to encourage footfall and bookings. You can create anything from wine tastings, meet the producer, menu offers, live music, magicians, comedy, karaoke and open mic nights. Do think carefully about your customers, who is it you are trying to attract? Karaoke is going to draw a very different crowd to Moules Mariniere and Muscadet Mondays! (Feel free to use that last one!)

1. Know Your Customers. It’s hard to be specific about customers but these details will improve your activities immeasurably. Note down the sort of customers you’re getting at different times of the day and on different days of the week. For example, you might get a younger crowd in the evening, but more tourists at the weekend. Find out where they’re from as it could be a key market for you.

2. Encourage word of mouth (WOM). As people are leaving your restaurant ask your front of house to say; “If you enjoyed your visit, please tell your friends”. Maybe 1 in 10 actually will tell a friend, and of those recommendations c.50% actually will try the recommended restaurant. That’s 5 new customers, for every 100 through the door.

Even better, give out a wallet-sized promo card offering an incentive.

4. What’s the Strategy? This is key, I would have put it at number one, but often considering who you want to promote to helps with the why are you promoting to them at all. Your strategy is your plan for reaching the goal. So, this is where you to decide what the perfect world looks like to you in 12-months or 36-months. Is it a packed restaurant every night of the year? Is it increasing spend per head so you can shut on Mondays and have a break? Is it to open a second or third outlet? Is it a Michelin Star or AA rosette? Is it lots of press coverage? Is it finding a head chef and FOH so you can take a step back from the day-to-day?

Whatever it is, set the goal and work out the strategy, what needs to happen? Don’t get hung up on the detail, just write what you are aiming for. Take the emotions out of the goal setting and break it down into steps, suddenly it seems easy.

5. Pictures. You cannot promote a restaurant without quality images. My top tip, find a local photographer and hire them for half a day 4 times a year – or every time you make significant menu changes. We have often opted for wedding photographers, although not the obvious choice, they’re great at shooting people, places and details like food and place settings and capturing the venue's atmosphere. Images don’t necessarily have to be taken professionally, but they do have to look profes-

sional, so use a good quality camera, shoot everything in high res, use extra lights for every shot and edit them individually in Photoshop afterwards.

6. Social Media. Think carefully about the platform and why you’re using it. Here’s a very broad-brush overview of the top two platforms for each generation. Baby Boomers and above, the ones that are using social media, are on Facebook. They watch, they don’t tend to contribute much content. Gen X are tricky, they are on Facebook and have access to many social platforms, but they aren’t really contributing much content, they are highly sceptical of social media. Millennials are all over all of it, but their favoured platform is Instagram, Insta reels and increasingly Tik Tok. Gen Z are on Tik Tok, watching reels and Instagram. The Alpha Generation is very keen on You Tube, as well as Tik Tok. 7. In the Press. There’s no doubt that good press coverage will encourage people through the door. It generates WOM which is incredibly influential. The easiest way to achieve this is to ask a local freelance PR, specialising in consumer food or travel, to help you to promote your special events and invite local publications to review dinners. Can you do this yourself? Absolutely! Striking up a relationship with the regional press around your establishment is a great idea. However, it is time consuming, and you might get caught in a loop of being asked to pay to place your restaurant between the pages. A PR professional will help you to find your news and tell the stories people really want to read about locally, not to mention getting you listed in the what’s on and events pages each week, without paying for advertising.

Falling Labour and Rising Ingredient Costs Drive Rethinks On Supply CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index predicts further inflation in the months ahead and highlights operators’ need for help from suppliers Chronic labour shortages, insufficient manufactured stocks and post-Brexit challenges on imports are combining to create disruption and inflation across the foodservice sector, the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index reveals.

The monthly report shows problems intensified throughout food and drink supply markets in July, with shortages of HGV drivers a particular concern. The Index indicates further yearon-year inflation in prices in most food and drink categories during the month, and forecasts more increases over the rest of 2021. Hospitality’s return towards pre-pandemic trading levels, wage inflation throughout the supply chain and further Brexit impacts are all likely to feed through the chain into higher prices.

Many food businesses are also experiencing difficulty in securing chef labour, leading to increasing numbers reducing menu ranging, and/or seeking prepared products from suppliers. Some

are also setting up their own central production kitchens to make the most of available labour and take pressure away from individual sites.

Shaun Allen, CEO of Prestige Purchasing, said: “Our 12-month rolling forecast predicts an increasingly strong rise in food and drink prices, and many operators are now intensifying their focus on the management of their supply markets and the simplification of their food production. With the removal of the VAT reduction and a wide range of rising costs the balancing act of menu pricing and cost management to deliver optimum cash will be tougher than ever.”

James Ashurst, client director at CGA, said: “The foodservice sector is bouncing back well from the turmoil of COVID, and consumer demand for hospitality experiences remains strong.

But labour shortages and price inflation are threatening the recovery, and it is particularly frustrating that most of the challenges are out of businesses’ own hands. With few solutions in sight in the short-term, they are going to have to be agile and resourceful in their purchasing and supply arrangements in the run-up to the crucial Christmas period.”

Arusha Group Invests with Star at Fifth Pub Arusha Group has taken a substantive lease on The Bear on the Barge at Uxbridge – its third site with Star – as it embarks on a joint £475,000 refurbishment with the pub company. The investment will transform the pub into a great quality, family-friendly bar and restaurant. To signal its new direction and reflect its location on the banks of the Grand Union Canal, the pub will be renamed The River Garden.

Work starts in mid September and The River Garden is scheduled to open in early December, creating 30 new jobs.

A total revamp of the interior will keep all its character whilst upgrading it throughout and making it more contemporary and stylish. The building will be opened up to create additional seating for 50 people. To cater for all occasions it will have separate bar and dining areas as well as a new private dining room. A high-spec £30,000 audio-visual system will allow the site to be further zoned, so that customers can enjoy different experiences. The design will incorporate warm rich colours, velvet and leather upholstery and booth seating. Features such as an open fire and wood floors will be retained and restored.

Arusha Group now has five leased pub and bars to the North West of London. Its estate encompasses a variety of large high-volume venues ranging from a traditional community pub to a premium high street cocktail bar. The company plans further expansion in the area. Says Arusha Group co-founder Sandy Bhambra “Subject to availability of suitable leased sites, I can envisage growing to a group of 10 or more venues. Pub companies own a lot of the best pubs in this area and leasing from them works perfectly for us as we can expand more quickly.”

Adds Star Pubs & Bars area manager James Hulston: “We’re delighted to be joining forces with Arusha Group again and to be investing in such a high-profile site with them. The garden is stunning and has proved a fantastic asset over the pandemic. The investment will premiumise the pub to complement the outdoor space and provide further really solid income streams.”

The refurbishment of The Bear on the Barge is part of Star Pubs & Bars’ 2021 £38m investment programme, which includes 80 major pub makeovers.

Celebrity Chefs and MPs Lead Call On Brits To Get Behind National Hospitality Day Issue 75

Some of Britain’s best-loved celebrity chefs, including Angela Hartnett, Tom Kerridge, Gary Usher, Paul Ainsworth and more, star in a new video (https://vimeo.com/604816346) calling on the nation to go out and support their favourite pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels on Saturday 18th September – the first annual National Hospitality Day. National Hospitality Day has been created to celebrate everything we love about hospitality, a sector that has taken a battering over the last 18 months, to help struggling businesses get back on their feet, all while raising money for leading charities.

Despite the end of COVID restrictions, the video warns that hospitality venues aren’t out of the woods yet, with the stark prospect of even more closures in the sector with issues such as staffing, supply and business rates continuing to have a massive impact on businesses.

Venues are also being encouraged to support National Hospitality Day and pull out all the stops, with a few examples coming from BrewDog Bars offering up FREE pints; ASK restaurants providing free starters; Zizzi giving out free desserts; Wahaca donating £1 from every margarita sold; St Austell Brewery donating £1 from every pint sold across its managed pubs; and Searcy’s donating the profits from its brand-new venue’s afternoon tea – 116 Pall Mall’s ‘The Confectioner’s Afternoon Tea’. Other big-name brands involved are Admiral Taverns, Accor, Fuller’s, Caravan, Punch Pubs and Shepherd Neame.

Angela Hartnett, TV personality and Executive Chef and the Michelinstarred Murano in London’s Mayfair, said: “The pandemic has been a

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hammer blow to our industry. Pubs, restaurants and hotels have faced the prospect of closure and hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs. Many of our favourite places have sadly closed forever.

Business, livelihoods and lives have been lost. Even now, weeks after reopening, businesses are fighting a daily battle for survival, with supply and staffing issues causing huge problems.

been through hell over the last 18 months and the majority are still struggling to get back on their feet, even with restrictions now lifted.

National Hospitality Day will rightly be a great celebration of everything we love about our sector, reminding customers of the intrinsic role hospitality plays in the social fabric of communities – and helping to raise money for our fantastic industry charities.”

“National Hospitality Day promises to be a nationwide celebration of our brilliant and resilient industry. It’s a chance to say thank you and show our appreciation for all the places we missed so dearly during lockdown. So, on 18th September, get down to your local pub, restaurant, café or hotel and join us.”

National Hospitality Day is being organised by leading charities Hospitality Action, Springboard, The Drink’s Trust and The Licensed Trade Charity. Funds raised from venues will go towards these charities, who all support the hospitality industry and its workers. Venues are encouraged to support in any way they see fit – the more ambitious and creative, the better.

Tom Kerridge, TV personality and two-time Michelin-starred pub guru, said: “All our biggest moments go on in hospitality venues, from first dates to weddings, and baby showers to wakes, they’re where the moments that make life worth living take place. That morning chat with your friendly barista, a cheeky pint after work with mates, Saturday morning soaks in a hotel pool, or Sunday roast with the family…we all took these experiences for granted.

“National Hospitality Day is a chance for us all to say “welcome back, we’ve missed you, and thanks for everything you’ve been doing” to our favourite venues. Restaurants, pubs and hotels up and down the country will be pulling out the stops to give everybody a great day out.”

Gary Usher, award-winning restaurateur behind Elite Bistros, said: “With National Hospitality Day coming up, please get involved, by going to your favourite bars, favourite restaurants and your favourite anything hospitality.”

National Hospitality Day also has the full support of the Government, with Business Minister Paul Scully MP, commenting: “National Hospitality Day is a great opportunity to get behind our great pubs, restaurants and cafes that have been going above and beyond for their local communities throughout the pandemic.

“We’re supporting the reopening, recovery and resilience of the sector so that it can build back better from what has been an incredibly tough period. And whether it’s an extra mimosa with your brunch or samosa with your bhuna, this Saturday we can all do our bit to help.”

National Hospitality Day is being endorsed by trade association UKHospitality. Chief Executive Kate Nicholls added: “Our venues have

St Austell Brewery will also be donating £1 for every pint of its branded beers sold in its managed pubs this Saturday 18th September to mark National Hospitality Day. Kevin Georgel, Chief Executive of St Austell Brewery, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting UKHospitality and National Hospitality Day at an important time for this wonderful sector. We want the UK to get out and enjoy the fantastic pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels this country has to offer while also supporting a good cause. We look forward to raising a glass with our customers this weekend.”

To find out more about National Hospitality Day, go to www.nationalhospitalityday.org.uk or contact Hospitality Action atinfo@nationalhospitalityday.org.uk.

Drinkaware Supports National Hospitality Day and the Sector's Workforce 8

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An open letter from Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of Drinkaware nesses afloat over the last 18 months.

It is welcome to see that the role hospitality has as an employer is central to the day and Drinkaware understands the impact the pandemic has had on individuals affected by lockdown, furlough, and the risk of redundancy. So, it is appropriate that many participating venues are building a charitable element into their activities with funds raised being donated to four key hospitality industry charities that provide care for those in the hospitality family who need physical, well-being, financial or employment support.

This is a sector impacted more than most by the pandemic and the day reflects how much people missed hospitality when it was closed. It provides an opportunity to reinforce the industry’s importance to the British way of life and economy, and rediscover the value of pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, and venues.

National Hospitality Day is a fitting tribute to everyone in the industry who has worked so hard to look after their customers and keep busi-

It is also a chance to recapture the enthusiasm that people have for meeting up with family and friends in a regulated environment. By providing confidence in returning to these key community assets, with experiences that help create positive memories, National Hospitality Day has

the potential to develop occasions that create repeat visits and help rebuild an industry that has been decimated by COVID. The individuals who work in hospitality are essential to the success of any venue and many of them continue to deal with ongoing problems such as staff shortages and supply chain disruption. The practical assistance provided through fundraising on National Hospitality Day will be a welcome boost and it is an opportunity for us all to think about how we can help those around us.

Drinkaware stands alongside everyone in the sector who is either caring for team members or who needs care themselves. Our advice, tools and resources are freely available for anyone who may be turning to alcohol to cope with the challenges they face, who wants to break a drinking habit or to make more informed choices about their drinking.

As National Hospitality Day celebrates the resilience of the industry, please visit drinkaware.co.uk for more information about how we can support you and your colleagues today and every day.

‘Local Community Hero’ Recognised for ‘One Million Meals’ Charity Campaign

Suleman Raza, who owns the Spice Village chain of Spice Village in south and west London and the Grand Sapphire

rants opening to provide group meals for individuals who would otherwise spend Christmas Day on their own.

Hotel and Events venue in Croydon, has received a special Local Community Hero award, at a ceremony at the House of Lords, on 7th September.

Presenting the Community Hero Award, ACF Chairman Yawar Khan said: “Many of our country’s restaurants still managed to do great works of charity, despite their businesses being devastated by the lockdown – and Suleman Raza is a worthy recipient.”

Suleman received the personal accolade at an event organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), hosted by Lord Sheikh and presented by TV news anchor Samantha Simmonds.

Early in the pandemic, in March 2020, Raza launched the ‘One Million Meals’ campaign to provide hot meals to hospitals, the vulnerable and the homeless. One Million Meals Feed the Frontline Keyworkers Former footballer David Beckham, Santander Bank, London School of Economics and King’s College all backed the campaign The nationwide scheme, raised nearly £50,000 and involved 110 restaurants throughout the country to support the vulnerable and frontline workers at 47 hospitals and over 200 other locations.

There were also special awards for other individuals for their outstanding contributions to their local communities.

102-year-old Dabirul Islam Choudry MBE, founder of Yum Yum Thai restaurant in London’s Stoke Newington, received recognition as Champion Global Fundraiser for raising over £1 million for Covid-19 relief, by walking 970 laps of his garden in East London whilst fasting during Ramadan.

Sharif Uddin, owner of DUSK and Kushi restaurants in Essex, was named a Local Community Hero for donating over 15,000 meals to frontline NHS staff, key workers, the elderly and vulnerable.

During the school holidays, the scheme provided 2,500 meals to under-privileged children, highlighted by footballer Marcus Rashford.

Mahboob Hussain owner of Royal Nawaab in London and Manchester was commended for services to charity.

Suleman said; “I am glad that we managed to serve ten of thousands of meals through local restaurants that geared up their businesses and got their operations going in those turbulent times,

Sheikh Mamun, owner of Panache in Elgin in Scotland, provided over 500 free meals to NHS staff during lockdown, was similarly acknowledged.

“So, I would like to dedicate this award to all those restaurants and volunteers who participated and supported my campaign.

The House of Lords presentation was also used as a platform for the 11th Asian Curry Awards will take place at London’s Grosvenor House on 21st November

“Every one of you can be a community hero by helping those around you who need your help.”

Still supporting those in need, attention will be turned in Afghan refugees, food banks and the homeless and those living alone. Raza plans to restart his ‘No One Eats Alone’ initiative this Christmas, with restau-

The awards are open to all Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, and Vietnamese restaurants and takeaways.

Spice loving members of the public can nominate their favourite restaurants via: www.asiancurryawards.com/asian-curry-awards-2021-nomination-form

Golden “World” Accolade for Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame’s 1698 has been named the Best Pale Bitter over 5.5% ABV in the World Beer Awards.

Originally brewed in 1998 to celebrate the Faversham brewery's tercentenary, 1698 is a premium bottle-conditioned Kentish Strong Ale (6.5% ABV), available in 500ml bottles.

It boasts a robust hop character as it is thrice-hopped using Kentish Admiral and Goldings hops. The natural effervescence produced by bottleconditioning – the interaction of yeast and brewing sugars – gives 1698 fine, Champagne-like bubbles that further enhance the aroma and flavour.

The awards were announced on Thursday (September 9), and Shepherd Neame also took two honours in the design category: its new Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA won silver for New Launch, and Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale won bronze for Can Design.

Mike Unsworth, Shepherd Neame Head Brewer, said: “These awards are a testament to our team’s passion and knowledge, and our commitment to quality. We are delighted to receive such fantastic accolades, showing once again that our beers really are world class.”

Government Urged Not to Break Manifesto Pledge with £27M Rates Hike for Pubs & Restaurants Issue 75

The Prime Minister is being urged not to rip up another tax pledge made at the 2019 General Election by increasing the tax burden on shops, pubs, restaurants, offices and factories as well as public sector buildings with a £700 million business rates hike in England next April.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation for September, reported by the ONS in October, ordinarily determines business rate rises for the following financial year but rates have been frozen for the last 2 years due to the economic impact of the pandemic.

Boris Johnson made a manifesto commitment in 2019 saying that a re-elected Conservative Government would lower the burden of business rates.

CPI rose by 2.0% in the 12 months to July 2021 which, if maintained in September, would signal that gross business rates bills next April for 2022/23 would rise by £667.81 million in England, of which £162.08 million would be shouldered by the embattled retail sector. Pubs and restaurants would face rises of £14.94 million

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and £11.76 million respectively according to forecasts from the real estate adviser, Altus Group.

Robert Hayton, UK President at Altus Group, said “there are real expectations that inflation will rise later this year potentially pushing those rate rises even higher” adding “ending the ridiculous policy of annually increasing upwards the tax rates and instead focusing on growth is a far better way for Councils to increase their local taxation revenues to fund local services honouring the commitment made.”

In 1990/91 when business rates in their current form were first introduced, the standard rate of tax for business rates in England was 34.8p, a rate comparable to other tax rates at that time. UK Corporation tax was 34%. Whilst Corporation tax today stands at 19%, in contrast, the standard rate of tax for business rates for the current financial year for 2021/22 is 51.2p, a near 50% increase.

Mayor Of London Calls For Covid Recovery Visa To Address Staff Shortages

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has backed calls for the government to introduce a Covid recovery visa to fill the shortage of workers across a variety of industries including hospitality, and set out how the scheme could work, including calling on the government to change its immigration system to meet economic needs and help businesses, with devolved powers to fill vacancies in sectors with serious shortages, and extending the Youth Mobility Scheme to EU nationals.

The crisis has been sparked by Brexit and Covid-19, with many young workers having returned to their home countries. The post-Brexit rules make it harder for those in lower-skilled or lower-paid roles to move to the UK.

Business rates are devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mr Khan argued that a regional shortage occupation list for London and other cities would give areas the ability to attract and retain staff where they have greatest need.

He said: “Many sectors that are important to our economic recovery, from hospitality to haulage, construction to culture, are now under huge strain due the lack of EU workers and the government’s immigration rules. We know there are countless struggling businesses across London that are working hard to get back on their feet, but are now simply unable to hire the staff they need.

“Given the urgency and the scale of the challenge, I’m calling on the government to change its immigration system so that it meets our economic needs and helps our businesses. This must include introducing a ‘Covid recovery visa’ to help attract international workers into key roles to support our economic recovery. London has unique needs when it comes to attracting workers from around the world – and so a more tailored, dynamic approach is urgently required.

“When it comes to immigration, many politicians seem to be too scared to argue for what they know is needed. The truth is that a flexible migration system that can attract talent from around the world will always be crucial to London’s competitiveness and our ongoing success.”

According to the latest ONS figures, the number of job vacancies in London was around 21 per cent higher in July 2021 than in July the previous year, rising to 43 per cent for vacancies in the construction industry and 60 per cent in hospitality.

Despite this, London still has the highest rate of unemployment in the UK at six per cent.

It is one of only three regions including Scotland and the South East of England to have fewer payrolled employees than before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Rolling 12-Month Sales Down 15% But Managed Pubs, Bars and Restaurants Show Resilience With 5% Growth In August Mounting consumer confidence and staycations helped Britain’s leading managed pub, restaurant and bar groups to lift sales above pre-COVID-19 levels in August, the new edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

The Tracker, produced by CGA in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM, shows total sales were 5% ahead of August 2019. It is the first month of year-on-year growth since hospitality reopened from mid-April.

Total sales were also 35% up on August 2020, when the majority of venues were open after Britain’s first lockdown and the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ initiative was running.

For the fourth month in a row, managed restaurant groups outperformed the market, with total sales up by 7% on August 2019. Pubs recorded 3% growth, with pub restaurants (up 6%) faring better than drink-led sites (up 1%). Bars enjoyed an impressive surge in sales following the easing of restrictions on the late-night sector, finishing August 21% up on 2019.

Businesses benefited from a first full month of restriction-free trading in August, as well as the easing of safety concerns among diners and drinkers. Widespread ‘staycations’ during the school holidays contributed to a strong August for regions beyond London, with sales outside the M25 up by 9%. London continued to be impacted by the absence of many office workers and tourists, and sales within the M25 were down by 7% on August 2019.

On a longer 12-month measure, COVID continues to take a toll on groups’ trading. The Tracker shows rolling 12-month sales to the end of August 2021 were down by 15% on the 12 months to August 2020—a period which included the UK’s first national lockdown.

Karl Chessell, director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA, said: “August was another impressive month of recovery for managed groups from the havoc wreaked by COVID-19. It is a particularly impressive

performance given the severe operational pressures that many businesses are working under, including staff shortages, supply problems and rising costs. Sales growth is testament to the resilience and adaptability of the hospitality industry and consumers’ ongoing enthusiasm for restaurants, pubs and bars. While trading conditions remain some way off pre-COVID norms, August will hopefully act as a springboard for a strong final four months of 2021 for the sector.”

David Coffer, chairman at Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “August figures show welcome progress in public support. However, we should be wary of the major challenges which lay ahead; shortage of food and drink and labour, the end of furlough and the statutory demands for repayment of loans, rates, VAT and now higher NIC. There is also the threat of further lockdown and COVID controls as well the spectre of the end of the rental moratorium. The next few months will prove the depth of these challenges, but the undoubted ability of the sector to cope as ever.”

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM, said: “Like for like sales growth of 5% across the sector is a fantastic result and testament to all the hard work that has gone in to making venues safe and secure over the summer months. With many operators carrying huge debt burdens, an opportunity to replenish depleted cash reserves will be a huge relief and hopefully the start of a more sustained recovery. The timing of this week’s announcement to increase national insurance to help fund health and social care is another financial blow to businesses who are facing the end of the furlough scheme later this month and an increase in the headline rate of VAT from 5% to 12.5%. The resilience of the sector will be put to the test once more but if the experience of the last 18 months is anything to go by, this will be another hurdle that most operators will take in their stride.”

A total of 57 companies provided data to the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

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All under one roof, industry experts will provide ambitious visitors with their secrets to success; whilst an array of some of the most innovative suppliers in the hotel sector will showcase the solutions that are forming the future of the ever-evolving industry, all for FREE! Hotel360’s unparalleled line-up will boast over 300 cutting-edge suppliers, 150 inspirational seminars, expert-led panel debates, unlimited networking

opportunities, unmissable innovation awards, and much more.

Uniting the leading innovators from the worlds of marketing, branding, facilities management, operations, technology and beyond, the event is the hub of the solutions that are providing hospitality’s professionals with the tools they need to not only grow their business, but also increase their profits The incredible features don’t stop there! Running directly alongside Hotel360 is the Hospitality Design Show. Not only will the show reveal the designs behind business growth, it also grants you with a unique opportunity to let the leading creatives guide you to success!

So what are you waiting for? Visit www.hotel360expo.co.uk to secure your free ticket and discover the tools to maximise your margins and stay ahead of the curve!

Innovation and Technology in Hospitality 12

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By Alexandra Constantinescu (Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism Management) at University of East London (www.uel.ac.uk) The past few months have been a steep learning curve for the hospitality industry. From overcoming safety concerns, to redesigning the customer journey and managing expectations of customers’ who are now seeking highly personalised experiences, hospitality leaders find themselves in a position where they must innovate, redefine, redesign, and upskill. And this is just the beginning. New challenges are starting to emerge, as the industry is now fully open for business. Demand is high, staff is scarce, pressure is building up. Up until recently, technology and innovation have been used within the hospitality industry as tools for performance management and cost efficiency. It now becomes apparent that such tools must also be seen as a strategic business orientation, with value creation and market differentiation being highly reliant on the industry’s ability to innovate and adopt cutting edge technology. Are hospitality leaders ready for the future?

Latest technology and innovation trends in hospitality include the use of artificial intelligence, as well as immersive technology, and the metaverse. Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting increased traction, especially for businesses targeting a tech-savvy demographic, with chatbots taking over and providing real-time responses that are almost impossible to maintain with human-to-human interaction. This not only enhances cost efficiency on the long term, but also enables faster response rates, consequently improving customer experience, or at least streamlining it. More recently, AI robots have also been introduced in some settings, partially replacing basic face-to-face interaction – although some functionalities are still limited, and it might take a few more years until they will

be able to fully take over complex front-desk tasks. Immersive technology – i.e. virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) – has been used within the industry to enhance customer experience, and maintain contact with existing and potentially new customers during lockdown. It is likely that such innovations will continue to be popular post-lockdown, with VR and AR increasingly being used as experiential marketing communication tools. Furthermore, a recent Deloitte report outlines that immersive technology is also beginning to gain popularity in staff training, with some research showing that AR training might result in greater knowledge transfer and might yield up to a 75% learning retention rate – higher than any other forms of training. The metaverse is an extension of MR, including 3D avatars and strong elements of gamification, where physical and digital worlds are bridged, creating live, data-bound digital replicas of real-life environments.

The key feature of metaverse is that it allows not only for continuity between activities and environments but also for multi-platform applicability. The metaverse can be used as a distribution channel and a marketing platform, appealing to the forward-thinking, tech-savvy demographic. Whilst still emerging, the metaverse space allows for highly personalised experiences, leading to enhanced user interaction, and increased customer engagement. It can be used to develop multi-sensory experiences, to monetise branded digital assets, to take co-creation to the next level and to unlock innovative loyalty schemes. It can essentially be used to take some elements of the customer experience to the next level – and this may in fact be true for many other technological innovations. But let’s keep in mind that at its core, hospitality is an industry run by people – for the people. That the physical, real-world environment still matters. That the ‘personal touch’ is still at the core of the industry - and it can still make or break that ‘perfect’ customer experience.

Indeed, future hospitality leaders must be highly creative, technologically proficient, innovative thinkers – with a vision to bring an otherwise traditionalist industry in a new, experiential, digital age. Nevertheless, they must still have the ability to inspire, the power to bring the best in people around them and lead their teams towards delivering unique, highly personalised, memorable customer experiences. These are some of the most important aspects that should be taken into consideration in the training of future hospitality leaders. The Institute of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of East London provides a wide range of Industryinformed programs aimed to meet current and future employability needs of the industry.

CAMRA Celebrates 50 Years of UK Brewing with Anniversary Golden Awards The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has awarded 18 breweries and cider makers across the country with Golden Awards, to mark a half century of the organisation’s campaigns.

As part of its anniversary celebrations throughout 2021, CAMRA is recognising people, groups of people or businesses that have made a significant contribution to CAMRA’s aims, helping us get to where we are today. 32 pubs in the Awards’ ‘Pubs’ categories were previously announced in July, and today’s recipients are entered in the ‘Pints’ category.

Nominations for the Golden Awards were made by CAMRA members and locals. Over 80 breweries were submitted, which was then whittled down to 18 awardees.

CAMRA’s Awards Director Gary Timmins said: “I am delighted to be celebrating these breweries and cider makers today with CAMRA Golden Awards. These awards reflect the dedication and legacies of these businesses over the last 50 years, and the impact they have had on our campaign and on British brewing and cider production.

“CAMRA’s 50th year comes on the heels of an incredibly difficult time for the industry after 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions. I hope all involved with these businesses, both present and past, will take this award as appreciation for all the hard work involved in producing pints of great quality over the decades.

“Winners have been chosen for their successes in standing the test of time; they are breweries or cider and perry producers that have

gone above and beyond in delivering excellence or innovation over the years. I applaud them for their dedication and for being industry stalwarts.”

The 18 Golden Awards recipients are: Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk Batemans, Wainfleet, Lincolnshire Brains, Cardiff, Wales Coach House, Warrington, Cheshire

Durham, Bowburn, County Durham Fuller’s, Chiswick, London Harvey’s, Lewes, East Sussex Hop Back, Downton, Wiltshire Moor, Bristol, Somerset Oliver’s Cider & Perry, Ocle Pychard, Herefordshire Orkney, Quoyloo, Orkney Robinsons, Stockport, Greater Manchester Shepherd Neame, Faversham, Kent Thwaites, Blackburn, Lancashire Timothy Taylor, Keighley, West Yorkshire West Berkshire, Yattendon, Berkshire West Croft Cider, Highbridge, Somerset Wye Valley, Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire The Golden Awards are celebrating recipients in three different categories: ‘Pubs’, ‘Pints’, and ‘People’. The winners in the ‘People’ category will be announced later in the year. Local presentation events are in the process of being arranged, with each brewery or cider maker receiving a certificate of achievement.

CAMRA will be celebrating their 50th anniversary throughout 2021, with a host of activity including a new biography 50 Years of CAMRA, awards for campaigners, pubs and breweries, virtual festivals, and commemorative merchandise. Learn more on our 50th Anniversary page: https://camra.org.uk/50-years/

WTTB – Print Ordering Made Easy…

To take liberties with a popular phrase, “no business is an island.”

To succeed there are so many other factors to take into consideration, which is why it’s important to ensure that you have reliable, cost effective and professional suppliers in your corner.

WTTB is one such ally, so much so that we don’t see ourselves as service to your business but rather an extension of it.

Our print on demand and up-to-the-minute technology means that we can provide everything you need for your offline marketing – from banners to flyers to signage and all points in between.

Through our state-of-the-art site you can manage your print requirements seamlessly and easily, with a fast turn around time. And although we’re a digital service, we’re there every step of the way to give you our

support or answer any queries.

Our products are suitable for an endless range of sectors and particularly for hospitality.

From information packs to menus, from promotional materials to vouchers and loyalty cards – we’re about producing everything your business needs to keep your existing customers happy and to help you win new ones.

We have a long and strong track record in helping boost our customers’ bottom line with endless solutions to help you get your business noticed and keep it front of mind.

Print is an essential tool for any successful business so find out what we can do for you by visiting www.wherethetradebuys.co.uk

How To Manage Anti-Social Behaviour 14

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framework, a platform to provide updates and showcase events, as well as add personality for its followers.

good work. They can however also be seen as damaging, providing a platform for disgruntled customers or competitors give negative views.

To maximise the opportunities and minimise the issues, the natural place to start is with a plan that delivers on objectives. Think what messages the business wants to convey and on what channels – remember that producing good social content can be time consuming, so it’s better to manage a couple of platforms well than attempt to take on too much.

Whatever your opinion, it’s important to know how to handle them to protect your reputation or to maximise the positive benefits.

Consider a posting schedule, which includes how often you want to post and on what platforms. Importantly, also work out who has responsibility for updating whether you are doing it internally or using some outsourced support. In the plan include key dates relevant to the business or customers such as #CaskAleWeek (23rd Sept- 3rd Oct) or more obvious dates such as Mother’s Day or Halloween.

WHAT TO POST AND WHEN? The use of social media has given businesses across the country new ways of engaging with customers and promoting their offers to loyal followers. However, if not managed carefully, it can have negative impacts on reputations and businesses alike.

Here, Louis Hill, Managing Director at digital PR agency Source PR (www.sourcepr.co.uk), outlines how best to use social media platforms and why it’s important to be proactive in managing customer complaints.

In today’s digital world, customers can research a venue, review a menu and order food and drinks all via their smartphones. In some cases, they like to virtually ‘check in’ and share updates of their every activity with their friends, family and followers.

For receptive and socially aware businesses, this can give almost immediate endorsement of their establishments and an excellent opportunity to engage with customers.

The other side to social media does however pose some challenges as operators seek ways to stay on top of enquiries that can come in 24/7, or negative reviews and comments that can damage a reputation at the click of a button.

HAVE A PLAN To make the most of the opportunity, businesses should by now have marketing and communications strategy. It does not need to be comprehensive, but it does need to give the businesses a communications

Be regular but don’t ‘spam’ your followers’ feed. It’s ideal to post around 4-5 times every week, with content depending on what you want to convey.

Experience suggests that good content can include products, personality and people - share what you’re proud of and that give audiences an insight as to what to expect. Video and imagery can add personality to your feed and people help show the fun and human side of the business.

Don’t forget it’s also a great way to share business updates, activities and important information for customers.

As well as content, think about the visuals. Pictures speak a thousand words - videos are even better. Make sure you have good quality images that showcase your offering and put you in a positive light.

ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS As social media presents the ‘face’ of the business, consider how you want to interact with users. It’s a good idea to have an agreed tone of voice and method of replying to comments and messages on social media.

It’s also wise to have a designated person (or small team) to manage the platforms as having too many involved may upset the routine.

Equally, it’s important to convey the right message and not to make grammatical errors or say the wrong thing as this could have ramifications on your business.

REVIEW PLATFORMS Review platforms can divide opinions – some see them as positive, a tool that allows for feedback to improve performance or recognise

It’s best to keep on top of reviews, regularly check the sites and respond to comments. Replying to 5-star reviews is just as important as replying to 1-star reviews – let your customers know that you appreciate their feedback and use the channel to build relationships.

DEALING WITH NEGATIVE REVIEWS There are many different approaches that can be taken to negative reviews, largely depending on your brand and how you would like to be perceived. However, we would advise you not to ‘wash your linen in public’ and where possible take the discussion offline. Social media is a public platform and it’s never good to be seen criticising or arguing with customers.

Addressing negative reviews can also be seen as proactive – even if you don’t agree with the reviewer’s side of the story. In this digital age all eyes are on your business, so it’s important to make a good impression, to be polite and professional as review sites are often visited by potential new customers.

Replies should always be kept consistent, in line with your brand and use the same tone across all platforms. Where relevant, you may also want to sign off a response with the business owner’s name to make it more personal.

When dealing with a fabricated review, you can usually contest it and have it taken down. In more serious cases, for example if blatantly untrue or deliberately damaging to punish a business, work with the platforms to have the pieces removed.

Sharing positive reviews on your social media channels is a great way to showcase what your business has to offer. If you’re a restaurant/pub/bar or hotel, sharing positive stories from customers is a great way to illustrate good experiences and provides you with fresh imagery for your channels.

Finally, make sure your business information on review platforms, such as Google and Tripadvisor, is accurate and up to date, such as opening times, news and imagery as often they can be the first port of call for visitors.

Balancing the good and bad of social media can be challenging, but if done well it can provide an unparalleled means for businesses to communicate and engage with customers.

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Champion the Hospitality Industry by Sharing Your Story with Springboard’s #MyHospitalityLife!

Springboard are calling on as many hospitality professionals as possible to get involved with #MyHospitalityLife from Friday 17th September onwards, showcasing the industry as a great place to work with excellent career prospects, to inspire the next generation.

We’re asking our hospitality family to share and interact with posts tagged with #MyHospitalityLife on social media, join discussions about the industry, celebrate the many positives and dispel the myths. You can create your own social media posts, whether they are testimonials or videos to show people the highlights of what you do, why you do it and even demo some of the impressive skills you have gleaned throughout your career.

Hospitality is growing and is crying out for new talent to hop on board. There is no other industry like it in terms of flexibility, variety, fast-track career progression and great perks.

We want to let people know what hospitality can offer - the different roles, routes of entry and career journeys available to those with the ambition to succeed in this fast-paced industry. #MyHospitalityLife is for people in any role in hospitality, whether you’re new to the industry or have been working in it for 40 years – make your voice heard and be proud of what you do.

This is just one of the ways that you can support the growth of the industry and futureproof the talent pipeline for hospitality.

Find out more about supporting Springboard as an ambassador: www.springboard.uk.net/support-us/ambassadors

Japanese Cuisine Drives Growth In Restaurants, But Italian Still Dominates According to the latest research from Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker, 15.2% of chain restaurant main and starter dishes are Italian – pizza/pasta. However, Japanese accounts for 12.6%, growing +2.8% versus +0.8 for Italian – pizza/pasta.

The data analyses Autumn/Winter menus in 2020 to those a year ago in 2019. Japanese (+2.8%), Thai (+1.3%) and Vietnamese (+0.6%) all feature in the Top 10 growth cuisines from 2019-2020. Asian ingredients and flavours lend themselves well to meat free dishes, aligning with the growing trend for vegetarian and vegan options across menus.

For pub/bar restaurants, British cuisine continues to dominate.

Over one in five (20.6%) starter and main dishes on pub and bar restaurant menus are British cuisine led. Other leading cuisines are typical ‘pub grub’ categories including burgers (11.3%) and steaks (9.5%).

As well as being the most common cuisines found on pub/bar

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restaurant menus, British (+3.7%) and burgers (+3.2%) are seeing growth.

Commenting on the results, Katie Prowse, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence said, “Italian cuisine is at the heart of many leading chain restaurant menus including Pizza Express, Pizza Hut Restaurants and Prezzo. However, Asian influences are continuing to grow share of dishes on menus within chain restaurants. The flexibility of Asian food, ensures it can be easily adapted to cater for a range of dietary requirements, particularly vegetarian and vegan.”

“For pub/bar restaurants, there remains a dominance of the ‘pub grub’ classics, such as burgers, British cuisine, steak etc. With the pandemic forcing many outlets to completely close their doors, operators have streamlined their menus to mitigate rising costs, reduced capacities and back of house restrictions. Furthermore, burgers and British cuisine are versatile and can be adjusted to align with consumer trends around indulgence, customisation and plant based diets”

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Staffing Shortage Sees Sector Vacancies Soar Issue 75

The number of job vacancies in June to August 2021 was 1,034,000, the first time vacancies has risen over 1 million since records began, and is now 249,000 above its pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic January to March 2020 level, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Job vacancies in the hospitality sector increased by 57,600 during the period June- August 2021.

The coronavirus pandemic affected job numbers adversely across the majority of industries, with those sectors hardest hit showing large falls since December 2019. Accommodation and food service activities has seen the largest number of job losses with 178,000 (negative 7.0%) since December 2019.

Other notable industries to have been affected are wholesale, retail and motor vehicles, which fell by 170,000, and manufacturing, which fell by 138,000. Of all the industry sectors, six increased job numbers over the same period. The sector with the largest increase was public administration, defence and compulsory social security, with 81,000 more jobs.

There are signs of recovery in the quarterly figures, with 14 industry sectors showing positive growth since March 2021, contributing to an increase of 293,000 to the total workforce jobs estimate.

Accommodation and food service activities, up 122,000 (5.5%), showed the greatest single sector increase.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has warned that the skills gap is only going to stretch further unless quick action is taken to encourage more independent professionals from outside the UK to relocate here for work.

Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel and Head of Public Policy at APSCo commented: “This on-going spike in recruitment activity is in keeping with APSCo’s latest Recruitment Trends Snapshot report – produced in conjunction with growth analytics experts cube19 – which showed that permanent and contract roles saw marked increases year on year in August, up 47% and 79.5% respectively. The fact that pay has returned to pre-pandemic levels at last is a positive sign for the economy, however, we are seeing employers simply needing to increase remuneration as staff shortages continue to impact hiring activity.

“The increasing dearth of talent that businesses across the country are reporting is a real concern to the recruitment sector. While the Government has pledged to support skills development in the UK on a longerterm basis, there is a need for more immediate action. At

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APSCo we are continuing our calls to the Government to provide a visa entry route into the UK that both allows and encourages high value independent professionals to work in the country on a project-basis. And while the delayed return to in person Right to Work checks is a welcome move, a permanent, longer-term solution is needed to create a regulatory environment that is fit for purpose in today’s modern world.

“We expect to see recruitment activity continue on its upward trajectory in the immediate future, however, with the furlough scheme ending this month, it will be interesting to see how this impacts the ONS labour statistics for the remaining quarter of 2021.”

Commenting on the figures, Kate Nicholls UKHospitality Chief Executive said: “The latest official job numbers underline the significant impact the ongoing tightness and disruption to the labour market and associated labour shortages are having across the economy. However, hospitality is clearly suffering most when compared to other sectors.

“The industry has been at the forefront of job creation as the economy begins to recover and rebuild. But with additional pressures and uncertainties, as well as being the last sector to reopen, hospitality has been hamstrung in its attempts to fill vacancies. With the effectiveness of the furlough scheme, the economy is also close to operating at full employment, making the need for Government support on this issue absolutely vital.

“It’s crucial that existing initiatives, such as the Kickstart scheme, are functioning effectively as we have tens of thousands of jobs to offer people – as well as working with us to get more people into apprenticeships and training. Government must now also seriously consider temporary immigration reforms, adding chefs to the Shortage Occupation List and support the broader supply chain. The labour problems of the summer for hospitality and the wider economy are not going away.

“The latest figures once again show the unique impact the pandemic has had on the hospitality sector – but also its potential to be at the forefront of the economic recovery with the right support and conditions. We are a job creator and can drive economic growth and job creation, but further support from Government is required to realise this. Measures we are calling for include the long-overdue reform of business rates and a permanently lower rate of VAT for hospitality.”

Over 200 Restaurants Across The UK Are Joining Action Against Hunger’s ‘LOVE FOOD GIVE FOOD’ Campaign In Its 10th Anniversary This September and October, Action Against Hunger is inviting restaurants across the UK, to partake in the Love Food Give Food campaign. By foodies adding just £1 to their bill at the end of the meal, they are raising vital funds to support communities in the UK and across the world who are facing life-threatening hunger.

The £1’s from this year’s donations will go towards those suffering from hunger and malnrutrition in the UK and around the world. The charity supports community kitchen and malnutrition treatment centres, water, sanitation and healthcare projects and those assisting people impacted by Covid-19.

Right now, the lives of 11 million children under five are at risk because of life-threatening hunger; that is four times the number of people who lost their lives in the first year of the pandemic.

Additionally, WHO (World Health Organisation) estimates that 265 million people around the world are currently facing a hunger crisis. That is a rise of 130 million on the pre-pandemic figure. In the UK alone 1.97 million people within the UK are undernourished according to The Food Foundation.

Jean-Michel Grand, Exectuive Director of Action Against Hunger, comments: “This year we celebrate Love Food Give Food’s 10th anniversary. We have had fantastic support from the hospitality industry over the last 10 years, which has raised over £3 million and supported 17 million people.

The money raised by restaurants and their diners has helped fight against hunger and malnutrition in 46 countries, including here in the UK.

We are delighted that we have so many fantastic venues supporting this year too. Over 200 restaurants across the UK have confirmed their participation from 1 September. Restaurants include Yo! Sushi, Hakkasan, Darjeeling Express through to Hawksmoor and Caravan.

The world is facing a global hunger pandemic with millions of people suffering from lack of food due to poverty, climate change, conflict and Covid. Our UK restaurants and those eating out are in a fantastic and unique position to make an impact in the fight against global hunger.”

Across the UK the average meal out is £25 for a couple. The price for this meal is the same cost to fund an emergency kitchen kit for a family of five people.If the meal were to cost £42, that’s the same cost as a 6-week treatment of ready to use therapeutic food to help save a malnourished child’s life.

The donation of £1 on your restaurant bill provides a mother with a day’s worth of life-saving therapeutic food to treat her malnourished child. The right nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s development is vital for a chance of a healthy life.

Women, infants and children are often more vulnerable to malnutrition across the world. Of the 690 million people who are food insecure worldwide (including the UK) 60% are women. When families experience economic hardship, mothers are usually the first to sacrifice their food to feed their children.

For more information on Love Food Give Food and to know which retailers and venues are signed up visit: https://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/lfgf

Red Oak Taverns to Acquire 9 Pubs from Hall & Woodhouse Red Oak Taverns is to acquire nine Business Partnership (tenanted) pubs from Dorset family brewers, Hall & Woodhouse, making it Red Oak’s third pub package acquisition in 2021.

year, so far, to 25 pubs. The pandemic has only temporarily interrupted our growth plans and we are ready to take advantage of investment opportunities that become available with a view to doubling the size of our business over the next two years”.

Co-founder and Chief Executive of Red Oak, Mark Grunnell said, “We are delighted to be acquiring these high quality pubs from Hall & Woodhouse and very much look forward to welcoming their hardworking business partners to Red Oak Taverns. This acquisition will be the third portfolio acquisition this year for us and shows our commitment to growing a quality pub estate throughout the UK by working with pub owners and family brewers in a professional and diligent way. These highly performing pubs will be a great fit to our business.

Matt Kearsey, Managing Director of Hall & Woodhouse, said: “We have always actively managed our pub estate, and made the decision to sell these pubs to take advantage of strong demand, in order to reinvest in other properties which are better aligned to the long-term strategy of our excellent Business Partnership estate.

“The commitment to growing our business remains undiminished by the pandemic and this will be the third portfolio acquisition we have made this year, we have also added three individual pubs to our estate, taking our total acquisitions this

“We are currently seeing some exciting opportunities in the market to buy high quality pubs in prime locations, often with accommodation. We have already bought two freehold pubs, and have a further five sites in solicitors’ hands.

“We thank our business partners for their loyalty over the years, it has been a pleasure working with them, and we are confident that their pubs will continue to thrive under Red Oak’s ownership.”

The pubs are largely community and rural destination venues. Simon Chaplin at Christie & Co advised Red Oak on the transaction. Hall & Woodhouse were not represented.

Recruitment in Hospitality 20

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Issue 75

The UK hospitality industry has faced immense challenges since the start of the pandemic, with the latest hurdle proving to be recruitment. Staff shortages across various sectors has seen a substantial drop in the number of people wanting to work in hospitality, with many hospitality workers revaluating their prospects ahead of the furlough scheme ending at the end of September.

For hospitality to see sustainable recovery, businesses will need to have a skilled and loyal workforce. But with fewer talent on the market and demand only increasing, how can businesses make sure their approach to recruitment is the right one?

Here, Ian Leigh, Managing Director at Thai Leisure Group, (www.thaileisuregroup.co.uk) discusses the impact the past 18 months has had on the industry and how, as a company, they are pivoting their strategy to attract only the best talent.

1. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU LOOK FOR WHEN RECRUITING A NEW MEMBER OF STAFF? Above all we look for those with an energetic and positive attitude. We take the approach that we can teach staff all the skills they need to work with us, but having passion and drive is key in order to do this. We are a people business rather than a food business; we recruit people from the heart and pride ourselves on taking a tailored approach to find staff that are the right fit.

We are very much a value-driven team and we employ people who embody our four core values – sense of fun, teamwork, five star and caring from the heart. Hospitality businesses should remember that their values are the glue that hold the team together, so they should remain front of mind when recruiting new staff.

To combat this problem, we are working hard to offer prospective workers exciting opportunities to grow with our company. We are making a conscious effort to promote from within, develop our teams with tailored training, as well as the opportunity to be involved in our ‘bigger picture vision’.

3. WHAT PROBLEMS HAVE YOU FACED IN REGARDS TO BREXIT AND RECRUITMENT, AND HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME THESE? We have unfortunately lost a number of highly valued European team members due to Brexit. We are proud of the diversity in our business and still have 33 nationalities working for Thai Leisure Group today. We are constantly striving for new ways to reward and incentivise our staff and this has been even more the case since the pandemic. We know staff want flexibility, autonomy and clear progression – so this is exactly what we try to give them.

4. HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED YOUR BUSINESS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS IN RELATION TO RECRUITMENT? We have recently introduced staff referral schemes as a way to find reliable recruits that are in line with our values.

Alongside searching for new recruits, we are passionate about listening to and developing our existing team.

Asking for feedback regularly is a great way to ensure staff are happy and fulfilled in their roles, allowing both us and them as individuals to thrive.

Training and development have been a big investment for us since the pandemic, and this is something that will only strengthen with time.

Many of our staff work part time alongside other passions or employment, such as students, and we make sure to support and nurture these individuals just as much as our full-time staff.

5. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY LEADERS THAT MAY BE FACING PROBLEMS AT THE MOMENT? Stay true to your values. Although there are staff shortages across the board, it’s important to believe the right people are still out there for your business.

Don’t sit on a decision. Seize the opportunity to hire someone there and then if it feels right. Remember - if you don’t hire them, your competition probably will.

2. WHAT STRUGGLES HAVE YOU FACED / ARE CURRENTLY FACING IN REGARDS TO RECRUITMENT FOR YOUR RESTAURANTS?

Above all – stay positive! The hospitality industry has overcome great hurdles over recent years, and I have no doubt we will bounce back better than ever.

As with many in our sector, we are finding it challenging to recruit across all roles. While the customers have returned since the pandemic, many staff members haven’t and it is now we are seeing the effects of this. In particular, we are struggling to find suitable chefs and kitchen staff.

6. WHAT TACTICS / PROCESSES ARE YOU USING (IF ANY) TO ATTRACT TALENT TO YOUR RESTAURANTS?

This is partly because back of house hospitality is an industry that has long relied on EU workers and the combination of Covid and Brexit has led to a lack of available applicants.

We are remaining laser focused on who and what we are looking for. We are clear about the type of people we want on our journey and are being more rigorous than ever with our selection process to fit in line with this.

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Issue 75

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Cancellation Fears Allayed with Hotels Reporting Cancellation Rates Far Below the Industry Standard Data suggests that, despite fears from the UK domestic hotel market that the reopening of international travel would see a rise in cancellations for UK based bookings, many hotels are instead seeing cancellations far below the industry standard.

With the industry standard for hotel cancellations sitting at 40%*, there were concerns that this could increase significantly as guests abandoned UK ‘staycation’ bookings to head abroad for their summer holidays now that international travel is becoming more feasible.

Development at Profitroom, said: “Having experienced a turbulent 18 months, it’s understandable that hotels are concerned about the impact of wider events – with international travel and the so called ‘pingdemic’ taking effect and causing havoc amongst hotel bookings. Our latest data though suggests that these fears aren’t being realised – something that’s a welcome relief for hoteliers who have been banking on a profitable and extended summer season to help them kick on.”

She continued: “Whilst this is certainly a positive sign, hotels should always be mindful to do what they can to try and avoid cancellations in the first place. There are plenty of things that hotels can do to reduce the chances of guests cancelling, and a lot of that stems from offering guests packages and experiences that they don’t want to miss.”

Combined with the ‘pingdemic’ causing prospective guests to isolate, some reports suggested cancellation rates were as high as 50% – a figure that would put the hotel industry’s post-Covid recovery process at serious risk if prolonged.

Samantha added: “Our analysis indicates the optimum number of package types to offer is between five and seven options. Whilst this encourages guests to make an initial booking, emphasising that they’re set to enjoy an ‘experience’ as opposed to simply a ‘stay’ makes them less inclined to cancel and therefore miss out on what your hotel offers.”

However, data booking platform Profitroom, , has seen leisure hotels and resorts reporting an average cancellation rate of just 12%, with some reporting even lower figures – allaying fears that the hotel summer season was at risk.

Commenting on the data, Samantha Williams, Director of Business

Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Launches Autumn Content Programme Hotel, Restaurant & Catering, which takes place on 21-23 March alongside International Food & Drink Event and IFE Manufacturing Solutions at ExCeL London, has launched a series of online content on digital platform HRC Connects.

HRC Connects launched in Spring 2021 as a resource for the event’s audience of hospitality and foodservice professionals, offering a range of content from article and reports to webinars and virtual demos in addition to the UK’s largest database and most informed list of hospitality suppliers.

The upcoming content series will cover topics including the end of furlough, the future of food and reducing food waste, plus exclusive sessions from partner organisations such as the Foodservice Equipment Association and Hospitality Jobs UK. The platform also has a wide range of on-demand sessions and articles available, including ‘The Road to Net Zero: Future-proofing your hospitality business’, hosted by the Sustainable Restaurant Association and featuring panellists from Pizza Hut Restaurants, Sodexo, Peach Pubs, and The Culpeper Family

Hospitality Group.

Users will also be able to access thought leadership such as On-Trade Consultancy’s guide to bringing customers back to the bar, hear from British Street Food’s Richard Johnson in the first in a series of deep dives into the world of street food and food markets, access reports from the likes of KAM Media and WRAP and check out interviews with leading chefs and hospitality industry figures.

Ronda Annesley, Event Manager for Hotel, Restaurant & Catering, commented: “As the world of foodservice and hospitality continues to reopen, it’s vital to stay up to date with industry trends, best practice and thought leadership.

“HRC Connects has a wide range of valuable resources available to our audience, both live and on-demand, and we’re thrilled to be able to host these important discussions and debates.”

Join the HRC Connects community and access its extensive range of content and industry suppliers at connects.hrc.co.uk.

Has The Pandemic Created a Permanent Change in the Way Catering Operates?

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Issue 75

Rupert Lynch, Client Relationship Manager and Executive Chef at allmanhall, the independently owned food procurement expert, discusses whether the pandemic has led to permanent changes in the way catering operators work. Have caterers adapted and improved their operations as a result, or are they likely to return to the old ways of doing things.

REVIEWING STAFF AND OPERATIONAL PROCESSES Circa 18 months since the start of the pandemic, catering establishments are now well versed in the intricacies of ‘Covid compliance’.

Kitchens have adapted to an ever-changing environment that was outside of their control and devised systems that could cope with the guidelines laid down by the Government. Following the relaxing of all rules in England, catering teams have undertaken risk assessments to ascertain whether all or some of the changes made over the previous year are required or whether they could adapt and implement some of the

‘enforced’ changes to enable a better and more efficient operation.

minute.

Catering teams are still hesitant to make too many alterations, but many have relished the ‘new normal’ and many changes will now become permanent. These include the way the canteen or foodservice facility is laid out, how food is served (self-serve or served) the number of items on the menu and myriad of other changes that albeit were previously enforced, have now proved to be highly beneficial. For example, structuring lunch service in schools, care homes and offices, to enable reduced volumes in canteens has been substantiated as a very successful practice, however this does have an impact on staffing hours in order to cope with the longer lunch service.

Service level agreements with suppliers are now subject to increased scrutiny and operators are going to fair best by being understanding of the situation, aware that they may not receive deliveries within their agree window. From allmanhall’s insight into how both clients and suppliers are adapting and planning ahead, it seems that the majority of catering teams are managing this well, communicating, showing flexibility and placing orders day 1 for day 3 as a minimum.

Another benefit has been the introduction of split services, utilising servery counters to mirror a like-for-like service across the canteen, the offering has been reduced. In some instances, this has meant the lunch period allocated has been maintained, but at the same time held additional costs despite no increases regarding labour hours or shifts.

One key consideration caterers have had to deal with was addressing the risk of a complete kitchen shutdown due to one or more staff testing positive. This has been a very real concern and limitation; a number of kitchen teams we have spoken to have stated they will be maintaining a ‘bubble’ status, whilst still trying to ensure an element of flexibility.

Keeping teams working in bubbles has so far meant that some catering teams have been able to maintain a service even during the “ping-demic” of summer 2021.

The indication at the time of writing is that many are looking to revert to pre-pandemic operational processes for their foodservice, including the use of crockery and cutlery in place of disposables.

SUPPLY CHAIN CONSIDERATIONS Supply chain challenges and disruption continued into the summer period and has been further exacerbated by the shortage of HGV & LGV delivery drivers and issues surrounding availability of product.

Catering operations must ensure they have adequate stock going into the autumn and are going to need be prepared to change menus, last

HYGIENE By their nature, kitchens are designed with good hygiene in mind and the pandemic forced an even more rigorous cleaning regime. Areas to keep a focus on are key touch points, cleaning regularly and deep cleaning the whole kitchen area at least once a week. A number of clients have spoken of the changes they have made to their shift and staffing requirements to facilitate this, and the extra training that has been required, too.

OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FUTURE The majority of catering operators allmanhall has spoken to have indicated they will revert back to pre-pandemic levels and processes for some operational activities, notably the way the menu is designed.

During the pandemic, menus were reduced to cope with the extra demand on staffing levels and time taken to pre-package food for delivery across campuses, for example.

That said, having discussed this with a number of catering teams, they have largely indicated that although there will be more choice back on the menus, they will tailor it in such a way that the production methods are no more labour intensive than they have been over the last 18month period.

Operators have taken this opportunity to review their existing procedures and practises and implemented changes that they may have been previously considering, as improvements.

Wyboston Lakes Resort Shortlisted for Covid Response Awards first-class service, excellent facilities, and a strong commitment to upholding legal compliance and health and hygiene protocols. The venue was also one of the first to secure the ‘Safe, Clean and Legal’ accreditation from Quality in Tourism. accredited The AA also approved the resort under its AA COVID-19 Confident accreditation scheme.

Wyboston Lakes Resort, the award-winning conference, training, and leisure venue in Bedfordshire, has been selected as a finalist in the category for ‘Best Covid Response in Hospitality’ at the Covid Response Awards 2021.

The awards aim to celebrate and pay tribute to businesses that have shown impressive displays of resilience, initiative, enterprise, and fortitude in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Notably, the UK government also selected Wyboston Lakes Resort to host a pilot event to test its Covid-Secure guidelines for venues.

During the first lockdown Wyboston Lakes Resort swiftly launched a Safe Events Plan, established a robust Covid-Secure Policy, and remained opened during the pandemic, providing essential training to several organisations including the NHS, helping to support NHS workers in their efforts against the pandemic.

Director of Marketing Louisa Watson said: “It’s a great achievement to be chosen as a finalist in the hospitality category alongside many strong contenders at the Covid Response Awards. This recognition is testament to our people who have shown great resilience, resourcefulness and tenacity during a challenging time.”

Wyboston Lakes Resort then led the way during the pandemic by becoming the first venue to receive the AIM Secure Accreditation from the Meetings Industry Association (MIA), which is awarded to meetings and events businesses that deliver

The winners will be announced at a lunchtime Awards Ceremony on Thursday 25 November in the new events space at The Kia Oval, London, the home of Surrey County Cricket Club.

Encourage Your Customers to Try Something New with a Brothers Mulled Cider Nicola Randall, Senior Marketing Manager, Brothers Drinks Co., talks to CLH News “Halloween and Bonfire Night are key calendar occasions for the on-trade, with Halloween being the second biggest drinking occasion behind New Year’s Eve . This year consumers will be looking to make their out-of-home occasions extra special to make up for the festivities they missed out on last year, so it’s important to have an enticing range of drinks to get their attention.

“These festive occasions are also associated with warming drinks such as hot toddy’s or mulled wine, and mulled cider is a great alternative to entice customers into trying something new. It’s an offer that can really spice up a range, and as well as being easy to prepare in advance ahead of busy rushes in trading, it often encourages consumers to trade up thereby boosting sales, and has

the added bonus of a healthy profit margin.

“We have a range of warming serves that operators can offer consumers this Halloween, including the Spiced Toffee Apple Winter Warmer and the Hot Toffee Apple Toddy. Offering these innovative and interesting serves to customers will not only cater to their desire for warming drinks, but also new and interesting flavours. As consumers have returned to the on-trade, they’ve been eager to explore and discover new products and flavours and enjoy the experience of being in licensed premises once again. Offering serves such as Spiced Toffee Apple Winter Warmer and the Hot Toffee Apple Toddy will provide guests the experience and new interesting flavours they desire this Halloween.”

Visit www.brotherscider.co.uk

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CLH Digital

Issue 75

Podcaster Phil Street to Host New Monthly IoH Hospitality Podcasts The Institute of Hospitality, (IoH) is to launch its first ever industry podcast made by members for members, entitled ‘I’m in’, which is to be hosted by industry icon and podcast aficionado, Phil Street MIH. ‘I’m in’ will launch on international podcast day, 30 September 2021, with subsequent episodes dropping on the last Thursday of every month.

diverse representation of ages, roles and experience, and panellists who won’t be afraid to answer some tough questions and break some glass ceilings”.

The Institute has also scheduled five special-edition podcasts, to be hosted by Phil Street, which will evolve from the planned monthly format and be fresh and experimental in set-up and content. The five special edition broadcasts will be interspersed between the monthly scheduled broadcasts and will be launched to capture the timely issues and mood of the industry during the next 12 months.

Phil Street, who already hosts the popular podcast series, ‘Hospitality meets…..’, will be discussing an exciting range of topics with IoH members including: mental health, global opportunities to work in hospitality, dealing with adversity and the state of the industry today.

“When Robert asked me if I'd be interested in saying ‘I'm in’ to working with the IoH on the production of their first ever podcast I was super delighted to say yes” explained ‘I’m in’ host, Phil Street. “I'm excited beyond words to see where it will take us and what we will cover throughout our wonderful industry. We've got some fabulous guests lined up, along with some very interesting topics and I can't wait to unleash this” he confirmed.

The I’m in panel members will be chosen from the IoH’s broad worldwide membership of individual and corporate members and will be selected based on a strict set of criteria to ensure all levels of membership and the industry are represented. IoH members wishing to join the podcast can contact Phil Street directly at:phil.street@instituteofhospitality.org.

As Robert Richardson FIH, the IoH’s CEO explains: “This is a ground-breaking initiative for the IoH. We want to ensure a lively and relevant debate at each of our monthly podcasts, so we will ensure one panellist will be chosen from each of the Institute’s three levels of membership, Associate (AIH), Member (MIH) and Fellow (FIH). They must work in a different hospitality sector than their fellow panellists and be at a different stage in their careers”.

“Phil Street was our go-to host given his podcast reputation in the industry.

We want to bring his professionalism and spirit to our podcast series. I personally can’t wait to see the feedback” comments Robert.

‘I’m In’, the IoHs’ official podcast will be exclusively delivered to the members area of the IoH Website, and by notification to the IoH Connect App each month. Two weeks after release ‘I’m In’ will be made available across all major podcast platforms worldwide.

He continued: “For example, we might have a AIH from a hotel, an MIH from a restaurant, and an FIH from a consultancy. The key will be to ensure we have a

Only a Pavement Away and Tom Aikens Toast Cook & Dine Event as Amount Raised Hits £21,000

Industry charity Only A Pavement Away and a cast of many top hospitality folk – including celebrated chef Tom Aikens, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin and BII CEO Steve Alton – are lifting a glass after its annual Cook and Dine event raised more than £21,000.

The event, held in central London, saw close to 300 people gather to enjoy a delicious 3 course lunch prepared by Aikens and served by hospitality leaders at the stunning Grade 2 listed Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden. The amount raised, which is still rising, was the combination of table ticket sales, a charity auction and also a raffle with companies from across the industry donating prizes and auction lots.

Highlights from the event included an auction lot which will see the winning bidder join UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls for the day to visit the Houses of Parliament and enjoy lunch with an MP, plus a food study tour in Scotland with Mapal Group’s CMO James Hacon plus a 10-person dinner prepared and cooked by top chef Ben Purton.

Cook and Dine is the brainchild of Only A Pavement Away’s Founder & CEO, Greg Mangham. The premise of the unique fundraising event is simple; to bring everyone who works in the hospitality industry together, no matter their background, experience or seniority and raise funds to help support people facing homelessness find and forge new careers in hospitality.

Commenting on the success of the industry gathering, Mangham said: “We are delighted to have raised such a fantastic amount, all of which will go to help us strengthen our team ensuring we can connect with more employers, charities and candidates in finding work and stability through a career in hospitality.

“There are so many people to thank for their generosity – from the Freemasons organisation that let us have the venue for absolutely zero cost, the Strand Palace Hotel for providing their kitchen as a holding kitchen, to all of our amazing sponsors including Asahi, Caterer.com and The Pepper Collective through to Tom who prepared such a fabulous meal and the army of people that served and waited tables. The success of Cook and Dine just underscores what a brilliant, inclusive, caring and supportive industry we are all a part of. We’re still collecting donations from yesterday, which is amazing, and are already planning next year’s event, which we want to make even bigger and better.”

The money raised will help dozens of Only A Pavement Away members who typically have spent time living homelessly, prison leavers or who those who have left the armed forces. The charity aims to support a further 250 people facing homelessness into jobs within hospitality over the next 12 months.

In addition to the hospitality industry’s leading trade associations, companies that were involved in supporting yesterday’s event included Event Supporters; Liberty Wines, Hildon Water, Feel Good Drinks, Pub Love, Paddy & Scott’s, TipJar, Firebird Events, Dennys Brands and Inspirational Events and Event Food suppliers; Smith & Brock, Lake District Farmers, Nurtured in Norfolk and Woods Foodservice.

OAPA currently works alongside 87 hospitality employers and 85 charity partners, and hospitality businesses to offer employment to those facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans. In addition, the charity also has over 200 work-ready candidates listed on its Candidate Profile Page (CPP) jobs board which is designed to support individuals who are looking to start new careers within hospitality. The charity is also seeking funding from industry backers to enable it to reach its goal of placing 700 members into employment over the next 3 years.

Mangham added, “By 2026, it is estimated that there will be another 1.3 million vacancies in the hospitality industry. At the same time the number of rough sleepers is on the increase. By joining forces with us you can help someone get their life back on track and help fill the industry with hard-working, committed staff.”

Tyrrells Launches ‘Pub Classic’ Flavour and Pledges £50k Donation to British Pubs - Continued support of the Licensed Trade Charity with new on-pack promotion -

KP Snacks, the no.1 supplier of Bagged Snacks in pubs and bars1, and its premium snack brand Tyrrells, have announced the launch of an exciting new flavour alongside a promotional campaign supporting the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC).

From September to November, 2 million special edition packs of Tyrrells crisps will be on sale, with Tyrrells donating £50,000 to the LTC from sales generated. Running for the second year in a row, the campaign looks to help the On Trade Channel recover from the pandemic by supporting the LTC which provides essential help across the industry, from financial hardship to mental health.

The nationwide initiative will run across three of the most popular Tyrrells flavours: Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar & Chive, and Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar in 40g singles format, as well as a new product, Tyrrells British Beef & Ale. Designed to be the perfect accompaniment to your chosen drink, Tyrrells British Beef & Ale crisps provide consumers with a favourite pub classic in a delicious snack form.

With consumer preference for meaty flavours in crisps and snacks growing2, the new product is set to catch the attention of pub-goers looking for a snack.

Beth Minch, Marketing Manager at Tyrrells says: “Tyrrells is a premium snack brand which provides hand-cooked crisps in a range of delicious flavours. As we launch this year’s campaign to support pubs and bars, we are excited to also be introducing the

new Tyrrells British Beef & Ale flavour, which was created with pubs in mind.

“We are incredibly proud to be supporting the LTC for a second year. As a brand, we are committed to supporting further recovery of pubs and bars after such difficult times. We are eager to see pubs get fully back on their feet and are thrilled to be able to contribute to the valuable work of the LTC.” Commenting on the partnership, Paula Smith, Head of Marketing, LTC said: “We’re so pleased to be collaborating with Tyrrells on this campaign and for the valuable funds to help pub people all over the UK”.

Taste and quality is at the heart of the Tyrrells offering and its authentic English heritage attracts consumers all over the UK, and internationally too. With a £55.4m RSV and growing at +10.2%3, Tyrrells products are currently purchased by over 5.5m households, with its main shoppers falling within the 45yr+ ABC1 category.4 It is the UK’s No.1 vegetable crisp brand and the No.2 hand cooked crisp and has 86 Great Taste Awards across its portfolio.

1 Kantar OOH Panel 52 w/e 27 December 2020 - Pubs and Bars 2 Nielsen Scantrack Tot Covg, Value sales MAT 18.04.2020 3 Nielsen Scantrack 17.07.2021 4 Kantar WPO 14.06.20

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Issue 75

Almost Half of UK Workers Would Hide Health Issue From Employer Almost half of UK employees would not talk to their employer if they were experiencing a health issue, having a detrimental impact on business performance and culture, according to new research from not-forprofit healthcare provider, Benenden Health (www.benenden.co.uk) As many as 41% of individuals reported that they wouldn’t feel confident discussing any health issue with their employer, with many worrying about what it would mean for their career and relationships within the workplace.

Almost a third of businesses (28%) accepted that they would have concerns about offering support to those in need, with as many as a fifth (19%) revealing that they have previously hired someone with pre-existing health conditions but wouldn’t do so again, perpetuating the cycle of hidden health issues at work whilst open conservations and effective support are not forthcoming.

With more than half of all UK employees (51%) revealing that they have a health issue, long-term condition or disability, Benenden Health is warning that fear and stigma around health in the workplace means millions of workers may not be getting the necessary – or any - support from their employers. This could lead to absences, lower productivity and employees ultimately leaving their job.

The organisation has launched a new report shedding light on the key health issues and conditions that affect the nation’s workforce and offer-

ing advice to businesses on how to provide support to all employees regardless of their background or health status - and ensure healthcare provision caters equally and inclusively for a diverse team.

The survey of 2,000 employees and 500 business owners revealed the most common ailments that workers have not disclosed to their employer to be poor mental health, high blood pressure and arthritis – all conditions that could be exacerbated in the workplace.

More than a third of employees (36%) also disclosed that they have lied to an employer about taking time off for an appointment, with almost half (44%) of 16-24 year olds doing so, making it difficult for businesses to ensure workers are getting the appropriate support.

The reasons why employees would be reticent to discuss their wellbeing at work were also revealed, with a third saying they would worry that people would think they couldn’t do their job (29%), more than a quarter believing they might lose their job (27%), a fifth concerned that they would be talked about and one in ten (9%) worrying that people wouldn’t want to be their friend.

For some, these concerns were based on experience, with 15% of employees believing that they have been overlooked for a job in the past due to a health issue, long-term condition or disability.

Following the findings that a quarter of businesses (26%) still don’t

offer any healthcare support in addition to statutory allowances and 60% of those that do failing to consult employees when doing so, Benenden Health is calling on business owners to open communication channels with their teams and consider the health needs of their workforce to support positive wellbeing, increase retention and reduce unexpected absences.

Naomi Thompson, Head of OD at Benenden Health, said: “It is disappointing that so many people still feel they can’t speak to their employers about their wellbeing and that a sizeable number of decision makers reinforce this with dated approaches to hiring people with long-term health issues.

“This stigma is especially prevalent in the workplace, with businesses too often unable to identify wellbeing issues, employees concerned about the implications of discussing them and a continuing lack of tangible support, all of which contribute to lost time and productivity for businesses as well as unaddressed poor employee wellbeing.

“Healthcare support should be available to all employees – not just senior staff - and despite some misconceptions, this can be implemented at an affordable cost. Tailored wellbeing programmes, developed with employee consultation and recognising the different needs of a multigenerational workforce, can increase productivity, support recruitment and promote a happier and healthier workforce.”

Saniflo Macerator Pump Gives New Lease of Life to British Treasure The Saniflo Sanicubic macerator pump is breathing a new lease of life into a highly-acclaimed piece of British heritage – a replica of the famous ship, the Golden Hinde, known for circumventing the globe during the 16th century under the command of British explorer Sir Francis Drake. Sitting in dry dock, the replica ship, which has also sailed the seas worldwide, is now a stunning floating museum and events’ venue near London Bridge.

The owner of the Golden Hinde, Roddy Coleman, who has ensured the ship remains faithful to the original, first installed a Sanicubic a couple of years ago in the dock beneath the ship to take the waste from two WC cubicles used by visitors and staff. It discharges waste up and along the dock walls through 35mm pipes to connect to the sewers above at street level. During this time, it has provided faultless service, so when the team decided to install on-board facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown, he knew that a Sanicubic would fit his brief. Located underneath the floorboards in the bow of the ship, it is perfectly positioned to take waste from two new WCS cubicles and basins as well as a new kitchen area in the galley. A dishwasher, sink and icemaker are all plumbed into the Sanicubic thanks to its multiple outlets. The plumbing

work was carried out by Toby Millinder, who is a full-time employee at the Golden Hinde and in charge of all the updates; “The Sanicubic has enabled us to do our own catering on board for events rather than bring food on board. We also have children for overnight stays on board and it means they don’t need to alight to undertake night time ablutions. It was very straightforward to install and I have run it into the same lengths of pipework along the dock walls, which saved a lot of time and work. Since the installation we have had a wedding on board, as well as an overnighter for a group of children. It has made life much easier all round.”

Saniflo Head of Marketing and Product Management, Ann Boardman, says: “It’s wonderful to see pieces of British heritage being lovingly preserved and given a new lease of life ready to welcome back the public after COVID-19. Thanks to Saniflo, such national treasures can go on providing wonderful experiences to members of the public. There really is a Saniflo solution to suit all manner of quirky public and private establishments, even in places where there is no mains drainage.”

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

Largest supplier of all types of Keycards and Wallets both Generic and Personalised

Glyn Wells Hotel Keycards Limited

T: 003353 667123842 E: hotelkeycardsltd@gmail.com

M: 003353 872302334 W: www.hotelkeycards.net

London Eating Styles Changing For The Better 28

CLH Digital

Issue 75

By Tony Lorenz, Senior Partner of The Lorenz Consultancy (www.lorenzconsultancy.com)

With the news that Westminster Council is extending licenses for Al Fresco dining, it’s clear that the way we dine may look substantially different in the short term, and may mark the beginning of a long-term trend.

Al Fresco dining street licences have allowed many operators to generate some extra trade during the pandemic. It’s also been a great experiment: as we stroll around Central London, it’s clear that very little harm has been done by operators trading outside their premises – in many cases for the first time ever.

As the Capital returns to normal, some roads around Soho have been re-opened removing opportunities for street dining. However, it’s still a really positive development that the pavement licenses under the Business and Planning Act 2020, which were due to expire on the 30th September this year, are to be extended until 30 September 2022.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN THE SHORT-TERM? Put simply, we’re going to see outdoor dining continue in the capital. It seems that Westminster council have realised that little harm is done by allowing operators to use space outside their restaurants for trading purposes. Some operators are agreeing with adjacent retailers to extend their operations into the evening by placing tables in front of their shops. London, a city that has not benefited from Al Fresco dining in the way that many cities on the Continent have, is finding that this flexible provision allowing people to eat outdoors is catalysing economic recovery from the harsh effects of the pandemic.

This seems particularly prudent given the possible need for social distancing measures in the winter. With the use of outdoor seating, it’s possible that this winter's trade will be different to the lockdown of last, as we will be able to meet under the protection of vaccines and outdoor seating.

Our restaurant clients cherish outside seating, since, once customers arrive, customers who can't get a table will invariably book or take a table inside.

All that's needed is good, or at least mild, weather for restaurateurs to see real benefit on their bottom line.

From a real-estate perspective, we predict that where operators cause little harm trading outside their

licensed premises, they may enjoy the benefit of this extension, and also be able, on expiry, to make this facility permanent.

It will be of paramount importance to ensure no encumbrance to pavement users. With permanence, it may be cost effective to enclose the space going forwards, with restaurants erecting enclosures or at least roping off sections of pavement, to clarify where their outdoor seating begins. Pavement users would appreciate that.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN THE LONG-TERM? It is likely that this amended legislation could result in permanence, which would then fundamentally alter how restaurant experiences work especially in Central London, and indeed in the big cities across the UK. When acquiring new premises, operators will be looking for those which have the ability for external trading. This will change the game for developers constructing new sites with a restaurant element: open space will become a major consideration.

It is also likely that after a successful test period Al Fresco dining will be supported by the public, who have limited desire to return to cramped settings, even with widespread vaccination.

Most landlords will need to agree to lift restrictions in existing leases to allow external trading for some extra rent. The normal rule of thumb has valued outside trading space on rent reviews and lease renewals at 25% of the value of the ground floor rate per square foot, a small increase for restaurateurs to pay for this facility.

CHANGE IS HERE TO STAY The look of the UK restaurant industry is changing. This is going to mean that restaurateurs and investors are going to have to be more inventive, which isn't a bad thing.

Innovation and change to suit changing consumer habits will lead to the resurgence of the UK hospitality sector.

Outside trading space attracts customers into premises and increases the number of covers. Overseas visitors love London, and when tourism comes back permanently, al fresco dining may entice people to return and encourage others.

All we need is some pleasant weather in the UK to make it the new norm.

Where's the downside I ask?

Hospitality Software Firm Raises £500k as Bars and Restaurants Turn on to Technology Dan, the company’s CEO, said: “The past year has been one of the most difficult in living memory for hospitality operators and we have done all we can to help them survive. However, there is now a strong sense of optimism and operators are expecting a boom in business. The funding will help us to further develop the products and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.”

A company whose software helps hospitality businesses to boost sales has raised £500,000 to help it meet increased demand following the re-opening of bars and restaurants.

Airship Services has secured the investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Will Schaffer, Investment Director with Mercia, added: “The pandemic has increased uptake of technology and made hospitality firms more aware of its role in driving their business forward. Dan and the team have bucked the trend over the past year and with the hospitality sector now reopened, there is lots of potential for further growth.”

Despite the restrictions during the pandemic, the Sheffield-based company has increased its customer base by 400% since the start of the first lockdown. Its products are now used by around 400 brands across over 4,000 locations including YO! Sushi, Leon, Revolution Bars, Welcome Break and Roadchef.

Airship has also grown its annual recurring revenue by 200% to over £1m in the year to the end of May and took on 12 additional staff, bringing the total number to 30. The latest funding, which follows an initial £500,000 investment by NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance in 2019, will also allow it to create four new jobs in the year ahead.

Sean Hutchinson at British Business Bank, said: “Seeing growth in revenues, staff numbers and landing household names for clients is excellent news for Airship Services. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is pleased to be supporting dynamic businesses that are identifying opportunities amidst this challenging period, and diversifying their offering accordingly.”

Airship was founded by former publican Dan Brookman and IT specialist Rob Marcer. Its first product, Airship, is customer relationship management (CRM) software while its second, Toggle, Pictured from left are Rob Marcer, Andrew Whiteley, Oskar Smith and Dan Brookman of Airship with Will Schaffer from Mercia. helps operators to sell gift cards and experiences.

During the pandemic, the company offered Toggle free of charge to help struggling hospitality businesses develop new sources of income, generating £5.5m of additional revenue. It also launched its own ‘track and trace app’ which was used by operators including Costa Coffee, Greggs, Wetherspoons and Pret a Manger.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

For further information see www.airship.co.uk and www.mercia.co.uk

Brrit British B itish free itish fr f id egg range liliquid liquiid

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

Products and Services Jura Professional Coffee Machines Thrill Sanitation from Steelite

During more than 20 years of developing automatic coffee machines, JURA has come up with many innovative technologies that set new standards.

These have been incorporated into the entire range and are now the fundamental ingredients for enjoying the perfect cup of coffee. Each machine contains the wealth of knowledge and experience of their engineers. Functions and components have become standards that will delight you with perfect coffee day-in, day-out, cup after cup.

JURA has a range of Professional coffee machines to cater for the smallest to the largest coffee shop, restaurant, pub, or hospitality venue. Top of the range is the GIGA X8 or X8c available with cool controls, fridges, cashless systems, cup warmers and data communicators. Smart Connect is integrated and suggested daily capacity is 200 cups per day. Still with the GIGA range

is the GIGA X3 or X3c which has most of the features and accessories of its larger sibling but a smaller daily capacity at 150 cups per day. The X10 and the X8 are models to suite mid-range venues with daily capacities of up to 80 cups per day. Finally, the smallest in the range are the WE6 and WE8, still packed with features but offering daily capacities of 30 coffees each. As you would expect from JURA UK there are price points and packages available on all JURA Professional machines and, of course, all these machines come complete with Smart Connect and J.O.E. the state of the art JURA Operating Experience.

For sales enquiries: ProfessionalEnquiries@jura.com or w: uk.jura.com See the advert on page 7.

Thrill International glass chillers are professional tools that cool and sanitise glassware. With hygiene more of a focus than ever before, the Thrill machine kills up to 88% of the bacteria found on glassware in seconds.

Using carbon dioxide to chill and sanatise the glass, the bartender simply pops the glass over the Thrill dispenser, which blasts CO2 into it for a few seconds.

These brilliant machines not only add drama to the bar, but keep drinks cooler for longer, neither watering down nor altering the flavour and aroma of beverages.

The chiller can be used with all glass types, making it ideal for establishments that serve cocktails, beer and chilled wine.

The new Thrill Vortex TAP glass chiller revolutionises the bar mat concept. This new professional barman tool offers functionality at the highest levels and a unique design with a two-tone finish: satin structure and matte black grid.

TAP CO2 glass chiller is ideal for Flair Bartenders and the most demanding Mixologists who can prepare cocktails using a large and reliable workspace, always clean and with integrated glass froster system.

The rectangular shape and the large grid with liquid collector allow Vortex TAP to be used also as beer glasses and mugs sanitizing tool.

Visit www.steelite.com or see the advert on page 2.

Thanks to a low and elongated design, the new Vortex

Welcome To Greener, Safer, Get an Authentic New York Slice Cheaper Food Waste Recycling from Bakers Pride and Taylor UK improve companies’ green credentials, reduce their carbon footprint and lower their overall food waste disposal costs by up to 50%*.

Bakers Pride was founded in the Bronx, New York in 1945. It launched the world’s first production pizza oven and has established a worldwide reputation for the quality of its products.

The P22S is a countertop unit that is ideal for businesses that want to offer authentically cooked pizza, flatbreads, pretzels, and other baked products but have limited space for a full-sized pizza oven. With a sturdy, stainless steel outer shell and a fully welded, high heat aluminiumised steel interior, the P22S has an operating temperature range of 150–340°C and has a single oven chamber with two cooking decks of 52.7cm squared.

Each deck has independently controlled heating elements made of high performance, corrosion resistant alloy that help to guarantee a long and reliable working life. The baking chamber is lined with Cordierite which spreads the heat evenly, helping to create an authentically crispy pizza base and stone baked flavour.

The P22S comes fitted with a 15-minute electric timer, a continuous ring alarm and manual shut-off, quickly alerting staff when each pizza is ready and

By combining the very best knowledge and technology with decades of experience in environmentally sustainable practices, we deliver the ultimate recycling service to private and public sectors across the UK. And, our cutting-edge Anaerobic Digestion facilities create renewable energy as well as ReGrow, our nutrient-rich biofertiliser.

making it simple to keep up with demand even at peak times.

“New Yorkers’ pride in the quality of their city’s pizza is legendary, so any equipment that gets the Big Apple’s seal of approval has to be good,” says David Rees, marketing manager of Taylor UK. “The P22S is ideal for any business looking to offer customers an authentically cooked pizza.”

Bakers Pride Pizza Ovens are available from Taylor UK, for a free consultation call 0800 838 896, email sales@taylor-company.co.uk, or visit www.taylor-company.co.uk for more information.

Giving Presentation Some Recognition It’s well known that the presentation of a dish can have a significant impact on a diner’s perception. Not only can a well-presented plate of food intensify anticipation, it also encourages diners to believe ingredients are of a higher quality and prepared by a more experienced chef.

However, it’s not just food that catches the diner’s eye, consumers repeatedly tell us that the use of customized items such as branded greaseproof paper encourages them to rate a venue as more professional, longer established and raises their expectations of the food they’ll eat.

In our increasingly visual society first impressions matter more than ever as consumers demand that all important wow factor. Thanks to social media, every customer is promoted to food critic and their experiences are out there for the world to see - positive or negative.

Take a scroll through Instagram and chances are you'll spot a food photo. With more than 500 million posts tagged #food or #drinks, food and beverage photos are some of the most popular content on Instagram and it’s important businesses capitalize on this trend.

With each dish served it’s likely that customers are posting images on social platforms, with or without your interaction. Where food presentations include your logo, such as those served alongside branded greaseproof paper, customer images are automatically branded. Not only do you ensure your skills are credited to your business, you utilise existing customers to upsell your restaurant to their social media network.

For customers opting for take-out, presentation matters too and for this packaging plays a huge role. Packaging design allows businesses to communicate with their audience and the unboxing experience becomes a fundamental part of your customers’ sensory buying experience. Adding intentionally branded touchpoints such as branded greaseproof paper elevates both the look and feel of a product and helps create that sense of anticipation and value which consumers desire.

More importantly it ensures an experience that consumers want to repeat and can’t wait to tell their friends about. (+44) 01327 301566 itsawrap@jrpress.co.uk www.printedgreaseproof.com See the advert on page 2 for details.

ReFood is the European market leader in food waste recycling. We offer businesses of all sizes an alternative to sending unwanted food to landfill with our safe, secure, closed-loop, end-to-end solution. We

See what we could save you at www.refood.co.uk or call 0800 011 3214.

See the advert on the back cover. *Figure based on April 2020 landfill rate vs. volume weight.

ETI Launches Thermapen One Digital Food Thermometer for Kitchen Professionals Electronic Temperature Instruments (ETI), a digital thermometer manufacturer and exporter of electronic thermometers and temperature probes, has launched the new Thermapen One digital food thermometer. In development for the past fiveyears, the Thermapen One achieves temperature readings in less than a second for any catering facility and kitchen professional.

meets the European Standard EN 13485, and comes in ten different colours.

The first Thermapen was created in Peter and Miriam’s garage 30years ago, with support from Miriam’s brother who helped design the product, which was based on the model of a penknife. Now the product is relied upon by some of the world’s most renowned Michelin-starred chefs.

ETI has pushed the boundaries of read speed and accuracy by tightening its tolerances within its laboratory testing. As a result, the accuracy of the new Thermapen One has been increased to ± 0.3°C.

Jason Webb, ETI director, comments: “At ETI, we have a lot of pride about being a British manufacturer of the Thermapen, one of the most robust thermometers on the market used in kitchens and households across the world. A tremendous amount of consumer learning has gone into the Thermapen One. It’s important to think carefully about the materials and technology that you’re putting into each thermometer because the customer is at the very forefront of what we are producing. We understand what the customer wants so we made this the most robust thermometer that we’ve ever produced.”

The product also features a faster sensor, a brighter backlight which adapts to ambient light, and a longer five-year guarantee. The product is waterproof to IP67,

For more information please visit https://thermometer.co.uk or see the advert on page 3.

The Thermapen One is the fifth model of its kind from ETI, which was founded in 1983 by Peter and Miriam Webb and is now led by son Jason Webb. The product is manufactured and hand-made at its headquarters in Worthing, West Sussex, where crucial research & development also takes place in the ETI laboratories to continually improve the design of the Thermapen model.

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

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CLH Digital

Issue 75

Festive Ordering

3.3m People Have Prepare for Whatever Christmas Brings with D.A. Cooke Already Made Christmas Reservations 1-in-5 UK adults, who celebrate Christmas, have already started planning for Christmas, according to a new consumer poll from research consultancy, KAM. With 7% stating that they’ve already made a reservation for a pub or restaurant for the upcoming festive period and 17% saying they have already invited people to their houses to celebrate.

The research captures consumers’ current intentions for Christmas 2021, assuming that restrictions remain lifted, and results look positive for Hospitality with 1-in-3 adults intending to put more effort into celebrating Christmas this year compared with a normal, pre-Covid Christmas.

Originally founded in 1967 by Ian’s parents, D.A.Cooke Wholesale has become one of the UK’s largest wholesalers specialising in supplying the hotel and catering industry with Christmas Crackers and Party Products.

sumers saying they intend to visit a pub or restaurant now vs 2019 (22%.)

Based on these current intentions, and assuming restrictions remain lifted, KAM predict a net increase in people visiting restaurants this festive period compared with normal 'Pre-Covid' times- 27% intend to go to restaurants MORE often over the upcoming festive period compared with 20% who say LESS often.

The research found that pubs, however, could see a very small decline overall compared with preCovid levels. 20% of consumers said they intend to visit pubs MORE often compared with 26% who say LESS often. The decline is driven by Katy Moses, MD at KAM: “Christmas 2020 was a relative wash-out for most people so it’s no huge sur- the over 55yr olds. However, even these results sugprise that so many Brits are keen to make this year an gest overall footfall at pubs should be back up close to pre-covid levels over this festive period based on even bigger celebration than normal. This is likely to mean that people will be spending more and planning current intentions. earlier, with an impressive 3.3 million saying they’ve Katy Moses, MD at KAM: “The research shows that already made reservations for the festive period. It UK consumers are currently feeling excited about this may well actually be the season to be jolly this year.”

Christmas and eating and drinking out will play as big a part in their celebrations as it did pre-Covid.

KAM found that footfall on Christmas day itself Obviously, we’ve learnt the hard way that a lot can looks set to return to pre-Covid levels with 1-in-10 change between now and Christmas but, assuming the intending to visit a pub or restaurant- this matches current restrictions don’t change, its looking to be a intention level in 2019. The same can be said of New very Merry Christmas for Hospitality this year.”

Year’s Eve, with a very similar proportion of con-

We are not tied to anyone manufacturer so we are confident that we can source and import the widest possible range of products. Buying in bulk and keeping our costs down enables us to pass on the savings to you.

As specialist suppliers we can supply most products all year around and are able to cope with last minute orders and “top-ups” with ease. Obviously, the more notice you can give of your requirements the more choice and variety we can offer.

It is not possible to list all the many hundreds of products that we can supply but are pleased to show the most popular ones in our new catalogues, available at www.dacooke.co.uk . If you cannot find what you require, please do let us know so that we can find it for you.

We do hope that we can be of service to you over the coming year and would be pleased to visit you with samples and to discuss your requirements further.

See the advert on this page of visit www.dacooke.co.uk

Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew - Serve Perfect Iced Coffee in Moments fee drinks are caramel, salted caramel and vanilla.

TOP IT OFF Brew’d Nitro cold brew is already capped with a creamy foam top, but for something extra indulgent you could add a layer of milk foam or whipped cream.

FROM DAY TO NIGHT

Iced coffee is the hottest drinks trend of the summer, and thanks to the Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Machine, serving it just got 1,000 times easier.

The UK’s iced beverages market is worth over £450 million per year, with over 6.4million sold in UK coffee shops each week in the summer months.

With a Christmas on the way, there’s no better time to invest in a cold brew machine that will expand your drinks offering and boost your profits.

WHAT IS BREW’D NITRO COLD BREW? Cold brew coffee is prepared by soaking coffee grounds in cold water for a long period of time. The resulting drink is very different to what you’d get from icing hot coffee. Cold brew has a much lower acidity, is smoother, sweeter, and there is generally little or no bitterness. Whilst delicious, it is extremely time-consuming to prepare manually.

A Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew machine uses a bag in box system much like a juice dispenser, where concentrated cold brew coffee is mixed with chilled water and nitrogen. The water dilutes the concentrate, whilst the nitrogen creates a smooth creamy texture.

The finished product is a perfectly chilled, silky smooth cold brew coffee that is dispensed with ease from the integrated tap.

EXPAND YOUR MENU The opportunities from your new Brew’d machine are endless, as the cold brew coffee can be used as a base for literally thousands of different iced drink combinations.

ADD MILK Boost your Nitro cold brew’s already creamy texture by combining it with fresh milk or dairy-free alternatives.

ADD A SPLASH OF FLAVOUR Adding a pump of syrup is the easiest way to add variety to your cold brew coffee menu. Invest in a core range of coffee syrups for extra flavour sweetness. The nations three favourite flavours for iced cof-

Transitioning your Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew coffee machine from daytime service to night couldn’t be easier. After months of mixing quarantine cocktails at home, people are back in pubs, bars and clubs and the demand for beautiful professionally made cocktails is high.

An espresso martini is an obvious choice to get the most from your Brew’d machine in the evening. It is the ultimate impulse purchase of the drinks world, which falls into place at that moment of the evening when you decide you’re not ready to go home.

Whether that be transitioning from the workday to after-hours, or from the early part of a night out to the next leg, the perfect combination of caffeine and alcohol is the rocket fuel that powers the night that little bit longer.

CRAFTING THE PERFECT ESPRESSO MARTINI A well-made espresso martini is a thing of beauty. Lightly bitter, with a dark chocolatey undertone and balanced sweetness, and it couldn’t be easier with a Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew coffee machine.

Classic Espresso Martini You’ll need...

50ml Premium vodka such as Chase Vodka 25ml Quality Coffee liqueur such as Conker Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Whole coffee beans or grated chocolate to garnish

Method Combine the vodka, coffee liqueur and ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the nitro cold brew coffee from your Brew’d machine then shake. Strain into a pre-chilled glass and add whole coffee beans or finely grated chocolate to garnish.

To get a free quote for a Brew’d Nitro Cold Brew Coffee machine, please call Liquidline on 0800 849 9110 or email sales@liquidline.co.uk.To find out more please visit: www.liquidline.co.uk/brands/brewd/

ALL YOU WANT FOR

Christmas twenty twenty one At Bidfood we share your passion for great food.

We supply caterers in every sector of foodservice, from pubs, hotels and restaurants, to schools, universities, care homes and hospitals.

Whether you’re looking for festive menu ideas, essential ingredients, beers, wines and spirits or the perfect tableware and decorations, we’re here to inspire you.

So, get ready for Christmas with Bidfood and visit: www.bidfood.co.uk/christmas

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CLH Digital

Issue 75

Festive Ordering

Food Service at Sarunds

Sarunds are a distributor of world-class chocolate & confectionery, supplying the independent retail & food service sectors in the UK. We’re the largest supplier of top-quality chocolates and confectionery to the UK’s independent retail and food service sectors. We’re known for our large inventory of products from big brands and small artisan producers that offer great quality versus price. We’re also known for our customer service. Please explore this site if you’re a retailer (or prospective retailer) who is looking for the best supplier of quality chocolate and confectionery – both loose and prepacked.

We run a responsible business that’s committed to protecting the environment. We do that by continually monitor-

ing the way our goods are packaged and by reducing the non-recyclable elements wherever possible, for minimal environmental impact.

We are proud to stock one of the largest ranges of Fairtrade confectionery and chocolate in the UK. We not only encourage our existing suppliers to become Fair Trade accredited, but we seek this certification when looking for new suppliers.

Healthy living is important and we understand that. That’s why Sarunds provides a growing range of Sugar-Free and No-Added-Sugar products.

Great tasting confectionery to complement a healthy lifestyle.

With a strong increase in the number of people opting for a vegan or a vegetarian lifestyle over the past few years, we have created an enormous selection to suit this market.

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

Super Quick, Free Range, Super Easy Riso Gallo - The Maestro of Risotto

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-of-the-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

See the advert on page 25.

Wanis International Foods

Clued-up chefs have been heading to Wanis International Foods in East London for decades. Unlike many wholesalers, Wanis open their doors at 5am, are open at weekends, and being located a stone’s throw away from New Spitalfields Fruit & Vegetable market means visiting buyers can source all their fresh produce and catering ingredients first thing in the morning, and still be back in good time to prep for the first lunch service.

Wanis’ award-winning 120,000 sq. ft. depot houses a unique range of over 9,000 different World Food and Drink products from West Africa, The Caribbean, USA, South East Asia and the Far East, as well those from closer to home together with a large selection of non-food essentials. With a dedicated catering aisle, chilled, and a frozen section offering specialist fish products, a walk around the aisles offers plenty of inspiration from across the globe to create new and exciting dishes.

Sourcing the right ingredients to create amazing food for your customers is sometimes one of the most overlooked parts of an Executive Chef’s role in the kitchen. It can be challenging for busy professionals to stay

We have been making Italians happy for six generations. Riso Gallo’s mission is to spread the culture of rice and risotto throughout the world by using innovation that constantly adapts to the needs of the modern consumer. At your service.

We strive to achieve total customer satisfaction, and at Riso Gallo we constantly analyse and identify our consumers’ needs in order to do this.We rely on our experience and work with specialised research centres to develop the finest varieties of rice that satisfy the market demand for high-quality, genuine,

tasty products that are quick and easy to prepare.

Riso Gallo brings you the best Italian Risotto Rice selected from the best rice fields of the Po Valley, motherland of Risotto and Risotto Rice. Riso Gallo guarantees the origin of the rice from selected rice farms; the traditional stone husking using "Amburgo" model whitening machines (dating from 1898); and a careful grain-bygrain selection process.

To see the full foodservice range from Riso Gallo, visit www.risogallo.com

ahead of the game with their patrons’ ever-changing dietary requirements and increasingly adventurous tastes to cater for. The UK’s 17 million millennials, in particular, increasingly demand vegan options and exotic dishes from far flung corners of the globe. With products such as bulk flours, beans and pulses, canned goods, spices and seasonings, sauces and cooking ingredients (including Vegan options), together with a large selection of drinks and snacks, Wanis International Foods can meet the needs of the most adventurous chef and the most demanding customer.

Utilising unusual ingredients and creating fusion dishes seems to be the key to pleasing fickle patrons; one of this year’s star performers has been jackfruit, Wanis customer, Delroy Dixon of Rhythm Kitchen said: “I recently added a jerk jackfruit dish to the menu after seeing the recipe on the Tropical Sun foods website and it has been incredibly popular with my customers.”

For further information email sales@wanis.com, call 020 8988 1100 or visit www.wanis.com

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Issue 75

Cleaning and Hygiene

Focus Must Remain On Safety As Consumers Return

By Nick Wilson, Director of Health & Safety Services at Ellis Whittam, a former HSE inspector, and a chartered safety practitioner (www.elliswhittam.com) The recent easing of Covid restrictions came as a long-awaited relief. However, we’re not out of the woods yet and a two-fold challenge has emerged, particularly for employers and employees in the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors.

Firstly, let’s be clear, regardless of the timing and the easing of rules and restrictions, coronavirus has not vanished as we all would have liked. This is still very much an occupational hazard which we cannot eliminate and it’s therefore essential businesses don’t drop Covidsecure measures entirely.

The jury is out on the effectiveness of some controls such as lockdowns, isolation periods, foreign travel and face coverings – although the requirement to wear these in many public spaces remains. What has worked however, and what will continue to work will be social distancing between individuals where possible, regular cleaning, good personal hygiene, ventilation, isolation of positive/suspected cases and for businesses to have an emergency action plan to deal with potential outbreaks. Arguably some of these actions are good practice in public areas, regardless of a pandemic.

Secondly, with life returning to a degree of normality, now is a vitally important time for employers to focus on other areas of safety and staff training which could easily have been overlooked or lacking in priority in recent weeks.

Health & Safety Executive stats released in July show that more workplace fatalities were recorded in Great Britain last year, despite fewer people working. Tragically, 142 workers were killed at work between March 2020 and March 2021, up from 111 the year prior. While many of these deaths were in sectors such as construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing, it certainly suggests that staff absence and changes in the workforce caused by Covid could have compromised safety standards in the workplace.

These figures should serve as a timely reminder to us all – employers must ensure they’re doing all that is reasonably practicable to protect workers and others affected by their work activities. For several organisations now getting back to business, this includes consumers.

The tribulations of the past 18 months have had many consequences on every type of workplace. With more normal operation returning as we emerge from the pandemic, employers need to make sure they have carefully reviewed all their risk assessments, in particular identifying where process, equipment and staffing may have changed or reverted.

My advice to businesses is to involve your team members in your review, communicate your findings back to them, and ensure follow-up action. With the full reopening of retail, hospitality and leisure, there are now thousands of new young workers entering these sectors, in addition to recent returners from furlough. Robust training for new staff as well as refresher training for others is vital in ensuring everyone remains as safe as possible. Continuing to focus on safety means every consumer-facing business can let their customers again enjoy what they have to offer with full confidence.

For free resources including guides and templates for risk assessments and employment policies visit https://elliswhittam.com/resources

Easy Does It.. Just Add Salt And Water For Powerful Disinfectant sity of disinfection needed, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

A unique handheld sprayer has been launched which turns mildly salty tap water into a powerful disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19.

The easy-HC10 uses an electrochemical reaction to instantly convert tap water containing just 0.25% salt into hypochlorous acid, a powerful disinfectant which the human body itself produces to fight infection.

The battery has a 90-minute run time and each 2 litres of water produces around 25 minutes of continuous spraying, making the device ideal for disinfecting larger areas like offices, schools, health settings and public transport.

The easy-HC10 has been designed by Vapourtec, a leading manufacturer of flow chemistry equipment used throughout research and the chemicals industry.

“The easy-HC10 means there is no need to buy, store and carry around traditional disinfectant or bleach. It can cost up to 96% less to use than NHS-grade disinfectants” adds Duncan.

The sprayer is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery and features a 2-litre reservoir which is filled with tap water and just 5 grams of salt.

With commercial disinfectant costing between £0.75 and £4 per litre, the easy-HC10 requires just a few pence worth of tap water and 5 grams of salt each time it is refilled.

Pulling the trigger produces an instant spray of hypochlorous acid solution, the concentration of which can be controlled depending on the inten-

www.easy-hclo.com / 01284 728659

Keeping Customers Safe and the Tills Rolling

By Paul Phyall, Managing Director for Northern Europe, Food at NSF International (www.nsf.org) ly.

As hospitality doors are finally re-opening, attracting customers now hinges on winning over public trust. With social distancing measures easing, the onus of protection now lies on hospitality venues being vigilant, meaning cleanliness and hygiene will be under intense scrutiny. So how exactly can the industry build trust amongst customers?

MAXIMISE VENTILATION

The last 18 months have been difficult for individuals and businesses, with the hospitality industry being one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Governmental lockdowns and restrictions decimated the industry virtually overnight, and the last 18 months have been characterised by an ongoing level of uncertainty. Yet, despite this, there are signs that the industry is beginning to recover.

In May this year, after restrictions were partially eased, business turnover within the hospitality industry rose to £6.9 billion, which is in stark comparison to £1.2 billion in May 2020. Now that the Government has lifted all social distancing restrictions in England, with a significant easing of restrictions in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we’re likely to see further buoyancy from restaurants, bars and hotels alike.

Meanwhile, customers will expect to see excellent hygiene standards upheld more than ever before and, crucially, the responsibility to keep customers safe lies with hospitality institutions more than ever previous-

There is strong scientific evidence suggesting the virus is airborne and can infect people through inhalation of respiratory particles, which highlights the importance of well-ventilated rooms. All hospitality outlets must ensure there is passive air flow through windows, doors and air vents that can be fully or partially opened. Rooms that lack good ventilation allow the virus to build up in the air, increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19, especially if there are lots of infected people in the room.

Furthermore, the virus can remain suspended in the air after an infected person has left, meaning that COVID-19 particles can continue floating around an empty room for several hours.

However, wiping surfaces will only be an effective measure if it is done routinely. All areas and appliances being used most frequently must be cleaned often, and those that come into direct contact with food require extra attention. Hospitality managers and owners should begin by establishing a rigorous schedule of cleaning public areas and organising strict rules with staff; for instance, ensuring they are regularly washing their hands and making hand sanitisers readily available.

GET TESTED Evidence suggests the virus has an incubation period of at least 48 hours when an individual is asymptomatic but contagious, meaning they might be walking around thinking they are free of the virus while actively passing it on to others. If staff are worried about spreading the virus to customers, getting a COVID-19 test is the best way to stay safe.

Hospitality leaders also have a responsibility to urge their staff to test themselves regularly to keep customers as safe as possible.

INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS

COVID-19 can survive for up to 60 hours on certain surfaces. It’s vital that restaurants, bars and hotels clean all surfaces and shared spaces before and after mixing indoors. Yet cleaning is meaningless unless staff are using disinfectant to kill the viral germs. So it’s advisable that employees use specialised, approved biocidal cleaning products for wiping surfaces.

The hospitality sector needs to observe a high level of hygiene in line with UK food safety standards and keep its staff vigilant to the threat of COVID-19. Doing so will mean businesses can build trust amongst their consumers, who will in turn, increasingly grow in confidence when it comes to eating out socially. Reassurance can also come from the outside, where independent health and hygiene assessments can provide the most value. There is a big difference between improvised self-assessment and the thorough, comprehensive approach overseen by science-based, independent, third-party organisations.

Beyond general use cleaning products, such as dish soaps and foaming cleansers, acid cleaning products can effectively remove rust corrosion, scale or other deposits not removable by alkaline products.

Antimicrobial cleaners must be used to sanitise hard, non-porous surfaces like countertops or work tables.

An independent health and safety assessment will not only reassure consumers, leading to more financial gains, but will also ensure hospitality institutions are doing all they can to create an environment that is safe and hygienic. Every action taken to reassure customers will be another step towards the ongoing recovery of the sector.

WIPE SURFACES WITH DISINFECTANT

Cleaning and Hygiene

Infection Prevention and Control from Sanondaf UK Business owners and management within the hospitality sector now have both the freedom, and responsibility, to decide how they should manage infection prevention and control within their premises.

But whilst the shackles have been removed, it is clear that we are not yet out of the woods. Case numbers, hospital admissions and fatalities for Covid are still alarmingly high, and we are now seeing outbreaks of Norovirus and other viral and bacterial infections.

The enhanced manual cleaning and disinfection efforts of all in the hospitality sector will clearly be an important change to maintain. Yet if we look more broadly, to the healthcare, childcare and social care sectors, sectors which often (pre-Covid) encounter infection prevention and control challenges, there are more effective, costefficient practices to be adopted.

Touchless, total environment decontamination (aka fogging and electrostatic spraying), delivered by an experienced infection prevention and control service provider, decontaminates ALL surfaces and the atmosphere, of even the largest properties, in minutes.

Introducing Sanondaf UK Launched in 2014, Sanondaf is a nationwide provider of specialist disinfection and decontamination services, with 25 regional teams providing infection prevention

and control support across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Our clients range from hotels, restaurants, event and hospitality venues to the NHS, research laboratories and pharmaceutical manufacturers, office premises, nursing homes, nurseries, schools, national transport providers and international blue-chip corporations.

Contact us now to discuss your infection prevention and control support needs. www.sanondaf.co.uk +44 (0) 1236 702 028 support@sanondaf.co.uk

Top Engraver Supports Hospitality Sector with Fast Turn Around for Etched Table Numbers & QR Discs One of the UK’s leading commercial and industrial engraving specialists, Brunel Engraving, is providing a rapid response to the growing demand for etched table numbers and QR code discs in the pub and catering industry.

The company has made a substantial investment in additional state of the art engraving equipment and related software in order to produce a wide range of individually engraved table numbers and discs.

The numbers and disks enable customers to link to Apps or menus, reducing staff contact and eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus. Although no longer a legal requirement to order remotely, this is something which the government is still actively encouraging and can improve table service through the reduction of queues.

Government guidelines now specify that whilst businesses are no longer legally required to collect customer contact details, doing so will support NHS Test and Trace. It recommends encouraging customers to uses contactless ordering from tables where available such as through an ordering app and ordering for takeaway or delivery online, on apps or over the telephone.

Brunel was one of the first companies to help kick start the British hospitality industry, providing numbers, discs, PPE visors and distancing floor stencils for

use in public areas when businesses first opened their doors to the public again.

The company has since increased its capacity to produce engraved numbers and codes to offer a rapid bespoke service for all types of businesses in the catering industry.

“The demand for our engraved products has significantly increased despite the relaxing of Covid restrictions”, said Martyn Wright, managing director and founder of Brunel Engraving.

“Our investment in additional equipment and software has ensured that our customers in the hospitality sector can benefit from an accurate and rapid turnaround at a highly competitive price”.

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 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk See the advert on the facing page for further information.

Customer Confidence is Essential for Success Although most COVID restrictions have been lifted, to be successful it is vital that pubs, restaurants, hotels and other catering and hospitality establishments reassure customers that their premises are clean, hygienic, and safe places to visit.

Hand hygiene is a key infection prevention measure and is one of the most visible ways that businesses can protect the safety of their staff and visitors, whilst also demonstrating commitment to their health.

The recently introduced PURELL SOLUTION™ features innovative dispensers and a brand-new type of ‘healthy soap’ to offer additional peace of mind.

PURELL HEALTHY SOAP™ sets a new standard for soap performance, enabling users to achieve their deepest clean ever. Thanks to its ‘CLEAN RELEASE™ Technology’ (CRT), it can access hard-to-reach areas of the skin, removing more than 99% of dirt and germs. It is also remarkably gentle, even with frequent use.

The new PURELL® ES8 Dispenser has a premium look, which inspires a sense of confidence and highlights that hygiene is being taken seriously. Its clever ‘AT-AGLANCE™’ design makes it easy for staff to monitor product levels with one quick look, saving both time and labour.

It also benefits from breakthrough ‘Energy-on-theRefill’ technology, enabling continuous touch-free dispensing, without the worry of the battery wearing out and needing to be changed. It is compatible with PURELL HEALTHY SOAP High Performance Foam Hand Wash, PURELL HEALTHY SOAP Mild Foam, as well as PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub. For more information, call +44 (0)1908 588444, email CustomerExperience@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

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Cleaning and Hygiene

Waste2 Environmental Systems

As a foodservice operator, you know that fat, oil and grease (FOG) are unavoidable by-products of food preparation and meal service. Modern cooking technologies such as steam convection ovens, Bratt pans, and the like all contribute to FOG entering the drainage infrastructure.

Although most operators employ grease traps to capture the FOG, these can often be overwhelmed by the sheer volume entering the system. We are well aware that when hot, liquid FOG enters the sinks, underground pipework and drains. But on cooling, it solidifies, increasing the risk of blockages.

Your first line of defence, the grease trap, only captures so much and as the efficiency of the process drops, the drainage pipes can get blocked, causing problems in the downstream wastewater treatment process.

Thankfully, there is a new solution to manage this issue. New to the UK market through Waste2 Environmental Systems, BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG is a revolutionary product that actively accelerates the biological removal of fat, oil, grease and sediment food solids.

BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG delivers a range of bio-catalytic

materials that degrade a wide range of contaminants into smaller and simpler forms until they are removed from the water. This is the same process, and the pathway of natural decomposition is speeded up. It is entirely natural and has no detrimental effects on the environment, humans, plants, or animals.

Waste2 Environmental Systems is an exclusive partner of BiOWiSH Products. To find out more, please visit www.waste2es.com, call 01442 503929 or email enquiries@waste2es.com

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.

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.

Once in position, an easy-to-use keypad 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.

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

The complete sanitisation of an average sized room will take approximately

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.

See the advert below for details.

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 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

Outdoor Spaces

Issue 75

CLH Digital

Make the Most of Your Outdoor Areas with the Contract Furniture Group replace décor ahead of reopening; and to support this they are looking at putting finance packages together to spread the investment.

Contract Furniture Group have worked hard over the last year to provide their customers with the same high quality service you’ve come to expect from them.

Despite the frustration our whole industry is feeling at the moment, Contract Furniture Group encourage you to seize this opportunity to update, repair or

If you do have any questions or queries about Contract Furniture Group's products or services, stock availability or lead times, terms or available finance options, please don’t hesitate to call.

Most importantly, Contract Furniture Group say they hope you and your loved ones stay safe and well during these unprecedented times.

For further information visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk

Sunshade Services Specialist Bespoke Outdoor Structures Sunshade Services specialise in the design, manufacture & installation of outdoor structures directly aimed at the hospitality sector. There are many things to consider when deciding which type of structure may best suit your needs including appearance, materials, safety, coverage required, planning issues and cost to name but a few.

Having a totally flexible approach allows us to offer what we feel is the best all round solution to suit your individual needs. Every structure designed by us can be individually tailored to suit your requirements but allows us to meet any design requirements or site restrictions that may be placed upon.

Many of our structures can also be expanded upon in a modular fashion to allow further or extended coverage of large or awkward shaped areas allowing you to limit your capital expenditure as required.

Please either call us on either of the numbers below or email your enquiry to info@sunshadeservices.co.uk & one of our sales team will get back to you as soon as they are free Contact us for your free no obligation quotation & start saving now.

T: 01782 398848 / 07807 063734 e: info@sunshadeservices.co.uk

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

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Outdoor Spaces

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

The Bio Climatic Pergola from CambridgeStyle Canopies products on mainland Britain. We have a chain of partners that can assist you locally.

The Bio Climatic Pergolas are a modern aesthetically pleasing addition to Pubs, Clubs, Restaurants, Hotels and many more commercial outlets.

We have even installed on roof of new eight storey city centre students accommodation building for relaxing area.

Solisysteme are the inventor and historical leader of manufacture of the Bio Climatic Pergola Cambridgestyle Canopies is a long established provider of outdoor covered areas to commercial clients within the UK With clients such as BBC, Landrover Jaguar, Tesco and many more. We are very proud to be the sole distributor of Solisysteme

Designed to your specification Protects from the sun and inclement weather Provides natural ventilation Regulates the temperature in adjoining rooms Adjusts the brightness of the light by remote control Side walls, Heating and lighting options Up to 7m between structural support columns How can we help your business ?

Cambridgestyle Canopies 01353 699009 office@cambridgestyle.org www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk

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

Solisyteme is the inventor and historical leader of the Bio Climatic Pergola.

Since 1998 Solisysteme has designed and manufactured pergolas and innovates every day in order to provide customer with tomorrow’s Solar protection solutions.

• Protects from the sun and inclement weather • Provides natural ventilation • Regulates the temperature in adjoining room • Adjusts the brightness of the light by remote control • Heating and Lighting options

Cambridgestyle Canopies is a long established provider of outside covered areas to the commercial market sector and proud to be the sole distributor of the Solisyteme products throughout the UK.

We have trade partners in your area that can provide a full installation service if required.

Beer Gardens, Roof Tops and much more

Example: 4000mm x 3000mm remote controlled Bio Climatic Pergola with LED lighting supplied for less than £6,000 ex vat

Also a vast range of aluminium or steel canopies to your required specifications Enquire today!

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

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

door goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job.

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 out-

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

4 Seasons Outdoor

A world of many possible combinations, classic and traditional, modern and clear-lined, robust and solid or young and minimalistic. An extremely innovating world but yet recognizable and familiar thanks to the clever finishing, to the very last detail. High Quality against a mid-range price.

Visit our website for the complete collection: www.4seasonsoutdoor.co.uk

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

Our furniture is selected for strength, longevity, quality and value.

We source worldwide to ensure that both our ethical standards of production and our high environmental demands for sustainability are met.

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

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

QUALITY We deliver high quality outdoor furniture suitable for

any commercial environment. Nearly all of our products are FSC certified and EU compliant too.

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

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

Visit www.leisurebench.co.uk

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Outdoor Spaces

Issue 75

Your Outdoor Areas For The Staycation Outside Structure Solutions Optimise Boom With 100% Recycled Plastic Furniture Achieve Gibus Atelier Status With nationwide restrictions having been gradually eased, ensuring your outdoor areas are fit for use has never been more crucial.

Outside Structure Solutions was founded in 2008 offering the supply and fitment of a small range of exterior canopies. As the business expanded, so did our variety of selected manufactures allowing us to increase our range to include awnings, outdoor vertical blinds and post protection, each complementing our existing range of exterior structures.

Research continues to validate that meeting outdoors comes with a reduced risk of transmission. Introducing furniture outside to optimise your available space is a great way to stay compliant with government advice, whilst creating comfortable al fresco areas for your expectant returning customers to enjoy – just in time for summer.

We quickly partnered with Gibus, one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious brands, raising our business profile to incorporate this range of high-end products. Gibus work closely with their brand partners to ensure the quality of their product is mimicked in the purchase and fitting process, thus creating the ‘Atelier’ accreditation.

When considering your outdoor furniture, NBB recycled plastic is the perfect choice, as the material looks like timber but can last outside all year round without the need for annual maintenance. All our furniture is offered at competitive prices and comes with our market-leading 25-year warranty! It is extremely hard wearing, guaranteed never to split, chip, crack, or rot, and the non-porous properties make it easy to clean between uses.

The Gibus Atelier accreditation is a strict programme of up-to-date training, best practise and set timescales guaranteeing the customer, expert product knowledge, a design to suite the requirement, punctual delivery, and fitment with precision by our trained experts.

Outside Structure Solutions are proud to be the only exterior structure company within Cambridgeshire, to achieve this status and one of only six throughout the UK making us the number one destination for your outdoor needs.

For our full range of outdoor solutions, visit https://outsidestructures.co.uk/

In fact, recycled plastic can last up to 5 times longer than its timber equivalent!

The longevity of recycled plastic makes it is the perfect

Indigo Awnings - Commercial Grade Shading Products At Indigo Awnings, the UK’s market leader in external shading, we offer we offer commercial grade shading products and provide expert advice with unrivalled customer and after-sales service.

With today’s trend in alfresco socialising and dining, we can offer you made to measure shading that will enhance the beauty, and accessibility, of your business.

Custom branded products by Indigo Awnings provide efficient weather protection, create extra outdoor space, and drive revenue by making it easier for customers to find your business.

We have a wide range of commercial grade retractable awnings, giant parasols and fixed roof structures that will enhance any outdoor area and thus the comfort of your guests.

Crafted from the highest-quality mate-

cost-effective alternative for use within the hospitality and catering industry, where heavy use is expected following the further easing of restrictions.

Furthermore, sales of our products have recycled over 35 million milk bottles to date. Not only does our recycled plastic furniture look great, but it has also helped many happy customers achieve their own environmental goals.

So, if you’re looking for long-lasting furniture to make the most of your outside spaces, take a look at our eco-friendly range and place your order today.

NBB Recycled Furniture www.RecycledFurniture.co.uk 0800 1777 052

rials, all our products are fully customisable and built to your required specification. Frames can be powder coated in a range of RAL colours, with a huge selection of fabric shades and patterns to choose from, all of which can be printed with your branding.

With the addition of quality infra-red heating and LED lighting you can create a whole new dining experience for customers to enjoy all year round, consequently, a healthy return on investment – simply creating “money from fresh air”, regardless of the weather!

Backed up by a national capability and support network, all installations are completed by our highly experienced fitting teams, ensuring continuity with only one point of contact for our customers to have the best experience possible.

Contact our friendly Indigo Awnings team on 01352 740164 or at www.indigoawnings.co.uk

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3R - Your Edge in Payment & Business Management 3R offer industry leading EPoS Solutions with integrated countertop or wireless payment solutions.

all their customers 24x7x365 from UK served Office.

See the advert opposite or sales@3rtelecom.co.uk, 01992 574 650 or www.3rtelecom.co.uk

Coupled with durable, secure hardware, is our signature EPoS software: CES Touch.

Touch boasts a variety of features such as: a complete Stand alone or Multi Lane, Cloud Management, Online Ordering, Booking and Reservations; extensive stock control; intensive operator management; Hotel Link, ResDiary. Resident Pro, High Level, Guest Master, Guest Line and in-depth financial reporting.

We give you the edge in business and payment management. Above all 3R provides best customer service to

Say No To No Shows Guests not showing up to their booking is becoming a more common occurrence...

WELCOME BACK, HOSPITALITY Since partially reopening, the news from the sector is cautiously positive; most pubs and restaurants are busy – both bookings and spend-per-head are up.

There is, however, one problem that appears to be hurting pretty much every hospitality business. The issue is no-shows. People who book but don’t turn-up. This behaviour was never OK, but for businesses and their employees who have had such a tough 15 months, it’s a real kick in the teeth.

SECURE BOOKINGS WITH A DEPOSIT OR

PRE-AUTHORISATION Some operators are understandably concerned that changing the ‘contract’ with guests is risky. Many things have changed over the last year: habits have been broken and guests will understand the need to secure their booking with pre-payment, a deposit, or a cardswipe.

ADACTUS OFFERS SECURED BOOKING Adactus can help hospitality businesses implement the right secured booking service for your guests – whether that is full or partial payment up front (deposit), or a card swipe to authorise a charge in the event of a no-show – there is a solution that will work best for your operation. And, unlike other providers, we don’t charge a per-transaction fee: your costs are the same every month.

Give us a call!

Scott Muncaster, Managing Director, Adactus Telephone: 01844 269090, Email: hello@adactus.co.uk or Web: www.adactus.co.uk

All-In-One Intranet Software from Oak Engage

Working with some of the world’s biggest brands including Aldi, Five Guys and ITV, Oak Engage helps employers connect their workplace, engage their people and work better together through a mobile app and cloud-based platform.

Oak Engage provides a range of internal communications tools that integrate seamlessly with office applications including SharePoint helping to improve productivity. Oak Engage are experts within the internal comms industry, a success that has been achieved by listening to their customers and

developing applications that provide genuine value within the digital workspace.

Oak’s intuitive suite of digital tools and expert support, allow businesses to stay connected with their employees. An all-in-one solution that blends modern intranet practicality with the unique functionalities of an employee engagement app, Oak empowers employees to be the best that they can be.

To arrange a demo or for more info, visit www.oak.com or contact them on info@oak.com.

All-In-One Intranet Software for the Workforce of Today

A cloud based intranet platform to keep your workforce connected, productive & engaged. Mobile ready with drag and drop functionality.

Empower your people

Oak.com

Hosptality Technology

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How the Foodhub EPOS System Can Help Local Businesses Flourish Leeds based Archers Sweets sells everything from traditional pick ‘n’ mix through to American candy, and has seen huge success since the opening of its first bricks-and-mortar shop in 2018.

ness. We’ve gained lots more customers since implementing the EPOS system and the staff are under much less pressure. Joining Foodhub is the best thing we ever did; it’s made our lives so much easier.”

Owner, Natasha Archer, like many other business owners, found that the pandemic heavily impacted her business model, as when national lockdown hit, her delivery orders soared.

Ardian Mula, Foodhub’s CEO said: “We are delighted to have Archers Sweets onboard as one of our partners and thrilled at the level of success they have seen so far simply by using our order management system. In addition, Foodhub is the only major food ordering app that won’t charge a commission per order. Instead, our commission-free subscription model means they gain full access to our leading EPOS system for a monthly fixed cost, meaning our partners save significantly every month when compared to other rival platforms.”

Although delighted with the immediate jump in telephone order volume, Archer and her team started to become increasingly overwhelmed with delivery orders, leaving them little time to focus on the running of the shop.

Archer needed to find a solution quickly that didn’t mean handing over her hard-earned profits in commission. That’s when she discovered leading POS platform, Foodhub.

Joining Foodhub meant they had access to a world class EPOS system that would allow them to easily and effectively manage order volume. Instead of manually organising each customer order, the system allowed them to fully digitise and streamline the process, affording staff less stress and more time to spend with customers in the shop.

24/7 support means help is always at hand should they require assistance with the system.

“As part of our EPOS offering, we provide a complete turn-key solution to get food delivery businesses online. Our clients receive their own e-commerce platform, order management system and access to thousands of Foodhub customers. It can really help businesses such as Archers Sweets evolve their e-commerce offering and allow them to be agile at a time when they need to most, alongside the cost saving benefits.”

Foodhub is the only takeaway delivery provider that operates with a 0% commission model.

This is unique compared to other EPOS providers who charge up to 10% per transaction. Instead, Foodhub charges their partners a set monthly fee, making for a much more stable and manageable cost.

Foodhub is encouraging independent business owners to take advantage of the current appetite for e-commerce and delivery orders and sign up to the site.

Not only did Archer find that she was saving money and her team were less pressured, but the new system led to increased customer acquisition, as many local people appreciated being able to use the website to check the sweet treats available and then place an order ready to be picked up or delivered to the door.

With Foodhub the full order value goes direct to the business as they do not charge a commission on orders. This is unique compared to other EPOS providers who charge up to 10% per transaction.

Instead, Foodhub charge their partners a set monthly fee to trade with them, making for a much more stable and manageable cost.

Natasha Archer, owner of Archers Sweets, said: “Signing up to Foodhub has massively helped the busi-

Visit www.foodhub.co.uk/become-a-partner for details.

Visit foodhub.co.uk/become-a-partner to find out how your restaurant can benefit from a leading EPOS system, whilst saving money each month compared to other platforms.

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

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Hosptality Technology New Labour Scheduling Tool To Juggle Student’s Working Hours 46

CLH Digital

Issue 75

Across the country, many towns or cities depend on a level of student labour across a number of sectors, particularly hospitality. As operators gear up to welcome new and returning student employees in September, workforce management specialists Bizimply are launching new features designed to help businesses make the most of these valuable team members.

Most operators recruit students for their flexibility, enabling them to fill the gaps in their staff rotas. Juggling students’ availability around their lectures can be a challenge for whoever has to create the staff rota. This is why Bizimply’s ‘Unavailability’ and ‘Deactivate/Reactivate’ features are being welcomed by their customers.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw said: “So many of our hospitality customers rely to some extent on students and it’s a relationship that brings benefits to employer and employees. Managing a team where some members are unavailable for certain shifts and not

Point of Sale Technology Designed for Hospitality 2001, establishing SAM4S affiliate specialized in store automation products such as ECR, PC POS and Receipt printers, having its office in Seoul, Korea. We have human resources with knowledge of more than 30 years of experience in the store automation field. We now produce most sophisticated and diverse products to the world-wide market. Our store automation products are extensively used in over 80 countries, having around 100 partners all over the world.

ShinHeung Precision Co., LTD, (also called, SHC) is a leading corporation which provides the best quality precision machines. SHC was found in 1968 and have 16 affiliates in 11 countries. We have 25 offices and factories around the world with HQ and main factory located in South Korea. SHC maintains partnerships with Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Toyota and etc. with its own precision technologies accumulated over the years.

SHC took over ECR business from Samsung in

Due to global pandemic, the demand for contactless product such as Kiosk for self-ordering & selfcheckout has increased rapidly. To correspond to the market’s demand, we have launched 15” and 21.5” Kiosk models for the market’s safety and businesses. Moreover, we plan on adding 32” Kiosk model in the 2Q of 2021.

Since 2012, we have been attending retail technology related exhibitions such as EuroCIS, EuroShop, NRF, Computex, GITEX and etc. When we become a safer place for us to freely interact with each other, we would be more than happy to meet you in person and introduce our products.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

able to work for months at a time, was clearly making staff rota creation more timeconsuming than it needed to be.

The Unavailability feature allows managers – or the team members themselves, via their employee portal – to mark students as unavailable for work around their weekly lectures, eg every Monday and Thursday mornings. A second Deactivate/Reactivate feature makes it easier for operators to manage students’ longer-terms unavailability, eg returning home for the holidays.

“We’re pleased to have created these two new features which, like all Bizimply tools, are designed to help hospitality businesses focus their time on other areas of the business.”

Visit Bizimply at www.bizimply.com

The New Dojo Go, A Beautifully Intuitive Card Machine

Since full market launch last year from its new Bristol HQ, the new Dojo Go card machine has started revolutionising the UK card merchant industry. Just check out its Trustpilot user reviews to see some of the accolades bestowed on a product service that can evoke opposite feelings for many traditional challenges in this market.

These are card machines that mean business, with Wi-Fi & 3/4G connectivity, sleek design and powerful technology for reliable, fast and secure payments. Point to point encryption means your money is safe and you have the world's best security with simple PCI compliance. The fastest transaction speed and free next working day transfer of funds with just a monthly rolling agreement for switching merchants, and up to £3,000 towards

your current providers exit fees.

The Dojo App provides many modern features such as a real time window on transactions and transfers, allowing you to know where your money is at all times plus access to billing, PCI management and the help team 7 days a week.

The Dojo Go card machine has a 5" HD touchscreen that features gratuity activation, optional receipt printing saving paper and integration with over 600 Epos & software partners, this is the future available today.

For more details contact your local West Country Payments Consultant: Stuart Doderer on 07891 480 052 or link www.stuartdoderercardpayments.com

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Halton Foodservice Limited Halton Foodservice Limited, specialists in Commercial Kitchen Ventilation for over 50 years, have a depth of expertise and solutions to deliver in today’s complex and competitive marketplace.

At Halton Foodservice, we combine our highly professional services with the broadest technical understanding of Indoor Air Environment Quality (IEQ) on the market. We use this knowledge to serve our customers with the most convenient, and energy efficient solutions for all segments of catering: hotels & fine dining, institutional & corporate catering, restaurant chains & QSR, retail applications, the growing segments of food halls, food courts and ghost kitchens, and food processing.

We take a wholistic approach to kitchen ventilation, considering both supply and exhaust air systems, as well as light or acoustics, backing them up with the best product support. With customer satisfaction always in mind, we offer a total package and a highly flexible approach to tailor solutions to exactly meet their needs. This helps foodservice operators around the world provide the highest quality service, and improve their profitability.

We provide a comprehensive package of design tools to assist our customers and their designers in selecting the best combination of Halton Foodservice products and systems. These tools include an electronic product catalogue, full design service, with experienced personnel who will offer full support to advise on commercial kitchen ventilation design.

One of our most recent projects was Eataly, the world’s largest Italian food market. We began work on this project some 4 years prior to opening, working alongside key stakeholders to supply and install a number of kitchen ventilation solutions such as KVF and UVF hoods, low level canopies for fryers and KVV condensation canopies with integrated Fire suppression systems.

And when clean lines and clear views across a kitchen are required, we used our Cyclocell ceiling giving an aesthetically pleasing view for the customer, whilst delivering the usual high standards of performance We did not stop at canopies, we are very aware of the operational costs that operators face, we introduced energy saving technologies - Capture jet, and our Demand Controlled kitchen ventilation system M.A.R.V.E.L, which combined will reduce energy consumption by up to 40% Despite the challenges posed by the project, the majority of which were Covid-related, we were delighted to be involved and demonstrate our expertise in providing efficient solutions.

We take pride in continually advancing and improving our offering. We invest more in research and development of commercial kitchen systems than anyone else in the industry. We have our own R&D facilities on three continents, equipped with state-of-art tools like CFD, Schlieren and sound-measurement test facilities. We offer our clients these resources for tests, measurements and mock-ups in life-size, real-world conditions, enabling them to design and select the ideal system.

Based in Kent, Halton Foodservice forms part of the worldwide Halton Group – a leader in Indoor Environment Quality solutions globally, specialising in innovative products and systems that combine comfort, safety and sustainability Contact foodservice.uk@halton.com - Tel. +44 (0)1634 666111 or visit www.halton.com

Greater Lighting Choice Looms Large with New LED Downlight from Knightsbridge LED lighting applications and installations are set to be transformed with the launch of an innovative, brand new downlight from Knightsbridge - one of the UK’s leading brands of wiring devices, accessories and lighting.

SpektroLED breaks through the limitations of traditional LED downlights, offering unrivalled choice in versatility, performance, and style in one unique package, doing away with the need to specify multiple LED lamp types. It is also designed and manufactured in such a way that installation is quick and easy.

The new downlight can be configured to offer 40 variants from the one product thanks to its selectable wattages and CCTs and choices of bezel. Depending on the required illumination either 5W (up to 465 lumens) or 8W (up to 795 lumens) can be pre-selected via a switch on the rear of the lamp body. Once chosen, there are four CCTs available – 2700K, 3000K, 4000K and 6000K – the desired colour temperature selected by a sliding switch also on the rear of the lamp body.

Further customisation is then possible through the various bezel options that allow the lamp to complement or contrast with a room’s décor or colourways. The bezels come in a choice of stylish finishes from popular white and matt black to chrome, polished chrome and brass.

These permutations of wattage, colour temperature and bezel choice make SpektroLED a genuine 40-in-1 solution.

Installation is both quick and simple. Each unit, which has a low-profile design, features cleverly engineered first and second fix power connectors with loop in/loop out terminals that can be terminated and hidden away while other works are finished. Then the downlight can be simply plugged in to complete the installation after decoration, avoiding the issue of paint-damaged bezels! The connectors also allow the luminaire to be removed for maintenance or even re-programming by simply unplugging them.

Furthermore, the downlight is fire rated for solid timber, web joist and I-joist installation and is also IC rated* so retaining the efficiency of any mineral wool insulation in the ceiling void. And with an IP65 rating from below, it is suitable for use in bathrooms, wet rooms or other rooms where moisture is prevalent.

Once installed, SpektroLED will give 50,000 hours of rated LED life and can be used with leading and trailing-edge dimmers should the need arise, though compatibility should be verified beforehand. A five-year warranty guarantees peace of mind.

With the launch of SpektroLED, Knightsbridge is providing greater freedoms for user-determined lighting projects and making life for the installer so much simpler.

Visit www.mlaccessories.co.uk *check the product datasheet and instructions for further details

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Luxury Wood Flooring For Any Interior Founded in 1975 Havwoods has become Britain’s foremost wood flooring company supplying architects, interior designers, and residential customers.

Havwoods concentrates on engineered and solid wood flooring, cladding and joinery, as well as bespoke flooring solutions in all situations, in a wide variety of species and designs, and with every conceivable finish.

Havwoods wood flooring can be found in the finest restaurants and hotels around the world, and their clients are offered a continuously evolving range of high-quality flooring designs creating spaces which are not just functional but beautiful. Havwoods selects only the very best products from the best manu-

facturers worldwide, and the result is a superior portfolio of floor covering products.

Environment and sustainability are in the heart of Havwoods which is why the products are sourced only from sustainably managed forests.

Havwoods’ sophisticated showrooms offer an exclusive, personal wood flooring experience providing customers with a first-class consultation and an opportunity to see and touch the wood flooring options in large panels.

Call us on 01524 737000 or visit www.havwoods.com/uk/bars-restaurants

Repurposing Buildings To Rejuvenate Restaurants In A Post Covid World

The simplification of planning use, enabling former shops, offices and professional services spaces to be altered into restaurants without seeking consent from local authorities is creating fascinating new opportunities for the food service industry. From pop-ups to permanent restaurants, the opportunity is clear, especially for restaurant chains that have specialised in refurbishing existing High Street buildings and revitalising suburban areas, latterly for those opting to continue to work

from home.

One thing we know well at Adveco is the potential complexity, and therefore hidden cost, of refurbishing a property when the site was not originally conceived as a restaurant. Landlords and new property owners need to recognise that heating and especially hot water are business critical functions, with suitable hot water storage needed to meet consistent and peak-hour demands. That water also must be supplied at a minimum of 60°C to ensure a hygienic cleaning of the environment, utensils and provide handwashing for both staff and customers.

Adveco will size the needs of the premises, design a bespoke application, and supply the necessary system components for installation. Our work includes systems in listed buildings and large-scale projects, such as for Five Guys, revitalising building hot water systems throughout the UK. In all these cases, our customers are not only securing modern, highly efficient fit-forpurpose heating and hot water systems, they are also reducing their costs and either better controlling their carbon emissions or excising them with renewables for a more sustainable workplace www.adveco.co

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

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Design and Refit ILF Chairs Launch New Comprehensive Website www.ilfchairs.com

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

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

Most indoor seating and indoor wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification.

MST Auctioneers

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

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

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to ads To advertise please call 01202 552333 to talk to one of our sales agents.

Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Also included is a link to priced stock chairs and table bases plus a selection of priced made to order seating in a selection of Faux Leather upholstery colours and wood frame colours. These products can also be supplied to customer specification, just ask for details.

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

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances.

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

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

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

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.

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 Web www.simscf.com

Design and Refit Refurbish with Pro Auction Ltd Refurbishing?

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This trust is built from our shared values and understanding of what is most important to them.

Our comprehensive service is based on the needs of our clients. Our expertise in valuing, marketing, and selling surplus assets means our clients can achieve the best prices and end result with minimal effort. Our integrity, expertise and customer-first attitude are the three pillars upon which we continue to grow.

Pro Action pride ourselves on our consultative, problem-solving service and our tradition of exceeding expectation.

Looking to refurbish or sell surplus furniture, fixtures and fittings, from your hotel bar or restaurant ? Pro Auction has a long history of helping both corporate and private clients source and sell valuables across the UK and internationally.

Trust underpins our entire operation and our clients stay with us because they know we keep their best interests front and centre.

For us, the auction process is a journey and one which we take with our clients. Ours is a results-driven service underpinned by solid technology, expert advice and a willingness to turn the first contact to repeat customer to a trusted friend.

Contact us today for a free no obligation appraisal.

Pro Auction Ltd (T) 01761 414000 (E) info@proauction.ltd.uk (W) www.proauction.ltd.uk

Novellini - Minimalism and Clean Lines specialist continues to strive towards ever more sustainable, holistic production and distribution methods.

Working alongside architects and designers, Novellini creates beautiful and functional bathrooms that complement the home, helping to design tranquil spaces that promote wellbeing within the home and businesses.

Novellini is available nationwide through its chosen merchant partners and retailers, but also welcomes designers and architects to explore its inspirational collections.

Based in Italy, the brand is an independent producer and manufacturer of shower enclosures, wetrooms, shower trays, steam saunas, baths, whirlpools and bathroom furniture.

In the last decade, Novellini has made significant investments into environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. With the future in mind, the bathroom

To find out more about Novellini’s new products you can contact us directly.

Info-uk@novellini.com 01727 229922 or www.novellini.co.uk

Pro Auction is a well established professional firm acting for both corporate & private clients conducting sales throughout the UK and internationally.

Our clients work with us because they know we have their best interests in mind.

This trust is built from our shared values and understanding of what is most important to them.

As a result, we serve a diverse clientele across the following sectors: • • • •

Hotel, Leisure and Hospitality.

Manufacturing Industrial Plant and Machinery Retail and Wholesale Stocks Luxury Goods, Prestige & Branded Products

We conduct sales by auction, tender and private treaty, supported by web based marketing and conventional promotional campaigns that reach the buyer quickly efficiently and professionally ensuring each and every sale is a success.

We can assist with the valuation, removal and sale of assets surplus to your requirements.

Contact us for full details: Pro Auction Ltd on 01761 414000

info@proauction.ltd.uk

www.proauction.ltd.uk

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

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Design and Refit

A Clean Start - Integrated Sanitising Solutions

With over 50 years of experience, ICE is the UK’s largest independent provider of industrial cleaning machines.

We bring a simple, reliable brand and offering to the industry with straightforward equipment purchase, rental, service and approved-used solutions designed to meet the needs and demands of every customer, however small or extensive their budget.

We have a huge range of scrubber dryer and sweeping machines suitable for all types of environments, from

standard robust equipment or high-end machines equipped with the latest technology, to robotic floor cleaning machines.

Our ICE Co-Botics line is the industry’s first comprehensive range of robotic cleaning machines. We believe these innovations will help shape the way cleaning operations and functions are carried out in the future, but in a collaborative and cohesive way.

The equipment has been designed to integrate into cleaning team operations, picking up the manual and repetitive tasks, which will then allow operators to focus on hygiene and sanitising activities to promote cleaner and safer environments. It’s not about replacing people it’s about embracing technology to deliver higher cleaning standards, infection control and ‘proof of clean’.

Other innovations include our new sanitising and fogging equipment, which effectively sanitise and disinfect floors and the surrounding air, ensuring a safe and hygienic working environment.

Contact us: 0800 389 3869 enquiries@ice-clean.com www.ice-clean.com

Caterquip Ventilation – For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs

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

Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 21st Anniversary this year.

This Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs: free site surveys, quotations and designs (CAD), quality bespoke and standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation. Affiliated members of Constructionline, CHAS and B&ES, Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen

equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, Dock Gate 4, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses.

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

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

Call today on 01926 887167 or visit www.caterquipventilation.co.uk

TTHE H E IDEAL SOLUTION SOLUTIO N East Installation Systems Systems Ea st Anglian Anglian Installation

Tel: Tel: 01553 765205 Fax: 01553 768464 www.eais.co

EAIS is a leading Manufacturer products Manufacturer and Supplier of p roducts supplied both to the Foodservice only meet the customer’s demands, but their expectations as well. Whether you a are re looking for storage shelving, rracking food storage healthcare acking systems and trolleys, trolleys, or healthca re shelving and medical ttrolleys rolleys or bespoke design p even bespoke products. roducts. EAIS will be your Ideal Solution.

Solution.

East Anglian Installation Systems Ltd

EAIS Ltd @EAISUK

East Anglian Installation Systems Ltd

e.a.i.s_uk

Oldmedow Road, Hardwick Norfolk East Anglian Installation Systems m, sOldm O Hardwick Industrial Estate, King’s LLynn, ynn, No r folk PE30 4JJ

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Cemco (The Catering Equipment Maintenance Company) Cemco (The Catering Equipment Maintenance Company) first opened for business in 1990, and have been serving Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Bath, and the rest of the South and Southwest, ever since.

We offer a full range of services, including servicing and repairs for all commercial catering appliances, ranging from small local projects to major national work, and everything in between. Specialising in commercial Glasswasher and Dishwasher repairs sales and service our reputation is second to none.

We can offer you a no obligation quote now, so contact us for more information.

CEMCO also carry out repairs to commercial catering equipment Dishwashers, Glasswashers, Ovens Grills Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset and The Southwest. We

undertake repairs and servicing to ALL, types, makes and models of commercial catering equipment.

A repair is often far cheaper then a replacement! 30 Years in this Industry gives us the edge over our competitors, with time served Commercial Catering Equipment Engineers our clients have found we save them the cost of purchasing new equipment time after time…why buy new when a guaranteed repair is often all your Catering Equipment requires…

We are based in Bournemouth & Poole, covering the whole of Dorset, as well as Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Call 01202 377205 now, to arrange a site visit www.cemcoltd.co.uk

CardsSafe Partner with Bacchus Wines CardsSafe Ltd. is pleased to announce a new partnership with wine broker and aficionado Pierre-Loup DeCam, founder of Bacchus Wines (PLDC).

For all the negatives the last two years have brought the hospitality industry, a lot of good has blossomed from visionary individuals in the field. In 2019, after decades of business together, an idea struck. Could CardsSafe and Pierre-Loup's wine brokerage business, Bacchus Wines (PLDC), based in Hampshire, collaborate in a way to benefit their mutual customers?

The answer was, yes, they can!

Pierre-Loup and Trond Rornes, Director of CardsSafe, met years back when Pierre-Loup was the landlord of a 500-year-old pub in Surrey. CardsSafe was first installed in the iconic public house in 2008, with additional units added quickly. His team saw immediately the benefits of the CardsSafe system, which handled their customers' bank cards safely, eliminating fraud and increasing spend via food and drinks tabs by more than 20%.

Bacchus Wines (PLDC) offer beautiful wines to private clients and independent outlets. The majority of the wines hail from the award-winning Château de Parenchère. The Chateau dates back to 1570 and has a long and well-established history in viticulture.

(PLDC)

There are six signature wines: The ‘Classique’ red Château de Parenchère, the prestigious ‘Cuvée Raphaël, the Bordeaux Clairet, the ‘La Roseraie’ ‘Bordeaux Rose’, the Bordeaux ‘Blanc Sec’, the cuvée ‘Esprit de Parenchère’ and the 2020 vintage: ‘L’Équilibriste’.

Château de Parenchère aims to obtain a well-balanced wine with a firm density and elegant and mellow tannins. They also seek to produce an elegantly wooded wine, with a present yet discreet oaK, that leaves plenty of room for expressing red fruit and spices aromas.

Trond Rornes, Director of CardsSafe, says, "I am convinced that all CardsSafe customers will appreciate the Parenchère wines that Bacchus Wines (PLDC) is going to bring to the UK market via its energetic representative Pierre-Loup."

CardsSafe and Pierre-Loup look forward to offering independent restaurants, pubs and bars the opportunity to provide their customers with the fantastic Chateau de Parenchère wines.

To find out more, please email Bacchus@cardssafe.com https://cardssafe.com https://www.parenchere.com/

Specialists in Servicing, Repairs and Maintenance of all Commercial Catering Equipment

Cemco undertake Service and Repairs to ALL Commercial Dishwasher and Glasswasher Manufacturers Including Hobart, Electrolux, Meiko, Winterhalter to name a few.

CEMCO carry out repairs, servicing and routine maintenance to all makes and models of commercial catering equipment, including dishwashers and glasswashers.

We can also supply you with a new or used dishwasher …simply Contact Us for details of available Used Stock

We are based in Bournemouth & Poole and cover the whole of Dorset, along with the neighbouring counties of Somerset, Devon, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Trust CEMCO for commercial catering dishwasher servicing!

Call us now, on 01202 377205 for a free quote to repair your dishwasher

www.cemcoltd.co.uk

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54

CLH Digital

Issue 75

Design and Refit

Simple and Stylish Seating to Suit Any Interior No matter how good the food is in your restaurant or café, customers will only return if the surroundings match the culinary experience. When it comes to creating a pleasant atmosphere, attractive and comfortable seating is key.

With this in mind Trent Furniture have expanded their highly popular, durable and timelessly elegant Sorrento Chair range. Originally available in brown or grey faux leather, this bestseller is now available in a choice of nine upholstery options to suit any interior décor scheme.

As well as being a stylish and comfortable choice for your venue, Trent’s new range of fully upholstered chairs are a cost-effective and hassle-

free choice. Available for fast delivery, fully assembled, these contract grade solid hardwood frame chairs are built to withstand heavy use in your hospitality setting.

Not only that, their chic but simple style means they pair perfectly with a wide range of tables including cast iron, wooden and shaker styles.

To find out more about Trent’s fantastic new range of fully upholstered chairs, which are made using ‘no sag’ foam to your specifications by our in-house upholstery team, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 2864 911.

Hybrid Heating For The Modern Property EHC offer a comprehensive Range of Electric Products that are all controlled by the wellestablished DSR Technology Control System. It enables you to select a Hybrid Heating Solution from the range for the various rooms within your property to suit your design style and budget – the choice is yours.

All DSR Controlled Heaters are manually operated using the “easy to use” Controller located on the Heater.

They also have Wi-Fi capability that can be activated when you purchase the optional DSR Smart Gateway which will allow you to control your Heaters Anytime, Anywhere 24/7 up to a maximum of 30 Heaters per gateway using our free bespoke APP. The DSR Control APP has many features designed to enhance your comfort levels and provide essential information regarding your heating system. There is also an optional Power Meter Clamp available for Load Shedding Control.

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Popular features within the APP • Setting Times to suit lifestyle • Adjust each room temperature

• Limit electricity consumption to avoid exceeding maximum power available • Monitor your electricity consumption history • View the Temperature history by room The comprehensive range of Heaters which are available in various Outputs are: • DSR Heat Retention Radiators • Edge • Ecostore • Visage The DSR range of heaters are ideal for the likes of Bars, Restaurants or Hotels as the DSR control system allows for each heater to be controlled remotely from a smart phone or controlled centrally from a PC at a hotel reception. This level of control helps keep running costs to a minimum and removes the inconvenience of staff members going from room to room to adjust heating temperature when customers check in or out.

For further information or a free Brochure contact 01698 820533 or visit www.electric-heatingcompany.co.uk

Property and Professional

Issue 75

CLH Digital

55

Help Is At Hand For Businesses Devastated By The Covid–19 Virus In 2020 The Government is backing a new lending scheme that is aimed at getting funds out to struggling businesses that have seen profits impacted by coronavirus and whilst hotels, restaurants and public houses along with B&B’s and other hospitality businesses all struggled through the lockdowns we are pleased to let you know help is at hand.

Loans will be based upon 2018 & 2019 accounts, as opposed to last year’s figures.

Repayments will be anything up to a 25 year profile, meaning repayments will be low and give the best chance for business recovery.

Loans will normally be secured against the freehold, or long leasehold value, but can be used for any purpose including refinance, debt consolidation, providing additional working capital and even purchasing of another business.

Professional brokers, Global, have 31 years’ experience in introducing business owners to helpful and competitively priced banks, often not on the High St. but based in The City, with regional offices and a fresh modern way of working and providing business loans nationally.

Global will help you with the funding options and chat to the lenders to obtain the best terms before presenting them too you. Once you choose a loan option, Global will work to obtain an approval from the lender prior to any business valuation, so you know the bank is supportive and wants to take the process forward towards a loan pay out.

See their advert on this page and email them basic details of your requirements to see what may be on offer to you.

Email mvhwiddows@aol.com

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-of-charge 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 13 or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

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