CLH Digital - Issue #83

Issue 83

Hospitality Sector an “Industry in Peril” as Calls for Support Mount www.CLHNews.co.uk

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The hospitality sector is ‘an industry in peril’ according to the latest edition of the UKHospitality and CGA Quarterly Tracker, which reveals both Q3 2021 sales and full 12-month figures are nearly half what they were over the same period pre-pandemic.

The data shows a 45% drop in sales for the 12 months to end-September 2021 compared to year to end-September 2019, before Covid-19 struck, and annual

sales remain £60bn below 2019’s £132bn annual turnover.

The sector is proving its mettle, however, with signs that given the right support it could return to strength and drive economic growth and job creation. This year’s Q3 sales, for example, indicate a 73% growth rate compared to the same quarter in 2020, which reflects the benefit of removing restrictions.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL Our front page story is a stark warning of the difficulties and challenges the sector is facing.

The hospitality sector is described as ‘an industry in peril’ with sales and full 12-month figures nearly half what they were over the same period pre-pandemic, a 45% drop in sales for the 12 months to end-September 2021 compared to year to end-September 2019 before Covid-19 struck, and annual sales remain £60bn below 2019’s £132bn annual turnover.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

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

TELEPHONE:

I have been a vociferous critic of lockdowns even before they began! A ludicrous and ineffective way of dealing with Covid and if left to the so-called experts we will have the threat of lockdowns hanging over us forever!

01202 552333

FAX: 01202 552666 sales@catererlicensee.com was devastated by its own actions.

I read a very good blog by somebody who said they could solve the lockdown crisis in an instant! Put everybody in the country name salary until the crisis abates. No matter who you are or what you do, a national average wage to demonstrate that we are all “in it together”.

As stated in my “blog” last week I am strongly of the opinion that Boris Johnson will ignore the naysayers and will not implement a lockdown over the Christmas/New Year period.

I suspect that if that were proposed the naysayers would abandon their calls for further lockdowns in an instant.

However, since the sector has been operating at reduced capacity the impact on turnover and cash flow will have been significant, and needs support.

Eventually these institutions and ‘experts’ calling for lockdowns and/or restrictions will eventually run out of our money. Yes, that is how they are funded - taxpayer money, and there will come a point when they have shot themselves in the foot by demanding too many lockdowns, too many closures, leading to too few taxes being collected.

The Chancellor could certainly step in and give much needed relief, even if that is only in the short term. Cut VAT back to 5% for the month of December at least.

Peter Adams

Too late now, but immigration rules should have been relaxed to cover the sector’s ongoing staffing crisis. I remember, just a few weeks back, chef Nick Nairn speaking on BBC Radio that, amidst a sympathetic outpouring from industry colleagues in light of a fire at his restaurant near Stirling, he had been inundated with enquiries about the availability of his chefs who worked at the establishment, which is an indication on just how bad the staffing crisis is!

David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

The BBC recently treated us to a five episode documentary on ‘New Labour’ - the last episode being dedicated to Gordon Brown’s tenure and how we dealt with the banking crisis.

“He bailed them out with taxpayer’s money” is a simple explanation. His then Chancellor Alistair Darling bailed them out to the tune of £500 billion.

Bear in mind that this was a mess of the banker’s own making. They caused the crisis themselves, which led to an angry Gordon Brown saying that “Bankers should have been jailed for their fraudulent and dishonest behaviour” during the financial crisis that led to Britain’s deepest post-war recession.

The difficulties and challenges the hospitality sector currently face are not caused by the sector itself. It was caused by the government forcing businesses in the sector to close.

Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect the government to demonstrate similar support packages to support a sector they have devastated with their own policies, when one considers above that the government of the day supported another sector which

I do hope that the government heeds these warnings. As stated a couple of weeks ago I have written to Chancellor Rishi Sudak throwing in my “tenpenneth” - particularly on VAT. I haven’t heard anything yet, but I live in hope!

Also hats off to Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin, who has released a 20 page book for his company which highlights all the media apologies he has obtained for lies and misinformation about him and the company during the Covid pandemic. (See page 21). Well done, about time they were taken down a peg!

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Hospitality Sector an “Industry in Peril” as Calls for Support Mount Issue 83

(...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “While things are certainly moving in the right direction, recovery remains painfully slow and there are massive gaps between the numbers now and where they were before Covid-19 wreaked its havoc.

“Ours is an industry in peril, and this latest data reflects a sector fighting on all fronts for survival. Since trading restrictions were lifted, operators have been plagued with a labour crisis and supply chain issues, not to mention soaring inflationary costs. In addition, VAT has risen and the cap on business rates, announced in the last budget, penalises the most successful businesses in the sector as it means no business can claim more than £110,000.

This means even smaller operators, with just three or four sites, will miss out on relief.

“Given all the above, the Government must look at implementing measures to support the industry. The most effective of these would be to rethink the cap on business rates relief and maintain the current lower 12.5% of VAT for the sector after April next year when it is set to return to 20%. If this support isn’t put in place sooner rather than later, then consumers will find themselves paying higher prices, hundreds of hospitality businesses will collapse and thousands of jobs will be lost.”

LATEST INDUSTRY DATA AND METRICS: • Exact sales figures for YEAR to September 2021 in £bn: In the 12 months up to the end of September 2021, the hospitality sector saw £73.1bn sales. This compares to £133.6bn sales in the 12 months up to the end of September 2019 a pre-Covid comparison). This represents a drop of -45.3% vs the same 12 month period pre-Covid (£133.6bn) • Q3 sales compared to 2019 (July, August and September): The ‘UKHospitality Tracker for Q3 2021’ provides a view of total turnover/sales for the entire hospitality sector. In Q3 (July – Sept) 2021 the hospitality sector pro-

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duced revenues of £31.6bn, an increase of 73% vs Q3 2020 (£18.3bn)…BUT a drop of -10.1% vs Q3 2019 (£35.1bn).

• Closures: according to the ‘CGA & AlixPartners Market Recovery Monitor’ which tracks venue openings and closures, between March 2020 and September 2021, the Licensed market lost 9,900 sites (net closures, incl. openings & closures) equivalent to a loss of 8.6% of venues. Nightclubs and guest houses were among the worst affected. More information is available.

• Job losses and vacancies: UKHospitality estimates that the sector has lost almost 700,000 jobs since March 2020 and is currently seeing 10% vacancy rates, representing a shortage of around 200,000 staff across the UK.

1,000 SITES LIGHTER DESPITE TRADING RETURN this latest industry warning and appeal for support follows October’s Market Recovery Monitor from business advisory firm AlixPartners which revealed that the hospitality industry was almost 1,000 sites lighter at the end of September than it was in July, despite full trading conditions returning over the summer.

The net closures figure of 980 sites or 0.9% - an average of 16 a day - shows that the hospitality industry remains under severe pressure from the effects of the pandemic and a range of operational challenges including labour shortages, disruption to supply and rising costs.

AlixPartners latest report also highlights the plight of nightclubs during the COVID crisis. Despite being able to trade from July, Britain’s number of nightclubs dipped by nearly 100 to just over 1,000 by September - a drop of 9.0% in just two months.

SMALL BUSINESSES HIT HARDEST The data also indicates that small businesses have borne the brunt of closures.

Independently run pubs, restaurants, bars and other licensed premises accounted for nearly three quarters of all closures between July and September, reducing the independent sector in size by 1%. In contrast, the managed sector proved robust over the summer, achieving a small increase in site numbers of 0.1%.Graeme Smith, AlixPartners' managing director, said of its report: "These figures are a stark reminder, if needed, that the full lifting of restrictions in July did not signal an end to the challenges faced by hospitality businesses.

"The impact on nightclubs, which were unable to trade at all during the pandemic, has been particularly acute with almost one in 10 sites closing in the past two months.

"Demand remains strong but with staff shortages, utility cost inflation and supply-chain disruption, there are renewed efforts to secure continued government support to the industry to help it weather this storm as the reopening and rehabilitation process continues through what may be a challenging winter."

Addressing The Staffing Crisis In The Hospitality Sector 4

CLH Digital

Issue 83

By Henry Seddon, Managing Director, Access Hospitality (www.theaccessgroup.com)

Britain’s exit from the European Union and COVID-19 have created a whirlwind of change that continues to increase with time and will no doubt leave a lasting legacy. The positive news is that the hospitality industry is undergoing a rapid transformation, enabled by technology. As we depart from 'survival mode' post pandemic, how can we accelerate the process of bringing the hospitality sector back to life and fill the vacancies caused by the pandemic through use of technology?

DEVELOPING A DATA-DRIVEN CANDIDATE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY Traditionally, the hospitality industry has relied much on seasonal and EU workers to fill positions. Now, the sector is having to compete with other industries, and sub-sectors within hospitality, for the same smaller pool of seasonal part-time workers. The current challenges in the sector will not be easily rectified, but data-driven, tailored strategies will help ensure you are reaching your best potential candidates amid this crisis.

The hospitality industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic, with large sections of the sector shut down for months on end. Disruption in the industry has led to worker shortages, and job vacancies are at the highest level on record. With travel restrictions easing and more people venturing out to restaurants and bars – technology will play a key role in the recovery of the sector and elevating the employee and customer experience. Even so, finding skilled workers remains a challenge.

The rapid changes in the hospitality industry, paired with the challenges of the pandemic and Brexit, are causing vacancies to soar. By second quarter of 2021, hospitality vacancies were 21% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and with the arrival of summer 2021, those figures were already 60% higher than Q2. Meanwhile, the number of job listings in September were 158% higher than they were before the pandemic. This sharp increase in vacancies demonstrates that there are still significant hurdles to jump during this period of recovery. The Access Group recently examined some of these issues in a joint panel discussion focused on The Staffing Crisis: Help is at hand – attract, retain and develop your top talent, with several leading industry experts delving into how to create lasting change and tackle some of the pressing modern-day challenges for recruitment across various industries.

Andy Larkin, EarlyPay specialist at The Access Group, shared the importance of “adapting to the current climate by leveraging technology to work on your brand to create a data-driven candidate communications strategy”. In addition, he emphasised the significance of employee benefits as a key way to attract and retain talent. Jamie Campbell, Director of Learning at CPL Learning – an Access company, highlighted the benefits of having a strong visual presence and showcasing your staff on social media, especially posting promotions or career changes to attract some of the best talent.

AGILITY AND THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX Unprecedented challenges require extraordinary solutions, and the staffing crisis is no different. Agility and resilience in recruitment are vital now. Alice Barriball, Head of Resources at Marston’s, highlighted the significance of driving strategies on social media, particularly video based, to appeal to a wider range of applicants.

Meanwhile, Matt Comber, Product Manager at The Access Group, suggests that “showing snapshots of your organisation online can be beneficial to new applicants as it allows future employees to visualise a day in the life of an employee at your company or even talk about more informal topics. Alongside this, trying out your application process yourself as a hiring manager for transparency can be vastly beneficial”.

Digitisation and the use of apps, especially in industries who expect a busy seasonal period like hospitality and e-commerce, will prove invaluable for delivering faster hires at scale.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Launches ‘A Bed for All’ in Partnership with Mayor Andy Burnham Chair of MHA Adrian Ellis said: “This a such an important initiative and we are really looking forward to supporting the Mayor’s charity and hopefully raising significant funds. Manchester has several hotels which are slowly returning to full occupancy following COVID-19 meaning we have the potential to make a real difference in tackling homelessness across the city.

The Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) is set to launch ‘A Bed for All’ initiative on Monday 1st November raising money for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity.

The ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme which launched in Autumn 2018, was set up by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to provide shelter and personal support for anyone sleeping rough or at imminent risk of doing so in Greater Manchester, bringing together local government and voluntary organisations working in unison to tackle the ongoing issue.

“We would like to encourage all guests across participating hotels to get involved and hopefully we will be able to take one step closer to eradicating homelessness in the region.”

Lisa Morton, CEO of Roland Dransfield said: “Homelessness is a prevalent issue in Greater Manchester, and we know this scheme can have real impact in the winter months. We have worked with Manchester Hoteliers’ Association for several years, and they have played a crucial role in supporting charitable causes across the region.

The scheme has helped over 3,000 people and has seen a reduction in rough sleeping by 57% in the last four years.

‘A Bed for All’ will aim to raise funds for Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity by providing participating hotels with a countertop ‘Tap to Donate’ device which sits on check in desks or communal areas. Front of House staff will invite guests to support the charity by tapping to donate £3 when they check in or check out.

The project has been launched by the Manchester Hotelier’s Association in partnership with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, Roland Dransfield CEO, Lisa Morton, Capital and Centric Founder, Tim Heatley and Greater Manchester's Night-Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord.

Just ten taps of £3 will help provide an emergency bed for the night as well as wrap around support.

Andy Burnham said: “Homelessness has no place here in Greater Manchester and we are still working to eradicate this problem. It is so

important that we continue to come together as a region to tackle the issue and it is fantastic to have the MHA involved in ‘A Bed for All’.

“As we move into winter, I’m worried that we may see more people on our streets as the Universal Credit uplift has ended and half of the claimants in Greater Manchester won’t benefit from the taper changes.

The ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme was set up to try and combat the worst impacts of this and we are grateful for the support from Adrian Ellis and hoteliers across the region for raising money for us to continue our work eradicating homelessness from Greater Manchester.”

“We will be welcoming a number of visitors to the city over the next few months feel strongly if someone has had a fantastic night’s sleep in a bed at one of Manchester’s leading hotels will feel compelled to donate £3 to support those who don’t have a bed to call their own.

“We have already had great feedback with hotels signing up to be involved and are looking forward to raising funds to continue to support this initiative.”

Hotels already signed up to take part in the scheme include GG Hospitality’s Stock Exchange Hotel and Hotel Football. Dakota Hotel, The Midland and The Lowry Hotel. Additional hotels are expected to commit to the scheme in the coming few days.

Dine-in Occasions Continues to Increase, as Restaurants and Pubs/Bars Grow Share Issue 83

CLH Digital

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delivery occasions.

According to the latest update to the Lumina Intelligence UK Eating Out Market Report 2021, the proportion of out-of-home occasions that are purchased and consumed on-premise increased by +3.4ppts, from 70.6% in the 12 weeks ending (12WE) 11/07/21 to 74.0% in the 12 WE 03/10/2021.

Lunch occasions increased by +2.3ppts over the past quarter, with dinner occasions decreasing by -2.2ppts. Lunch accounted for over one-inthree (34%) eating out occasions.

KFC saw its share of occasions increase by +1ppt in the past 12 weeks with McDonald’s and Greggs both experiencing -1ppt declines. KFC has been focusing its expansion efforts on drive thru formats, capitalising on consumers travelling throughout the school holidays.

Delivery declined in share by -2.1ppts and Click & Collect declined by 1.5ppts, as consumers ate and drank out of home more often.

In the latest 12-week period, over half of the UK adult population had an eating or drinking out occasion each week, peaking at 58% WE 05/09/2021, coinciding with the late August bank holiday, warm weather and increased leisure time driving a rise in out of home occasions.

Average spend increased by +8.9% in the latest 12 weeks, from £11.01 per visit to £11.99. This is driven by consumers visiting higher spend channels, including restaurants and pubs & bars. Restaurants share of total eating out occasions increase +3.5ppts, from 15.3% to 18.8%, and pubs & bars increased share by +2.4ppts, from 15.4% to 17.8%. The QSR channel maintains the highest share of occasions, however in the latest 12-week period it has fallen -2ppts, from 37.7% to 35.7%, driven by the -2ppt decline in

Commenting on the results, Blonnie Whist, Insight Director at Lumina Intelligence said, “The easing of restrictions is resulting in consumers returning to more indulgent, higher ticket channels, such as pubs/bars and restaurants. This will come as positive news for operators, ahead of a critical festive period that is reliant on restrictions remaining eased and consumer confidence in socialising continuing to grow. The end of Summer also coincided with many returning to the office in some capacity, which will be a key driver in the increase in lunch occasions. City centre operators, who have had a torrid 18 months will be buoyed by the steady return of workers and the increases in commuter traffic.”

BaxterStorey Hosts Culinary Experience with Kirk Haworth BaxterStorey recently hosted its latest Culinary Experience event in London with Great British Menu star and Executive Chef at Plates, Kirk Haworth. The event welcomed 40 Chefs and Chef Managers from across the BaxterStorey business to explore the latest in plant-based cookery.

have a better understanding of the positive impact food can have on our health and wellbeing, which is why we serve our customers the best in fresh, locally sourced produce and have introduced initiatives like Food EQ to make plant-based ingredients the key focus on the plate.

Kirk is renowned for his refreshing approach; after a career in classical cooking, he moved to a plant-based diet to manage his diagnosis of Lyme Disease. He inspired BaxterStorey teams with a live recipe demonstration and met with chefs across the business to discuss his approach of improving wellness through plant-based cookery.

“Our chefs left feeling inspired by Kirk and can now go back to their kitchens better equipped with knowledge and skills on how to create exciting new dishes, which are full of nutrients and seasonality but are ultimately delicious and packed with flavour, whilst continuing to support our wonderful producers.’’

Kirk commented: “What we eat is so powerful, not just physically, but mentally too. My philosophy is plant-based food should not be judged on preconceptions people have about vegan food, and the dishes created by BaxterStorey chefs are an example that plant-based food can be incredibly exciting. Limitation can often breed creativity, so when you are so restricted from so many ingredients you are used to cooking with, it creates a unique and raw style.”

Greg Bramwell, Head of Food and Marketing at BaxterStorey, added: “Our Culinary Experiences means our chefs can be inspired and educated by our unique approach to collaboration with our specialist chef friends and our wonderful producers. They share our commitment to providing the most relevant food experiences and have some really aspirational stories on the work that goes into the ingredients that we use.’’

Andrew Aston, Head of Wellness and Nutrition at BaxterStorey and organiser of the masterclass, said: “I’m delighted that Kirk came and shared his experiences and passion for plant-based food with us. We are becoming more and more aligned with the food that we eat and

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H&L: Claims for VAT Overpayments Could Soar in the Run Up to Christmas CLH Digital

Issue 83

By Andrew Norman is a VAT director at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP (www.menzies.co.uk)

Pub and restaurant businesses have faced a perfect storm of challenges during the pandemic. At a time when factors such as staff shortages, rising costs and rising wage bills are impacting profitability across the sector, customer ‘no-shows’ can have a significant impact on the financial performance of a pub or restaurant business.

As a result, many have introduced booking fees and cancellation charges for customers, with the aim of discouraging such behaviour and protecting their business model. This has led to many introducing booking fees and/or cancellation charges, in order to cover their costs in case of customers not turning up.

However, confusion around the VAT treatment of such transactions could mean many businesses are not accounting for VAT correctly. This could lead to an increase in errors on VAT returns and the need for corrections and possible claims for VAT overpayments in the run up to Christmas. So, what do businesses in the hospitality and leisure (H&L) sector need to know?

It’s important to be aware that from a VAT perspective, booking fees and cancellation charges are treated very differently.

Confusion in this area could see companies not accounting for VAT correctly, impacts on cashflow or even HMRC investigations in the months ahead, leading to possible penalties, interest and additional costs.

To properly understand the differences in the VAT treatment of these two types of transactions, business owners need to understand how VAT legislation has evolved. Value-added tax is usually charged whenever there is a transaction of goods or services. However, it does not apply if the payment is deemed to be a compensation payment. A cancellation charge would fall into this category, but a booking fee would not. This is because a deposit, if it is non-returnable, is viewed as an advance payment for supply.

When introducing booking fees or cancellation charges, it’s vital that businesses make it clear to customers from the outset what kind of transaction they are making. They should also ensure they have enough evidence

to support a claim for VAT, which should be based on their contractual terms. For example, if a business makes a cancellation charge and it is set out in their agreement with customers, it is classed as being outside the scope of VAT. Another pitfall for business owners to avoid is simply renaming a deposit as a cancellation fee at a later date, in order to optimise their VAT position. For example, if the business has taken a booking deposit and the customer fails to show up, there may be a temptation to treat this as a cancellation charge instead. However, in its Hotels and Holiday Accommodation VAT Notice, HMRC emphasises that this is not permitted and could result an investigation of past VAT claims.

HMRC’s guidance also implies that where credit card details are taken, and then used to charge a fee if the customer doesn’t show up, this can’t be automatically classed as compensation and VAT would therefore be due. On the other hand, if there is a contract in place, which clearly states that a cancellation fee would be payable in these circumstances, then VAT would not be due.

It’s worth bearing in mind that over the last 18 months, temporary changes to VAT rates and the introduction of support measures have made the process of accounting for VAT significantly more complex for many pub and restaurant businesses. For example, for the period from 15th July 2020 to 30th September 2021, VAT on the sale of food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on a business’ premises was reduced from 20 per cent to 5 per cent. Since then, the VAT has increased to 12.5 per cent but will rise to 20 per cent from 31st March 2022. Businesses also need to take care that they apply the correct VAT rate, depending on the time a booking deposit is made.

For pub and restaurant businesses that have charged compensation or no-show fees and accounted for VAT, but actually met the conditions of a compensation payment, it’s not too late. Depending on the amounts due, these can either be corrected on the next VAT return or a disclosure should be made to HMRC as soon as possible.

While many pub and restaurant businesses are beginning to get back on their feet financially, errors in how they account for VAT could have a significant impact on their bottom line. By making it clear to customers whether they’re introducing cancellation fees or booking charges, pub and restaurant businesses can optimise their VAT position during the festive season and reduce the likelihood of unwanted HMRC investigations.

82% of Veganuary 2021 Participants Eating >50% Less Meat & Animal Products Six Months Later Veganuary 2021, breaking all previous records.

Six months after completing their one-month Veganuary challenge, 82% of those participants who were not vegan when they signed-up have maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption:

Veganuary, the global organisation encouraging people to try vegan for January and beyond, has today released the results from its sixmonth follow-up survey of Veganuary 2021 participants*. More than 582,000 people from 209 countries and territories took part in

30% are eating a fully vegan diet 38% are eating at least 75% less meat and other animal products than preVeganuary 14% are eating at least 50% less meat and other animal products than preVeganuary These results are good news for the planet coming just two weeks after a leaked report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated, ‘A shift to diets with a higher share of plant-based protein in regions with excess consumption of calories and animal-source food can lead to substantial reductions in emissions, while also providing health benefits … Plant-based diets can reduce emissions by up to 50% compared to the average emission-intensive western diet.’

In line with the leaked IPCC report, 68% of those Veganuary participants who continued to eat a fully vegan diet after their one-month pledge have experienced health improvements, including: increased energy (60%) improved mood (59%) better skin (52%) desired change body weight (48%) Commenting on these results, Veganuary’s International Head of Communications, Toni Vernelli, said: “These results show Veganuary is helping people make lasting diet changes that are good for the planet and their health."

She added: “Cutting out meat and dairy is the best way each of us can cut our carbon footprint. As an added bonus, over two-thirds of participants who stick with a plant-based diet feel health benefits as well!

There is simply no downside to signing-up for Veganuary!” *The survey was sent by Veganuary to 65% of the 582,000 people who signed-up during the 2021 campaign. 8,690 people responded.

Millennials Keep UK Pubs Alive During COVID-19 Pandemic, as Over 1 in 5 Buy Premium Drinks Issue 83

Millennial’s are “keeping pubs alive” with premium drinks purchases according to data from worldwide insights group GlobalData, with over 1 in 5 of those aged between 25 and 40 driving premium drink purchases.

The data follows the recent announcement from Wetherspoons that cocktail sales have soared compared to traditional sales; Ryan Whittaker, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view: “As millennials are the main drivers of pub sales, pubs will be looking to ‘premiumize’ in order to meet their tastes for more premium products such as cocktails. This will likely come at the expense of staples more associated with the baby boomer demographic such as traditional ales.

“According to GlobalData’s latest consumer survey*, one in five (21%) UK

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millennials reported that they buy high-end or premium versions of spirits and beer. In comparison, only 6% of baby boomers reported the same. UK baby boomers were spending much less frequently on these products in Q3 2021 compared to millennials.

“Older consumer groups that are at greater risk from COVID-19 are understandably reticent about returning to high street pubs. Further, younger demographics’ presence in the post-work drinks scene is only set to increase.

“At the same time, consumer confidence is going to be hit by inflation, especially in terms of gas prices. For many consumers, this will reduce the pot for discretionary spending. Until these issues are less prominent, millennials are going to be the ones keeping pubs alive. Operators need to target this group to better ride out future uncertainty.”

Podcast Reveals Struggles of Hospitality Workers During the Pandemic Research by Sheffield Hallam academics will form the basis of a new podcast exploring the struggles of those who worked in restaurants, pubs and fast-food outlets during the pandemic.

The Beers, Burgers + Bleach podcast explores the accounts of 21 hospitality workers from around the UK who were interviewed and completed a work diary between December 2020 and April 2021.

The aim of the year-long research project is to recognise the work done by hospitality workers and encourage better working conditions and higher pay in the future. They also hope to explore the relationship between public health, cleaning labour, and the availability and accessibility of toilets.

The podcast reveals that food and drink workers experienced poor mental and physical health due to “intense” workload demands, catching Covid and unpaid “work” such as washing and replacing uniforms and face coverings and recuperating from difficult working patterns.

The project is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science and is based on research funded by the University of Exeter’s Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health (WCCEH) led by Dr

Charlotte Jones from the University of Exeter, Dr Jen Slater and Dr Jill Pluquailec from Sheffield Hallam University and Dr Lauren White from the University of Sheffield in close collaboration with hospitality workers, trade unions and local campaigns.

The podcast mini-series has three episodes: 1) Struggles, on the physical and mental impact of work during the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) Solidarities, on union organisation, community, and activism in the sector; and 3) Sanitation, on cleaning labour and the importance of toilets in hospitality during the pandemic.

In Struggles, one anonymous worker referred to as “Ben”, said: “Hygiene is my primary concern with going back. I’m the only member of staff who would have to use public transport regularly to go to and from work, which is something I was very uncomfortable with before returning to lockdown and has only become more of a concern now.

“I definitely feel as if I raise the risk of introducing Covid to the workplace quite significantly. I was very strict with my conduct regarding my own hygiene on public transport and throughout work, and yet in the run-up to the November lockdown I still contracted Covid.

“Thankfully, my co-workers had tested negative and were okay, but it was a big hit to my psyche to live in fear for so long of contracting this illness and introducing it to home and having that become my reality.”

Bill, who’s in his 60s and has been working in the hospitality sector for 50 years, told researchers about difficulties dealing with customers who were unwilling to comply with regulations.

Bill said: “When we’ve been asking them to do things, ‘Can you put a mask on?’ ‘Can you sanitise your hands?’ ‘Will you fill a track and trace in?’.

“It’s as if they’ve been in a different world because they might go to a supermarket and they’ll put a mask on, but when they come to where I work it’s a different world, ‘Why do we have to do it here?’.

“It’s as if Covid’s stopped at the door and doesn’t affect the inside.

People’s attitudes have been absolutely horrible; we’ve been sworn at and abused and everything else.”

The first two podcast episodes are now available on the project website at https://aroundthetoilet.wordpress.com/beersburgersbleach/, and the final episode will be released next Friday.

F&B Settings Stare At Partial Closures During Christmas 8

CLH Digital

Issue 83

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

Hospitality businesses in the United Kingdom have been reeling under immense pressure of staff shortages for a long time, the recent drawbacks of the ‘pingdemic’ exercise and lack of skilled workforce that can handle multi-tasking roles, especially in the consumer facing businesses.

The food & beverage settings across the UK are contemplating the possible avenues through which the dearth of human capital can be addressed in a proper manner, as these enterprises are still unable to operate at full scales due to market-wide inadequacy of raw materials, the persistent challenge of high input prices and unending trouble of limited staff.

in the sector. The number of vacancies dropped sharply after thousands of businesses were forced to limit their operations during the initial period of nation-wide lockdown, while many of them were obligated to shut the complete functions.

The general shortage of labour at food & beverage facilities and hotel & accommodation businesses has worsened the situation, so much so that a large section of such employers are announcing lucrative pay packages to hire an adequate number of staff before the Christmas period.

The Christmas-linked bonuses have escalated up to £2,000 as corporations are seriously looking to fill the vacant positions much before the extended stretch of festivities start. The desperateness of businesses is quite evident as they are not okay losing a considerable chunk of revenue in the peak period with the country preparing to celebrate any major festival with the least possible restrictions for the first time in the pandemic era after 2019.

The acute problem of limited staff have drastically malfunctioned the supply chain and logistics system, another pain point for the retailers, the food & beverage businesses, the enterprises functioning in leisure space and the age-old hotel and accommodation section of hospitality.

Almost every other business is facing difficulties with regard to the availability of adequate human capital that can undertake various roles to accommodate the surge in consumer footfalls and the subsequent increase in spending.

Proportionately high number of workers that were deployed in the hospitality sector have shifted to different sectors due to the extended period of no business and no pay, while a relatively high number of foreign nationals have returned back to their permanent residences, effectively exacerbating the staff crisis. These are some of the primary reasons why the so-called staff crisis will take years to resurrect.

The havoc done by the elongated course of Covid-19 pandemic has categorically disrupted the functions as the enterprises operating within the hospitality industry were the last in queue to be allowed to resume their operations after the government of the UK announced massive easements according to the phased exit plan from the lockdown restrictions and stern social distancing guidelines.

All the consumer-facing businesses are facing a heavy burden due to the industry-wide problem of retaining the required number of workers and, at the same time, employing skilled labour to various tasks within the operations. On the contrary, a considerable number of workers who left the country during the national lockdowns and stretched period of restrictions are willing to return.

The widespread repercussions of pandemic have furthered the pain for hospitality settings as the industry was already encountering the troubles of staff crisis before the Covid era. With the vacancies hovering near record high, the businesses are unable to find the right talent for various positions as a slew of workers have left the country when these businesses were operating with curtailed staff or remained entirely shut, adhering to the respective pandemic mandates issued by the government.

The wide array of operations in the services industry are managed by employees of various expertise and age groups. Many businesses employ college students to manage their front-desk operations as they remain full of energy to service the consumers, partly experienced people are designated in the operations management including the inventory, catalogue, etc, primarily the mid-senior roles.

In the January-March period of 2020, there were over 80,000 vacancies

While seasoned professionals are aligned with the managerial staff who looks after the commercial operations and explore various opportunities through which the business can be scaled up.

Due to the comprehensive disruptions in the operations and persisting problem of staff, many hospitality venues across the UK are likely to operate in a curtailed manner during the peak season of Christmas this year as they are unable to revive the lost staff strength. As a result of this, alongside the higher input prices of raw materials and increased costs on supply chains due to limitedness of HGV drivers, the consumers are highly likely to encounter the price rises.

The relative increase in the indicative prices by the hotel & accommodation businesses and the leading firms operating in the food & beverage space will be done to effectively offset the losses incurred due to reduced scale of operations and higher operational costs. The government of the UK has already taken certain measures to revamp the fuel crisis due to unavailability of HGV drivers that remain responsible for transporting the fuel from the source to the refuelling stations across the country.

Restoring the total staff count across various hospitality businesses will certainly require additional time as people are still worried due to the evolving nature of the coronavirus, mutating strains, variants of concerns and their sub-lineages. The continuing difficulties in the operative environment are taking a toll on the pace of economic recovery as Britain remains a service-intensive economy.

According to Kate Nicholls, CEO of domestic trade association UK Hospitality, the high vacancy rate across the hospitality industry translates into a shortage of nearly 200,000 workers at various outlets including leading restaurants, in-hotel eateries, bars, pubs, nightclubs and other food chains with multi-city operations.

The hospitality industry has continuously pressed on the urgency of allowing them to reopen, while the Downing Street administration tabled the exit roadmap. The never-ending troubles for the sector emerged after the businesses resumed their operations but were not able to full commercial scale as all such settings are short-staffed. This becomes a serious problem for the industry as many businesses have availed multiple credit lines to keep their operations going during the period of reduced work and the period of no revenues for some.

The conclusive impact of broken balance sheets can severely hurt many businesses if they remain unable to operate at a larger scale, the only thing that can bounce them back to the pre-Covid levels of earnings. The aftermath of Brexit and the newly introduced arrangement between the UK and the bloc, the domestic businesses are finding it hard to bring the right talent from the Euro Area as easily as they were getting it before 2021.

Pedalling for Pubs: Cycle Jordan Fundraising Total Races Past £100,000 The intrepid volunteer riders behind initiative Pedalling for Pubs: Cycle Jordan have sprinted past an initial £100,000 fundraising-milestone. The group is on track to smash the original collective total target of raising £140,000 for vital industry charities, organisers say.

The brainchild of KAM Media’s Katy Moses, the epic two-wheeled challenge, which is raising funds for two fantastic industry charities, will see 27 heroic riders from across the hospitality industry take on hot weather conditions, tricky mountainous terrain and long distances as they pedal almost 350km across the country of Jordan in four days.

With more than four months of training and fundraising still ahead of the challenge departure date of 10th March 2022, the collective effort has already raised an incredible £110,000, with the total being distributed evenly between Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity, both of which have been fundamental in supporting those in need over the last 20 months and beyond.

The challenge has received fantastic support from its sponsors Greene King, Lucky Saint, Punch Taverns and Wireless Social as well as

incredible sponsorship and endorsement across the hospitality and pub sectors, including at key industry events organised by the British Beer & Pub Association, the BII, H2O Publishing and William Reed Business Media.

Katy Moses, Managing Director at KAM Media, said: “We are absolutely thrilled and so grateful for the incredible support we have received so far for Pedalling for Pubs. Colleagues and friends from across the industry have really got behind this effort to support two amazing charities, and we are really excited about what we might be able to achieve as a final total come March when we actually go about completing the challenge. We set what felt like a stretch target when we launched the challenge, but we now want to have a really good crack at smashing past that and raising as much as possible for these brilliant causes.

“We want to go further because both The Licensed Trade Charity and Only A Pavement Away do amazing, life-changing work. The latter is especially close to my heart as my mother, who died a couple of years ago, used to teach in a prison, so the idea of getting people similar to those she taught into gainful employment really appeals.”

As well as raising the profile of the challenges and encouraging donations, the ride participants – a 27-strong collective of operators and suppliers from across the hospitality and foodservice industries – have been cranking up the training this autumn.

In addition to Moses, the riders include: Clive Chesser of Punch Taverns; David Wigham of Admiral Taverns; Amber Staynings of Bums on Seats; Anthony Pender of Yummy Pubs (and former chairman of the

BII); Steve Alton of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII); Sophie Goodall of Heineken UK; Mark Stretton of Fleet Street Communications; Geoffrey Campion of Chartwells UK; Julian Ross of Wireless Social; James Brown of Tipjar, and industry expert, Only A Pavement Away Trustee and Licensed Trade Charity School Governor, Paul Pavli.

Greg Mangham, founder and CEO of Only A Pavement Away said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to this group and to everyone that is backing this challenge. The money raised will be absolutely critical in helping us support people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans into careers within the hospitality industry. The work we do is only able to happen through incredible acts of generosity such as this, and we wish every rider the best of luck in completing the challenge – we’ll be thinking of you in the heat in March.”

James Brewster, CEO of the Licensed Trade Charity added: “What an incredible feat – this is a huge milestone and recognition for what will be an amazing achievement; 335km in just four short days to help support countless people in need across the hospitality sector. The money raised will be put towards a number of vital initiatives that we run across the mental wellbeing, housing, health, education and employment support landscapes, and it is a privilege to have been selected to put this money to its best possible use. Thank you to each and every one of the brave riders taking part – and all the best for training, fundraising and of course the challenge itself.”

To find out more about the challenge, who is participating and to donate, please follow this link: https://pedallingforpubs.org.uk/donate/.

Prospect of Expansion of COVID Passports in Scotland “Alarming” says Trade Body The prospect further expanding Covid passports Scotland will be “extremely alarming” to hospitality businesses, according to trade bodies.

Speaking at Holyrood yesterday (10 November), deputy first minister John Swinney said: “We have been considering whether we may need to extend the Covid certification scheme to bring more sectors into scope, such as indoor hospitality and leisure settings.” But told MSPs no final decision has been taken but stressed that Covid remained at a “concerningly high” level.

He said: “The situation is precarious and unpredictable. If the previous pattern, characterised by waves of infection, is repeated there is a risk that the spread of the virus could – very quickly – increase again during the coming weeks, perhaps over the Christmas period.

“Starting from the current high level of infection in the community and the intense pressure the NHS is already under as a result, some scenarios for what may happen next are very concerning.

“We need to avoid the most dangerous of those scenarios.”

The next review of the restrictions is due to take place on 16 November.

UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson today said: “This news will be extremely

Issue 83

CLH Digital

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alarming to hospitality businesses welcoming customers to their Covid safe venues. The imposition of vaccine passports on businesses operating in the night-time economy has had a catastrophic impact on their ability to trade. Many have removed themselves from scope by closing early, whilst nightclubs report falling attendance as people stay away or are refused entry due to lack of certification.

“Scottish Government ministers must meet urgently with hospitality representatives to share their evidence for any such move. The extension of this poorly conceived and badly executed policy has the potential to destroy many businesses that are already struggling, having been subjected to more than 18 months of closure and restricted opening.”

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New Laws and Code to Resolve Remaining COVID-19 Commercial Rent Debts Issue 83

CLH Digital

11

New laws and a Code of Practice are being introduced to resolve the remaining commercial rent debts accrued because of the pandemic, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced this week.

We encourage landlords and tenants to keep working together to reach their own agreements ahead of the new laws coming into place, and we expect tenants capable of paying rent to do so.

Commercial tenants are protected from eviction until 25 March 2022, thanks to government action last year to provide firms with breathing space and help protect jobs when certain businesses had to close in full or in part during the pandemic. This provides time for landlords and tenants to negotiate how to share the cost of commercial rent debts caused by the pandemic.

UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls OBE said: We welcome the publication of the updated Code of Practice. Vitally important is the emphasis on ongoing negotiation to share the burden of the impact of lockdowns and restrictions that prevented hospitality businesses from trading for so much of the last 18 months. It is in the long-term interests of landlords and tenants to come together and find solutions that ensure business survival and that do not undermine the economic recovery.

These negotiations will be underpinned by a new Code of Practice, providing landlords and tenants with a clear process for settling outstanding debts before the new arbitration process comes into force.

The Code sets out that, in the first instance, tenants unable to pay in full should negotiate with their landlord in the expectation that the landlord waives some or all rent arrears where they are able to do so.

The result of the arbitration process will be a legally-binding agreement the landlord and tenant must adhere to, resolving rent arrears disputes and helping the market return to normal as quickly as possible.

From 25 March 2022, new laws introduced in the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill, being introduced in Parliament today, will establish a legally-binding arbitration process for commercial landlords and tenants who have not already reached an agreement, following the principles in the Code of Practice. Subject to Parliamentary passage, this will come into force next year.

From today, the government is also protecting commercial tenants from debt claims, including County Court Judgements (CCJs), High Court Judgements (HCJs) and bankruptcy petitions, issued against them in relation to rent arrears accrued during the pandemic.

The Bill will apply to commercial rent debts related to the mandated closure of certain businesses such as pubs, gyms and restaurants during the pandemic. Debts accrued at other times will not be in scope.

These laws will come into force in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland will have a power in the Bill to introduce similar legislation.

This measure will provide further protection to businesses which had to close and accumulated debts during the pandemic, while protections from forfeiture for business tenancies are in place under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "These measures provide commercial landlords and tenants with the clarity and certainty > they need to plan ahead and recover from the pandemic.

We share government’s view that arbitration should be a last resort and this process must take into account the exceptional and existential level of pain that hospitality businesses have faced over the last 18 months. It must not impact this industry’s ability to rapidly recover and create jobs throughout the country.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: The overwhelming majority of retailers with stores just want the breathing space to trade their way out of the debt unavoidably built up during the pandemic and a constructive agreement with their landlord.

While we support the principle of compulsory arbitration, the devil will be in the detail on issues around what tenant viability really means in practice and the power of arbitrators. We will engage closely and constructively with government to help ensure their proposals protect otherwise viable businesses, secure the recovery, and protect jobs.

Issue 83

CLH Digital

13

Pub Spending Grew in October But Restaurant Spending Falls Despite the backdrop of inflation concerns and rising household bills, overall consumer card spending grew by 14.2 per cent in October, compared to the same period in 2019. While growth slowed in some non-essential categories, such as clothing and hospitality, it was a particularly good month for entertainment, digital subscriptions, and travel.

Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, reveals that spending on essential items increased 13.2 per cent – slightly less than September’s uplift of 14.4 per cent, as fuel spend returned to modest growth (5.5 per cent) after last month’s 11.1 per cent surge.

Spending on non-essential items rose 14.6 per cent, including a 127.1 per cent jump in online takeaway spend, as the colder weather led more Brits to order fast food via delivery apps.

There was also encouraging news for the travel sector – spending on international trips recorded its strongest performance since before the pandemic began, as restrictions continued to lift. Travel agents and airlines saw much smaller contractions of -26.9 per cent and -28.1 per cent compared to last month, when the categories declined by -45.4 per cent and -49.5 per cent respectively. Public transport also had its smallest drop (-20.0 per cent) since

February 2020, as more workers returned to commuting by tube, train and bus.

Bars, pubs & clubs (+37.1 per cent) saw a rise this month than in September (+43.5 per cent), and restaurant spending had a larger decline (-8.3 per cent) than last month (-2.1 per cent).

Ongoing supply chain shortages continue to weigh on Brits’ minds, with over a third (34 per cent) being so concerned about shortages in stores that they are changing their approach to Christmas shopping this year.

Jose Carvalho, Head of Consumer Products, said: “The expensive festive period on the horizon, combined with ongoing concerns around the impact of inflation and supply chain shortages, has meant we’ve seen steady yet cautious spending from consumers in October.

“While the uncertainty around rising household bills appears to be weighing on Brits’ minds, the encouraging growth we’ve seen in entertainment and international travel shows that consumers are still keen to enjoy leisure activities and holidays. As the nation continues its Christmas shopping and gears up for Black Friday and other sales, we’re confident that November should bring some welcome cheer to retailers.”

Birra Moretti Becomes Britain’s Best-Selling Draught Beer With More Than 4 Pints Poured Every Second

Birra Moretti, Italy’s favourite beer brand, is now also the best-selling draught beer in the UK, measured by value rate of sale. Carling previously held the title for over a decade, but as consumers choose increasingly more premium beer options, Birra Moretti has clinched the top spot.

The exciting Birra Moretti news comes as the brand announces its ‘Pint Perfection’ activation, where outlets can order an activation kit to give themselves and their customers the chance to win prizes - simply by sharing a photo of their perfectly poured pint of Birra Moretti.

Premiumisation is driving significant growth in on-trade revenue and is a trend that has been growing for several years. Premium continental lager is the best performing beer segment and has been the fastest growing for the past two years . Leading this trajectory is Birra Moretti, the fastest growing brand over the last five years and driving 74% of premium lager growth .

Each activation kit is worth £50 and includes glassware, visibility materials and advice on pouring the perfect pint of Birra Moretti. The winning consumer will enjoy a trip to Villa Moretti, whilst their tagged outlet secures a group activity prize worth £2,500.

Meanwhile, mystery shoppers will provide bar staff who serve them a perfect Birra Moretti pint with on-the-spot Love2shop vouchers.

Birra Moretti’s light carbonation and strong alignment with food sets it up as a popular choice for on-trade occasions. Research shows good food to be one of the top two traits consumers are looking for when choosing where to go out in the on-trade . This has no doubt contributed to Birra Moretti’s success in securing the top spot in sales for draught beers.

Marketing Director for Birra Moretti, Matt Saltzstein, says: “It’s clear that the great British pub has been much missed over the last 18 months. Millions of people have headed back to their local to enjoy great company, great food and of course, treated themselves to great beer – it’s one of life’s simple pleasures.”

On top of this, Birra Moretti commands a higher RSP of +8p per pint than the category average. This allows operators the opportunity to get more money through the till than with other premium continental lager brands.

To enquire about stocking the UK’s best-selling draught beer in your outlet, click here.

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How to Cope with the VAT Rise 16

CLH Digital

Issue 83

By Joey Barnett, Co-founder, CEO (www.getleslie.com)

impact in their wallets. There’s already major pressure on prices with supply chain and staffing issues continuing to stretch businesses to the limits. Now, with the jump in VAT, many business owners will have to change their pricing yet again.

their bottom line and keeping customers happy.

SURVIVAL TACTICS

When it comes to menus, for example, adjusting prices, adding dishes or making general changes can be costly and time consuming. Moving to digital menus brings that agility to operations.

Trade bodies representing the hospitality industry claim that restaurateurs, cafe and pub owners across the country are already struggling to survive, let alone recover, from the pandemic. To say the VAT increase and the ensuing price rises that are bound to follow, are poorly timed is an understatement.

Then there’s the expected further rise to 20% planned for April 2022.

This will no doubt lead to further price increases for business owners to navigate.

At the beginning of October, the hospitality industry was hit with a double whammy of fresh challenges. Not only did the furlough scheme end, removing government financial support for businesses that still had furloughed staff, but the VAT rate for the industry also increased to 12.5%.

Now, major trade associations representing businesses in the hospitality industry are calling for the rate to stay at 12.5% permanently, instead of rising to 20% in spring next year. A joint statement by trade bodies including UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping and the British Beer and Pub Association, said:

Back towards the beginning of the pandemic, the Chancellor reduced the VAT rate for hospitality to just 5%, from 20%. This was a welcome move, intended to try to reduce the burden on an industry that would clearly struggle through the following months. Now, after more than a year at 5%, the government is beginning the process of returning the VAT rate to pre-pandemic levels, first by upping it to 12.5%.

“A reduction in VAT has helped many of our businesses survive to this point and was most welcome. However, the return of VAT to its pre-pandemic level next year would curtail investment, restrict growth, set back our tourism recovery and risk yet more painful job losses.”

Although hotel, restaurant, pub and cafe owners will feel the effects of this increase on their bottom lines, it’s customers who will feel the

Whether this happens is unclear. What is clear, however, is hospitality businesses have to find a way to navigate these changes while protecting

TURNING TO TECHNOLOGY

It’s no small task; but the key to success lies in agility. Agility delivered through technology. After all, one of the things the pandemic has highlighted is the use of technology to solve challenges.

In addition, pairing digital menus with other functionality, such as ordering, tipping, or even paying, can have a positive impact on the customer experience. No waiting on waiters or getting stuck at the bar. While customers will bear the brunt of the VAT increases, restaurants, bars and pubs can still ensure they place the customer first and streamline the experience to boost loyalty.

Technology like apps or QR codes can also be used to communicate promotions and play a role in upselling. Again, the agility to easily tweak menus can bring significant value to the business – like adding a halfpriced cocktail promotion to a Wednesday evening, a themed beer to coincide with a quiz night, or using a set menu for a traditionally quiet Monday evening.

MOVING FORWARD It’s a really difficult time for hospitality owners and managers right now – rising costs, supply issues and staff shortages. And while time (and government) will tell whether the VAT changes are here to stay, businesses need to find a way through the challenges balancing profits and customer loyalty. Technology might not be the cure for all ills, but when it comes to hospitality, it just might be.

Hospitality Industry Unites to Give Unpaid Carers a Break Five of the UK’s largest independent hotel chains have stepped forward to join charity tech start-up, Carefree, in its mission to provide every full-time unpaid carer with access to an annual break.

Hotel partners, including Bespoke Hotels, Cycas Hospitality, Sleeperz, The QHotels Collection and Village Hotels, have pledged to donate a portion of their unsold rooms to the charity on a rolling basis, becoming a ‘Carefree Breakmaker’.

Carefree is a charity start-up that transforms vacant accommodation into breaks for full-time unpaid carers. There are an estimated 8.8 million unpaid carers in the UK who provide 80% of home care, yet are rarely recognised for their frontline role and lack access to the same support as NHS staff or paid care home workers.

In a joint statement, the hotel partners said: “Through the pandemic, unpaid carers worked tirelessly to provide the invisible backbone of our health and social care system and they need time off. Together we can change how our society reinvests in the people that look after our most vulnerable.”

According to State of Caring 2021 report released by Carers UK on 2 Nov, Unpaid carers saved the UK economy £193 billion a year during the pandemic – outstripping the cost of the NHS. Carefree aims to provide support for the carers who are at risk of burn out, by offering a simple way to help them re-charge so they can continue their vital role.

Of carers using Carefree, 92% reported that they couldn’t have accessed a break without the charity’s support, which aims to deliver 4000 breaks by early 2022 and mobilise tens of thousands more as new hospitality partners join.

“The process is so easy to organise the break. You just need to say when you want to go and you go,” said Kirsty, who has cared for her two disabled children for 32 years and recently took a break with Carefree.

Carefree CEO, Charlotte Newman, who believes that designing effective solutions for social care and carers should be a society-wide effort said: “Being able to rest is an essential part of what it means to be human.

“Only through the collective commitment of people, partnerships and technology working together can we

build a truly sustainable, national way for carers in need of a break to access time off. Every Carefree Breakmaker, whether they are someone referring a carer, donating a break or providing a part of our tech infrastructure to distribute the stays, is a piece in the puzzle of how we’ll make that possible.”

Robin Sheppard, President of Bespoke Hotels, which has supported the charity since 2018 said: “We always knew that with the right tech solution we could empower the hospitality industry to tackle what has been an entrenched social issue and set a new standard for how unpaid carers are recognised and supported to carry out their hugely difficult role.”

Neetu Mistry, Chief Commercial Officer of Cycas Hospitality, said: “With Carefree, we’re not just ‘building back better’, we’re re-defining what it means to be a purpose-driven business within the hospitality industry.”

Carefree trustee and Sleeperz CEO, David Myers said: “In the UK alone, there are 50,000 accommodation providers. If every one of those gave a break once a week that would be sufficient for 3 million unpaid carers to get a break.”

Philip Gardner, Commercial Director for The QHotels Collection, said: “We are incredibly proud to support all frontline staff during this continued Covid challenge and have been working with carers and NHS staff for the past two years to say thank you, whereby we gifted 1,000 free nights for their amazing contributions during the pandemic.

This next phase of our gifting programme recognises the incredible work that carers throughout the UK are involved in. They are the unsung heroes who give their support to others without thought of reward. We are delighted that we can offer some much-needed down time to their lives with complimentary stays at our hotels and resorts. We really believe in giving something back and are delighted to be supporting the Carefree charity and very much look forward to welcoming these guests in the very near future.”

Gary Davis, CEO of Village Hotels said: “At Village, we are committed to having a positive impact on the communities we operate in, both environmentally and socially. Initiatives such as this fit perfectly with our Village Green commitment, enabling us to make a real difference to the wellbeing of carers whose own mental and physical health is so often sacrificed as part of their caring role.”

Riso Gallo Supplier to COP26 Summit in Glasgow (UK) Riso Gallo, the Italian Rice & Risotto Experts, are proud to be a supplier to the COP26 summit in the UK. The city of Glasgow is hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) from 31st October to 12th November 2021. The aim is to unite the world in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In line with the aims of the Conference, Riso Gallo has been chosen as supplier for the rice and risotto meals offered during the event: Riso Gallo, in fact, is the first European miller bringing to the European markets some of the most well-known varieties, as Arborio, Carnaroli and Basmati, from sustainable agriculture. This means that Riso Gallo has created a community of farmers, both in Italy (for risotto varieties) and Punjab (for Basmati), whose participants have committed to the introduction of specific measures focused on environmental as well as social responsibility, as verified by external auditors, according to the most prestigious international sustainability schemes. These commitments have been summed up in the so called

“Rice Paper”, that has been signed by more than 120 partners (just in Italy).

Riso Gallo’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond the field phase and includes also reducing energy consumption (Riso Gallo uses energy from 100% Renewable Sources in its plants), waste produced and CO2 emissions, as monitored by external auditors; moreover, Riso Gallo is the first European rice producer introducing a flexible plastic material suitable to be recycled, as stated by external analysis, to vacuum technology for the rice market.

Enhancing a real circular economy, Riso Gallo is involved as a shareholder in some innovative start-ups, upgrading the value of rice by-products, involving Ricehouse, in which rice materials are used in building houses, with minimum energy impact; and MOGU, the use of recycled materials for design and furniture.

Carlo Preve, Riso Gallo, commented; “Several years ago we made it our aim to become the first European rice miller to be Sustainable, and commit to our farmers. We are proud to be able to work with the chefs on delivering these products, and Sustainable rice to COP26.”

Driving Sales Through Menu Activation – CGA’s Latest Report Uncovers The Opportunities For Your Business 18

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Issue 83

With menus more important in drinks choices than ever, new CGA research reveals essential insights into consumers’ interactions—and how On Premise businesses can capitalise on them to capture market share.

TY NEED TO BE BETTER

The Menu Report 2021 draws on an exclusive survey of more than 1,000 drinkers to help suppliers and operators optimise sales through best-in-class menu activations. Failing to appreciate how guests engage with menus is a major business risk in the new-look On Premise—but here are five reasons why your business can benefit from this exclusive report to deepen your understanding and improve your planning.

The Menu Report reveals that consumers like many aspects of digital menus—especially the freedom to browse and review orders—but a quarter (25%) say they sometimes don’t work properly. Navigational difficulties and a lack of clear explanations or images can also be a turn-off, but businesses that ease these frustrations will get many more consumers on board.

1 MENUS NOW INFLUENCE GUESTS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE

5 MENU NEEDS VARY BY CATEGORY

Four in five (79%) consumers say drink menus are very important or quite important in their decisions about what to drink. That means menus are now the most influential factor in the On Premise, and makes it crucial to get them right.

More than four in five consumers drinking wine (85%) or cocktails (83%) say they check menus before ordering—notably higher proportions than those selecting spirits (67%), soft drinks (66%) and beer or cider (63%). This highlights the importance of approaching menu strategy on a category-by-category basis.

2 COVID HAS CHANGED THE WAY THEY’RE USED A third (34%) of consumers now use menus more often than they did before the start of the pandemic—a significantly higher number than those who use them less (21%). This reflects a widespread shift away from bar ordering to table service since hospitality reopened after the first national lockdown in July 2020, which has made menus an even more important point of influence.

3 DEMAND FOR DIGITAL MENUS IS GROWING

While physical menus remain the most popular option, COVID has accelerated the take-up of digital versions. Just over half of consumers say they anticipate using either app-based (25%), web-based (18%) or kiosk-based (10%) digital menus in the future—and young adults are particularly engaged with them. The Menu Report’s extensive insights into what people want from digital menus can optimise strategy here.

4 DIGITAL MENU EFFICIENCY AND ACCESSIBILI-

CGA’s Menu Report provides suppliers and operators with the tactical support they need to understand the role of menus in decision-making and drive their sales to new heights. As well as revealing what consumers expect from menu content and layout, it provides deep dives into issues including the impact of menu engineering and how to overcome guest frustrations, plus detailed guidance for creating the best menus in various drinks categories.

The full Menu Report is available from CGA now at https://cgastrategy.com/the-menu-report/

Issue 83

CLH Digital

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Hospitality Sector Faces Price Rises Post-Christmas The hospitality sector faces steep price increases after Christmas, with restaurants, hotels, and bars expected to raise prices three times before April 2022.

Speaking at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said an inability to increase prices before Christmas would lead to inflationary pressure that could cause higher prices.

She said: “For a lot of our Christmas activities, a lot will be sold and rolled over from last year, so the price is more inflexible.”

“Therefore, you’re going to see a really intense squeeze on margins in the run-up to Christmas, and then an inevitable impact felt by consumers because it will have an inflationary effect.”

With significant cost price inflation coming through the supply chain, Ms Nicholls added, consumer prices would be hit hard after Christmas.

“Some of our businesses are expecting three price increases by April,” Ms Nicholls said.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak faces paying out an extra £5.4billion in debt interest next year as inflation looks set to hit a 30-year high.

The return of the 20% VAT rate at the end of March could see hospitality become more expensive when VAT returns to 20% in March 2022 from its current 12.5%, warned Ms Nicholls.

“The biggest thing the government could do to help the hospitality sector government short term is to maintain the 12.5% VAT, then we can invest in our product, our people and grow our way out of this,” she said.

Ms Nicholls added that supply chain issues meant around 20% of products in all deliveries were not being delivered and there was no guarantee the situation would resolve by Christmas.

Cocktails Sales Boost for Wetherspoon Sales but Ale Sales Fall Strong demand for cocktails from younger customers has helped boost JD Wetherspoon, but the pub giant has seen some of its older clientele stay away.

in the suburbs. For example, sales have been positive in in central Liverpool (up 9.1%), Newcastle Upon Tyne (up 11.1%), Oxford (up 11.3%), Chester (up 4.3%), Bournemouth (up 4.2%), Nottingham (up 3.6%), Cardiff (up 3.5%) and Manchester (up 0.4%). In contrast, trade has been lower in central London (down 17.4%).

The company has reported like-for-like sales for the 15 weeks to 7 November 2021 were 8.9% lower than the record sales achieved in the same period in 2019. Bar sales were down 9.6%, food was down 8.1%, fruit/slot machines were down 12.3% and hotels were up 11.5%. Wetherspoon stated: “This is an improvement compared with sales of minus 17.8% in the last ten weeks of the previous financial year (ten weeks to 25 July 2021), when pubs reopened inside – although restrictions applied for most of that trading period.

As expected, trade has been lower in airports (down 38.8%), stations (down 22.4%), and also in Scotland (down 12.2%) and Northern Ireland (down 11.0%), where some restrictions still apply. Supply chain issues in pubs have been extensively debated in recent months.

In the last 15 weeks, there has been a considerable increase in sales of the range of drinks often consumed by younger customers, for example cocktails (up 45%), vodka (up 17%) and rum (up 26%).

However, draught products, more often consumed by older customers, have been under pressure, with traditional ales down by 30% and stout down by 20%.

The company’s pubs which trade under the ‘Lloyds’ banner, with music, mostly at the weekends, were up 0.5%, probably reflecting a higher percentage of younger customers. Contrary to some forecasts (including our own), trade has been positive in the centre of many, but not all, larger cities and towns – and negative

Tim Martin, chairman and founder of the company, said he hopes the rollout of Covid-19 booster vaccinations could help improve its trade among older customers.

“With no music in Wetherspoon pubs, apart from 46 trading as Lloyds, a material proportion of our trade comes from older customers, some of whom have visited pubs less frequently in recent times,” he said.

“As outlined in our annual report, published in October 2021, there have been no outbreaks of Covid-19, as defined by the health authorities, among customers in Wetherspoon pubs.

“However, some customers have been understandably cautious. Improvement in trade will therefore depend, to some extent, on the outlook for the Covid-19 virus.

“Whereas we have an increased element of caution about near-term sales, booster vaccinations and better weather in the spring are likely to have a positive impact in the coming months.”

Wetherspoons added that its food volumes “appear to have been affected by some customers working from home”, with sales of breakfasts dropping by 22% and coffee sales falling 30%.

The company also told investors it has had “some problems from time to time” within its supply chain over the period, but it stressed these related to a “minority of items” for which it could find alternative.

Wetherspoon Prints Book of Corrections from Media Outlets Who Made ‘Untrue Statements Issue 83

Wetherspoon, and chairman Tim Martin in particular, were heavily criticised during the early months of the pandemic for what was perceived as unfair treatment of his staff during lockdown. Martin claims comments from an internal staff video, in March 2020, were “taken out of context and distorted outrageously”, and that Wetherspoon quickly became “a James Bond villain”.

In one particular instance following the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns prohibiting pubs from opening last year, the company and Tim Martin were accused by several news outlets of telling staff to “work for Tesco,” a supermarket company, until pubs reopened.

Tim Martin strenuously denied using that term and saying he informed employees that supermarkets were in need of staff; the allegations in the news were eventually retracted, with some organisations even issuing apologies.

In another example Tim Martin said: “It’s fair to say that more people seem to read the incorrect versions

Now, 18 months on, and having “waited for the furore to subside” Wetherspoon has secured apologies and corrections from, among others, the Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, Sky News and Forbes.

“Never in the history of business, we surmise, has a single organisation sought, and obtained, so many apologies and corrections from so many iconic media organisations,” said Martin in an editorial piece in the magazine. “C’est la vie, as the Chuck Berry song goes. No hard feelings, folks. Yes, some people were horrid to us, but we bear no grudges. Newspapers play a vital role in shining a light on power and on the murkier goingson in the world – and journalists work incredibly hard in an internet-ravaged industry. Years ago, I berated a stockbroker who criticised Wetherspoon in a note to his clients. ‘Remember, Tim’ he said. ‘you’ve got your job to do, and I’ve got mine.’

Fair comment, I thought, I’ll settle for that – and in the case of the media representations of the last 18 months, we’ll settle for publishing the extensive list of corrections and apologies.”

While enjoying a meal out in a restaurant in November and December, diners can spare more than just a thought for those living on the streets by donating through a fundraising scheme. During the last two months of the year, look out for stickers in the window and information cards on the tables to identify restaurants taking part.

A voluntary donation of £1 will be added to bills and, at the end of each month, the restaurant will pass the money on to StreetSmart to distribute between their chosen charities. These specialist charities help the homeless with their basic needs, as well as providing resources, mentoring and skills training to

help get them back on their feet.

Actor and author Stephen Fry said: “StreetSmart’s ambitions are to connect the lucky citizen who can dine out with the unlucky ones for whom dining out means queuing up in front of foods banks.”

StreetSmart’s operational costs are paid for by their sponsors, LandAid, so every penny raised goes directly to those who need it. Since 1998, StreetSmart has raised over £10.5 million for the homeless.

For the past year and a half, Covid-19 has impacted the daily activities of many charities, while also creating a greater need for help than ever before due to increased social and economic challenges. This initiative provides a great opportunity for those who can afford to eat out to support the restaurant industry while also helping those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Sign up here to take part at https://streetsmart.org.uk/about-streetsmart/sign-up/

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The MICHELIN Guide Partner with StreetSmart in Charity Fundraiser The MICHELIN Guide and charity StreetSmart are once again partnering to help raise funds to tackle homelessness across the UK. StreetSmart’s 2021 campaign kicked off yesterday (Monday 1st November) and we is encouraging as many people as possible to get involved.

21

than the subsequent corrections – yet, even so, correcting something quickly and a commitment to accuracy make a big difference to any publication’s credibility. The same can’t be said for American publication Bloomberg Businessweek – which published an article riddled with basic factual errors which it appears reluctant to correct. UK readers, who know and visit our pubs, will easily see that the offending article is cobblers – but American readers, who do not have this opportunity, may believe that it is telling the truth”

• DISHWASHERS • GLASSWASHERS • REFRIGERATION

JD Wetherspoon has printed and distributed a magazine of corrections and apologies from news and media outlets who had made “untrue statements” about the company.

CLH Digital

Hospitality Sector Warned “Avoid Surprises This Christmas” 22

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always there are ways to make the best of a challenging market.” Advice to operators from Lynx Purchasing includes:

Hospitality operators can avoid nasty surprises this Christmas, in the form of unexpected food and drink shortages, through better buying discipline and close communication with suppliers, says Purchasing.

“What is apparent is that inflation is already having an impact. Figures from the Office of National Statistics showed restaurant prices paid by customers were up 5.9% year-on-year in September, as operators passed on their higher buying costs.

• Keep talking to suppliers so there are no sudden surprises in terms of demand or availability; • Ensure that core ingredients are in freezers and dry stores, in order to keep the widest possible selection of dishes on the menu; • Order early, on a day 1 for day 3 delivery basis rather than next day, and be aware that Mondays and Fridays are suppliers’ busiest delivery days; • Order in the morning to give suppliers a better chance to fulfil demand rather than leave it until the cut off time.

Dobson adds: “Sadly, this is not going to be the best Christmas for operators who like to use particular cuts in dishes or highlight provenance on their menus. The best advice currently is to keep descriptions flexible, whether it’s the dish of the day or the house wine, and work with suppliers to get the best, in terms of quality and value, from what’s available.

“Every food and drink product operators buy, as well as essentials such as equipment, disposables, cleaning & hygiene, workwear and packaging, is affected by higher costs to some extent.

“Forecasting is always a challenge, and especially when many customers are cautious about committing to spending, but the sooner operators can confirm orders, the easier it will be for suppliers to meet demand.”

“The challenge in the supply chain currently as that as soon as one gap is plugged, another one opens somewhere else,” says Lynx Purchasing managing director Rachel Dobson. “For example, there were fears of a turkey shortage as British producers deal with labour shortages and the problems with CO² supply, but it now looks like suppliers will be able to meet demand through imports.

“However, there are similar issues facing producers of beef, pork, salmon and other staples of festive menus, and it’s not always clear exactly where and when shortages will become an issue.

“While there’s no way to avoid the impact of rising prices entirely, as

Institute of Hospitality Announce Future Forum to Tackle Diversity and Inclusion

The Institute of Hospitality (IoH) has announced it has established its first ‘Future Forum’ to address disability, diversity, and inclusion issues across the hospitality industry, chaired by Kelly-Marie Staunton MIH, Assistant Front of House Manager at Champneys Health Resorts, Mottram Hall, Cheshire, UK. With the vision to develop strategies that promote and nurtures education around the diversity of talent and inclusion across the IoH and the wider hospitality industry, the Forum is a prestigious line-up of 10 hospitality professionals, and considers that there is an urgent need for employers to recognise all types of disability, including invisible ones and have started work with momentum to gather information from IoH members and across the industry. Focused on supporting UN Sustainable Development goals 5, Gender equality, 8, Decent Work & Economic growth, and 10, reduced Inequalities, the Forum will look to meet specific strategic diversity and inclusion objectives to tackle issues around: Leadership, Learning and development, physical environment adjustments; Retention, Customers, Procurement and Communication & Technology. One outcome already agreed will be to provide a Disability and Diversity Check List for Employers.

Commenting on her role as chair of the newly developed IoH Future Forum, Kelly Marie Staunton MIH said: “I am delighted to be chairing such an important group for the IoH and working alongside such talent. This Forum has a great deal to cover in helping move the issue of disability, diversity, and inclusion into the mainstream. It is important that the industry employs a diverse workforce and reflects the society in general and then shares best practices. It is also crucial that our employees are properly trained, and we break down some of the barriers that stop people from being employed if it’s perceived to fall into the ‘too difficult category’, she concluded.

As IoH’s CEO, Robert Richardson FIH is enthusiastic about where the Forum may take the IoH and the industry: “Establishing the IoH Future Forum, is the logical next step in our diversity and inclusion strategy. We genuinely want to hear from our members and nonmembers about their stories so we can aim to accommodate and irradicate some of the issues that face this part of our society. I am looking forward to seeing the outcomes from the Forum as they begin their work. Our hospitality family embraces change, and I see the IoH Future Forum as a changemaker.”

Young’s Report Strong Trading

London pub operator Young’s has reported “strong trading” with total revenue for the 26 weeks ended 27 September was £149.6m (2020: £52.7m), with an adjusted Ebitda of £42.7m (2020: £1.5m). Pre-tax profit was £22.2m (2020: loss of £22.2m).

The company stated: “For the same 24-week period since reopening on 12 April, total managed revenue was encouragingly only 1% lower than 2019, despite operating under significant covid-19 related restrictions up until 19 July.

Throughout our successful reopening, we benefited from the major capex programme in our pubs, hotels and outdoor areas that was largely undertaken in the last financial year.

The group said it benefited from its major capex programme largely undertaken in the last financial year, having invested £13.1m in its pubs, hotels and outdoor areas.

Net debt reduced by £108.4m to £140.3m since the year end. Following the

reopening of its pubs and positive cash generation in the period, the board decided to resume dividends, with payment of an interim dividend of 8.55 pence per share.

Patrick Dardis, chief executive of Young’s, said: “The proceeds from the sale of the tenanted pubs further strengthens our balance sheet, ensuring we have sufficient funds to invest further in our current estate and capitalise on any attractive acquisition opportunities that present themselves.

“Following the disposal, we are now a focused operator of well-invested, premium managed pubs and hotels. We expect to benefit further in future years from the planned capex programme due to kick start in the second half and are wellpositioned to deliver long-term sustainable growth.”

He added: “With excitement for the festive season building week on week, there is potential for a very good second half. There is now a real sense of enthusiasm and anticipation across the business for the months and years to come.”

Tourism Minister Reveals Consolidated Data is Key to Demonstrate the Sector’s True Economic Value

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Consolidated and credible data is critical for the UK treasury to understand the true economic value of the business meeting and events sector, says Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston.

Speaking during his opening address at the Meetings Industry Association’s Ignite conference last Thursday, he said the government was committed to working closely with the sector as the UK emerges from the pandemic.

He said: “We want to work closely with the sector to ensure it is set for the future. We want it to be ambitious in its sustainability, offering quality careers for young people across the country, as well as being a sector that makes data-driven decisions.

“On this point, I do want to commend the mia for their work in developing the miaTouchstone data platform as this is exactly the type of information that we value as we look to build a more detailed data picture of the UK event and tourism sector as a whole, and I’d encourage those members and indeed non-members who haven’t done so already to take a closer look at it.”

Taking questions from delegates he stressed the importance of the sector providing unified data to government. He said: “It empowers me to have meaningful conversations with the treasury about the size and scale of the sector and how important it is.

Fragmentation causes real problems dealing with the relationship between government and business.”

Adding to this, he said: “The integrity of the data is key and that is why the mia and other industry bodies are so important. The more you can come together and get that data in a comfortable format, consolidate it as one informed industry voice, the better it is for the sector and enables me to do my job better as well.”

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association, said: “This was a highly insightful and inspiring day offering new ways of thinking that business leaders can now take back to their own operations. What is clear, and was reinforced and demonstrated throughout the day, is the importance of data and we have a huge opportunity to provide the exact collaborative insight that the government requires to demonstrate the value and impact of our sector to the economy. And, we can do just that, if the sector engages with us and uses our new business intelligence platform miaTouchstone.”

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

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23

Adapt Or Die: Loyalty’s Role In Britain’s Post-Pandemic Hospitality Recovery 24

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By Frederick Szydlowski, CMO and co-founder of Embargo (www.embargoapp.com) accordingly; however this usually only extended to a flimsy physical loyalty card that could offer an impersonal free item after enough stamped purchases. It was a one-way relationship as even with physical stamp cards businesses did not know who their customers were and could not take action when loyal customers stopped coming.

This may have been enough for some companies before the pandemic, which relied on endless footfall and influx of new customers, but today, these manual methods have put hospitality venues in an often-helpless position. With less customers around, they have to rely on repeat business more than ever and as it turns out, a paper card handed in March 2020 has not been much of a help. It will also very likely not make the first post-lockdown spike of customer footfall loyal once the novelty of eating and drinking out again passes.

It has been extensively reported and widely agreed that of all the industries and sectors hit hard by the pandemic, hospitality has been among the worst affected. Throughout the lockdowns and social distancing restrictions imposed throughout the past 18 months, we all had to deal with our favourite local restaurants, bars and coffee shops repeatedly shutting their doors, briefly reopening them only to then shut them again.

While this was inconvenient for consumers, it was devastating for businesses.

When hospitality enterprises were finally able to completely reopen in July of this year, they were effectively starting over from scratch. Many had to deal with different suppliers, many local populations had changed significantly and across the country, staff turnovers were huge (for various reasons). Most notably, however, they had to rebuild their pool of loyal customers as they did not know who their loyalty customers had been or how to contact them.

For an industry based on consistency and reliance on repeat business, this presented businesses with a major obstacle and exposed the lack of effective tools in place.

WHERE LOYALTY COMES IN Traditionally, a business’ loyalty strategy extended only as far as relying on staff to recognise regular customers and make them feel welcome.

Some may have gone a step further to track visits and offer rewards

Not only is relying on analogue loyalty strategies ineffective, but it also fails to provide ways to actively manage venues’ customer base or generate any kind of meaningful data that businesses can analyse and act upon to increase repeat custom. Knowing who the loyal customers are, when they stop coming and how often the usually visit, makes it easier to reward them and act on warning signs before it is too late. However, it is key to make all that data fully actionable and easy to turn in business by running direct marketing campaigns. Being able to stay in touch, upsell and retain customers leads to building a more sustainable business based on happy customers who come back more frequently. These are the ways in which businesses need to change their attitude towards loyalty if they hope to stay afloat.

matically tailor the perfect reward that tells a loyal customer that they are valued. Rather than investing time and resources in far-reaching marketing campaigns to attract a new tranche of customers, tech-based loyalty and CRM solutions can help businesses engage with both new and long-standing clientele. However, it is key to keep it simple for the customer and staff in order to maximize adoption of those solutions.

THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED Customer experience is all about the individual, so any strategy that targets everyone indiscriminately won't have the same effect as the one that has a personal impact. Consumers returned from lockdown with their thoughts on commerce forever changed; people had become used to engaging with businesses remotely through eCommerce and delivery platforms that were intrinsically able to generate data about their usage and habits that could customise their experience.

After that exposure to personalised shopping, traditional approaches to customer service are no longer fit for purpose. As such, investing in data collecting tools to identify and communicate with customers is instrumental to the future growth of hospitality businesses.

Loyalty used to be thought of as the natural by-product of businesses that were well run and offered quality products. To stay on top in a competitive, constantly morphing consumer landscape, hospitality businesses need to commit to and invest in loyalty, customer experience and smarter strategies if they hope to continue growing and thriving in a post-pandemic world.

SMARTER STRATEGIES While the benefits of a smarter, digital approach to hospitality loyalty strategies were clear before the pandemic, the way in which businesses have had to change their approaches since reopening has made adopting new strategies essential. No business can survive without repeat custom, and what's more, it is both easier and 5 times cheaper to retain an existing customer than attract a new one.

Investing in loyalty is a way of investing in customer experience and customer management. Customer profiling and communication enable to tailor to customers’ specific needs.

And this can be done without retraining staff or developing new systems – investing in CRM tools that show customer activities can auto-

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Roux Scholarship 2022: Entries Open as the Roux Family Set the Recipe Challenge 26

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The Roux family has launched its search for a 2022 scholar, offering a prize of up to £12,000 to support career development as well as invitation to cook and train in a three-Michelin-star restaurant anywhere in the world for up to three months.

Just two weeks after the conclusion of the 2020/21 competition, in which Oli Williamson was crowned a new Roux Scholar, the Roux Family launched the 2022 competition with a challenge that will test chefs’ creativity as much as their skills, Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr have set out the ingredients for chefs’ applications: two fresh Dover soles weighing anywhere between 600g-700g (maximum 800g) cooked and served either whole, or in fillets and 300g whole brown shrimps with shells on; together plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments. One of them must include homemade pasta made on the day of the competition. The other is to be a garnish/accompaniment of their choice. One of these can be served separately if preferred. A sauce must accompany the dish.

Chairman Alain Roux said: “The beauty of these superb ingredients is their simplicity: Dover sole is at its best in spring when the dishes will be prepared. It will be

fascinating to see how our chefs deal with offering tasty, interesting dishes while not over-complicating the delicate fresh flavours. In particular, I am excited to see what shape of pasta the chefs will choose. I’m really looking forward to some inspired cooking.”

Chairman Michel Roux said: “No sooner the competition is over and the next one begins. Dover sole, shrimps and pasta: so much scope for flair and imagination, I can’t wait to see what our chefs come up with. I know what I would do but what will the 2022 scholar create?”

Vice-chairman Brian Turner said: “Dover sole and brown shrimps are such iconic British products. I am really excited to see what our potential scholars do with their recipes. I do hope the dish will be simple, elegant and full of flavour. Good luck to all!”

Applicants have until midnight on 31 January 2022 to submit their recipe, with those qualifying invited to compete in regional heats, where they will prepare their dish as well as a dessert made from a mystery box of ingredients presented on the day.

CAMRA Host Event Celebrating Leading Voices in the Beer and Cider World chance to network and discuss the issues facing the industry with the experts, as well as listening to them in conversation during the panel.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) will be hosting a panel event attended by leading beer writers and influencers, marking the publication of several of their books through the campaign’s publishing arm today.

CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said: “It will be fantastic to welcome several of our brilliant authors to our event next month, both to celebrate the books they have written through CAMRA Books, and to discuss beer and cider, after a tumultuous few years for the industry. I am looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and chatting over a pint about our favourite brews!”

The exclusive event, taking place in central London on 12 November 2021, will feature award-winning, internationally published authors such as Roger Protz, Pete Brown, Emma Inch, Gabe Cook, Jonny Garrett, Des de Moor, and Laura Hadland amongst others, who have published their work through CAMRA Books.

The panel will be chaired by CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer, discussing books and the beer and cider industry at large.

The authors range from exciting new voices to established industry

legends, all exploring the trends, developments and contribution of CAMRA in the world of beer, breweries and more. Guests will have a

The featured titles on the CAMRA Books roster include: the World Beer Guide, London’s Best Beers Pubs and Bars, Modern British Beer and the latest edition of CAMRA’s flagship Good Beer Guide, with a foreword by James Blunt, also published today,

Community Saves North Wales Village Pub 28

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A spokesman for the company said “ It looked so sad in the middle of the village we all hoped one would buy it and reopen no such luck. It felt as though the heart was being ripped out of the village”

A North Wales village pub has been saved by its local community after being closed for over a year .

Villagers at Cerrigydrudion, Conwy faced the threat their last pub, and have raised an astounding £535, 000 in just a few weeks to save the pub from closure.

As locals set about their campaign retired local GP Dr Dermot Norton said the asking price was £350,000, however the owner was prepared to sell it to the local community for £325,000 on condition that it be up and running within three months.

Locals formed Llew Gwyn Cerrigydrudion Ltd to get the pub open again after the closed in March 2022 to Covid. The building has been gutted and it is hoped to reopen for business early in December.

“We decided to sell shares costing £5,000 each, and we have 65 shareholders, some holding more than one share.” He said.

The village, which has a population of only 600, once had three pubs but the Queens closed about 20 years and the Saracen’s three years ago.

In addition, those who couldn’t afford £5,000 have been able to sponsor a window in memory of a loved one.

That left just the White Lion, whose claim to fame was that David Lloyd George once stayed there after being caught in heavy snow while returning home along the A5. In the 1970s it was owned by entertainer Ronnie Williams, part of the Ronnie a Ryan duo.

Villagers heard that a possible buyer was considering demolishing the pub and building flats on the site, motivating them undertake their campaign.

“There are 47 windows, and as it’s a conservation area they have to be of a certain style, which can be expensive,” said Dr Norton.

Photography by David Purchase

Locals are looking forward to creating a traditional Welsh in with In 12 ensuite bedrooms restaurant, Airbnb, and a small caravan park.

Arkell’s Brews Autumn Beer to Honour Armed Forces Family brewer Arkell’s has created a mild ale named ‘Contemptibles’.

With a long and distinguished history of military service within the Arkell family, the Wiltshire brewery is paying tribute to British forces in this the centenary year of The Royal British Legion.

Arkell’s head brewer, Alex Arkell, said: “This is a perfect brew for autumn; we’ve used chocolate malt for the dark colour, which also adds warm roasted and sweet tones, with a light hop aroma to compliment. At 4% this is considered strong for a mild, but this way we get a little more flavour into the lighter bodied beer.”

The Arkell military connection can be dated back to current Chairman, James Arkell’s great-great-great-grandfather who joined the Second Wiltshire Rifle Corps in 1888.

However, this beers name originates from the nickname given to the British expeditionary force who served in France and Flanders in 1914. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany reportedly issued an order to “Exterminate… the treacherous English and walk over… the contemptible little army”. Hence, in later years, the survivors of the regular army dubbed themselves ‘The Old Contemptibles’.

Sir Noel Arkell and Graham Arkell fought in WW1 in 1914 and survived, although Noel returned wounded having been shot in the shoulder. They both feature on the beerspump clip design.

Noel’s sons James and Peter fought in World War 2. James served with the

Gurkha’s in Burma and Java, where he was killed in action at the devastatingly early age of 26.

His brother, Peter Arkell, served in the RAF, flying Lysanders into France under cover of darkness to retrieve secret agents by moonlight. He later transferred to Burma where he completed many landings behind Japanese lines. After a serious crash behind enemy lines he was finally invalided out of the RAF. Current Chairman James Arkell was in the Territorial Army and has commanded The Royal Yeomanry Regiment. He is also President of the Swindon Branch of The Royal British Legion.

“We have beer and military service running through the family veins,” says James. “From my great-great-great-grandfather to my son, John, who served in Afghanistan.”

In 1921, The Royal British Legion was formed to support service men and women, ex serving personnel and their families. They are the champions of Remembrance and this year they celebrate their centenary. Alex Arkell has combined beer and military and created ‘Contemptibles’ for this time of year when we remember and honour all those who have died in service of their country.

George Arkell said: “The Royal British Legion is a fantastic charity whom we love to support. This year we are an official sponsor of their centenary cookbook ‘Cooking with Heroes’ with a page dedicated to our brewery amongst the delicious recipe ideas from acting or former members of the military”.

Seven Things You Must Do To Promote Your Restaurant 30

CLH Digital

Issue 83

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!)

4. WHAT’S THE STRATEGY?

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.

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 12months 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.

2. ENCOURAGE WORD OF MOUTH (WOM).

5. PICTURES.

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.

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

1. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS.

be taken professionally, but they do have to look professional, 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.

Greene King Offers Thousands of Pounds of Prizes to Reward Designated Drivers this Christmas Greene King is stepping up its annual campaign to encourage responsible drivers this Christmas as part of Coca-Cola’s Hero the Driver campaign.

The partnership is now in its 12th year and went live from Monday 8 November in more than 1,500 of Greene King’s managed pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

The campaign was originally based on a buy-one-get-one-free offer but has continued to expand year on year with 2021 set to be the biggest year yet, now offering exclusive prizes of up to £500 of shopping vouchers for customers in Greene King managed pubs, alongside a guaranteed prize of a free bottle of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

Other prizes on offer include £100 Red Letter Days vouchers and £25 Greene King gift cards.

Ashleigh Egan, Trade Marketing Controller at Greene King, said: “Celebrating Christmas at the pub with friends and family is sadly something that many of us did not have the chance to do in 2020, and reuniting at the pub for Christmas this year is going to be incredibly special.

“That’s why we’re investing more than ever in Coca-Cola’s Hero the Driver campaign to champion the designated drivers from each Christmas party and family group who are choosing not to drink alcohol so they can safely drive people home at the end of the night.”

Karen Yates-Hills, Away-From-Home Sales Director at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said: “Coca-Cola’s brand purpose is about bringing people together and creating real magic – and after scaleddown festivities last year, we wanted to once again enhance the

Christmas experience for consumers when socialising outside of the home.

“We’d like to thank Greene King for partnering with us for more than 10 years on the Designated Driver campaign, helping to promote responsible drinking in pubs up and down the country. We hope this campaign will help Greene King encourage more customers to visit its venues for some much-needed festive cheer, whilst rewarding the driver who is helping everyone get home safely.”

Everyone taking part is guaranteed to get a voucher for a free 330ml bottle of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and will also be in with a chance of winning additional prizes from there.

The campaign will also be supported by an extensive social media and email marketing campaign.

The campaign works as follows: • A customer will need to buy a bottle, can or glass of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar from a participating Greene King pub • Participating pubs will be decorated with Coca-Cola Hero the Driver POS, which will include a QR code. The QR code will also be widely shared on social media and in an email marketing campaign • Customer scans the QR code and enters their details to enter the competition and then scans the Coca-Cola logo on the bottle, can or glass • Customer receives voucher for their free drink via email and also finds out if they have won a prize • Customer shows the voucher code to the bar team who will serve the free drink • Winners receive their prizes direct from Coca-Cola.

Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels Appoints Group Executive Chef Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels has appointed a Group Executive Chef who brings 25 years’ experience to the role, having worked for renowned hotel groups as well as luxury cruise liners.

Ross Bootland will oversee the culinary teams at each of the hotels in the family, including Crieff Hydro Hotel and Peebles Hydro Hotel. He will mainly be based in Crieff but will regularly visit the properties in the Borders, Dundee and Glencoe in order to support and lead the teams.

One of Ross’ main focuses will be recruitment and continuing to build a training programme to help nurture upcoming talent.

Ross said: “I am delighted to join Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels. They have approached me on a few occasions but this felt like the right time to make the move and I’m enjoy-

ing having a better work/life balance being located closer to my family at home, rather than spending months at sea.

“Recruitment has been very challenging across the industry so one of my main objectives will be to hire some fantastic talent into chef vacancies we have across the group.

Stephen Leckie, CEO of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, added: “We are very pleased to have Ross at the helm as Group Executive Chef.

“His fantastic ambition and drive to nurture a fantastic working environment will really help take our restaurants to the next level and attract talented chefs who are looking for the opportunity to hone their craft and create exciting a wonderful dining experience for guests.”

Green Growth Provides Opportunity for Travel and Hospitality Industry According to New Research 32

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Issue 83

Nine in ten travellers would choose a sustainable hotel if the option existed according to new research from PACE Dimensions and BVA BDRC highlighting the powerful opportunity for the travel and hospitality industry.

With over three quarters (76 per cent) of the UK public stating that they are ‘very concerned’ about sustainable issues, in particular those related to the environment, the scale of the market opportunity is huge. It is also intensified by the pandemic with 58 per cent of travellers highlighting they are thinking about sustainability now more than pre Covid-19.

Given a choice between similar hotels with one delivering better sustainability credentials, an overwhelming majority chose the sustainable hotel.

This remained the case when the price was increased five per cent.

Tim Davis, managing director, PACE Dimensions, said: “There is a rapid shift to values-driven purchasing that is impacting the choices people make when they travel. The major challenge for the travel and hospitality industry is that this market is largely unexploited and there is not yet the sustainable product choice to match consumer demand. The risks for those not addressing sustainability are stark; it is becoming an expectation, like a good nights sleep. The brand loyalty and revenue opportunities for businesses taking this seriously are clear, especially as global travel is suppressed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Consumer demand and reputation are major factors for travel and hospitality businesses to consider. Research highlighted that 86 per cent of those born after 1980 have a greater affinity towards companies with strong Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) values. Over half of millennials (53 per cent) would avoid a brand if it were associated with poor environmental or social standards.

Legislative change is also forcing shifts across all areas of industry, and driving new patterns for investors all looking to meet greener targets.

However, consumers state that there are not enough choices to allow the extent of sustainable travel behaviour they desire, just yet.

Eduoard Lecerf, deputy CEO, BVA BDRC adds: “We are in a moment where people understand there is a role to be played, it’s happening now and it’s here. People want corporations to ‘help me help’.”

Nudging consumers towards more sustainable choices is a key opportunity for the travel and hospitality industry. For example, guests can be incentivised with lower prices to reduce their use of laundry and housekeeping services or air conditioning, and be rewarded with loyalty points that recognise making more sustainable choices. In turn, these aid travel and hospitality brands to meet their own targets, and give consumers choice in being part of the mission.

Davis continues: “The travel and hospitality brands who prioritise sustainability goals and build a values-based culture will emerge as leaders. In an ever more competitive market, pressure from consumers, policy makers and investors is driving a long term fundamental shift towards greater sustainability that is business-critical to address. The technology to measure and report sustainability targets, to improve energy efficiency, and to allow consumers to search, select and book greener options all exists and yet is far too underused.

CAMRA’s Iconic Good Beer Guide Shows Industry’s Resilience in the Face of Pandemic CAMRA have published the 49th edition of the best-selling The Good Beer Guide, with contributors encouraging readers to support their local pubs and breweries in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Good Beer Guide is CAMRA’s premier publication, featuring the very best pubs to find a great pint in the UK. Nationally, the 2022 Guide has found the total number of independent UK breweries has risen to 1,902 in 2021 from 1,816 in 2020* - showing the highest number of breweries recorded in the Guide since publication began in 1974, and a national increase after recording the first decline in brewery numbers since 2008 in the previous edition. However, while 138 breweries have opened this year and are newly listed in the Guide, 75 have closed, with some regions reporting higher or equal numbers of closures compared to new breweries.

While last year’s edition of the Guide captured data pre-COVID, the 2022 edition shows the ramifications of 18 months of lockdown had on the industry. CAMRA has been calling on the Government to go further with its support package for pubs and breweries, to help mitigate the damage done to a sector in recovery, and still scarred by extended closures.

The Guide, which surveys 4,500 pubs across the UK, is considered the definitive beer drinker’s guide to the very best pints in the most picturesque and friendly pubs.

Despite being hampered by lockdowns and restrictions in the early part of this year, thousands of independent volunteers have worked together to compile this year’s entries, helping to identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “After the struggles of the past 18 months for the industry, it is great that The Good Beer Guide figures are showing the resilience of pubs and brewers in the face of strife – an increase in brewery num-

bers after they dipped last year for the first time, as well as over 500 new pub entries. This is great to see, especially coupled with the news from the Government’s latest Budget, including the announcement of a new, lower rate of duty for draught beer and cider.

“However, the industry is still vulnerable in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Breweries still face issues around costs of goods, lack of business rate relief and silence from the Government on Small Brewers’ Relief reform. We are calling on the Government to make sure the new draught duty rate applies to containers 20L and up so that all our small and independent brewers can benefit.”

The foreword for this year’s edition of The Good Beer Guide was written by bestselling singer and owner of the Fox & Pheasant pub in Chelsea James Blunt, who has thrown his support behind the Great British pub and reflected on the industry’s struggles during the coronavirus pandemic.

He highlights the importance of pubs to communities and encourages Brits to get back to the pub to support their locals, writing: “Whilst, in recent years, there might have been a trend for people to drink cheap supermarket beer at home, those people have been locked away for the best part of a year, and now those people want out.

They can taste real beer from the tap, and food cooked by a pro, and they can meet legally and joyfully.”

The Good Beer Guide 2022 is now available from the CAMRA shop at https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2022 and there is an updated app version available for download on both iOS and Android device. CAMRA members can order the guide at a reduced rate of £12.00 + p&p. You can become a member and help save pubs for just £28.50 a year by visiting https://join.camra.org.uk/

Fuller’s Teams Up with Legendary Chef Brian Turner CBE to Showcase Sunday Roasts Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC, the premium pubs and hotels business, has partnered with Brian Turner CBE as ambassador of its amazing Sunday Roasts across its Managed Pubs and Hotels.

Giving Fuller’s Sunday Roasts his stamp of approval, Turner has been working with Fuller’s Executive Chefs finding out what brings the Fuller’s Sunday Roast to life. Working with local suppliers, including Hampshirebased Owton’s Butchers, Fuller’s chefs only work with the best seasonal ingredients from local suppliers (including Hampshire-based Owton’s Butchers), cooking everything fresh in each pub kitchen.

The Fuller’s Sunday Roast boasts lashings of gravy, vegetables, roast potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings all day. However, the experience does not end there, selected Fuller’s pubs are now also offering Sharing Roasts – perfect for a family or a group of friends to get together.

Every Fuller’s pub has its own character, this means each will be adding their own personal touch: from recommending local walking or cycling routes to enjoy before or after your Sunday Roast, to ensuring children have their own fun too with a Kid’s Table. Selected pubs will also have their own label English sparkling wine, which pairs perfectly with their Sunday Roasts.

Brian Turner will be hosting a number of events across the estate in the coming months. Sharing his passion for the great British Sunday Roast and Fuller’s story of locally sourced ingredients, skilled chefs, excellent service and thoughtful extra touches that make Fuller’s Sunday Roast stand out from the crowd.

Brian Turner said: “Fuller’s is the pinnacle of fantastic pubs. It only works with the very best, whether that be suppliers, ingredients, recipes, service with a smile or chef talent. It has been a real pleasure to witness the pride that everyone takes in the Fuller’s food offer. Every Fuller’s chef works to the highest of standards and has the perfect customer experience in mind in everything they do. Fuller’s food offer is in a league of its own and its Sunday Roast is just one example of the amazing work the team is doing.”

Paul Dickinson, Director of Food at Fuller’s, said: “To work with a hero of the industry whose career has been all about putting Britain on the culinary global map is an absolute privilege. Brian is proving to be a real inspiration to our people and I have long admired his career and expertise as a chef. He is the perfect partner to showcase our Sunday Roasts.

“Our local ingredients, hand-picked by our carefully selected suppliers, are the perfect building blocks for our Sunday Roasts.

However, it is the mastery of our chefs that really sets our Sunday Roasts apart. Our Chefs are all part of Fuller’s Chefs’ Guild, which supports them with the learning, development and classical cookery skills they need to advance their mastery and craftsmanship as chefs.

Paul concluded: “Our aim at Fuller’s is to put the ‘Great’ back into British pub food – real food cooked by real chefs. Our Sunday Roasts complete the perfect British Sunday, especially when tried with an Only at Fuller’s Bloody Mary – a secret recipe created by one of our mixologists. Book now to share your Sunday with the ones you love.”

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Products and Services

Issue 83

Gunner Saint - The Drink with Heritage Staff Problem Solved!

Drawing upon a rich heritage, with a recipe that dates back to 1842, the Gunner Saint non-alcoholic cocktail is a truly fresh and energising drink, which we are proud to say is also made in the UK. Conducting our own market research earlier this year we found that 18% of UK adults have increased their consumption of NoLo drinks over the last 12 months, with over a quarter of respondents stating they would happily swap more than 50% of their alcohol consumption with NoLo alternatives. Results which corresponded with the recent growth of the sector in UK and international drinks markets.

Following the success of our existing draught

solution we have now launched the new Gunner in a can, which has been welcomed by customers across the hospitality sector.

The Gunner Saint, both draught and in the can is made to THE original recipe using all natural ingredients.

A cocktail of ginger, aromatic bitters and a twist of lime, the Gunner Saint provides a refreshing and restorative drink which can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mocktail, or if you want something stronger as an alternative refreshing mixer.

We have even created some ideas of how to mix yours on our website.

By listening to the needs of our stockists the Gunner Saint is in a slimline can, providing convenience and sustainability for use within the hospitality sector. Plus, it is made and canned here in the UK, avoiding any supply issues as recently experienced by some mixer brands.

The Gunner Saint is a great tasting, long, non-alcoholic drink with a grown-up kick.

Best served over ice, it provides as much refreshment today as it did back in 1842.

Why not find out for yourself. www.gunnerscocktails.co.uk info@gunnerscocktails.co.uk

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

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 2 3 4

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

We’ve previously talked about the importance of Pub Banners to get your deals and promotions noticed, but with great deals on offer by HFE Signs, can we use their products in other ways?

The answer is certainly yes! HFE Signs print everything to order and with banner deals such as buy 2 get 3rd free you should really be putting your imagination to work. Remember the ‘sky is the limit’ and anything you like can be printed to promote the offers you are currently running or planning in the future.

Over the past months our industry has seen a rapid change from closure to re-opening to rushed off our feet and as a result it has been incredibly difficult to manage staffing to cater

for the quick change in demand – You will be surprised how effective a simple ‘Recruiting Now’ banner will solve this issue for you. The added flexibility of being able to use your banner over and over again means it is the perfect way to recruit staff quickly.

HFE don’t only print Pub Banners, they print banners for any purpose and cover all market sectors ranging from Birthday Banners to Solicitors or Accountants to Engineers and Schools to Construction Safety.

With various online categories it is worth looking to get some ideas on new promotions or help you plan some future events and if you only need two printed banners you could even donate your third free banner to your local school?

Schools are always on a tight budget and free school banners would be greatly received by any schools!

For more information visit www.hfe-signs.co.uk today!

Super Quick, Free Range, Super Easy

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

Range Farm Free Range Hens are free to roam and forage in the natural environment. Freshly laid, our eggs are processed at our state-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

Shanty Spirit This evocative small batch Organic Botanical Vodka offers you an experience like no other.

An expertly crafted intricate blend of five hand-foraged organic British seaweeds create stunning undercurrents of Umami flavour. This subtle depth of flavour is further enhanced by ripples of Wasabi, Galangal, Yuzu, Bergamot and Sea Buckthorn dancing on the surface.

Each Botanical isseparately vacuum distilled to extract and retain the freshness that nature intended.

Finally we add a pinch of Dorset sea salt to remineralise the purest of water with which the spirit is cut.

Let your taste buds take the plunge and transport yourself directly to the water’s edge. As well as being enjoyed as a “Sipping Vodka” or a “Shanty on the Rocks”, Shanty Seaweed Botanical Vodka breathes new life and adds delicious dimensions to some old classics. It also pairs beautifully with seafood.

SHANTY MARY 50ml Shanty Seaweed Botanical Vodka, 125ml tomato juice, 5ml lemon juice, pinch of sea salt, pinch of white pepper, 4 drops of Green Tobasco, 2 dashes Worcester Sauce, Seaweed powder.

Pour all ingredients into tall glass with ice, mix. Garnish with celery and lemon wedge. contact@shantyspirit.com (+44) 7979-237-649 Facebook- @shantyspirits Insta- @shantyspirit www.shantyspirit.com

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 wellpresented 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.

Visit www.printedgreaseproof.com

Products and Services K Fee UK Introduces Affordable, Low Thrill Sanitation from Steelite Maintenance, All In One Capsule Coffee Machines Issue 83

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 Power of Scent

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.

Thanks to a low and elongated design, the new Vortex 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

At Scentworks we offer a substantial range of essential oils, fragrance oils and formulations of both to suit all environments and needs whether it is for communal areas, washrooms, waste areas, offices, personal rooms, entrances etc. Our oils are all manufactured within the UK and are all IFRA controlled and compliant.

Our scent diffusion equipment is discreet but also stylish, very quiet and very low maintenance, requiring only 1-2 service visits per year on self-replenished units which helps to keep costs to a minimum, from as little £1 per day.

We have a selection of scent diffusion equipment with a wide range of coverage from small tabletop units suitable for an office environment, floor or wall mounted options for medium sized areas and up to larger units

that connect directly to an air conditioning system above a roof void.

All our scent diffusion equipment is programmable, which means that once set up you can just enjoy the fragrance not having to worry about switching the machine off as it will happen automatically.

We offer a wide range of pricing solutions, whether this would be renting or purchasing of equipment along with fragrance and equipment packages, we are totally flexible to suit your requirements.

Visit www.scentworkssolutions.com

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.

Jura Professional Coffee Machines

UK On-Trade Gets A Taste Of Bottega’s Italian Rainbow Award Winning Italian wine producer and distiller Bottega, has launched its Accademia Prosecco Rainbow into the UK on-trade market. Having already grown Accademia sales by a huge 166% this year, whilst also securing wide distribution in the offtrade, Bottega looks to continue to grow its distribution by 500% next year.

Sandro Bottega, Founder & Managing Director of Bottega SPA comments; “Following a spike in Rosé Prosecco last year, we think the Prosecco market still has potential to grow. As well as new drinking rituals developed during lockdown, we’re finding that drinkers not only want quality, but they want to know the provenance of their drinks, i.e from ground to bottle.

Which is why at Bottega, we’re proud to showcase our premium Italian taste, whilst also sticking to our roots of bottling in Venetian rainbow glass.”

These premium bottles recognise the most celebrated holidays so that hospitality outlets can capitalise on special moments, such as Halloween, Christmas, and Pride. What’s more, the Rainbow Collection also gives a nod to the renowned Venice Carnival and its festive atmosphere. Accademia bottles are inspired by the Venetian colourful art expressions which have

become synonymous with Italian craftsmanship. Produced in Italy’s Treviso area using the traditional Charmat method, the Accademia Prosecco Spumante Doc Brut encloses all the characteristics that made sparkling wines appreciated all over the world: liveliness, elegance and versatility. In each bottle exudes combined flavours of green apple, white peach, citrus fruits, acacia flowers and wisteria. The taste conquers each palate: fresh, light and pleasantly lively, with a good balance between acidity and sugar, make this wine elegant and refined.

Sandro Bottega concludes: “The advantage of our colourful bottles for vendors is a strong shelf impact, differentiating Bottega as a standout celebration bottle. We can’t wait to see Prosecco drinkers up and down the UK enjoying our colourful Italian-crafted Prosecco as we continue to dine out more and more.”

Accademia Rainbow Prosecco DOC is available (offtrade) across the UK RSP £84.99 (mixed case of six bottles).

For the UK distributor of Accademia LEGACY BRANDS, mail: sales@legacy-brands.co.uk Webiste: www.bottegaspa.com/en/

K Fee UK are part of the family owned Kruger Group and pride themselves in offering affordable all in one capsule coffee machines and coffee accessories for your pleasure and enjoyment. The coffee machines are compact, easy to operate, low maintenance and, where cost is a major consideration, great value for money. Prices start from only £99.00 for the K-Fee One and include a 2 year swap out warranty.

K – Fee are also explorers and connoisseurs, seeking out and sourcing the finest coffees from around the world. Driven by a passion for coffee, they experiment with new roasts and blends to develop flavours that reflect the latest trends in the coffee market. Their Mr & Mrs Mill coffee capsules, hand-picked coffee beans from

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the world’s best growing areas are used, gently roasted and ground. As soon as the capsules have been filled, they are given a seal to preserve their freshness and full aroma.

Furthermore, all their coffee is UTZ certified as they are committed to using resourcesaving production and helping develop better living conditions for farmers. They have also partnered up with myclimate to help compensate our CO2 emissions and reduce greenhouse gasses locally and regionally, but also make a positive contribution to sustainable development.

Contact: K-Fee-enquiries@Kruger-uk.com Tel: 0161 527 7359 Website: https://www.k-fee.co.uk/ See the advert on the back cover for further details.

Top Restaurants Enjoying The ‘Purest Water’ On Tap The importance of great tasting, pure water – and the role it can play in the dining experience – is well recognised within the restaurant industry. Yet, whilst water filters for the home have been around for a long time, hospitality businesses have only recently begun to embrace premium filtered water.

Nordaq is leading the way, with a unique and patented water filter system, developed in Sweden, capable of delivering the purest drinking water – with a taste and quality that is unrivalled. It does this by filtering out all impurities and undesirable flavours within local tap water, whilst retaining natural salts and minerals.

World-renowned chef, Heston Blumenthal, who has introduced Nordaq to several of his UK venues, including the famous Fat Duck, says: “Attention to detail is something that we have always looked at in all of our restaurants. An eating experience is

beyond the food we eat … Nordaq’s technology offered us exactly what we were looking for.”

Nordaq’s purity exceeds even that of bottled water because it doesn’t require the preservatives necessary for a practical shelf life. Instead, a venue can produce this incredible water – both still and sparkling – on-site, dispensing it straight from a tap into elegant, branded, reusable glass bottles.

Nordaq is now served in over 400 of the world’s best hotels and restaurants.They all benefit from Nordaq’s unique ability to enhance the taste of food and wine. In addition, the premium filter approach reduces the financial, logistical and environmental burdens that water service typically represents. With all this in mind, it’s hard to imagine the future of restaurant water being anything but filtered.

To request your Nordaq experience, contact Peter Smeaton on 01943 609 437, or email enquiries@nordaq.com.

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

Simply ‘Thaw & Serve’ with Schulstad Bakery Solutions NEW Danish Pastry Range Bakery experts, Lantmännen Unibake UK would love as many people as possible to experience the joy of its authentic Schulstad Bakery Solutions products. That’s why it has developed a new range of delicious, fully-baked, Thaw and Serve Danish Pastries, enabling operators without an oven to offer their customers a tasty, sweet treat at any time of day.

All they have to do is…. thaw and serve.

Now available through Brakes and Bidfood, the new range features traditional favourites including Schulstad Bakery Solutions Maple Pecan Plait and Mini Danish Selection, and provides an incremental sales opportunity for operators to serve pastries throughout the day, with 57% of consumers saying that they choose Danish Pastries as a between-meal treat . Wrapped either individually or in a tray, these easy to serve Danish Pastries are ideal for out-of-home, hospitality and leisure sectors, where operators do not have the facilities to bake fresh and can be enjoyed in house or on the go.

Kate Sykes, Marketing Manager at Lantmännen

Unibake, said: “Quality is key to the latest additions in our range, which has been specifically designed to ensure operators are able to extend their offering to provide more variety conveniently, meaning more of them than ever before can include superior sweet pastries as part of their menus. Our new collection of Danishes is fully baked and ready to serve after thawing, allowing caterers without ovens to significantly reduce preparation time, as well as control costs and wastage.”

The full range of Schulstad Bakery Solutions Thaw and Serve Danish Pastries consists of individually wrapped classics: Maple Pecan Plait, Vanilla Crème Crown and Apple Crown. The Mini Danish selection offers five indulgent modern favourites in a handy variety pack, including Mini Maple Pecan Plait, Mini Apple Coronet, Mini Cinnamon Swirl, Mini Raspberry Square and Mini Blueberry Square. Plus, to complement the range, Schulstad Bakery Solutions is offering individually wrapped Pain aux Raisins.

Visit www.schulstadbakerysolutions.co.uk

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CLH Digital

Festive Ordering

Issue 83

Focus On Fresh and Local Festive Food, Says Bidfresh British ingredients.

“Festive menus can be fairly rigid, but building in some flexibility will be a real competitive advantage this year. That could mean offering roast duck or partridge as well as the more familiar turkey; having smoked mackerel or trout as a starter, or serving premium twists on accompaniments, such as a sprout slaw or roasted sweet potatoes.”

The research* found that:

Festive menus built around fresh and local food will inspire post-lockdown customers to eat out in the run-up to the peak Christmas and New Year trading period, says fresh produce specialist Bidfresh.

Drawing on the latest research into consumer plans for socialising this year, Bidfresh is advising chefs and operators that meals with genuine provenance will have the strongest appeal, with the added advantage of making the most of availability.

Bidfresh is highlighting the menu planning benefits of working closely with all three of its specialist businesses: meat supplier Campbell Brothers, Direct Seafoods, and fresh produce experts Oliver Kay. Martin Eshelby development support chef with Oliver Kay said: “Consumers are still in cautious mode following lockdown, and most say they plan to stay close to home, support local businesses, and meet up with friends and family. That creates opportunities for restaurants and pubs to offer interesting dishes with a focus on fresh produce and the best

· 59% of consumers plan to stay local and support local businesses; and a similar number expect to out to eat and drink several times in the run up to Christmas; · Festive bookings will start to ramp up from September onwards, so operators should have reservation systems in place, but 15% will wait until December – favouring businesses that can keep menu options and table availability flexible; · Seeing friends and family; giving gifts in person; and going out for meals and drinks are the top three things people are looking forward to this year; · The top four factors influencing choice of venue are the quality of food and drinks, the price of food and drinks; the safety and hygiene measure in places; and the choice of dishes on the menu; · 33% of consumers say they’ll definitely expect a higher quality of food when eating out than pre-pandemic; and 44% will now expect to be offered “something a bit different” when they eat out; · While 47% expect to eat a traditional Christmas dinner when they eat out, 27% will be looking for dishes they wouldn’t traditionally cook at home, and 21% want something new and interesting to try.

Eshelby added “It is very possible to meet what can seem like conflicting consumer expectations. A traditional Christmas dinner may not just mean turkey – in fact, 32% of consumers say they want a choice of different roast meat, and poultry such as duck or partridge can add a “wow factor” as consumers are less likely to cook them at home.

Koffmann's - When You Need the Very Best The Koffmann fresh potato range is the leading UK chefs brand for potatoes.

We select the best regional soil variations and maintain strict conditioning and storage regimes. Our advanced packing and handling facilities enable us to offer the best tasting and most suitable for purpose products available on any given day all season round.

The Koffmann’s frites range which includes Les Pommes Frites, Les Grandes Frites XXL and Sweet Potato Frites.

See the advert below for details.

“To accompany the main event, a root vegetable gratin with truffle infused cream adds a little luxury to plain root veg, while roasting squash and sweet potato wedges with maple syrup, cumin and fennel seeds is a delicious aromatic twist.

“Equally, 25% want to see unique starters on menus, and 23% want desserts they wouldn’t make at home. Offering alternative choices alongside the familiar smoked salmon and Christmas pud will have strong customer appeal, as well as helping to “spread the load” for the supply chain.

“Smoked mackerel or trout, served with a sprout salad, makes an interesting and tasty starter, and helps promote sustainability, which is an increasingly important consideration for many consumers.

“Offering a lighter dessert such as poached clementines with a yoghurt semifeddo can be particularly appealing after a roast with all the trimmings.

“Overall, a more diverse festive menu, making full use of the range of produce and ingredients available from suppliers give operators the broadest possible appeal to consumers, as well as reducing the pressure points that affect the supply chain when everybody is trying to order the same products.”

For a twist on a festive roast, a new recipe for spiced roast duck has been added to the range of menu ideas on the Oliver Kay website: www.oliverkayproduce.co.uk/food-info/seasonal-recipes-ideas/387-spiced-roast-duck Operators can tap into expert advice from specialist suppliers within Bidfresh via: www.campbellbrothers.co.uk, www.directseafoods.co.uk www.oliverkayproduce.co.uk *Bidfood & 3Gem , Christmas 2021 Consumer Survey, 2,000 UK respondents, surveyed 8-11th June 2021.

Prepare for Whatever Christmas Brings with D.A. Cooke 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.

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 or visit www.dacooke.co.uk

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Festive Ordering

Bring Some Festive Cheer with a Christmas Tree Market research has indicated that when an establishment spends more money on their Christmas decorations, their customers are inclined to not only spend more time, but also more money, Source https://stiritupmagazine.co.uk/get-christmas-wrapped/ In addition, customers are more likely to visit an establishment that is full of festive cheer, than one that has not bothered to make too much effort.

Decorating your hotel, restaurant or bar can be fun for the staff to do & bring them some festive cheer before the onslaught of the Christmas party season gets underway.

A large Christmas Tree can have a stunning impact & attract the public from far & wide, just to see the tree.

Social Media is driving a lot of interest in the places people visit over Christmas time, as once images have been shared, lots of people then want to go and see it for themselves. The popularity of a venue can very much be influenced by how many images are posted, shared or tweeted so making sure your venue is looking its best in the run up to Christmas is vitally impor-

tant.

Why Trenchers chose an artificial:It is far cleaner to use than a real tree Real trees can be cumbersome to erect and damage doors etc when installing them Real trees drop needles everywhere and damage carpets with moisture Real trees bring insects and fungal spores into the building which can cause sever long term damage You can choose the shape of tree to fit the space, full, compact, slim or for very tight spaces pencil.

When real trees dry out they become a fire hazard https://interestingengineering.com/video/this-video-showshow-your-dry-christmas-tree-can-cause-a-deadly-house-fire.

All Christmas Tree World trees are fire retardant.

Christmas Tree World trees are guaranteed for 10 years but will last at least of 15 years, the cost spread over 15 years makes them far cheaper than buying 15 real trees To get the benefit from an artificial tree for your business visit www.christmastreeworld.co.uk

Raise Your Canapé Game This Christmas ly fed.

We do not force feed to encourage an engorged liver, instead we use their normal healthy liver to produce Foie Royale, the luxurious pate that rivals the taste and texture of foie gras.

Working with several renowned research institutions including DIL, The Institute of Food Technology, the complex question of how to combine the bird’s natural liver with its fat to make a product as good as Foie Gras was solved. Using modern technology Foie Royale was created.

Want to buy foie gras online, but concerned about animal welfare? Foie Royale is the ethical, luxurious alternative.

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

Foie Royale is an ethical alternative to foie gras. We ethically raise duck and geese that are bred for their meat. Our birds are raised on high welfare farms enjoying freedom to roam from an early age and are natural-

The result is a product that has the same texture, melt in the mouth feeling and flavour as foie gras that can served straight from the fridge or cooked in a variety of ways.

0800 368 7777 enquiries@foieroyale.com www.foieroyale.com See the advert on the facing page for details.

Festive Ordering

Issue 83

CLH Digital

Get Real This Christmas with LittlePod

LittlePod goes liquid! When we launched our award-winning vanilla beer we never expected it to end up in a cake – a souped-up version of an Irish porter cake. People often want to make a cake for Christmas but then leave it until it’s too late. This quick-to-make cake is the answer. As the Irish say: Nollaig shona duit!

(Happy Christmas!).

2. Preheat the oven to 140°C (275ºF) Gas mark 1. Sift the flour and spice into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter or margarine into the flour and rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, soaked fruit (after straining it), nuts, lemon zest and stir well.

3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the LittlePod vanilla beer or stout over a low heat. Beat the eggs, add BEERY BAKE CAKE the LittlePod vanilla paste (or seeds Ingredients of the vanilla pod) and combine them 150 ml LittlePod vanilla beer or stout 450 g mixed dried fruit with the beer mixture, off the heat.

3 eggs 50 g glacé cherries (optional) 1 teaspoon LittlePod vanilla paste, or 1 Stir this into the dry ingredients and grated zest of 1 orange mix well. vanilla pod, (seeds only) 1 tablespoon LittlePod chocolate extract a 20-cm round cake pan, greased and 4. Pour into the prepared pan and or 350ml, LittlePod vanilla beer or stout lined with baking paper, with a 5-cm bake for 2 hours, then turn down the 350g plain flour collar oven to 120°C (250°F), or until nicely 1⁄4 teaspoon mixed spice browned. If a knife or skewer insertMethod 175 g butter or margarine 1. Soak the dried fruit, cherries and ed into the middle comes out clean, 275 g soft brown sugar orange zest in the LittlePod chocolate the cake is cooked.

50 g walnuts or 50 g blanched 5. Allow to cool in the pan before extract overnight. Alternatively, soak almonds, shredded turning it out. Do not cut it the same the dried fruit, cherries and orange grated zest of 1 lemon zest in 350ml of LittlePod Vanilla Beer day, if possible; it’s best kept to 1⁄2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda mature in an airtight container. or regular stout overnight.

Riso Gallo Commit To Sustainable Program

Riso Gallo is the first international brand in the sector to have undertaken the production of rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium best-selling risotto rices Gallo Traditional Risotto, Arborio, Carnaroli - fully Sustainable.

The Gallo Risotto Traditional, Arborio, Carnaroli, and the Carnaroli Rustico are now in packs using FSC certified cardboard outer to protect the grains.

All Riso Gallo plastic vacuum packaging is now suitable for recycling, following the launch of a new eco-sustainable, low environmental impact plastic. Riso Gallo are the first company to adopt this sustainable packaging. The excellence of the products and the high quality standards of the Riso Gallo chain are also guaranteed by the BRC and IFS certifications, and by the intense activity of the company's Research and Development centre. The focus is on the development and experimentation in the field

of new Italian rice qualities, not genetically modified and aimed at minimising the impact of cultivation on the environment and its resources.

G

Guaranteed - 100% Sustainable

100% of our sustainable rice has been produced at FSA Silver level or higher.

A

Authentic - 100% Premium Quality

Riso Gallo guarantees the origin of the rice.

L

Local – 100% Italian All our sustainable rice has been cultivated in 2019 exclusively in 14 selected farms.

L

Loyal Lowering environmental impact. Using plastic packaging that is suitable for recycling and FSC certified paper packaging for sustainable forest management. Reducing waste and CO2 emissions and usingenergy from renewable certified sources.

O

Original – No.1 in Italy

To see the full foodservice range from Riso Gallo visit www.risogallo.co.uk

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

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Cleaning and Hygiene

Why Increased Customer Expectations Mean Enhanced Hygiene Security Is Key

By David Mills, category manager at hygiene and pest control specialist Pelsis Group (www.pelsis.com) For independent operators in the licensed trade and hospitality sectors, the past year has been hugely challenging.

Conducting a comprehensive risk assessment ahead of re-opening in an environment where legal restrictions have been removed will be crucial to ensure customer and employee health and safety.

Disruption has been a buzzword across the industry, with businesses operating in an environment characterised by uncertainty.

As part of this, implementing enhanced hygiene protocols, such as the electrostatic fogging of premises, can help operators create hygiene secure environments which minimise the risk of infection spreading.

Now, with legal limits on social contact removed and nightclubs able to reopen, businesses across the sector are yet again operating in a new environment.

This approach should be integrated into a comprehensive hygiene regime which mandates the frequent sanitisation of communal surfaces, such as door handles and tables, where the risk of infection spreading from one person to another are high.

So how can independents make sure they instil confidence in the public and encourage them to return to their premises at a time when legal restrictions have been lifted but infection levels across the country are high?

These measures will be particularly important for operators at a time when new, more transmissible Covid variants pose a significant risk and infection levels are high.

A LASTING LEGACY The sheer gravity of the Covid-19 pandemic means that businesses are operating in a new normal even now legal restrictions on social contacts have been lifted. One of the key aspects of this new normal is that the public are acutely aware of the hygiene of the places they visit.

Hygiene has become a key concern for the public during the course of the pandemic. Independent research conducted by Pelsis Group found that 87 per cent of people across the UK think the hygiene of the places they visit is more important to them now than it was before the pandemic.

While that survey finding is not unexpected, our research also suggests that a focus on hygiene is set to outlast the pandemic.

Only seven per cent of people across the UK say the hygiene of the premises they visit will become less important to them after the pandemic. This finding suggests that a focus on hygiene is likely to be a long-term trend.

For independent operators, this means that clearly demonstrating a commitment to hygiene is key to giving the public confidence to return to premises in the same numbers as prior to the pandemic.

They will also play an important role in ensuring the hygiene security of their premises later in the year as we move from summer in autumn and winter.

Colder weather will mean larger groups of people are more likely to gather indoors and options for natural ventilation may be more limited, so stringent hygiene protocols will be imperative.

SEEING IS BELIEVING The visibility of these protocols to both employees and customers is also key to building confidence. Our research showed that two thirds of people would be more likely to visit premises if they could see hygiene protocols being implemented or check the hygiene protocols online before visiting.

As operators seek to build widespread confidence in the hygiene security of their premises, promoting the measures they are taking to keep their premises clean and safe will play a bigger role in attracting customers than ever before.

There is undoubtedly a clamour among the public to be able to return to venues without needing to adhere to social restrictions. However, there is also a real appetite for reassurance that these places are safe.

By making sure they prioritise the hygiene security of their premises, operators can reduce risk and instil confidence in the public.

Easy Does It.. Just Add Salt And Water For Powerful Disinfectant 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 easy-HC10 has been designed by Vapourtec, a leading manufacturer of flow chemistry equipment used throughout research and the chemicals industry.

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.

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

needed, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

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 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.

With commercial disinfectant costing between £0.75 and £4 per litre, the easyHC10 requires just a few pence worth of tap water and 5 grams of salt each time it is refilled. www.easy-hclo.com / 01284 728659

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

Sevenrooms Launches Vaccine-Related Product Features For restaurants looking to ensure its diners are vaccinated, guest experience and retention platform SevenRooms has announced new vaccine related product features to assist operators in communicating their COVID-19 safety and vaccination policies efficiently.

The new features include the ability to incorporate messaging around COVID safety protocols and vaccine requirements in booking widgets and the option to include tickboxes confirming vaccination status at booking. Furthermore, through SevenRooms, partner venues are now able to specify their COVID vaccination policies as part of reservation confirmation emails and booking reminders.

SevenRooms has additionally added a

feature allowing restaurants to tag guests as ‘Verified Vaccinated’, removing the legwork necessary when serving repeat customers as vaccination status will only need to be verified on the first visit.

Furthermore, the ‘Verified Vaccinated’ tag can be shared globally across group locations: a location can verify a diner’s vaccination status just once and apply this across the entire group, saving guests from repeating the process at each one.

Additionally, with guest tags, restaurants can enable a ‘Vaccination Verified’ tag once a guest has shown proof of vaccination.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

Cleaning and Hygiene

-Issue 83

CLH Digital

ICE - Your One-Stop-Shop for Cleaning Equipment environments. They are designed to work along-side your cleaning teams, allowing operatives to focus on crucial detailed cleaning tasks such as sanitisation.

With over 50 years of experience, ICE is the UK’s largest independent provider of industrial cleaning equipment. We manage all your cleaning equipment and servicing requirements, offering total peace of mind.

We are also proud to offer a range of cleaning equipment with water recycling capabilities, offering both productivity and sustainability benefits.

Our one-stop-shop offering provides everything relating to cleaning equipment purchase, rental, maintenance, and management.

We supply and service a huge range of cleaning machines to suit every need and budget – from low cost robust equipment, through to high end machines packed with innovative technology and features.

We offer a nationwide service with a team of highly skilled engineers dedicated to keeping your cleaning equipment up and running, and a specialist training team who ensure cleaning operatives can confidently use and maintain the machines.

ICE also have over a decade of experience in robotic floor cleaning machines. ICE Co-Botics is our complete range of autonomous vacuums, scrubber dryers, and sweepers in various sizes, suitable for a whole host of

All equipment can be purchased, rented (long & shortterm), or leased through ICE Asset Finance Solutions.

Innovation and technology advances stay at the forefront of our approach. We continuously review our product range, and the benefits and opportunities they offer our customers, in order to be able to fulfil a complete solution. It’s this investment in the key technology advances, both in equipment hardware and virtual know how that help us support our customers. enquiries@ice-clean.com 0800 389 3869 www.ice-clean.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.

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

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

41

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Cleaning and Hygiene

Clean Water, Grease Control, Safe Establishment

As the catering industry moves to a new normal, with patrons eagerly returning to holidaying and eating out, it is essential to focus on an establishment’s overall health and compliance. In addition to meticulous food and general hygiene, this means ensuring clean, safe, water and air. Your water system must have an up-to-date Legionella Risk Assessment and comply with L8, the code of practice issued by the HSE. This may mean undertaking remedial work, as well as routine water tank cleaning, water testing and monitoring.

As the demand for cooked meals has risen, so, inevitably, will the accumulation of grease deposits within your kitchen extraction system. This grease must be removed at regular

intervals by expert technicians, as stipulated in the tables in TR19® Grease, which is issued by BESA. Failing to remove this grease layer allows a potential fire risk to accumulate, and could constitute negligence, for which there can be serious legal consequences. In a case of fire, a non-compliant extract system could result in your insurance company refusing to pay out.

Indoor air quality should also be safeguarded by regular cleaning of the ventilation system in accordance with TR19®. If your ventilation system is fitted with fire dampers, these should also be drop tested annually in accordance with BS:9999.

Visit www.swiftclean.co.uk or see the advert on this page.

Top Engraver Supports Hospitality Sector with Fast Turn Around for Etched Table Numbers & QR Discs

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

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.

“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”.

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

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Hospitality Technology

New Labour Scheduling Tool To Juggle Student’s Working Hours

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

Hotel Keycards

Leading supplier of wholesale keycards for hotels and guesthouses, Hotel Keycards works with accommodation providers large and small to deliver the best room access solution for you and your guests. We have a simple mission: to supply our customers with a superior quality product and service at a competitive price.

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

When you order your keycards online from Hotel Keycards, you receive a 100% guarantee on your order, plus free shipping to anywhere in Ireland or the United Kingdom. We offer this unique assurance to all of our customers because we have complete confidence in the quality of our product and the standard of our service.

We dedicate as much attention to our smallest

employees. Managing a team where some members are unavailable for certain shifts and not able to work for months at a time, was clearly making staff rota creation more time-consuming 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 orders as we do to our larger shipments, getting to work on your keycards within hours of finalising your requirements. Whether you need a standard card for your guests, or you’re maximising your promotional opportunities by branding your card with your hotel’s details, we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and fast turnaround.

It’s not just about keycards. Here are some other products we provide: Keycard Wallets. See how you can promote your business while giving guests a handy way to keep their keycards safe.

Locks. We stock a wide range of room locks, including digital electronic locks.

Safes. Our laptop safes offer your guests security and peace of mind when storing valuables.

Visit www.hotelkeycards.net

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

Hospitality Technology

Issue 83

CLH Digital

45

Supporting the Hospitality Sector with Instant Payment

By David Maisey, CEO of MultiPay Global Solutions (www.multipayglobalsolutions.com) The past 18 months has been one of the hardest trading periods in living memory.

Lockdowns, social distancing, and staff shortages have all combined to create a perfect storm of challenges for catering and hospitality businesses. In 2020 alone, nearly 10,000 licensed premises closed for good as the impact of the pandemic took its toll. While issues like staffing are set to continue for a while longer, help is at hand.

In October, for instance, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced as part of this Government’s 2021 Autumn Budget and Spending Review that the hospitality sector, along with the retail and entertainment industries, will be granted property and green investment relief. While these measures will be welcomed by many businesses, more can be done to help the hospitality sector rebuild with greater resilience.

Time to think about payments innovation One industry that can help with the rebuilding process is the payment sector. For a long time, payment innovation in the hospitality industry has – rightly – focused on improving the customer experience. We saw some great examples of this at the start of the pandemic with payments integrated into mobile apps that allow customers to order at their table. Now, however, with the immediate challenges dealt with, it is time payment innovation tackled systemic issues such as cash flow management and reducing operating costs. Helping solve these historic challenges will not only support hospitality businesses recovering from the pandemic but also greatly increase their resistance to any future disruption.

the usual waiting period for card payments to be processed is removed.

The good news doesn’t stop there either, as many existing Android payment terminals can already take instant payments. With just a quick software update they are ready to go. For the consumer, it’s just as easy. Instant payment can be done by a mobile app that reads a QR code generated by the merchant device. Once scanned this triggers the instant payment.

THE BENEFITS CHEAPER, MORE SECURE, AND QUICKER By removing and reducing interchange and acquiring fees that are charged by card providers, instant payments offer a huge reduction in the cost of accepting card and mobile payments. Consequently, each instant payment transaction is worth more to a business than the same payment made via a credit or debit card. This is capital that can then be used to fuel growth, hire more staff, or help with cash flow management without businesses needing to increase costs or cut back in other areas.

Security wise, instant payments also come with no added risks either. This is because security is already baked into mobile devices that allow payments through passcodes, facial recognition technology and biometrics. In addition, instant payments are governed by the same legislation as any other existing payment method, meaning they are just as safe.

SO, WHAT CAN THE PAYMENT INDUSTRY DO TO HELP? ENTER INSTANT PAYMENTS.

What’s more, instant payments aren’t a new untested technology either. It is already in use in many countries across Europe including Denmark, France, and Italy, to name just a few as well as seeing massive adoption for E-commerce transactions.

Simply put, instant payments are a way for consumers to pay businesses directly from bank account to bank account. In the process they bypass card providers and the fees they charge. As a result, instant payments offer the ability for UK businesses to save billions on card transactions and processing fees. As funds are available immediately in a company’s bank account, it also improves cash flow management as

To help the UK hospitality sector rebuild with added resilience then, the payment industry needs to come together and raise awareness of the business benefits of instant payments and accelerate deployments. With proven technology that can help solve challenges such as cash flow and reduce operating costs, instant payments are the innovation the hospitality sector needs.

Hop - The All-In-One Property Management System As experienced hoteliers, we have hands-on experience in the hospitality industry. We understand the daily challenges and the pain points. That's why we created Hop and continue to develop the intuitive tools you require to free yourself of the daily hassles, which allows you to get on with what you do best. You look after your guests, we’ll do the rest.

Our cloud-based and responsive all-inone Property Management System and range of contactless tools including a commission free booking engine and range of contactless tools empowers hoteliers to manage their properties, teams, and daily operations more efficiently and cost-effectively. Our experienced UK-based customer service and technical teams are here to support you 24/7 for total peace of mind.

Our sole mission is to support our clients by developing technology that frees management and staff from daily hassles. All we want is to make your life easier.

We strive to simplify your problems and believe our clients deserve an easier life.

We achieve this by delivering a straightforward and affordable all-in-one service that covers all the bases.

With a team full of knowledge and hospitality expertise, we are experienced, skilled and passionate about creating solutions at affordable prices. We are reliable and honest, when we say we'll deliver, we will.

We are proud to say that Hop now operates globally, is trusted by hoteliers around the world and that we are an integral part of our clients' day-to-day business.

Whether you are a B&B, guest house, an independent hotel or a group, if you sell rooms, Hop has a solution to run your property more cost-effectively whilst delivering an enriched guest experience.

Book a free and no-obligation demo at www.hopsoftware.com

Get 3 Months FREE^ Promo Code: natlaw21

Your Complete Food Labelling System For less than £1 per day* Easy Online Software Allergen Management Labels • Menus • QR Codes Clear Allergen Icons

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Ingredients

allergenchecker.co.uk

* Yearly subscription is £360 incl. VAT and is required to print labels and menus. ^After 3 months it is £36 inc VAT per month for 9 months subject to 12 month contract. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer ends 1st November 2021. Management reserve the right to end the offer at any time without prior notice. © Allergen Checker 2020 Limited. All rights reserved. Reg no: 12511552

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Hospitality Technology

Point of Sale Technology Designed for Hospitality 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.

Due to global pandemic, the demand for contactless product such as Kiosk for self-ordering & self-checkout 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.

SHC took over ECR business from Samsung in 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.

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 page 45 for details.

Toggle - The Hospitality Commerce Platform Toggle is the hospitality commerce platform. From gift cards to merchandise, merchandise to experiences, experiences to retail products. You can build a webshop in as little as 60 minutes and begin driving new revenue and welcoming new customers..

So how does it work? Glad you asked.

1. Build your store online. You can customise your store to match your brand.

2. Create a gift product. Figure out what you want to sell. Our togglers are already using Toggle to drive additional revenue through hundreds of different products. You could sell: merchandise, gift-cards, experiences, masterclasses, retail products and so much more.

3. Connect your payment platform. Toggle probably already integrates with your EPOS.. taking all the faff out of your hands, and allowing you to seamlessly sell and

redeem your online sales and physical gift cards. Easy.

4. Market your product. Now that everything is up and running, let your customers know about your products through your email lists and social channels.

5. Pre-vist revenue. It’s cash in the bank. Any revenue comes direct to you and potentially 20% will expire (you’d prefer them to visit though - see point 6)!

6. Redeem on visit. 70% of customers say they spend 55% more than the value on the card when they visit. A massive 60% of customers say they have been introduced to a new brand through a gift card. Double Win. With the first £1000 free, Toggle is a no-risk investment. We offer either a fixed fee or 5% model, meaning you can choose what is based for your business. Our hassle-free platform integrates with over 20+ technology partners, meaning the sale or redemption of physical and electronic gift cards has never been easier. Get in touch with us at luci.cunningham@usetoggle.com or sign-up at usetoggle.com See the advert on the back cover of this issue for further details.

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

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 all their customers 24x7x365 from UK served Office.

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

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Outdoor Spaces

Increase Your Usable Floorspace with Commercial Awnings

At Roché we offer award-winning retractable wall-mounted and freestanding awnings from leading German manufacturers Markilux and Weinor. Our team of experts have over 20 years’ experience in advising businesses on the right awning to suit a variety of outdoor spaces, and can help you maximise potential revenue by increasing usable floorspace.

Whether it’s accommodating smokers outdoors or covering a terrace bar, our commercial awnings can create a unique feature for your business and add instant curb appeal for those located on busy high streets. For an added wow-factor you can add signwriting to help reinforce your brand and drive people into your business who may have otherwise walked by without noticing.

All our products are made-to-measure and completely customisable to meet your exact requirements, with

powder coated frames in a range of RAL colours and hundreds of weather-resistant fabrics to choose from. Take advantage of accessories such as lights and infa-red heaters to create a desirable location for customers to relax and be comfortable while they enjoy evening meals or drinks.

Our teams of engineers and surveyors are based nationwide and use their experience to ensure each installation is completed to an extremely high standard.

During the initial stages of the project the surveyor will be available to discuss changes and address any questions you might have so that you receive the best experience possible.

Call us on 0800 060 8844 to arrange a free site survey or visit www.rocheawnings.com

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

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

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.

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

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

Beer Gardens, Roof Tops and much more

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.

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

Issue 83

CLH Digital

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Sun Shark System and Commercial Outdoor Bespoke Sails The SUNSHARK is a registered design shading and waterproof shade sail canopy structure, designed and manufactured here in the UK to fulfil a gap in the market.

Aimed at hotels and high network individual market, the SUNSHARK is a premium quality, fully demountable and modular based sail canopy system, allowing the installation to be installed and taken down as required, whilst still be complying with UK engineering loadings. Manufactured from marine grade “machined” stainless steel and PPC costed mild steel, the SUNSHARK is both elegant in design and robust in its construction. Designed with sunken ground level post sockets, posts can be installed and removed, leaving nothing but a stylish machine turned post gate

plate visible, flush with the ground.

The canopy itself is produced from marine grade fabrics and comes in a range of 10 standard colours, including, reds, orange, green, terracotta, white, greys and creams. Each sail has its own catenary cable system to ensure maximum tension and support is met throughout the canopies lifespan.

We also design bespoke outdoor shading solutions for all types of commercial entities from pubs, hotels, domestic gardens to Schools and more.

01249 848649 hello@shadesailblinds.com www.shadesailblinds.com

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

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

internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to

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

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

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

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

Commercial outdoor sails and canopies

Stylish and Contemporary shade sails & sail blinds ECO friendly & 100% Machine Washable

A functional and practical alternative to traditional blinds and other shading options, our stretched shade sails and shade sail blinds offer both style and substance.

Able to transform any area, our shade sails can be used inside to provide a contemporary shading and privacy solution to provide protection against the weather.

01249 848649 hello@shadesailblinds.com www.shadesailblinds.com

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CLH Digital

Issue 83

Design and Refit

For The Love Of Oil!

As we head into the autumn, with longer nights and cooler temperatures, the cosy draw of twinkling candle light becomes ever more important.

I believe that candles have always been a crucial element of the ambience of your bar or restaurant, and now it’s more essential than ever.

But you don’t want to be dragged down into the grimness of cleaning wax off everything, high costs and wasted time.

Oil candles will give you the perfect real flame candlelight that you want and need, without any of the headaches of regular wax candles, and none of the cheap look of a tea light.

Clearcraft’s 30 years of experience is on hand to help you choose the perfect oil candle and we will send you a FREE oil candle to try out.

Just visit www.clearcraft-catering.co.uk and click on the Request a Sample Tab. The only details you will need to give is your delivery details and your e-mail

address and there is no obligation to buy, whatsoever.

But we are certain you will love your free candle and want to make the change from the nightmare of wax, to the joy of oil!

Prices start from just £2.99 so you wont have to break the bank either!

Clearcraft Ltd Tel: 01279 731621 www.clearcraft-catering.co.uk sales@clearcraftltd.co.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

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

Design and Refit

Issue 83

CLH Digital

51

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

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 highlyacclaimed 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.

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

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

52

CLH Digital

Issue 83

Design and Refit

Maximise Your Socialising Space With Tall Bar Stools

As the festive season approaches and bars and pubs embrace party season, it’s important to provide as much space as possible for customers to eat, drink and be merry. When it comes to providing sociable spaces without taking up too much room, tall bar stools are the perfect solution.

The beauty of bar stools is that they work just as well at spacesaving poseur tables as they do at the bar itself. Trent Furniture have a great range of bar stools available for quick delivery in a wide choice of fabrics and wood finishes to complement your existing interior scheme perfectly.

Trent’s Tall Washington Bar

Stool combines sturdy durability with rustic charm and is equally at home in a modern bar as it is in a pub. Comfort is catered for too, with a supportive slatted back and the option of an upholstered seat. Alternatively, the Tall Boston Bar Stool is another popular choice for hardwearing classic style that will serve you and your customers well for years to come.

To find out more about these and the other fantastic bar stools available from Trent Furniture, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 2864 911.

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

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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

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Combating Corrosive Costs For hoteliers and restaurant owners the assured availability of hot water is a business critical issue, but one that can quickly become costly for those operating in popular tourist destinations in the southwest, the Welsh coast, the northwest and throughout Scotland. These are all naturally soft water areas which prove highly corrosive to glass-lined vessels typically used in hot water systems. Though less expensive, the shorter life expectancy, with vessels sometimes succumbing in a matter of just months - even with the use of sacrificial anodes - can mean their purchase is a false economy.

Particularly as some manufacturers have reduced, or ceased to offer, warranties on glass-lined products installed in these regions.

Far more resistant to these water-side assaults are stainless steel vessels. For buildings with smaller hot water demands, such as boutique hotels and B&Bs, the capital cost can seem prohibitive

The UK is now out of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions which means that you can use our karaoke systems to replicate the feeling of a special event or occasion. Although restrictions have been lifted, it's important we all work together to stay safe and help make sure our hospitality industry doesn't face closure again.

A PRIVATE KARAOKE ROOM IS A SAFE AND PROFITABLE ENTERTAINMENT OPTION FOR YOUR PUB

Karaoke booths can be easily converted from any room at your venue with minimal investment and effort. If you already have a private function room, all you need is Singa Business, a

Adveco’s ATSx range of compact stainless steel, high pressure hot water tanks are specifically designed to serve as buffer vessels and indirect hot water calorifiers suitable for use with lower capacity, high pressure commercial applications in soft water areas. With a wide choice of vessels from 200 to 1000 litres all rated to 10 bar as standard, they are by far the most efficient and costeffective choice for businesses with smaller system demands, ensuring strong hot water supply for years to come. www.adveco.co

Singa Karaoke System

Karaoke rooms are a COVID friendly option for entertainment for your customers. With karaoke rooms you can control the number of people in one space and have the opportunity to cleanse equipment between bookings.

despite the extended lifespan. The taller the structure, the greater the pressure requirements on the system, for example to deliver strong, hot showers on upper floors. This means the hot water systems typically requires a larger or bespoke tank. This is where higher costs and space limitations prove problematic.

screen, mics and speakers and you're all set.

Venues such as Amber Taverns, Hogarth's Stafford, have created their very own Bubble-oke concept whereby, social bubbles can hire out the karaoke room for private entertainment. An increase in session times from one hour, to up to three hours, has given their customers the feeling of a real occasion and at the same time has trebled the hourly income of the karaoke room in comparison to pre-lockdown figures.

Remember to take good care of hygiene by using protective mic covers and cleaning the mics after use.

And of course sanitise the room between every group.

Mobile song requests and display ads makes Singa a great option for safe entertainment Karaoke song requests can be safely sent direct from the consumer mobile app that any customer can download to their own phone. No need for printed songbooks and no risk of transmitting the virus. Win-win.

Visit www.avt.technology

A NEW ERA OF SINGING

A private karaoke room is a safe and profitable entertainment option for your pub

www.avt.technology help@avt.technology 01535 280372

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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 manufacturers worldwide, and

EAIS - The Ideal Solution

EAIS are your one stop solution for all of your storage and handling needs. Our vastly experienced and award winning team are on hand to support our distributors and to help them overcome any challenge that they may face.

We offer 16 different types of racking to choose from including chrome, nylon, stainless steel solid, perforated & wire as well as lift-out systems. All of these are available in wide range of sizes which will help to maximise every area of a busy commercial kitchen. Follow this up with a huge range of trolleys and transportation system

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.

East Anglian Installati

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.

EAIS is a leading Manufa

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

only meet the customer’s food sto rage shelving, rra storage a even bespo ke design p bespoke pro ro

See the advert on page 49 for details. you will find all that’s needed to support all types of commercial catering applications. We are proud of our ability to hold vast stocks of racking and trolleys, allowing us to accommodate urgent next day delivery requests if required.

In addition to standard products one of our strengths is our flexibility. Our onsite in-house manufacturing facility allows us to offer bespoke items to our customers. Therefore if our standard product doesn’t quite tick your box our engineers and designers will work closely with a client to ensure the correct bespoke solution is offered.

As well as supply only we can also offer an efficient and economical installation service with our highly experienced and qualified teams of fitters.

For more information please visit our website – www.eais.co

Greater Lighting Choice Looms Large with New LED Downlight from Knightsbridge

East Anglian Installation Syst

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 LED lighting applications and installations are set to be popular white and matt black to chrome, polished transformed with the launch of an innovative, brand new chrome and brass. downlight from Knightsbridge - one of the UK’s leading These permutations of wattage, colour temperature brands of wiring devices, accessories and lighting. and bezel choice make SpektroLED a genuine 40-in-1 solution.

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.

East Anglian Installati 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 trailingedge 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.

Installation is both quick and simple. Each unit, which has a low-profile design, features cleverly engineered Visit www.mlaccessories.co.uk first and second fix power connectors with loop in/loop out terminals that can be terminated and hidden away *check the product datasheet and instructions for further while other works are finished. Then the downlight can details

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

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

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

Solution. even bespoke products.

East Anglian Installation Systems Ltd

EAIS Ltd @EAISUK

East Anglian Installation Systems Ltd

e.a.i.s_uk

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

Premier1 Filtration

Filtration is a topic that is now more important to Fryers than it has ever been in the past. Filtration is traditionally, a process designed to remove particulates. For Frying oil, the target is longer oil life and healthier product, thus cost savings and a happier customer.

Similarly, our customers care deeply about the safety of their staff, the quality of their food, the health of their customers, the sustainability of their activities, and, of course, the profitability of their business.

And so do we.

Established in 2008, Premier 1

Design and Refit Filtration has become renowned for the Quality and Durability of our oil filtration systems, both portable units and in-built systems.

Our exclusive Merlin brand filtration systems are independently tested and verified to double the life of your cooking oil. The dual filtration system filters out food and carbon contaminants which are created during the frying process. These contaminants will directly influence the degradation of your cooking oil unless removed. Daily filtration using our filter stems and media can remove contaminants as small as Like you, we take great pride in the quality of our product.

Like you, we care about our customers.

Call us: 01325 377189

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/

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Our Best Selling 50 Litre Dual Filter Machine . Change to designed Designed specifically… specifically for the medium sized fryers in the general restaurant / catering industry

CardsSafe Partner with Bacchus Wines (PLDC) 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.

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50 Litre Tank Solid Oil Heater 2 Way Hot Oil Pump Dual Filter Media System Heavy Duty Motor Portable / Castors Typical Servicing Intervals 4 Years Dimensions: Size: 77.5cm (H) x 43.5cm (W) x 67.5cm (L) Weight: 50kg (Empty)

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising Optimum by Concept Bars is the new modular, ‘off the shelf’, stainless steel under bar system that is built to last, available in a short lead-time and cost-effective for even the most limiting client budget. The range is designed to improve staff productivity leading to speedier service, increased customer satisfaction and ultimately increased sales.

The high quality, modular system to create your ideal bar

Each unit has been ergonomically designed and fabricated to complete a particular task and can be configurated in a number of different arrangements to suit your needs. Constructed from food safe, 304 grade box section, satin finish stainless steel, it not only looks stylish but requires minimal maintenance.

Unlike many other suppliers in the market, the Optimum range features fully enclosed units complete with back and side panels, removable shelving, fully insulated ice chests; (in both foam & foil insulation) in varying capacities for maximum ice storage with a contemporary chamfered nosing and upstand detail. All units are designed and manufactured in the UK and are available to purchase from AutoQuotes or from Concept Bars direct. The units are easily assembled with no add-on parts however, if required, an installation service is available.

Concept Bars has also recently joined the Cedabond family of suppliers. With a history of over 30 years in the hospitality industry and a reputation for quality, expertise, and competitiveness in the discipline, Concept has evolved to be acknowledged as one of the leading bar specialists and innovators. We are continually trying to come up with new ideas and are proud to offer this new product range which we believe will surpass your clients’ expectations in terms of budget and quality. Please contact us today!

info@optimumbars.co.uk www.optimumbars.co.uk

01484 852 666

www.conceptbars.com info@conceptbars.com

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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. 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.

Get an Authentic New York Slice from Bakers Pride and Taylor UK 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.

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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 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.

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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.

We combine our highly professional services with broad technical understanding of Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ). Using this knowledge, we 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.

Our holistic approach to kitchen ventilation, considering exhaust and supply air systems, as well as lighting and acoustics, is backed up with the best product support. We offer a total package and a highly flexible approach to tailor solutions exactly as required. This helps foodservice operators provide the highest quality

service and improve their profitability.

One of our most recent projects was Eataly, the world’s largest Italian food market where 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%.

We take pride in continually advancing and improving our offering. Our investment in research and development of commercial kitchen systems is second to none with facilities on three continents, equipped with stateof-art tools. Based in Kent, Halton Foodservice forms part of the worldwide Halton Group – a leader in Indoor Environment Quality solutions, 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

The World’s First, and Only, Contactless Pool Dining Table Revolutionise your venue with the World’s first, and only, contactless pool dining table. Forget the days of customers queuing for change to play. Don’t sacrifice table covers for a pool table space. Now, with the flexibility of the Signature Vantage Pool Dining Table, your venue can be more efficient, increase dwell time and boost revenue.

solid oak with a single-piece dining table top and upholstered benches included. The revolutionary technology within the Signature Vantage includes an automatic security system, rechargeable battery to remove unsightly cables, online portal recording to monitor table revenue, and takings paid directly to your bank account.

Our patented ground-breaking design removes the chunky undercarriage of the pool table allowing for dining benches underneath, whilst still including payand-play contactless technology. The genius engineering behind the Signature Vantage gives versatility for table use during busy food trading hours and enables revenue to continue rolling in when dining times are over.

At Home Leisure Direct, we have pioneered contactless payment for competitive socialising products, with a unique and efficient system designed for the hospitality market. We're the top supplier in the field, providing renting and purchase options on our products as well as full-service back-up, floor planning service, and stocking all consumables necessary to keep products performing well. We are the only onestop shop in the market, providing finance and service solutions for a huge range of highly profitable products.

Use your space to its maximum potential, without any compromise on quality. The tournament spec Signature Vantage is hugely different from the classic pub pool table look. The sleek shape of the table gives clean lines and contemporary elegance to any bar, pub, or restaurant, made from

You can call us free on 0800 622 6464 and speak to our expert team with any questions you might have.

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Property and Professional Help Is At Hand For Businesses Devastated By The Covid–19 Virus 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.

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.

Email mvhwiddows@aol.com

Weekly Figures Analysis & Reporting 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

Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions 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

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. 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.

Visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk