CLH Digital - Issue #95

Issue 95

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Cut VAT to Save £4.6bn and ‘Level Up’, Industry Bodies Urge Government

Industry bodies within the hospitality and licensed on trade sector are once again calling for a cut in hospitality VAT as part of the government’s recently announced “levelling up “proposal. Earlier this week the government released a white paper promising a range of proposals from raising pay to bringing up transport standards and promoting local pride.

The White Paper promises:

• • • • •

Investing in towns, cities, and rural and coastal areas through use of local growth deals Giving those areas more control of how investment is made Levelling up skills using apprenticeships and a £3 billion National Skills Fund Helping the farming and fishing industries Creating up to 10 freeports to help deprived communities

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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CLH Digital

Issue 95

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL Once again another call on the government/Chancellor to keep VAT at the reduced level of 12.5%.

were subjected to all types of restrictions, along with naysayers with constant tales of doom and gloom taking away any confidence and motivation to go out.

PUBLISHED BY

Regular readers will know that the sector has been repeatedly been calling for the reduced level to become permanent.

In simple terms the government owes the sector. It is the government’s fault, not operators, and for that reason alone it should do the right thing and give the sector special dispensation and extend the VAT cut.

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

What I would like to see is a permanent cut, which is probably unlikely, but it should at least be given a chance until December 2023, after which it can be judged on its merits or failures.

01202 552333

To kickstart the economy the Chancellor reduced VAT to 5% in July 2020, subsequently extending that reduction until March 31th 2021, when it was raised to 12.5%. This level is due to end on March 31st this year, going back to the standard rate of 20% on April 1st.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

It must be abundantly clear that another kickstart is needed. A survey by British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) on page 15 makes for stark reading.

An in-depth survey of members reveals that over 1 in 3 respondents to the survey currently have no cash reserves in their business. Of those that have some cash reserves left, 1 in 2 only have up to 2 months left before the coffers are empty, with some pubs facing ongoing repayments for pandemic specific debt. Even following months’ worth of repayments already made, 55% of respondents still have debts of over £40k per pub to repay going forward.

Hospitality generally, and pubs particularly, are vital to communities and the country’s wider well-being. And it is not just me saying that (although I repeatedly do)! Research conducted by Oxford University and commissioned by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) before the pandemic revealed that people with a good pub close to where they live are significantly happier and have more friends. And they are more likely to drink in moderation than to excess.

Pubs are vital to rural communities where residents and visitors alike may have nowhere else to eat, drink and socialise, but they are equally important aspects of city life. As frequent visitors to London for trade shows and seminars, there has always been limitless options across the city. Neighbourhood pubs are still crucial and fundamental to the social fabric of communities and their continued prosperity.

Had those businesses facing difficulty been soldiers of their own misfortune it would be easier to accept. And there are some cases where businesses are simply in the wrong hands of unsuitable or inexperienced operators. So much so, in fact, I recall a “pub troubleshooter” who hired himself out to help get distressed businesses back on track said to me at a tradeshow: “I have gone into some pubs and restaurants and simply said to the owners to sell up while you still have the shirt on your back!”

But in this case, a vast number of distressed businesses are distressed because they were forced to close their doors for a ridiculously long period of time. After which they

TELEPHONE: FAX: 01202 552666 sales@catererlicensee.com

The government also owes the sector for other reasons. Social mobility springs to mind for me. I hail from a very “working class background” in the north-west, and when I came here to Bournemouth to study the opportunity, not only for career development but also personal enhancement, is something I am extremely grateful for.

www.CLHNews.co.uk @CLHNews CLHNews

EDITOR

Hospitality and on trade is fantastic for all backgrounds to get a foot on the ladder as far as employment is concerned. But also, as stated above, career and personal development.

Peter Adams

Greene King, for instance, (as reported on page 13) have just announced 450 apprenticeships across the country. This is along with Springboard’s efforts to help young people find work within the sector. This saw Pedram Keshavarz, aged 24, and Precious Brann-Nicol, aged 18, both struggling to find jobs in London. However, after applying and taking part in the Diageo learning for Life Hospitality Sprint programme, delivered by Springboard in November 2021, they have now secured jobs in the hospitality industry.

(See page 26.)

David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

Again I would urge the Chancellor to give the sector a badly needed break for those looking for work and opportunity, and the wider country generally, who are looking to let off steam after the most difficult two years in living memory. There is no better sector to do that than hospitality!

Shelly Roche

SALES EXECUTIVES

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Published Publishedbyby

We are at the Source Trade Show in Exeter next week, (9th and 10th) so if you’re in the area please do pay us a visit - we always welcome feedback!

Once again I would ask the favour - we are trying to maximise our advertisers reach as much as possible, without them would not be possible to run CLH NEWS, so please do follow us on Twitter, and encourage as many people you know in the trade to subscribe

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Cut VAT to Save £4.6bn and ‘Level Up’, Industry Bodies Urge Government Issue 95

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) Levelling up should, sector bodies have said, involve the hospitality and on trade , and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), UKHospitality, the Tourism Alliance and the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions have today published a study which highlights the massive benefits which will accrue to the Government over a decade if the current reduced level of VAT is retained.

The report, commissioned jointly by the four bodies, found that a permanent rate of 12.5% VAT will bring VAT on hospitality and attractions in line with the European average (at 20% it is nearly double), and set off a virtuous cycle of industry investment and growth, helping ‘level up’ UK regions.

Headline results from the analysis of the impact of retaining VAT at 12.5%, rather than returning to 20%, for hospitality and tourism include: • • • •

Creating 286,850 jobs over 10 years Generating £7.7bn of additional turnover over 10 years Delivering £4.6 billion in net present value of fiscal gains to the HM Treasury over 10 years Returning a positive gain on the Government’s investment in less than 5 years.

The industry bodies say the report constitutes a compelling case for making the reduced rate permanent and demonstrates the benefits such a long-term investment in UK PLC can bring.

INCREASED LEVELS OF DEBT This permanent cut in VAT is being asked for at a time when the hospitality and tourism sector is currently experiencing increased levels of debt and are facing increased costs across the board from energy through to raw materials, as well as supply chain difficulties and rising inflation.

A spokesperson for the coalition of industry bodies said: “We must now reignite our industry with a longterm approach and vision to our sector recovery.

“The report we publish today sets out the undeniable case for making permanent the 12.5% rate of VAT. The tourism and hospitality sectors can truly act as an engine for the UK’s recovery as we look beyond the pandemic.

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Chief executive, Emma McClarkin, said: “The potential in our sector to act as an engine for growth and reignite local economies across the country is enormous.

“The scale of investment that can be unlocked if the government acts to ease the burden of taxation — making permanent the reduced rate of VAT, creating a fairer system for business rates, and reducing the rate of tax on beer — is huge.

“With the right backing, and our involvement in the next phase of this policy, we can help the government drive their levelling up agenda boosting local economies and deepening critical social value to our communities.”

FESTIVE SALES FALL The renewed calls follow a devastating festive period with trivial that pubs bars and restaurants recorded a 3 billion decline in revenue during December 2021 compared with the same period in 2019.

Trading on Christmas Day alone was down a staggering percent compared to 2019 with sales on New Year’s Eve, traditionally the most lucrative day for the hospitality and on trade calendar saw sales fall 27%.

MAKING TOURISM COMPETITIVE Campaign group Cut Tourism has repeatedly highlighted disparities between levels of VAT here in the UK and our European counterparts and has campaigned in 2010 for the rate of VAT on hospitality and tourism to be competitive with other destinations in Europe.

Until July 2020, the UK was one of only two countries in the whole of Europe not to take advantage of a reduced rate of VAT for visitor accommodation, and most countries reduce VAT also for visitor attractions and meals out. British families or international visitors choosing a British holiday were paying almost three times as much VAT compared to a French or German break, and twice as much as one in Italy and Spain.

12.5% RATE ENDS MARCH 31

ENGINE FOR GROWTH

In November 2021 CLH News wrote to the Chancellor setting out the case for at least an extension of the reduced 12.5% rate until December 2023, citing the success it has had in all European countries where it has been implemented, being the Dutch in a fair chance be judged here in the UK, at the same time helping the beleaguered hospitality and licensed on trade, and also making it cheaper for the British public who have enjoyed such a torrid past 2 years to eat out and visit their local pub.

Earlier this week when the government announced its proposals the BBPA said that there needs to be a commitment to back the sectors, which are “present in every corner of the country, every parliamentary constituency, and at the heart of every community”.

The Treasury did reply that all taxes are kept under review but there are no plans to extend VAT citing that: “it is appropriate and are lifted and demand for goods and services in the sector increase temporary tax reliefs are first reduced and then removed in order to rebuild and strengthen public finances”

“As we approach the point in April where the reduced rate comes to an end, we are united in calling on the Government to change course and cancel the planned increase. The economic and societal benefits of making this change would be enormous.”

Chair Of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, Adrian Ellis Is Optimistic About The Year Ahead For The Hospitality Industry 4

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trading.

“Whilst we are experiencing a fairly slow start to January and February 2022, this is normal due to the busy Christmas period. We expect March onwards to be considerably stronger and back to the levels we saw in November following the relaxation of restrictions in Summer with high levels of demand already coming through for the year ahead.

“For the coming weeks, bookings are relatively low, but from March onwards there is a stronger level of demand coming through in bookings across hotels in the city.”

Adrian, who has been in the post for over six years also hailed the return of business travel saying: “We have seen the return of business travel with enquiries for events and corporate accounts increasing over the last few months, but still not on the level of 2019.

Adrian Ellis, Chair of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has said he is encouraged by early signs of recovery for hospitality businesses across the city following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adrian, who is also General Manager of The Lowry Hotel said: “The general consensus around business bouncing back for the hospitality industry in 2022 is positive and we hope and expect it to be considerably better than it was in 2020/2021, with no interruptions in terms of

“With the Omnicrom variant still present there is still a level of anxiety around travelling especially with the current work from home message which is still in place from the UK government however we are expecting this to be removed by March and believe confidence will return around Spring time with a surge in bookings expected.”

Manchester is also set to see a raft of hotel openings during the course of 2022 with some large hotel chains arriving in the city including two new Dalata Group Hotels, and Hotel Leonardo.

“This shows good indications from investors that tourism will have a long-term future in Manchester. We are looking forward to welcoming new colleagues to the city, and wish them luck in their ventures.

Manchester is one of the most thriving cities in the UK and we are glad that outside investors see the potential here.”

With a number of events scheduled for 2022 and 2023 which have been rearranged due to COVID Adrian expects ‘demand to be incredibly high between March-October ahead of a busy Christmas period’.

He added: “We are expecting thousands of people to be in the city over the next few months with the Veterinary Conference in March as well as the UEFA Women’s Euro’s in June and a number of concerts scheduled at the city’s music venues. We expect hospitality to reap the rewards of this in what has been a hugely challenging two years.”

The MHA has a 50-strong membership made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

They have spearheaded a number of campaigns since launch working with a number of charities including the NHS frontline staff and vulnerable members of the community. Their annual ball is scheduled to take place in Springtime with £30,000 expected to be raised for local charities.

Ten Finalists Announced for Wales’ Top Culinary Competitions Ten chefs will cook off in the finals of Wales’ two premier culinary competitions later this month, with fantastic prizes awaiting the winners.

will also receive a set of knives from Friedr Dick and £250 worth of Churchill products.

The prestigious National and Junior Chef of the Wales contests, organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), will bring together talented Welsh chefs from across Wales and England in the quest of the two coveted dragon winners’ trophies.

The junior chefs will be given three hours to prepare and cook a three course meal for four people, including mostly Welsh ingredients, a seafood starter or fish appetiser will be followed by a main course featuring one prime cut and one secondary cut of Welsh Beef and a seasonal dessert including chocolate and one hot element.

The finals will be held at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC), hosted by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea from February 22-24.

Former Junior Chef of Wales winner Andrew Tabberner, chef owner of Gaerwen Arms, Gaerwen, Anglesey, will be looking to complete the double in the National Chef of the Wales final, which will be split over two days, February 22 and 23.

Tabberner joins Matthew Smith, sous chef at Chartists 1770 at The Trewythen Hotel, Llanidloes and Wayne Barnard, sous chef at Manor Parc Country Hotel and Restaurant, Thornhill, Cardiff, in the line-up as previous finalists.

They will be competing against Thomas Herbert, chef de partie at Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Chippenham and Robert Cave, senior sous chef at Rookery Hall, Worleston, Nantwich.

The five chefs will be given five hours to prepare and cook their own four course menu for 12 people, featuring mostly Welsh ingredients. A vegan starter will be followed by a fish dish, a main course using two different cuts of Welsh Lamb and a dessert featuring seasonal fruits, ice cream, chocolate and biscuit or tuille.

For the first time at the WICC, invited guests and sponsors will have a chance to taste the finalists’ dishes.

At stake in the final is £1,000 for the winner, £500 for the runner-up and £300 for third place. The winner

Apart from claiming the coveted Junior Chef of Wales title, the winner will have a chance of a lifetime to attend the Worldchefs Congress 2022 in Abu Dhabi from May 30 to June 2 with Culinary Association of Wales delegates.

The winner will also qualify for the semi-finals of the Young National Chef of the Year contest, organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs and receive support from the Junior Culinary Team Wales, a set of knives from Friedr Dick and £100 of products from Churchill.

Winners of both competitions will be announced at a the WICC Presentation Dinner to be held at the Imperial Hotel, Llandudno on the evening of February 24.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, CAW president, said: “We are delighted with the number and calibre of entries for both showpiece competitions and look forward to the chefs showcasing their skills in the finals.

“We are especially pleased to have two female chefs in the Junior Chef of Wales final, reflecting the gender balance in the industry.

“Following the immense challenges faced by the hospitality industry over the past two years, it will be great to welcome chefs back to the Welsh International Culinary Championships.”

Registration Now Open For Europe’s Leading Natural And Organic Business Event Natural & Organic Products Europe has announced that visitor registration is now open for 2022. After a two year wait, Europe’s leading trade show for natural, organic and sustainable products will reunite the industry once again on 3-4 April at ExCeL London.

For over 25 years, Natural & Organic Products has played an integral part in making the natural and organic sector what is it today. Due to unprecedented times, the show has had to close its doors to many visiting buyers, who say it’s “the place” they source new contacts for their businesses. The return edition is perfectly timed because it will feature new and exciting ‘start-ups’ – some that have emerged through the pandemic, plus new innovations from established brands who have been adapting and evolving. The show will also provide expert insights about current challenges and future opportunities for the industry.

The show brings together 700 exhibitors across five exciting sections: • Natural Food • Natural Health • Natural Beauty & Spa

• Natural Living • Vegan “If you own a health store or work in the industry, this is the essential show to attend. It is the only place that you can meet your suppliers, other retailers and trade associations and find out about new products and trends in one place over two days. It can be hard taking time out of your business, but you will save time in the long run by dedicating time to the show. You will have fun, try lots of new foods and end up exhausted but it is all very much worth it,” says Joanne Hill, founder of Amaranth Wellbeing.

VISITOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Natural & Organic Products Europe will return to ExCeL London on Sunday 3rd and Monday the 4th of April 2022. To register for a free trade ticket, please visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk

Over 6,100 Pubs & Bars in Major Financial Distress During December trade.

“Search engine data shows a 900% increase in Google searches of the phrase ‘Dry January’ since the beginning of December, peaking on Boxing Day and continuing into the New Year. But, despite the good intentions of Dry January, it is not in support of the many bars and pubs struggling to stay afloat.

Research from Real Business Rescue reveals that 6,106 bars and pubs were experiencing significant financial distress in December.

The report also revealed that bars and pubs in significant distress are up 23% since before the pandemic (Q4 2021 vs Q4 2019), with too well I going one in six (16%) pubs and bars in significant distress is in the South East of England.

Shaun Barton, National Online Business Operations Director at Real Business Rescue, comments on why it’s vital to continue to support the hospitality sector: “Bars and pubs have missed out on one of their most profitable months of the year as December saw a rise in COVID-19 cases, leading to cancelled Christmas parties and other social events put on ice.

“Following this, our research shows that the hospitality sector has hit its worst months yet since before the pandemic, with more than 6,100 bars and pubs in significant financial distress. This is an increase of 23% from the same period before the pandemic began, where we saw 1,131 fewer pubs and bars in distress.

“With the rise of ‘Dry January’ in recent years in tandem with traditional New Year’s resolutions of committing to a healthier lifestyle, it’s likely to rub salt in the wounds for many hospitality businesses that are still reeling from their decimated Christmas

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“With unanswered calls for further government support and many jobs at risk, businesses within the hospitality sector urgently need the nation to support them where possible, as they continue to suffer from the impacts of COVID-19.”

Last Friday (27th) Trade bodies and Europe’s largest consumer group, representing UK brewers, publicans, and beer lovers, penned an open letter to the Chancellor, the ‘One Voice for Beer’ group making clear their broad support for the Government’s Alcohol Duty Review, including key proposals that incentivise consumption of lower-strength products and, for the first time, recognise the important role of pubs within the duty regime.

They did however urge further action following an “incredibly tough” pandemic.

The intervention follows a fraught festive period, with trading down 30% on average across England during the second half of December, compared with 2019, according to data from CGA. Tom Stainer, Chief Executive, Campaign for Real Ale, said: “After two years of COVID house arrest, we need to get people off the sofa and back into the great pubs, clubs and brewery bars across the country.

“Making it affordable to go and enjoy local, independent beers in the safe, social setting of your local pub will bring a myriad of benefits, not just to drinkers, but the local and national economies.”

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New Calorie Labelling Legislation: Will It Increase the Challenges for Hospitality?

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Issue 95

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) The UK’s hospitality sector has seen a lot of turbulence since the beginning of the pandemic. Closure or reduced capacity, supply chain, Brexit, HGV driver shortages and higher raw material, wages and utility bills have severely hurt the hospitality sector.

Things started improving after the restrictions were eased completely, but there is something in the offing that could again increase the hardship of the sector. A new law – Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) is all set to come into force in the month of April.

WHAT IS NEW CALORIE LABELLING LEGISLATION? As per the new law, the calories information needs to be mandatorily displayed in menus, online menus, display labels and menu boards for all the businesses employing 250 or more people.

The out for home sector consists of businesses such as takeaways,

restaurants and cafes, where food and drink are prepared for immediate consumption, on or off the premises. Unlike the retail sector which was required to mention nutritional information with calories content on food items, it sold non-prepacked food to out for home sector and was not required to display nutritional information.

But, under the new legislation out of home sector businesses need to list all the calories counts on non-pre-packed food and drinks to help consumers make healthier decisions, be informed and encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide healthier options to customers.

The UK trade body, UKHospitality is ensuring the sector is prepared for the new regulation and has launched guidance for new calorie labelling legislation, which will be available to anyone in the sector, not just UKHospitality members.

WHAT COULD BE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SECTOR? The government has said that it will review the implementation of the regulation within five years of it coming into force and may extend it to smaller businesses later.

Noncompliance can initially result in improvement notice. If still, the business does not act, then a formal notice will be issued. The enforcement authority may impose a civil sanction under the Regulatory and Sanctions Act 2008 (RESA) of a fixed monetary penalty (FMP) of £2,500 as an alternative to criminal prosecution.

PROS AND CONS OF NEW CALORIES LABELLING No regulation is fit for all or can suit every business, the new calories labelling regulation has its own pros and cons. It may give the customer a better impression of how healthy a product may be and the composition of food for better planning of diet. Also, it can play an important role in government’s healthy weight strategy and will contribute towards achieving countries aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030.

On the other hand, the regulation will increase the costs that may affect the sector’s recovery. Also, it can mislead people and may influence their decisions as the food item may be good in one certain aspect but may be harmful in others.

WHAT DOES THE SECTOR EXPECT? The implementation of the new regulation is coming at a time when the sector is fully distressed. The recovery of the sector is still low with regularly emerging new variants of viruses. Moreover, the sector is going to have a financial hit with an increase in Value-Added-Tax (VAT), from 12.5% to 20%. Additionally, there is an expected increase in debt, business rates and labour costs in April, which will further increase challenges for the UK’s hospitality sector.

Calorie labelling indeed has some crucial advantages, but the timing of the imposition of the new regulation is not apt when the industry is trying to gain some ground from the ravages of the pandemic, and it could be delayed so that the industry is fully prepared to tackle it effectively.

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UKHospitality Urges Government to Enhance Duty Reforms to Boost Sector’s Recovery Issue 95

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In response to the alcohol duty review, the industry body is calling for levels of relief to rise to at least 20%, for it to apply it to more products, and for it to be introduced earlier.

Other asks include the Government looking at a reduced rate of duty for other products and package types sold through hospitality businesses, and for the administrative burden of complying with the excise duty to be further streamlined.

UKHospitality has heralded the reforms to the alcohol duty system that were announced in the last budget, which include a reduced rate of duty on draught drinks. To help support the beleaguered industry further, however, the trade body has stated a case for the reforms to be expanded.

UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “We very much welcome the alcohol duty review.

Streamlining the system is a positive measure, underpinned by rational thinking and we particularly applaud the introduction of a reduced rate of duty for draught beer and cider, products sold almost exclusively through hospitality venues.

In its response to a Government consultation, UKHospitality is urging the Government to go further and faster in its reforms, particularly when it comes to draught beer and cider. Currently the discount will only apply to apply to products in 40-litre plus containers and the body is asking that it be expanded so containers of 20-litres plus are brought into scope. The response also sets out the case for the relief’s application to be brought forward to this autumn and be set higher than 20%.

“In the face of the cost-of-living crisis, it will be important for operators to keep the price of drinks for consumers as low as possible, particularly as operational costs continue to soar and, come this April, the industry will be hit with a triple whammy of increased VAT, business rates, and labour costs. This will inevitably result in price rises across the sector and prove particularly damaging to pubs, restaurants and hotels that rely heavily on drinks sales.

“As well as this alcohol duty reform to help support the sector, we are also urging the Government to keep the current lower rate of 12.5% VAT for the sector permanently for food, non-alcoholic drinks, entry fees and accommodation.”

It is asking both members and non-members to share their experiences and feedback on interactions with the Campaign, such as at beer festivals and its communications. It is hoped that the consultation will help to identify where the organisation is doing well and where there are gaps, weaknesses or improvements that need to be made.

CAMRA Vice-Chairman Abigail Newton says: “We want everyone to feel welcome and safe within CAMRA. We need to review the effectiveness of our approach and policies regularly, in order to evaluate how we are doing and make improvements where needed.

“I’m incredibly proud to be involved in this review and want to

encourage anyone – whether they are a CAMRA member or not – who has had an interaction with the Campaign to please share their views and experiences. It is only by having a say that real change can be made.”

The survey aims to collect feedback on how CAMRA: • runs its beer festivals • recruits members and volunteers • organises and runs meetings and events at branch, regional and national level • communicates to the public, its members, and across its websites, social media, publications, and press activity • runs its complaints and disciplinary processes To take part in the consultation please visit this link. https://tinyurl.com/26zmt482 It will be running until Monday 14 February and responses are anonymous.

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What to Consider When Facing Insolvency 8

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Issue 95

By John Bell, Director of licensed Insolvency Practitioners Clarke Bell, which he founded in 1994. (www.clarkebell.com) There are two paths open to an insolvent company going into liquidation, compulsory liquidation and Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

COMPULSORY LIQUIDATION One form of insolvent liquidation is compulsory liquidation. This is when a company is forced to close by its creditors who are unable to recover the debts they are owed.

In this case, the creditors can issue a statutory payment demand notice, giving a company 21 days to pay back the amount.

Alternatively, creditors can go directly to the courts to issue a windingup petition by using a pre-winding up demand letter (as opposed to a formal statutory demand) to evidence inability to pay, and then proceed with the petition if the debt is not disputed.

WHAT IS A WINDING-UP PETITION? A winding-up petition asks for a company to be closed, meaning its assets will be sold to raise the funds to cover debts.

Once the winding-up petition has been issued, the company’s bank account may be frozen. Any other creditors will also have the opportunity to join in on the winding-up petition.

A lot of companies will have been supported by the government schemes, such as furlough and Bounce Back Loans, but with those withdrawn some companies are struggling.

It then usually takes about one month after the winding-up petition has been issued for the court to decide whether the company should be wound up.

Many businesses are now experiencing cashflow and debt problems to the extent that they are now insolvent – and unable to pay staff wages and other bills. For an owner of a company in that situation, they should now review their options…and doing nothing should not be the option to take.

If it is decided that your company will be forced to close, it will enter into liquidation, meaning its assets will be sold in order to pay back creditors. The court will appoint a licensed Insolvency Practitioner to liquidate the company.

Following a liquidation, an Insolvency Practitioner will conduct an investigation into the company to decide whether directors were guilty of wrongful or fraudulent trading.

WHAT OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE?

LIQUIDATING AN INSOLVENT COMPANY A company is insolvent if it is no longer sustainable and can’t cover its daily costs, bills or debts.

There are two tests to determine whether a company in insolvent: • The balance sheet test: this measures whether a company’s liabilities are greater than its assets. If this is the case, the company can be classified as insolvent.

• The cash-flow test: this looks at whether a company can pay its bills and debts when they are owed. Again, if your company cannot, it can be deemed insolvent.

WHAT IS LIQUIDATION? Liquidating a company refers to the process under which a company is closed. This is a procedure that must be carried out by a licensed Insolvency Practitioner.

By opting for Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation, a business can avoid being forced into compulsory liquidation.

As it is a voluntary process, directors who want to put their company into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation are free to choose which Insolvency Practitioner they appoint.

With this option, the director can close the company and always has the option to open another business in the future if they wish. What’s more, their personal finances won’t be impacted.

In a CVL, the Insolvency Practitioner will still conduct an investigation into the company to ensure that the directors were not guilty of wrongful or fraudulent trading.

Company Voluntary Agreement

The food and beverage service sector is going through a turbulent time due to a combination of factors including staff shortages, increasing costs of supplies and the restrictions which were caused by Covid-19 and drastically reduced their customer numbers.

John Bell is founder and senior partner at licensed insolvency practitioners Clarke Bell and here he considers the options for a company faced with insolvency and spells out the steps to take next.

sustainable future and the best option will be to close their doors. This is a way for company directors to take control of the situation and act before things get any worse.

If you fail to act quickly, the winding-up petition will go ahead and your company will be forced to close via compulsory liquidation, the most serious of form of insolvent liquidation.

If you act quickly there are ways to stop the winding-up petition.

Another option available to a company which is insolvent is a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA). This is a procedure which enables the company to continue to trade and pay back its creditors through a formal proposal over a period of time - typically five years.

A CVA needs to be approved by 75% (by debt value) of the company’s creditors who cast a vote in the process. Once agreed, a schedule of payments will be arranged with your insolvency practitioner setting out the timetable and amounts for the debts to be re-paid.

According to the statistics provided by The Insolvency Service, CVAs are entered into far less frequently than CVLs. In 2021 there were 115 CVAs compared to 12,668 CVLs. CVAs tend to be popular with companies who have a lot of leasehold premises – as they can lead to a reduced rent. However, they are often seen as merely delaying the inevitable and just providing some breathing space. This has been demonstrated by the number of companies who have entered into a CVA and then went on to go into administration or liquidation.

PICKING THE BEST OPTION FOR YOUR COMPANY Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the economy, but those directors who take steps to face up to their financial difficulties and seek professional advice can avoid sleepless nights and make plans for the future.

One of these options is a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL), another type of insolvent liquidation in the UK.

Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation Although a CVL occurs when a company is insolvent, unlike compulsory liquidation it is a completely voluntary form of liquidation.

So, why choose voluntary liquidation?

There are many benefits for both directors and creditors using a CVL. This is a good option for businesses that believe they no longer have a

The hospitality sector is likely to enjoy a revival as the restrictions caused by Covid eventually get lifted and life returns to normal.

However, a lot of companies will be stuck with historic debts that will hold back their recovery.

An Insolvency Practitioner will be able to work with you and your accountant (if applicable) to determine the best option for you to take – including the options for re-starting your business.

Master Of Culinary Arts 2022 Open For Entries On 31st January 2017, 35 years after it was first established, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts launched the eighth Master of Culinary Arts (MCA), at The Corinthia London. Based on the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), the MCA is the UK hospitality industry’s most prestigious award for head chefs, pastry chefs and restaurant managers.

“The MCA is the highest honour in the catering industry; it examines the very finest details in service, pastry and kitchen and is the pinnacle of each discipline. For me, a Master of Culinary Arts is a person who strives for perfection in their profession and has the grace and elegance to promote our craft to the next generation.” John Williams MBE, Executive Chef, The Ritz London/Chairman, Royal Academy of Culinary Arts

WHAT IS THE MASTER OF CULINARY ARTS? Inaugurated in 1987, The Master of Culinary Arts is held every four years and is seen to be the ultimate accolade, awarded in recognition of outstanding craftsmanship, for Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers in the UK. Inspired by Michel Bourdin, then Chef de Cuisine at The Connaught and supported by Albert and Michel Roux OBEs the MCA was based on the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) and was originally known as the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne.

The MCA represents the very best in craftsmanship in cooking, pastry and service. It is a priority in the Royal Academy’s continuing efforts to improve the standards of food, cooking and service while, at the same time, raising the professional status of Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers. Winners of the MCA carry the title for life and become role models for future generations. Through the MCA, we can encourage young people to aspire to be the best thus securing a better future for the hospitality industry.

The award of Master of Culinary Arts (MCA) is conferred on those who have displayed mastery of the complex and specialised knowledge and skills in culinary arts which are required to be a first-class Chef, Pastry Chef, or for Restaurant Management and Service. The holder of the MCA is able to prove advanced technical skill and professional ability; accept accountability for their decision-making; contribute to supervision and management; demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the principles of sustainability and the viability of our food sources throughout the scope of the food chain; demonstrate leadership and support the development of others; and act in the best interests of the culinary arts profession.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS To enter the MCA candidates must be currently employed full-time within the United Kingdom as a Chef, Pastry Chef or in Restaurant Management and Service.

Full details of how to enter can be found on our website: www.royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/what-we-do/master-of-culinary-arts Applicants must also have: • At least 10 years full-time experience in their specific trade (not necessarily consecutively).

• A range of industrial experience at various levels including at least three years at a senior level.

• A broad knowledge of traditional and modern gastronomy and service.

• The ability to demonstrate a range of their specific trade skills at an advanced level under pressure.

• Undertaken a range of activities as part of their own continuing professional development.

• Contributed to the training and development of others.

• A working knowledge of written and spoken English.

MCA 2022 SCHEDULE Tuesday 31st January

Launch of the MCA

Friday 31st March

Closing date for entries

Friday 29th April

Restaurant Management & Service Quarter-Final, Grosvenor House

Monday 6th June

Restaurant Management & Service Semi-Final, Brown’s Hotel

Wednesday 26th June

Pastry Chefs Semi-Final, University College Birmingham

Wednesday 6th July Chefs Semi-Final, University West London Tuesday 13th September

Pastry Chefs Final, University College Birmingham

Monday 26th September

Chefs Final, University West London

Monday 3rd October

Restaurant Management & Service Final, Venue tbc.

Monday 28th October

Gala Presentation Dinner, Claridge’s

Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions Nudges Up Drinks Sales in Pubs, Pars and Restaurants Issue 95

Out-of-home drinks sales saw a modest revival last week after COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted, CGA’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker shows.

The research reveals that average drinks sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants in the week to Saturday (29 January) were 8% below the equivalent period in 2020. It is the first time that the weekly comparison has dropped into single digits since November.

The week included three full days of trading without Plan B restrictions in England, and sales last Thursday and Saturday (27 and 29 January) were just 4% and 6% behind 2020 levels. In Scotland and Wales, where restrictions have been slower to ease, weekly sales were 17% and 20% behind—though both numbers represent week-on-week improvements.

Jonathan Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland, said: “These figures

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leave us cautiously optimistic that pubs, bars and restaurants can build their sales over the coming weeks. Consumer confidence about going out is gradually recovering, and the end to work-from-home instructions and restrictions on clubs will boost night-time visits in particular. COVID-19 challenges are far from over, sales are still well behind 2020 levels, and many people face a squeeze on disposable income. But after an immensely challenging December and January we can hopefully look forward to something of a recovery over February and beyond.”

Continuing a pattern established ever since the end of Britain’s first lockdown, spirits have performed well ahead of other drinks categories. Spirits sales were 3% up on the same week in 2020 thanks to the ongoing popularity of cocktails, while beer (-12%), cider (-13%), wine (-14%) and soft drinks (-10%) lagged— though all four of these categories were ahead of the previous seven days.

Greene King’s Fundraising Soars as Area Manager Skydives 10,000ft for Macmillan Cancer Support A daredevil pub business development manager is flying high after her area raised over £20,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in 2021 with her first (and last) sky dive raising £1,200 towards the grand total.

Nicola McGuinness, who is responsible for Greene King’s Premium, Urban and Venture pubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Dumfries and surrounding areas, has just completed her sky dive which rounded off the division’s 2021 fundraising.

Speaking after her jump in Auchterarder, she said: “I have never been skydiving before and nor will I ever again! It was a 7,000ft freefall then parachute down to the ground. It challenged me well outside my comfort zone but I felt I had to up my game to encourage people to part with their cash for me. I will never forget the experience. My team really rallied to raise as

much money as we could this year and it has been an epic result.”

The 10,000ft sky dive took just five minutes and brings to an end an incredible year-long series of fundraising activities and, despite many months of Covid closures and restrictions to pub trading, Nicola’s area still raised over £20,000 for Macmillan.

Throughout 2021, Nicola’s pubs’ managers and teams held a host of events and activities including a Glasgow to Edinburgh cycle ride, a 1,083-miles Land’s End to John O’ Groats virtual walk, charity football matches, Brave the Shave, cake sales, raffles, charity nights and charity music days.

Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, has been raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support since 2012 and has raised over £10million to date.

Heineken Launches Pub of the Future: Sustainability Trend Report 10

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HEINEKEN UK has launched its second Pub of the Future trend report. The new Sustainability Edition of the future-gazing report explores innovation within sustainability, for hospitality businesses to discover and adopt in their own venues.

SERVING UP A SUSTAINABLE OFFERING.

The Pub of the Future: Sustainability Edition looks at three trends impacting the hospitality industry while identifying how they will influence the future of the Great British pub. The report also provides insights and examples to help operators identify areas and small changes that can be made to improve their environmental impact and

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

thrive for years to come.

The three key areas within sustainability the report covers include:

The way outlets can serve their customers to encourage repeat visits is widely explored. Appealing across demographics; whether that’s adapting to dietary requirements, making changes to their menu’s carbon footprint or showing how they are making a positive change.

The future of sustainable pub and bar technology has been a key area of focus for HEINEKEN UK. Since its launch in 2013, operators investing in HEINEKEN SmartDispenseTM draught technology have collectively saved an incredible 110m pints of water – the equivalent of over 347,000 full bathtubs – and 396 tonnes of CO2. All while making sure that consumers are served a refreshingly chilled, great quality pint every time.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY EXPERIENCES

And with renewed focus on energy usage one of the more recent additions, SmartDispense™ Cellar Manager, can reduce consumption by 36%. By measuring the temperature of the beer and cider at the keg rather than the air temperature of the cellar, Cellar Manager can turn the cellar cooling on and off while ensuring the beer and cider remains at the correct temperature. Independent tests confirm an average annual saving of 5,221Kwh, reduced carbon footprint of 1.11 tonnes (also referred to as CO2e number3) and average energy cost saving of £9404.

The development of experiences to cater for the increasingly ‘switched on’ consumer is explored. With ‘conscious choices’ controlling a lot of consumer purchasing decisions, we identify ways the pub experience can develop to build a greater connection with their local area, their customers and the environment.

To discover the trends shaping sustainability within the hospitality industry and stay one step ahead of the competition, download a FREE copy of HEINEKEN’s Pub of the Future: Sustainability Edition here https://smartdispense.heineken.co.uk/benefits/pub-of-the-future-insight-report/

INNOVATION IN INFRASTRUCTURE We highlight some of the best solutions created for decreasing the environmental impact of each physical venue. Green initiatives, smart technology and simple green switches for every budget are all explored, to help businesses reduce their outlet’s carbon footprint.

Community Pub Set to Reopen Next Month After Multimillion-Pound Investment front door. The design has been led by community team members and brought to life by Manchester-based designer Jason Prince. The result will be pops of colour throughout the building, adorned with original and upcycled features, and will represent the team effort that has gone into the work.

The White Lion, in Hankelow, is set to reopen next month following a multimillion-pound investment from its community owners.

Taking the helm of the new-look White Lion is General Manager Christaki Frangeskou, who joins chef, Jack Fields, in creating and implementing the new offering. The pub will be serving a menu centred around locally sourced seasonal ingredients and featuring refined takes on pub classics.

Setting the pub apart is also its pioneering green credentials. Not widely adopted across the hospitality sector, The White Lion has put sustainability at the centre of its operating ethos. The pub benefits from rooftop solar panels, a cutting-edge, infrared ceiling and wall-mounted heating system, an integrated building management efficiency scheme, and a rainwater harvesting tank. The car park will also be fitted with electric vehicle charging points.

The White Lion will also focus on beer, taking advantage of the abundance of microbreweries in the surrounding area to stock a rotating range of cask and craft beer, alongside a core house selection. The team aims to build a reputation for serving quality beers, as well as showcasing variety.

The pub, which last traded in 2016, was purchased when members of the Hankelow community stepped in to prevent the site from being developed into residential housing. Since then, The White Lion has become a passion project for nearly forty village residents, as they worked to raise funds to complete the investment.

The whole project has been a community effort, with focus groups taking on different aspects of the refurbishment, such as design, build, operations, and the pub’s exceptional green credentials.

The spend has brought a new lease of life to the community landmark. The building has been extended, with local builder James Shenton’s master joinery a focal point in the rear extension that will serve as the

On top of this, the team behind the pub will also be working with their suppliers to minimise packaging and contribute to sustainable waste management.

Nic Goodwin, Director, commented: “Our commitment to sustainability has guided us throughout the project. We have used reclaimed and low-energy materials wherever possible and will be upcycling where possible across our operations too. Our aim is to substantially reduce waste going to landfill and bring our net carbon emissions as close to zero as possible, bearing in mind the nature of the project.”

“But what has been most important to us all is bringing back to life our local pub. It has been such an important part of Hankelow over the years, and we’re all tremendously excited for it to open its doors again!”

HRC Welcomes Industry Support for 2022 Event Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) has welcomed the enthusiastic support from the hospitality industry as the event prepares to return to ExCeL London on 21-23 March.

Compass Group and The Staff Canteen, who will once again be hosting The Staff Canteen Live, where some of the UK’s top chefs demonstrate their dishes and visitors can learn from the best in the business.

HRC was one of the last industry trade shows to take place before the March 2020 lockdown and it will be the first major trade event to gather the hospitality and foodservice community together in 2022.

Visitors to the event are registering in their droves, with buyers such as Richard Slater, Manager of The Boathouse, Christchurch, commenting: “As a company we have always found this event to be a great source of inspiration and ideas. In these times of uncertainty and change, this is more important than ever.”

Event Manager Ronda Annesley commented: “Like hospitality, the events industry has been unable to operate for much of the past two years, and as such we understand many of the challenges and obstacles that our audiences have been facing.

Matt Pollard, Group Executive Chef at Arena Racing Company, added: “After attending this event for many years, I find the experience an excellent way of meeting new suppliers, seeing new innovations and catching up with old friends.”

“We’ve been thrilled with the support shown to the show and with the engagement from top industry speakers and well-known supplier brands as we prepare for March 2022. I can confidently say this will be a storming reunion for the hospitality and foodservice community!”

The show has brought on board exciting new partners for 2022, including EXP101, who have curated the seminar programme for the Vision Stage and Tried & Supplied who will be bringing the first live edition of the Better Hospitality Conference to HRC. Additionally, the event is renewing a valued partnership with Hospitality Jobs UK, who will be

running the Hospitality's Talent Conundrum conference.

Long-standing partners supporting the show in 2022 include the Foodservice Equipment Association (The FEA), the Craft Guild of Chefs,

In registering to attend HRC 2022, visitors will also have access to partner events The Pub Show, IFE, International Food & Drink Event, IFE Manufacturing and London Produce Show, forming the UK’s largest gathering of food, drink and hospitality professionals, with over 30,000 visitors and 1,500 suppliers.

Find out more at www.hrc.co.uk

UKHospitality Launches Guidance on New Calorie Labelling Legislation Issue 95

UKHospitality has produced guidance on the new Calorie Labelling legislation, due to be implemented this April. It is intended to help affected businesses and to ensure consistent enforcement post-April and is therefore available to anyone in the sector, not just UKHospitality members.

The guidance has been compiled in conjunction with the UKHospitality Nutrition Group and covers a digestible summary of the legislation as well as answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions). Given the complexity of handling the new measures, particularly at such a challenging time for operators, the advice will be updated on a rolling basis as additional queries and details emerge.

The document already covers such questions such: • Which foods and business are exempt from the requirements

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• Examples of food and meals that will need to display calorie information • How the legislation affects franchised businesses and tied pubs • What calorie information must be shown, and how it must be displayed.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “These new rules come into force at a very challenging time for our industry. Not only are businesses battling a workforce crisis and operating cost pressures – at the same time as managing crippling debt levels and depleted cash reserves – this April will see the triple whammy of a rise in VAT, business rates, and labour costs.

“While working to ensure the sector is prepared and able to comply with the new guidance, we at UKHospitality are working hard to press the case for a delay in implementation and a light touch on enforcement of the rules post-April.”

Stonegate Group has Raised £315,000 for the British Heart Foundation

Stonegate Group has raised £315,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) through various fundraising activities across its managed estate.

Throughout last year, over 800 Stonegate Group managed sites have taken part in fundraising to raise life saving funds for the BHF’s 60th Birthday. When the BHF was founded in 1961, 7 out of 10 heart attacks were fatal. Now, at least 7 out of 10 people survive. The money raised by Stonegate Group will go towards the BHF continuing to fund vital research for those living with heart and circulatory conditions in the UK.

The Santa Dash took place across 20 Park Run locations in the UK, with 48 managed Stonegate pubs participating. Between all that took part, they managed to complete over 855km running, jogging, and walking in their Santa costumes and festive attire. Teams participating were supported by their local communities.

Awards were also given to Stonegate team members for the fastest dash and best dressed dasher.

Helen Charlesworth, Managing Director of Stonegate Group, said: “This fundraising activity has been excellent and for such a great cause of the British Heart Foundation’s 60th birthday. Everyone that has participated should be very proud of their efforts. I am humbled by what they have achieved. Our pubs are centred around the community, and it has been outstanding to see the part both have played in raising money for a charity that is also part of the communities.

All the managed sites took different approaches to fundraise for the cause, whilst also getting customers involved. Activities included the team at The Anglers, Walton on Thames paddle boarding down the Thames raising over £5,000; the team at The Lobster Smack, Canvey Island and The Tank and Paddle, York both walking around their cities to raise over £2,700 between both pubs. Many pubs held quizzes and raffles, bringing their local communities together.

“Taking into consideration the challenges we all faced last year, our teams have truly embodied togetherness and determination, which has been heart-warming to see. Well done all.”

Whilst individual pubs came up with their own fundraising activities for the initiative, all managed sites took part in The Big Beat Quiz and Santa Dash at Parkrun events across the UK. The Big Beat Quiz took place in October and individuals could take part in one of 623 managed Stonegate sites participating, to put their knowledge to the test. There was also a £2,000 prize up for grabs for the winning team. Throughout the night quizzers donated to the BHF through Stonegate’s JustGiving page, contributing to the cause.

Sarah Webb, Partnerships Manager at the BHF said: “We are extremely grateful for all of the fundraising work Stonegate Group has done to mark sixty years of the British Heart Foundation. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the activity to fund vital research, we are all very humbled by your efforts.

The funds raised by our partners will help us keeping finding cures and treatments for the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.”

Issue 95

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Stakes Raised in Business Interruption Insurance Battle Two high-profile restaurant groups have joined forces in the on-going business interruption insurance saga.

Black and White Hospitality, which owns and manages the franchise rights to Marco Pierre White Restaurants including its Steakhouse concept, has been joined by Rare Restaurants, owner of Gaucho, as they prepare for an arbitration with Tokio Marine which has, to date, refused to pay up on insurance policies that provided coverage due to enforced closures surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hospitality campaign was launched almost two years ago by Black and White’s inhouse lawyer Rob Atkinson. This led to a successful group action against a number of insurers that contributed to a Supreme Court decision that was hailed as a landmark case in the fight to get insurers to pay out for business interruption related to Covid-19.

The original focus in the Tokio Marine case was on the hotel sector but since the campaign was launched, Atkinson came across a host of restaurant businesses that found themselves in the same predicament.

Since then other businesses have joined the campaign all of whom believe they’ve been badly let down by the insurers which are point blankly refusing to pay up.

Rob said: “Our policy wording, and that of those who have joined the campaign, is very clear. If there is a closure by a statutory body, then the policy should provide coverage.

Given that the Government ordered us and many others to close down, it’s hard to see

how there can be any ambiguity around this.

“Yet despite rulings from the Supreme Court and the FCA, our insurers continue to play games. We are left with no other choice but to press on with arbitration. We have grouped together with other policy holders across the UK and are ready to take this as far as we need to.

“It’s great that such a high-profile and well-respected business as Gaucho has joined the campaign and gives added strength to our fight.

“Businesses like Gaucho and Black and White Hospitality took out policies in good faith so it’s very disappointing that Tokio Marine are still prepared to take this stance, almost two years after Covid-19 had such a devastating impact on the hospitality sector.”

The announcement that Gaucho has joined forces with Black and White closely follows news that Corbin & King, which owns high-profile sites such as The Wolseley, has taken AXA to court over similar issues.

Rob added: “I’m convinced that there are still policy holders out there who don’t realise that they have a case and recommend that if anyone thinks they’ve been palmed off to get their policy checked by a specialist lawyer and not rely on communications from your insurer or your broker.”

Greene King Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, reinforced its commitment to training and development by announcing 450 apprenticeships across the UK this National Apprenticeship Week.

The learn-as-you-earn opportunities include front of house and back of house roles in pubs and hotels, plus apprenticeship programmes in leadership and management, in the brewery, property, finance and logistics. They run across the country and throughout the year and are open to all.

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (7-13 February 2022) Greene King has also unveiled its new back of house academies to help train the next generation of leading chefs.

Working with popular TV chef and presenter, Joe Hurd, the masterclass academies will be a perfect learning environment for tomorrow’s chefs to develop their understanding and skills through live demonstrations at venues around the UK. Joe said: “I am delighted to support Greene King with the launch of its new chef academy programme and look forward to meeting the first apprentices shortly.

“Our industry offers some of the best learning opportunities and academies help to support skills and growth in the sector as well as providing our key employer partner, Greene King, exciting professional devel-

opment programmes for their people.”

The announcement comes as Greene King celebrates over 1,600 apprentices starting or completing an apprenticeship course in 2021 – and that is despite pub closures due to the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector. That equates to just over 30 people every week building their career through Greene King apprenticeships in 2021.

For the second year, National Apprenticeship Week focuses on the ‘Build the Future’ theme and Greene King is delighted to see its apprentices building and developing their careers in hospitality.

Andrew Bush, chief people officer at Greene King, said: “It’s great to mark National Apprenticeship Week with news of our 450 live opportunities for people across the country and the start of our new Chef Academy. Our apprentices are our future business leaders. We see these programmes as the perfect foundations to build for the future, learn and earn at the same time. The hospitality industry has so much to offer, so many different and exciting career paths and it is great to see more and more people from a wide range of backgrounds choosing to work and learn with us.

“We are proud that 1,600 of our apprentices started or completed a programme with us during a challenging 2021 for hospitality and is testament to our commitment to investing in our people – our biggest asset.”

The Future of Our Nation’s Pubs Hangs in the Balance - Says BII Survey Issue 95

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has today released the results of its most recent member survey, detailing the continued devastating impact of the pandemic on pubs.

CHRISTMAS IMPACT The survey saw members reporting huge losses in trade over the Christmas period, with various restrictions in place across the UK, and consumer confidence plummeting due to the rise in the Omicron variant.

73% of respondents reported their revenue over the festive period was down by over 20%. Of those, 1 in 2 were over 40% down in comparison to the same period in 2019.

72% of respondents were more than 20% down on profit, but 2 in 3 were over 40% down in profit for the same period in 2019.

2021 AS A WHOLE With the continued disruption of lock downs and strangling restrictions at various points in 2021, it was inevitable that 75% of respondents saw overall revenues being more than 20% down, with 1 in 2 of those down by over 40%, meaning the vast majority were loss making for the whole year.

BUSINESS FRAGILITY Trading whilst facing heavy restrictions over the course of the last 2 years, has left members’ businesses in a fragile state, and has severely restricted their ability to weather further challenges, such as inflation, staff shortages and supply chain issues.

Over 1 in 3 respondents to the survey currently have no cash reserves in their business, and of those that have some cash reserves left, 1 in 2 only have up to 2 months left before the coffers are empty.

INFLATION Current inflation in the UK is 5.4%, and 93% of pubs are suffering levels of inflation significantly above this national rate. Of those, more than 2 in 3 are facing inflationary business costs of more than 10%.

These huge inflationary costs they are currently facing are hampering their ability to start their recovery.

Many operators are concerned about passing too many costs on to consumers, who are themselves feeling the pinch of steep rises in the cost of living. This vicious cycle further exasperates inflation, dampening trade levels and endangering these often small, family run businesses.

DEBT In addition, our pubs face ongoing repayments for pandemic specific debt. Even following months’ worth of repayments already made, 55% of respondents still have debts of over £40k per pub, to repay going forward.

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PRIORITIES FOR SUPPORT The survey also shows the top 3 priorities for BII members as they face the future for their businesses. Firstly, a continued VAT rate reduction to enable them to trade out of this crisis. This includes an extension of the discount to alcoholic drinks served in our nations’ drinks led pubs, who have seen minimal benefit from the existing discount, and are often supporting vital social connection at the heart of their communities.

Secondly, business rate suspension is key to supporting their recovery, with 1 in 4 needing at least 6 months suspension and a further 1 in 2 needing a full year to enable them to recover and rebuild their businesses.

Finally, a meaningful draught duty cut that directly benefits pubs is also needed to support our overly tax-burdened licensees, and 5% in a year’s time is simply not enough to make the difference they need to see immediately. 90% of respondents believe the draught duty discount should be at least 10%, of those, 2 in 3 need to see it being over 20% to have any real impact on their businesses.

2 in 3 members also say that the duty cut must also be applied to smaller containers than the current 40l measure. Of those, 1 in 3 need this to apply to container sizes of 20l to enable them to give choice to their local communities.

RECOVERY & REBUILDING The survey also revealed some stark realities for pub operators, with 1 in 2 saying they will only continue to trade subject to further Government support.

1 in 10 licensees already believe their business is unviable and will cease trading shortly.

Of those 1 in 10, 43% have been licensees for over 10 years, with 1 in 3 having been in the trade for over 20 years. Losing the experience and knowledge of these vital operators from their communities is a devastating prospect.

Steven Alton, BII CEO commented: “Essential interim support will need to be delivered at the upcoming budget, to enable our members to meaningfully start their recovery, whilst they tackle the strategic challenges of resourcing, inflation and rebuilding long term sustainable levels of trade.

“The BII are calling on the Government, as the Chancellor reviews the budget ahead of the new financial year, to safeguard these small, essential businesses, supporting local suppliers and brewers, at the heart of their communities.

“This support will both safeguard pubs in every community across the UK and enable their role as an essential component of rebuilding communities and high streets, levelling up across the UK.”

How to Guide Teams Through Disruption 18

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Top 20 HR Most Influential Thinker, thought leader and founder of Engage Leadership David Liddle reveals his practical guide for leaders facing team conflict (www.engageleadership.com) Working in hospitality has always been one of the most physically demanding sectors. It’s said that over a third spend between eight and ten hours completely upright, causing physical pain. But with mounting pressures of lockdowns and Brexit visa requirements, the industry has greatly suffered too. A report from Caterer.com stated that ¾ of London’s hospitality workers hailed from the EU pre-Brexit – most of which were forced to leave the industry. Upright working directly impacted mental wellbeing of staff, now exacerbated by immense staffing shortages. Our famed and favoured pubs, restaurants and cafes simply couldn’t cope over Christmas.

What happens when we’re under massive strain like this? Much of the time, we fight. As mental health deteriorates and exhaustion kicks in, we’re far more likely to find ourselves in conflict with colleagues or even customers. With fractured teams, misaligned behaviours and rising disputes the running theme of the working day, how can our leaders handle the heat?

It all boils down to effective management. With the right toolkit, those in charge have the power to build bonds, repair damage and boost productivity. In short, it’s about courageous, competent and confident leadership. And as we surge back into our prized pubs with the end of Plan B firmly underway, it’s more important than ever to bounce back with strong, resilient and united teams.

THE LEADERSHIP TOOLKIT It’s well known in the business world that role modelling positive behaviours will trickle down the pack. A Gallup poll proves that 70% of team engagement is determined solely by the manager at hand. When situations turn sour, it’s the time for leaders to truly lead by example. Diffusing tense situations can be successful in five

simple steps:

START CONVERSATIONS Prioritise guiding colleagues through crisis and conflict by facilitating empowered, confident and well-structured conversations. Be curious, questioning and constructive whilst always listening actively to the discussion.

COMMUNICATE THE VISION Make sure to clearly define and communicate your company vision with staff, aligning employee values and behaviours to reflect this. This will create a strong team purpose that staff can fall back on.

HAVE COMPASSION Showing resilience and agility can be a great support to struggling staff, particularly those that may be mentally and physically drained.

UNDERSTAND YOUR TEAM Account for differing personality types, demonstrating flexible leadership styles. At times, it may make sense to be more autocratic, and sometimes it will be necessary to let your team take the wheel.

BE THE CHANGE When the going gets tough, focus on reinforcing those standards that you’ve so clearly defined and communicated. It helps to remind your co-workers of team culture, especially when they’re feeling the pressure.

Improving employee experience through confident, competent and courageous leadership is of utmost importance to any thoughtful manager. In a direct customer-facing environment like hospitality, it’s even more vital as healthy and harmonious teams will in turn enhance customer experience. Bounce back from circumstances out of your hands – Brexit, Plan B, burnout – by managing what is under your control well.

£2 Million Refurbishment Planned for Masons Arms in Devon

St Austell Brewery’s historic inn, the Masons Arms in Branscombe, Devon, is undergoing a sensitive, yet transformational, refurbishment. The £2 million investment will enhance the pub’s timeless and charming features, making it the perfect country escape for locals and tourists alike. The Masons Arms is due to reopen before Easter.

The investment will also create 15 new jobs. St Austell is looking to hire front of house and back of house team members, chefs, and housekeepers – an opportunity to work alongside a close-knit team at an iconic site, while gaining experience in the hospitality industry.

The Masons Arms is rich in heritage, dating from the 14th century. Comprising of 28 rooms and a converted cottage, the authentic exterior and interior design oozes character with timber frames, low beamed ceilings, pine cladding, whitewashed walls – all of which will be lovingly restored – and a huge roaring log fire. The rooms – which are dog-friendly – also provide stunning views overlooking the surrounding countryside, combining charm and comfort.

As part of the refurbishment plans, each of the rooms, including the converted thatched cottage, will be redesigned with refreshed and homely interiors, with calming and earthy tones throughout. Touches of luxury will be added to enhance the guest experience. Shared spaces such as the dining rooms will also be redesigned with dark and warm tones and decorated with plenty of cosy furnishings, including a private dining space and comfy seating throughout the bar and dining area.

Tamsyn Allington, People & Communications Director, St Austell Brewery said: “We are delighted to be investing in the future of the Masons Arms, an iconic country inn which has always been popular with our locals and – thanks to its beautiful location – attracts visitors from far and wide.

“Our people are right at the heart of everything we do, and we’re always on the lookout for passionate and talented team members to help us deliver unforgettable experiences in our pubs. At St Austell, we’re committed to nurturing and releasing the potential of our people and are proud to be in a position to offer great career opportunities in Branscombe and across the South West – one of the most beautiful regions of the UK.”

Brakspear Acquires New Site for Honeycomb Houses nation for many years, Ghyll Manor was closed during the 2020 lockdown by previous owners Boundless Breaks, and was bought by Brakspear in December last year.

Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re thrilled to bring Ghyll Manor into the Honeycomb Houses family. It’s an outstanding venue with enormous potential and commands huge affection locally which we’re confident we can harness to restore it as the most sought-after wedding venue in the area.

Pub operator Brakspear is adding to its newlyrebranded managed division, Honeycomb Houses, with the purchase of Ghyll Manor, a historic hotel with a wedding and functions business near Horsham, West Sussex. The acquisition takes Honeycomb Houses up to 10 pubs and stretches the estate’s reach beyond its Cotswolds and Oxfordshire heartland.

Ghyll Manor is located in the picturesque village of Rusper, just seven miles from Gatwick Airport. Built in 1678, the timber-framed building is set in 25 acres of grounds including a lake, landscaped gardens, woodlands and tennis courts. Accommodation is offered in 29 bedrooms within the main house and in cottages in the grounds while weddings for up to 120 people are held in several spaces including the characterful Hunsdon Room.

A popular wedding venue and weekend break desti-

“Ghyll Manor becomes our first wedding business outside the Cotswolds. In developing it, we will draw on our experience at The Frogmill near Cheltenham, which has thrived since we opened it in 2018, both as a function venue and as a weekend break and dining destination – so we’ll be looking to build the same broad appeal at Ghyll Manor.”

Brakspear intends to reopen Ghyll Manor in 2023 and is considering the site’s potential before making firm redevelopment plans, though these will include a major refurbishment and the addition of more bedrooms.

Brakspear rebranded its managed division as Honeycomb Houses in November 2021, when it also stated its ambition to acquire new sites that met its brief of larger, rural pubs with bedrooms, in the south east. The estate now comprises 10 sites in the Cotswolds and other locations in Brakspear’s heartland around Henley-on-Thames, most of them with luxury accommodation.

Lifeline For Hospitality: How Virtual Brands Can Bolster Business Survival 20

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By Sam Martin, COO and Co-Founder of Peckwater Brands (www.peckwaterbrands.com)

Hospitality businesses of all types and sizes have had to face their fair share of adversity – even before the pandemic, the conventional industry wisdom was that 90% of businesses would fail in their first year.

Misjudging demand, issues with staffing and supply lines, and shifting food trends make this sector one of the hardest to survive in.

It is understandable, then, that this sector was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

Hospitality owners were faced with one of the slowest holiday periods in recent memory, with sales in bars, hotels, restaurants and cafes falling by 60% on Christmas Day, 31% on Boxing Day and 27% on New Year’s Eve in 2021, as compared to 2019. Overall sales in the last week of the year dropped by 40% in the last week of the year, a £3bn reduction from 2019.

Hospitality owners who have experienced major disruptions in the past have often survived due to their willingness to change and adapt, pivoting their offering to increase demand and maximise revenues. No one knows what challenges 2022 will present, but savvy owners should already be looking for the next innovative solution to safeguard their own future.

FINDING THE SILVER LINING In the past, the solutions that owners have turned to included increasing marketing and promotions to encourage engagement and improving their customer experience and data collection to increase repeat custom. While these methods are effective, they are limited by the amount of demand for the business’ style of food or drink in their area. With home delivery increasing exponentially in food and drink service over the pandemic, and third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats and Deliveroo becoming consumers’ first choice for hospitality, takeaway has become a pivotal part of the modern hospitality business.

Peckwater’s recent survey amongst 250 decision makers within UK hospitality businesses showed that 75% of UK hospitality businesses relied on takeaway orders to survive during the pandemic, and even as lockdown restrictions are lifted demand for these services remains higher than ever. Struggling hospitality businesses need to do more than just improving their delivery offering to survive – and virtual brands could hold the key.

RESTAURANTS WITHIN RESTAURANTS

Put simply, a virtual brand is a delivery business that exists solely on third party delivery platforms without a physical location of its own. It offers full branding and menus online, but the orders it receives are prepared in a shared kitchen. The benefit for existing hospitality businesses is that they can fold a virtual brand into their operations, using more of their kitchen’s capacity, increasing order volume and revenues, and potentially keeping the wolf from the door.

Embracing a virtual brand requires planning, preparation, and some forward-thinking; awareness of local demand and food trends is essential and aligning with a brand that specialises in a cuisine that requires similar equipment and core ingredients will reduce waste and increase efficiency – while decreasing the likelihood of supply chain disruption.

Take, for example, a modern British gastropub that is using 60% of its kitchen capacity. They likely have the necessary base materials to prepare Korean, or Mexican, or American food (such as chicken, fish, or the main vegetables of a dish as well as most necessary spices or condiments). Whilst they may require some additional training to understand a new recipe, it is unlikely that the kitchen will be overwhelmed by a surge in consumer demand for the new menu.

Owners of cafes, restaurants and hotels are already beginning to embrace virtual brands, with Peckwater’s research showing that more than half (56%) of businesses surveyed having already begun running a virtual brand from their premises – and with some restaurants reporting an increase in delivery orders by an average of +823% after adopting a virtual brand, this is hardly surprising.

THE FUTURE IS VIRTUAL Good news has been hard to come by in the hospitality industry in the last 24 months. Running a second brand from their kitchen may not be the direction many hospitality owners saw themselves going with their business, but the results are too strong to ignore.

Virtual brands are sure to become a larger part of the industry in the coming years, as food trends and demand become more and more varied. Hospitality owners who want to see their businesses survive and prosper well into the decade would be wise to take full advantage.

Sam Martin is the co-founder and COO of Peckwater Brands (PWB), the delivery franchising experts. PWB helps restaurants and kitchens of all sizes benefit from the fullest demands of the market by streamlining the process of embracing virtual brands and multiple-franchise solutions. Working with partners across the hospitality spectrum, they can transform any kitchen into a multi-franchise operation, integrating with their existing operations and opening them up to vastly increased demand across different brands and cuisines. Sam worked in executive positions at Uber and Amazon before co-founding PWB in 2019.

Gordon Ramsay To Open Bread Street Kitchen & Bar In Liverpool Gordon Ramsay is bringing his popular premium casual dining concept, Bread Street Kitchen & Bar to Liverpool, his first Bread Street in England outside of London, and has appointed the talented Gareth Jones as Executive Head Chef at the new restaurant and bar at Liverpool ONE. Bread Street Kitchen & Bar Liverpool will open on 11th February 2022.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants’ CEO Andy Wenlock says that Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Liverpool marks a significant moment in the brand’s growth: “In Liverpool we have created a destination restaurant; with incredible food, exceptional service and the perfect location. We have an excellent team in place and are excited to open Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in such a vibrant city.”

Bread Street Kitchen offers an all-day dining menu and late-night drinks seven days a week. Classic Gordon Ramsay dishes, from prawn cocktail, Beef Wellington and traditional fish & chips to dry-aged rare-breed Cumbrian steaks with fabulous sauces and sticky toffee pudding will be on the menu. Gareth is working with

top regional suppliers including Lake District Farmers for meat, Neve Fleetwood for fish and Wellocks for fresh produce.

Gareth, who has based most of his professional career in the NorthWest, is a multi-award-winning chef, and has appeared on Great British Menu. He was Development Chef at Iscoyd Park Weddings and Events for the past two years, and prior to that was Head Chef at La Brasserie at The Chester Grosvenor and held the same role at Mr Coopers House and Garden by Simon Rogan.

Gareth Jones says that it is amazing that Gordon Ramsay has selected Liverpool as the location for the latest Bread Street Kitchen: “This is an incredible opportunity for us to make a big mark on the vibrant Liverpool dining scene from the best possible location in the city. As well as a menu of some of the UK’s best-loved dishes prepared with the finest fresh ingredients, we have a beautiful setting which is going to be a big draw for everyone who wants to enjoy a bit of glamour when they eat out!”

World’s Biggest Pub Quiz Moved to May 2022 PubAid and its charity partner Shelter have moved the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz from March to May, to give pubs and charities the best possible results from the event as the country emerges from the latest wave of Covid infections and trading restrictions.

The Quiz will now take place between 9-15 May and is completely free for pubs to run. For further information and to register for event, visit www.pubaid.co.uk/quiz PubAid founder Des O’Flanagan said: “All of us at PubAid and Shelter, our new charity partner, have been champing at the bit to run the Quiz again after Covid prevented us from holding it 2021.

“However, after taking soundings from the industry, it became clear that pubs are still battling with the impact of Omicron and focusing on the day-to-day rather than an event in the future. By moving the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz to May, we give licensees a chance to regroup after Covid and plan a fantastic event that brings customers into their pubs and raises money for Shelter and other charities.”

features that make it more engaging for customers and drive greater footfall into the pub.

Homeless charity Shelter was chosen as the quiz’s new partner following the Covid lockdown. Currently, 91 families become homeless every day in England. Money raised in the Quiz will help Shelter give information, advice and support to those facing homelessness. Pubs are encouraged to host the quiz in aid of Shelter, but have the freedom to support another charity, or divide funds raised between Shelter and a cause closer to home.

All pubs signing up to host the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz will receive a free fundraising pack including posters and social media assets, to help them host a quiz that brings customers into their pub for a fun-filled evening that raises money for a worthy cause.

Using Kwizzbit offers licensees a number of benefits over a traditional paper quiz. Instead of having to mark sheets, scores are calculated after every question to generate real time leaderboards, saving time and creating a competitive, engaging atmosphere. It’s also cheat-proof, as faster answers score more points, and it’s simple to run: all you need is internet access.

He added: “Although we’re promoting 9-15 May as quiz week, licensees can choose to run it any time that month, or in the first week of June to coincide with the long weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”

Max Newton, Head of Community Fundraising at Shelter, said: “Everyone at Shelter is absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz in May. We’re looking forward to communities across the country coming together in their local pub to have fun and quiz. The money they raise will help us be there for anyone facing homelessness.”

This year, the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz is working with online quiz platform Kwizzbit, which allows licensees to host a traditional, fun pub quiz on their smartphone, with technology making it easier to run and offering

The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz was launched in 2016 and has raised a total of £750,000 for hundreds of charities.

Travellers Push Tripadvisor Past 1 Billion Reviews & Opinions!

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CLH Digital

Issue 95

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, today announced that its community of travellers has enabled the company to reach a major and historic Internet milestone: 1 BILLION reviews and opinions.

Tripadvisor was founded 22 years ago by current President and CEO Stephen Kaufer, Langley Steinert, Nick Shanny and Tom Palka. Reaching this incredible landmark comes just several years after announcing it had reached half a billion reviews and opinions, in 2017. New research shows that today the Internet platform remains the most important review destination online for millions of consumers and businesses.

Tripadvisor has become a brand that is trusted, known, and loved across the globe. It is a resource that millions of travellers and diners rely on to help inform them on where to stay, what to eat, what to do and how to make the most of their trips — all based on guidance from a community of contributors who have been there, done that before.

“We are so grateful for the contributions that the Tripadvisor community has made over these last 22 years.

Trusted reviews and opinions from travellers are the heart and soul of the platform and help make everyone a better traveller, enabling millions of businesses to flourish and drive trillions of dollars in economic value across the globe,” said Stephen Kaufer, President and CEO, Tripadvisor.

To mark the occasion, Tripadvisor released new research titled The Power of Reviews. This analysis about review content on Tripadvisor’s platform showcases why the company’s long-form reviews are a qualitative grade above other review platforms, especially when it comes to influencing booking decisions.

Tripadvisor reviews are 3x longer than the reviews found on leading online travel agent websites and search engines, with the average length of an accommodation review coming in at 688 characters. It’s the detail that these long-form reviews provide that offers travelers such invaluable guidance. This, along with the sense of community that Tripadvisor offers to the millions who come to the platform every month, has played a huge part in driving such phenomenal growth in content — first, by reaching 1 billion reviews and opinions, and second, by doubling what it took 17 years to achieve in just five.

A LOOK BACK AND SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FIRST BILLION In celebration of reaching this milestone, Tripadvisor has collected some interesting stats about the content that has been submitted to the platform over the past two decades: • The most-reviewed accommodation ever: Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, with over 48,200 reviews.

• The most-review accommodation in the UK ever: Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London, with over 23,000 reviews.

• The most-reviewed restaurant ever: Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal, with over 52,600 reviews.

• The most-reviewed restaurant in the UK ever: Aqua Shard in London, with over 16,600 reviews.

• The most-reviewed attraction ever: Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, with over 164,200 reviews.

• The most-reviewed attraction in the UK ever: London Eye, with over 87,200 reviews.

• The longest English language review ever written on Tripadvisor: 17,241 words written by @The_Budges about their stay at the Hotel Playa Pesquero Resort in Cuba.

• The most-prolific Tripadvisor reviewer: @82manuelal from Luxembourg City, who has posted more than 7,000 reviews since becoming a Tripadvisor member in 2015.

• Number of posts in the Tripadvisor forums: 89,426,160 posts (and counting).

• The first forum post: submitted 26 Aug, 2004 and still visible today.

• The longest active thread in a Tripadvisor destination forum: “How many days till Maui???” in the Lahaina Forum, with 6,809 replies and dating back to 4 Oct, 2006.

• Hungry anyone? The three most-mentioned dishes in restaurant reviews: Pizza (10,400,980 mentions) Pie (8,467,574 mentions) Salad (7,374,595 mentions) • The traveller who has posted the most photo submissions: @PaoloRiccardoCarrara, who is from Rome and has contributed a whopping 102,272 photo submissions, totalling 313,651 photos.

• The award for the most well-travelled Tripadvisor member: @damienstack, who has posted reviews for 176 different countries. He is from Listowel in County Kerry, Ireland, and has actually visited all 193 countries in the world!

MEH!-MORY LANE: EVERYONE'S A CRITIC And then there are the reviews from travellers who didn’t quite “get” the iconic places they were reviewing…

• New York’s Empire State Building: “Building is too tall, meaning I felt sick as heights aren't my favourite thing.”

• San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge: “First off, it is not golden in any way-it’s an ugly brown colour…”

• The UK’s Stonehenge: “Why people come from all around the world to see a pile of stones, I will never understand.”

• Arizona’s Grand Canyon: “I've been to a number of so called landmarks in my time - but what the hell was this? Just an overblown sandy ditch.”

THE POWER OF REVIEWS Tripadvisor continues to help millions of travellers make travel decisions month after month. After 22 years, the platform now boasts 1 billion reviews and opinions, but how does Tripadvisor stack up in terms of relevance among today’s traveller or the millions of businesses it continues to serve?

To answer those questions and more, Tripadvisor has released the results of the Power of Reviews study. In 2021, Tripadvisor, in partnership with a third-party market research firm, surveyed 9,000 consumers across five countries — the U.S., UK, Italy, Singapore, and Australia — to take a deeper dive into how different review types influence the travel-planning and decision-making process.

SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY INCLUDE: • Of all the kinds of feedback types on Tripadvisor and other review platforms — ratings, snippets and long-form descriptive reviews — 40% of travellers said the content of a review (a long-form description) mattered most when reading reviews.

• Tripadvisor is winning against other platforms in this category, with 100% of accommodation reviews on the platform being long-form reviews.

• 88% of respondents rated long-form reviews as high or very high quality.

• Between snippets, bubble ratings, and long-form reviews, 76% prefer long-form reviews when booking accommodations, 74% prefer long-form reviews when researching restaurants, and 69% prefer long-form reviews when exploring attractions.

This translates to a higher booking propensity: 68% are more likely to book after reading a long review.

• 3 out of 4 respondents said online reviews were “extremely or very important” when making travel decisions. This is true across the board for accommodations (82%), attractions (77%), and restaurants (70%) The Power of Reviews study can be read in full here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/PowerOfReviews

‘WRITE A REVIEW DAY’ ON MAY 3, 2022 In the first 10 months of 2020 alone, the tourism industry lost $935 billion in revenue worldwide because of the pandemic*. Sadly, as a result, more than 350,000 businesses on Tripadvisor have been reported as closed since March 2020. The good news is that over that same period, more than 1,263,031 new business listings have appeared on Tripadvisor.To commemorate reaching the incredible milestone of 1 billion reviews and opinions, Tripadvisor is launching Write a Review Day, set for May 3, 2022 and every first Tuesday of May thereafter.

The platform is rallying the Tripadvisor community and encouraging travellers to write a review about a recent hotel stay, experience booked or culinary moment at a restaurant in an appeal to offer invaluable guidance to other travellers as they begin to take to the roads, seas and skies again, and to give the tourism industry helpful feedback that may aid in getting it back on its feet.

Throughout the month of May, ahead of the busy summer season in the Northern Hemisphere, Tripadvisor will continue to celebrate its reviews, forum discussions and community contributions that help provide guidance to others planning their next holiday.

Avid reviewers, and even those who have never written a review themselves — positive or more constructive critiques, can use May 3 as a start to celebrate the act of giving feedback all throughout the month.

Tripadvisor will help remind travellers how a review has the ability to change lives, guiding those who read them toward incredible experiences that create lifelong memories, and helping those who receive them to get the recognition they deserve or the insight needed to evolve and improve.

To take part in Write a Review Day, click here to post a review. Show your support of the travel and hospitality industry by sharing your review on your social media channels with the hashtag #WriteAReviewDay .

Top 10 UK Casual Dining Brands Set to Grow Outlets by +1.1% in 2022 According to the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Operator Data Index, the top 10 UK casual dining brands are forecast to grow its combined outlet count by +1.1% to 5,566.

This growth is set to be driven by Pret A Manger (+7.5%), Nando’s (+4.0%) and KFC (+2.1%). In contrast, Pizza Hut Restaurants, Sizzling Pubs and Burger King are all expected to reduce the size of their estates. The growth forecast for Pret follows an ambitious expansion strategy that will target consumers in suburban locations that are working from home.

This estimated growth, is +0.1ppts higher than the outlet growth forecast for the entire casual dining segment, which will not see it fully recover to pre-pandemic outlet volumes.

In terms of fastest growing brands, by outlets, within the casual dining segment, Megan’s is set to see outlet growth of +4 sites or +28.6%, Sports Bar & Grill +3 outlets or +25.0% and Pizza Pilgrims +4 outlets or +23.5%. German Doner Kebab is forecast to add the largest net number of sites (+11). The brand has achieved rapid UK expansion through franchise and a focus on delivery and takeaway trading.

Branded restaurants are expected to grow (+1.2%) for the first time in five years, following decline from

2018 to 2021. Rosa’s Thai and Pizza Pilgrims are expected to lead outlet growth in 2022, following strong delivery trading throughout the pandemic.

Pub and bar restaurant brands are expected to grow minimally at +0.3% in 2022 after consistent decline in outlets from 2018. Sports Bar & Grill, Brewdog and The Lounges lead growth at +25.0%, +11.4, and +9.5% respectively.

Traditional fast food is expected to increase by +0.8% in 2022, following consistent growth for the past five years. This segment was less vulnerable over the course of the pandemic due to brands being able to leverage trading through delivery.

Commenting on the findings, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katherine Prowse, said: “Casual dining is well placed to recover from the impact of the pandemic. This is apparent in the forecasted outlet expansion. More successful brands have been agile throughout the pandemic, closing poorly performing sites and re-evaluating location and product strategies, as well as pivoting to delivery. This puts them in a strong position post-pandemic.”

Find out more about Lumina Intelligence’s Operator Data Index here https://www.lumina-intelligence.com/product/operator-data-index/

The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Bars 24

CLH Digital

Issue 95

Various bars, restaurants, and open spaces are hopping on the rebranding train by making their venues sober curious-friendly. Mother Kelly’s in London has recently started serving one of the best alcohol-free beers called Lucky Saint on draught. For those in favour of exquisite drinks, the Connaught Bar in London offers an array of exciting mocktails blending luxe ingredients, such as salted cacao coconut water and red berry kombucha.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has made us rethink our approach to wellbeing and the lifestyle choices we make. The surge of the wellness trends goes hand in hand with the rise of non-alcoholic bars both in the UK and globally. This is a by-product of the emerging “sober curious” movement – a social phenomenon that views (not) drinking from a wellness perspective.

While up until the pandemic a pink martini might have been a bar classic, a pink lemonade with a twist has become the new cool. Bars all over the world are on a rebranding journey to please the sober-curious consumer, and new non-alcoholic bars are popping all over the country. The options are there, but the question is, would you try them?

HELLO, DRY BARS The sober-curious community is on the rise, and the Google searches don’t lie. The searches for ‘alcohol-free bars’ in 2018 and 2019 averaged about 1–1.5k per month.

Amidst the pandemic in 2020, they skyrocketed to 5k, followed by a quick dip during the Christmas lockdown. However, the keyword quickly gained popularity once again in spring and is currently past its searches from 2018 and 2019.

WHY MORE PEOPLE ARE SAYING ‘NO’ TO ALCOHOL Dry bars are steadily becoming the new normal, and both the wellness craze and the pandemic are responsible for that.

With the surge in the sober curious movement come along shifts in the lingo we use when we refer to this phenomenon. It seems that the term ‘dry bars’ is better suited to quench our thirst for sobriety venues. While searches for ‘dry bars’ were at a steady low between 2018 and end of 2020, averaging at about 23–25k a month, we saw an exponential growth in spring/summer 2021 reaching 40–45k monthly searches and continuing to go up.

Prior to the COVID-19 surge in 2018, Ruby Warrington, a 42-year-old Brooklynbased British journalist, published her book Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol. In it, the author explores her victim-led relationship with alcohol and the command it has on her life. This is what Warrington refers to as “sober curious” – “a ‘wellness’ approach to (not) drinking alcohol”.

Speaking of dry bars, have you heard of Mr Fitzpatrick’s? This is the oldest temperance bar (dry bar) in the UK, located in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, and it’s been entertaining its consumers with its root beer since 1890. However, businesses are responding to the growing demand for alcohol-free venues, and new bars are starting to pop on the map.

The book has inspired many to take their next drink with a pinch of mindfulness.

Since its publication, the sober curious movement has been on the rise. It came about just at the right time – amidst the boom of wellness trends, sustainability endorsements, and a pandemic that forced us to change the way we think about our lives.

This lifestyle shift that is characterised by plant-based diets, self-care routines, and more “me time” has put a spell on today’s consumers, especially millennials. It’s now the norm to be following an organic lemonade recipe at home on a Friday night rather than showing your intoxicated dance moves on a sticky dancefloor.

The obsession with well-being and the lower consumption of alcohol reached its peak during the pandemic.

According to Nielsen, millennials are headlining the sober curious movement, as 66% are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption in 2019.

“Spoil yourself without spoiling yourself” is the motto of Redemption – a vegan dry gastrobar located in Shorts Gardens, London. Redemption serves a gamut of cocktail twists such as indulgent coco-tinis and rum-free mojitos alongside exquisite meat-free meals in the likes of BBQ cauliflower wings and beetroot carpaccio. It sounds like the perfect spot for the wellness and planet-conscious consumers.

Edinburgh is also making a mark in history with its first-ever alcohol-free pop-up bar called DRY. When talking about the inspiration for his sober business adventure, co-founder Jamie Walker shares: “We set up DRY in response to a trend for non-alcoholic beverages among increasingly health-conscious millennials.”

Other dry bars, such as the Brink in Liverpool and Sobar in Nottingham, are also a great stop for the sobercurious clientele.

MOCKTAILS VS COCKTAILS: A REBRANDING ADVENTURE As more people are enticed by the sober-curious lifestyle, businesses, especially bars and restaurants, are responding to the new demand for zero-ABV beverages. A report by Bon Appétit predicts that the market for low and non-alcoholic beverages will grow by 32% between 2018 and 2022.

But simply re-introducing seltzers, non-alcoholic beer, and zero-ABV spirits won’t cut it this time. Young consumers are seeking better experiences through the products and settings they consume them in. Buzzwords such as organic, vegan, sustainable, and ethical are headlining their choices.

Existing businesses are urged to come up with creative rebranding strategies that accommodate the new consumer needs and overcome the stereotype around non-alcoholic beverages that labels them as bland, unexciting, and repetitive. By mixing exquisite flavours into mouth-watering blends, mixologists are now creating state-of-the-art mocktails and nourishing drinks that are creative, trendy, and tasty all at the same time.

Think lemonade zest-flavoured immune-boost mocktails, a 0% alcohol lemonade vodka and passion fruit in a botanical blend, or a vegan lemonade with mint mojito packed with vitamin B12. And that’s just a few lemonade-style options – the possibilities for creative non-alcoholic beverages are endless.

Buzzworks to Sail into Inverclyde One of Scotland’s largest hospitality groups, Buzzworks Holdings, has today, Friday 4th February, announced it will bring its flagship restaurant Scotts to Greenock, creating over 70 jobs for the town.

Set to open at the new Greenock Cruise Ship Visitor Centre, currently under construction on the banks of the river Clyde, the restaurant will be the dynamic, family run business’s first venture in Inverclyde, offering fantastic food and drink in a world class venue that local residents will be proud of.

The wellness express has been powering through the vegan advocates and yoga gurus, and it is now making a stop at the sober curious consumers. While more and more millennials are indulging in their sober-curious impulses and new bars and venues are emerging, we wonder where this fascination with wellbeing will take us next.

Sources http://www.rubywarrington.com/i-am-an-author/sober-curious/ https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2019/many-americans-are-looking-for-a-bar-experience-without-the-buzz/ https://www.bonappetit.com/story/big-alcohol https://londonist.com/2015/04/is-there-such-a-thing-as-decent-non-alcoholic-beer https://mrfitzpatricks.com/the-rise-of-alcohol-free-bars-a-fad-or-here-to-stay/ https://redemptionvegan.com/ https://www.hiddenedinburgh.net/dry-edinburghs-first-alcohol-free-bar/

for over three years, this is another significant step forward in our continued growth strategy as we continue to branch out from our historical base in Ayrshire. The venue not only fits our ethos of enhancing communities through great hospitality, but will allow us to bring a new exciting dining experience to the area and help create numerous opportunities for the local community to work with a company that has ranked within The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For over recent years.

The addition of a Buzzworks restaurant is the latest piece of the jigsaw, which will see the dedicated Greenock cruise ship visitor centre feature a museum paying tribute to the late artist George Wylie, who worked as a customs officer in Greenock and lived in Gourock for many years and a dedicated arrival and departures hall for the many cruise ships that dock in the area.

It is estimated that the development is expected to increase visitor numbers to 150,000 a year and provide a £26 million boost to the Scottish economy.

Scotts will bring its relaxed all day dining and drinking offering to the new £19.2 million cruise ship visitor centre in Greenock, making it the perfect escape for discerning diners, both during or outwith the cruise call season.

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Buzzworks and their famous Scotts brand on board for the restaurant space within the new Greenock cruise ship visitor centre.

With a significant seven figure investment from Buzzworks, the new restaurant venue will be designed by Jim Hamilton, featuring a stunning open air rooftop terrace with panoramic views across the water and capacity for 150 covers within the restaurant for guests.

“This will not only bring a quality operator to Inverclyde and significant inward investment into the local economy but will also deliver a large number of jobs to the area.

Due to open towards the end of 2022, the stunning seafront venue will be Buzzworks’ fourth Scotts restaurant, joining Scotts of Troon and Largs, as well as its newest Scotts, based in the East at South Queensferry, just outside Edinburgh.

“As we can see, the new Greenock cruise ship visitor centre development is full steam ahead and is really starting to take shape.

“This will be a fantastic facility not just for cruise ship passengers and crew but for the whole of Inverclyde and further afield all year round.”

Kenny Blair, Buzzworks Holdings MD, said: “Having been in the pipeline

Menabrea Announces Launch Of First Alcohol Free Beer Italy’s oldest brewery, Menabrea, has announced the launch of its first ever alcoholfree beer, Menabrea Zero Zero.

Initially available exclusively through the on-trade, the premium alcohol-free lager beer has a finely balanced taste and excellent, compact foam. Dealcoholised rather than brewed to be 0%, the latest addition is made using the same unique brewing process and 170-years of family expertise that makes Menabrea so remarkable.

Research undertaken by IWSR signalled that the low and no alcohol boom is showing no signs of slowing, with a predicted sales increase of 31% in volume by 2024.

A first for Menabrea, the team has worked hard on the development on Zero Zero to ensure it meets the high-quality credentials customers have come to know and love,

delicate yet full-bodied.

Angus Lawrie, Head of Premium brands at C&C Group said: “We are delighted to now be able to offer an alcohol-free alternative, for those who want to enjoy the great taste of Italy’s most stylish serve, but with 0% ABV. Menabrea has been the superior beer of choice in bars across the world for many decades and the arrival of Zero Zero sets a new benchmark of quality in the non-alcoholic beer category.”

The 330ml bottles are available now from distributors in the UK, including Delitalia, Bibendum, Matthew Clark, and Tennent Caledonian Breweries.

Find out more www.menabrea.co.uk.

Travel & Tourism Could Grow to $8.6 Trillion in 2022, says WTTC 26

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Major new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the global Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion this year, just 6.4% behind pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, the Travel & Tourism sector generated nearly $9.2 trillion to the global economy.

However, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete standstill, causing a massive 49.1% drop, representing a severe loss of nearly $4.5 trillion.

Latest research from WTTC shows that as the world finally begins to recover from pandemic, the sector’s contribution to both the global economy and employment could reach almost pre-pandemic levels this year.

Research by the global tourism body shows that if the vaccine and booster rollout continue at pace this year, and restrictions to international travel are eased around the world throughout the year – the sector could create 58 million jobs in 2022, to reach more than 330 million, just 1% below pre-pandemic levels and up 21.5% up on 2020.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Over the past two years, the global Travel & Tourism sector has suffered tremendous losses.

“2022 is poised for a strong recovery if governments continue to open up and remove restrictions to travel. Our sector could recover more than 58 million jobs and generate $8.6 trillion which would boost economic recovery around the world.

“As people start travelling again, governments must implement simplified rules, including the use of digital solutions. Travel of the future should be contactless while guaranteeing safety. “ In 2019 Travel & Tourism generated 10.4% of global GDP and more than 330 million jobs. To reach close to pre-pandemic levels this year, WTTC says governments around the world must continue focussing on the vaccine and booster rollout – allowing fully vaccinated travellers to move freely without the need for testing.

The global tourism body also urges governments to ditch the patchwork of restrictions and enable international travel using digital solutions that allow travellers to prove their status in a fast, simple and secure way.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Thanks UK Hospitality Charity Springboard for their Support Towards the Sector’s Recovery Commenting on hospitality’s ongoing recruitment issue, Chris Gamm said: “As we move out of the pandemic, with restrictions lifted and life returning to normal, it’s great to see the sector get major focus from the Government in their recent jobs, through the Way to Work initiative. As we prepare for the busy summer period ahead, it’s promising to see our sector is improving, and hospitality has shown resilience and perseverance.

Two young Springboard trainees played host to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, in a meeting this week where they discussed their own experiences trying to find a job in the hospitality sector.

Alongside this, they also discussed Springboard’s efforts to help the sector’s recovery amidst the ongoing pandemic and recruitment crisis.

Pedram Keshavarz, aged 24, and Precious Brann-Nicol, aged 18, both struggled to find jobs in the capital. But, after applying and taking part in the Diageo learning for Life Hospitality Sprint programme, delivered

by Springboard in November 2021, they have now secured jobs in the hospitality industry.

“Our industry was facing a skills shortage pre-pandemic and COVID19 has put even more strain on this problem. However, through initiatives like Springboard to 2022, CareerScope and Way to Work we are starting to see more applicants like Pedram and Precious secure places on training schemes and into jobs – which helps the recovery of our sector.”

Pedram and Precious met with the chancellor and Springboard’s CEO Chris Gamm this week at the launch of Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard, which is due to open in Autumn 2023 and be the southern hub of the Learning for Life programme.

Discussing his experience on the Diageo Learning for Life Hospitality Sprint course, Pedram said: “I found out about Springboard through my local job centre and was encouraged to register for the course after struggling for months to find suitable work. The course equipped me with so many valuable skills, including how to serve customers, and I particularly enjoyed learning about different types of drinks and cocktails. With the support of Springboard, I now have a job in a great bar in Camden, which I thoroughly enjoy. Having the opportunity to meet the chancellor and to tell him about my experience with Springboard

was fantastic.”

Discussing meeting the chancellor, Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “It was a pleasure to meet the chancellor and to tell him more about the work we do at Springboard. He shares our confidence about the future of hospitality and its prospects, particularly for young people, and thanked us for the part we’ve played in preparing the sector for re-opening post pandemic.”

The new Way to Wok initiative aims to secure jobs for half a million people by the end of June launches today which is part of ambitious government plans to turbo-charge our national recovery from COVID19.

To find out more about CareerScope, visit https://careerscope.uk.net/ To find out more about the Government’s Way to Work initiative, visit https://jobhelp.campaign.gov.uk/

Diageo Announces £73m Guinness Microbrewery & Culture Hub to be Built in London Diageo, maker of Guinness, has announced plans to invest £73m in Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard, a new microbrewery set to open in London’s Covent Garden in autumn 2023.

The new venue at the historic brewing site will include a microbrewery producing limited-edition beers and offering guests tours, event spaces and a restaurant and open-fire kitchen.

The 50,000 sq ft venue will create up to 150 jobs and will also become the southern UK hub of Diageo’s Learning for Life Bartending and Hospitality Programme, which has so far trained more than 5,500 people across the UK. The ambition is for more than 100 London-based students to graduate from the Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard programme each year, with a proportion of employment opportunities to be ring-fenced for graduates.

Guinness sales in Great Britain have grown by over 30% in the last six months and one in every 10 pints sold in London is now a Guinness.

Dayalan Nayager, managing director, Diageo Great Britain, said: “We’re excited to create a new home for Guinness in the heart of London. ‘Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard’ will strengthen London’s hospitality commu-

nity and be a must-visit destination for thousands of visitors to enjoy.

“Government support over the last two years has been vital for pubs and bars. Coming out of the pandemic, the long-term vitality of the trade will be significantly helped by the alcohol duty review and continued freezes in duty.”

The site will be carbon neutral by 2030 and accessible, with a community programme, details of which will be designed following a consultation period with locals.

The project remains subject to planning permission and consultation period. Old Brewer’s Yard is owned by the Mercers’ Company.

Rob Abernethy, chief executive of the Mercers’ Company, added: “We are delighted to welcome Guinness to our Covent Garden estate. We have worked closely with Diageo to develop proposals which will restore Old Brewer’s Yard’s historic origins in a contemporary context. The significant level of investment is a major boost to London’s recovering economy and will provide a one-of-a-kind immersive experience, shining the spotlight on Covent Garden as a global visitor destination.”

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New Nestlé Professional Report Celebrates And Inspires Sustainability Heroes 28

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and ideas on driving forward similar initiatives in their workplace.

To drive action, sustainability experts at Footprint Intelligence have consolidated targeted industry insight, statistics and strategic frameworks for procurement, marketing, HR, health and safety, IT, facilities management and catering teams. In addition, there are details of valuable accreditations, tools and organisations for each business area – all devised to help organisations reduce their carbon impact.

Katya Simmons, managing director Nestlé Professional UK&I says: As food operators face an uncertain start to the year, Nestlé Professional celebrates and inspires sustainability superstars from across the industry in its new report: Empowering Sustainability Heroes. Proving that everyone in the business can make a difference, there’s expert advice for every business role and function as well as frameworks, tools and easy-to-action tips. All are aimed at galvanising the industry during challenging times with the goal of making 2022 as sustainable as possible.

Developed in collaboration with Footprint Intelligence, the wide-ranging guide to sustainability is packed with inspiring stories that cut across business roles and seniority: from chef to front of house, CEO to procurement. Detailing how businesses large and small from across the industry are reducing their carbon impact, it gives employees inspiration

“Food now accounts for 15% of humanity’s daily carbon impact and we need to cut this by at least one fifth in order to meet the UK’s reduction targets for 2030. The hospitality industry plays a key role when it comes to carbon impact, serving the 1 in 6 meals eaten outside the home . A concerted effort is absolutely vital if we’re to achieve these targets.”

“We realise we’re all in this together, so we designed this report to inspire and inform every business function and job level. In fact, the one job title we didn’t include was sustainability manager, because it’s important for everyone to champion this role, regardless of where they work in the business.”

“Embedding sustainability across the business isn’t just good for the

environment. As stories in Empowering Sustainability Heroes show, there’s a raft of other benefits. If food waste costs the average foodservice outlet £10K a year , imagine the cost-savings your business could achieve if every member of staff put their brainpower into finding sustainable solutions.

What’s more, with tools now available, helping businesses to easily repurpose leftovers and divert uneaten food to people who need it – it’s great for staff morale and workforce development too. In fact, there’s a myriad of reasons to be sustainable: from brand loyalty to supply chain resilience. We’ve provided guidance on achieving each in the report.

We realise that times are hard and sustainability may be slipping off the radar for many food operators. But there’s all the more reason to dig in and re-evaluate systems during periods of adversity. This is where the breakthroughs happen. We’re looking forward to hearing about these and the successes that they bring – for businesses and for our wider industry over the coming year.”

To view and download the Empowering Sustainability Heroes report, food operators can go to https://bit.ly/33wYKyF To watch the virtual launch of Empowering Sustainability Heroes and panel discussion go to https://youtu.be/mu5f8OuJa_E

Wales to Host Heat of Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef Competition Jacky Moss, who runs the Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef competition, said she was delighted that Welsh and Irish heats were being held for the first time. Previously, young chefs from Wales had travelled to compete in the Midlands heat.

Wales is to have its own heat of the Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef of UK and Ireland for the first time next month.

The heat will be held on February 22 at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) at Grwp Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea.

“We are looking forward to holding the heat at the Wales International Culinary Championships for the first time which guarantees that Wales will have a chef in the grand final,” she said.

The international competition, which is being held for the fifth time, is for young chefs aged 17-23 who can inject personality, passion and creativity into their own vibrant and exciting risotto dish. Entries must be received by January 31 at https://www.culinaryassociation.wales/competitions.

Arwyn Watkins, OBE, CAW president, said he was delighted to host the competition’s Wales at the WICC. “The Welsh International Culinary Championships is the perfect place for all these culinary competitions in Wales to come together in one place,” he added.

The Wales heat winner will qualify for the Grand Final at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the April 4, where the finalists will compete for an exciting prize.

The overall winner will travel to Italy for a three day stage with Fabio Pisani, Alessandro Negrini and their team at the two Michelin starred Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan, famous for its contemporary Italian cuisine.

The winner will also be taken on a tour of the Riso Gallo Rice Mill in Italy and will learn about a selection of excellent rice, cresses and oils from Riso Gallo, Filippo Berio and Koppert Cress.

“After the challenges of the past two years, we are looking forward to putting on a fantastic event to showcase the rich talent and skills within our hospitality industry.”

The WICC, which run from February 22-24, will feature competitions for chefs and front of house staff to suit every level of experience, including the National and Junior Chef of Wales contests and Major International Challenge. Entries for all competitions must be received by January 31, 2022.

Licensed Trade Charity Announces Over 120k People Helped Since the Start of Covid After a challenging trading period through December and Christmas for the licensed drinks sector the Licensed Trade Charity has announced it has helped over 120k people and given over £3.3m in grants and services since the start of Covid-19.

The Licensed Trade Charity, who are dedicated to supporting workers in the licensed drinks trade, release figures today (24th January 2022) for the year of 2021, showing they helped over 46k people with over £1.7m in grants and services during the year.

The Charity, which was established in 1793, supports people from the licensed drinks trade and has seen a growth in awareness and demand for the free support it offers to the licensed trade.

The Charity launched an app for free download in November 2021 with over 510 downloads in December alone. The app gives users direct access to that free support with just a swipe and touch.

Mental health remains a challenging issue for the industry, with the charity’s free helpline reporting a massive 40% increase on the previous year in calls for emotional support and counselling.

Paula Smith, head of marketing for the Charity said “Through our helpline we offer practical guidance from information specialists and emotional support from qualified counsellors and in the past practical guidance made up around 60% of the support requests we received. We have seen that switch with almost 70% of calls during 2021 for emotional support and counselling.

We know from our own on-trade research, carried out by KAM Media in November 2021, that people across the sector have found it more challenging to

maintain good mental wellbeing during the last 12 months. 45% of respondents said that their mental health had been negatively impacted since the start of Covid-19. The biggest factors negatively impacting their mental wellbeing have been reduced income, increased pressure due to staff shortages and uncertainty about job security. Sadly over 1 in 3 (33%) on-trade respondents have (or know a colleague who has) experienced a mental health issue.

Licensed hospitality people are a resilient bunch and despite the struggles for many, 61% of respondents highlighted that keeping in regular contact with colleagues, friends and family had positively impacted their mental wellbeing and 1 in 5 said that increasing their physical activity and taking part in mindfulness activities had also had a positive impact.”

The Charity offers telephone counselling for individuals through its helpline as part of their free core support service. In response to the rise in awareness of mental health issues, focus on improving mental wellbeing and increased demand for emotional support it launched counselling for couples and children during 2021.

Licensed Trade Charity, CEO, Jim Brewster, added “I am proud of the range of services we offer the licensed trade and the fact that it is all delivered without cost to operators or individuals. Our team deliver a fantastic, professional service. They understand what our industry needs and adapt our range of support to meet those needs”.

Products and Services We Promise To Make Coffee Robert’s Dorset - Handmade in Britain Moments Unforgettable

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Your customers choose you because they want to create great memories. Whether enjoyed first thing in the morning or last thing after supper, Artisan Coffee will transport your customers somewhere truly magical - and all they need to do to get there is to walk through your doors.

Our indulgent blends have been created and perfected by some of the best in the biz. From a Michelin two-starred chef to a team of the world’s best Q graders (the coffee industry’s equivalent to a sommelier), the leading minds - and palates - in the industry are behind our original and characterful blends.

This is no ordinary coffee. When it comes to flavour, we’re changing the game. We use cutting-edge science and innovative technology to stay ahead of the flavourtrain. Our six distinctive characterful blends have been crafted to thrill everyone from the casual caffeine con-

sumer to the consummate coffee connoisseur. Who knew coffee could taste so good?

We didn’t start with a mission to change the way you drink coffee; we started with a mission to greatly improve it. From giving you the power to choose how you brew our coffee is available as pods, whole bean, coffee bags or ground so you can tailor it to suit your needs - to ensuring that flavour and freshness are maintained cup after cup. Our unique packaging keeps your coffee at its flavourful best. No subtle note is lost, just cup after cup of perfection.

With us, you’re in good company. Like the coffees we craft, we’re constantly evolving, improving and seeking perfection. The only challenge your customers will face is how to stop at just one cup.

Visit www.artisancoffeeco.com or contact sales@artisancoffeeco.com for more information.

Fly the Flag this June to Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Urges Chevler

Chevler, the UK’s leading manufacturer of baking cases and a major player in the bespoke printed greaseproof sheet market, is urging bakers, coffee shops, retailers, and foodservice operators not to miss out on the opportunities offered by what it is describing as a truly momentous event and unprecedented anniversary – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“As the country is now rapidly coming out covid of restrictions and with the four-day bank holiday in early June in order to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70th year on the throne approaching we hope that bakers, cake makers, coffee shop owners and retailers will get into the spirit of the event and seize the opportunities the fourday bank holiday offers,” explained Chevler’s director of sales and marketing Garry Parker.

“That’s why we have we have been forced by popular demand to reintroduce two of our specially designed baking cases which feature the Union flag. This means it is not too late for cupcake makers to take advantage of the growing excitement and build on the red, white and blue theme I know many are planning.”

The cases are available in the ever-popular 51mm x 38mm size and in quantities as low as 360 giving every

business, whatever its size, the chance to participate.

Chevler is unique in that its printing and converting is carried out in-house. “We do not rely on stock shipped from abroad or depend on outside printers or converters, explained Mr. Parker. “This means it is a truly British manufactured product. And we only use water-based, odour-less food safe inks. We have responded to our customers’ requests in order that they can be as innovative as they like this summer and take full advantage of the opportunities the snack cake market will offer.”

To also help tap into the excitement the company is offering a food-safe, printed natural greaseproof sheet featuring the Union flag marketed under the company’s Gourmet Food Wrap brand.

The 255mm x 406mm sheet with its rich luxurious feel has numerous potential uses and applications in the retailing, presentation and serving of both cold and, because of its excellent thermal properties, hot food.

These range from a simple sandwich, panini or burger wrap to, a liner for wire baskets and stainless-steel buckets, a place mat, or it can be simply put on a wooden board or slate on which sizzling or cold food can be placed.

Mr Parker stressed: “It is very important to remember that we print on natural greaseproof paper which does not have any chemical treatments or coatings. It acquires its greaseproof properties during the pulping process. Its fibres become so tightly entwined that the spaces between them are smaller than a grease molecule. It is therefore recyclable and a sustainable option for your business.”

They are available in individual packs of 500 sheets within boxes of 2000.

For further information visit www.chevler.co.uk or call 01844 344231.

Swinging With The Sausage Man

Bavarian style swing grills are really hot right now. A practical way of cooking large quantities of sausage and steak quickly, it’s no wonder that these awesome grills have fast become Christmas Market and event favourites the world over.

SCHWENKER GRILLS It’s rumoured that this distinctive fire pit style grill originated in South America, before being popularised in Southern Germany – where the worder “Schwenker” originates – and then spreading around the world. The person grilling on a Schwenker grill may also be referred to as a Schwenker, or a Schwenkermeister.

COMMERCIAL CHOICE Mark Coles, Key Account Manager with The Sausage Man, spent some time visiting Xmas events across the UK this winter and reports: “Bavarian Swing Grills are fast becoming the weapon of choice for our commercial customers. They’re open sided, so the people get a great look at the products and cooking process. The cooking smell circulates fantastically across the site, so it’s great at attracting people to your stall. The firepit also keeps your cooking team nice and warm in the

winter weather, which is always welcome in temperatures like we’ve been having lately!”

VERSATILE GERMAN SAUSAGE FOR EVERY OCCASION No matter what type of cooking method you use in your outdoor space, The Sausage Man has the products for you. You don’t need a Swinging Schwenker Grill to prepare Sausage Man products, but you can certainly use one.

Jorg Braese, Managing Director of The Sausage Man, had this to say: “Our sausages are extremely versatile.

We’ve cooked them in pans, microwaves, ovens, grills, hot dog machines, hot water, deep fryers, barbeques and steamers. Each preparation adds and highlights different flavours. There’s no wrong answer, as the results are always great!”

Find out more and set up your Commercial account now with The Sausage Man. You can also save 10% on your first order over £125 when you set up your account online at wholesale.sausageman.co.uk. Be sure to enter code CATER10 at checkout to secure your saving before the end of March 2022.

Robert’s Dorset is a family owned and operated company and we know the value of our stockist.

All orders are made to order giving you the freshest product available.

One area we differ from everyone else is each box we send out. We don’t insist on each box being a single flavour. We tailor every box to exactly what you require.

We offer 11 flavours of Proper Pork Crackling so if you only want 8, that’s exactly what we will send you.

Our minimum order is just 1 box with carriage or £150 with carriage paid.

We specialise in 3 core products, Pork Crackling, Nuts and fudge but we offer both reusable and recyclable

packaging in both.

In today's market place we try to tick as many boxes as possible to make us a one stop for the snack requirements.

Allegan Free, Keto, Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Carbohydrate, No Cholesterol, High Protein.

All of our products are British sourced with the exception of our nuts but hopefully in time, who knows.

For own online catalogue with visuals & prices please email trade@sct-sct.com or give one of the team a call 01202875280.

If you have an online store we are happy to send you visuals to ad to your website. Those with store we will provide full POS free of Charge.

Disposable Straws Created by Nature Frogut Straws produces natural disposable drinking straws made from wild grass (Lepironia articulata) growing in the Mekong Delta. The straws are produced in Long An province in Vietnam in the production plant established together with our Vietnamese partner Natufarm. The grass is handpicked by the local farmers living in wetlands so that improves their livelihoods.

On the other hand, growing Lepironia grass helps maintaining wetlands in their natural state. Therefore this is a great example of integrating ecosystem conservation and poverty reduction in the wetlands.

The straws are stored in Gdansk/Poland, and from there we distribute them to any place in Europe.

Frogut supplies both wholesale market (250 or 500 pcs carton dispensers)

and retail market (50 and 100 pcs boxes). The straws come in three lengths and can be individually wrapped in tissue paper. In the production we follow strict hygiene rules, as a result of which we obtained the German LFGB (food contact) certificate, issued by TÜV Rheinland.

Our grass straws are an ecological and sustainable alternative to paper straws. They do not soften, keep their shape and stiffness in both hot and cold drinks. They are ideal for water, carbonated drinks, juices and alcoholic beverages. They remain hygienic and functional even after years of storage.

For further information visit www.frogut-bio.pl or see the advert on the facing page.

NEW DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump) from Pump Technology Ltd. Launched at HRC Excel 21 to 23 March 2022 The DrainMinor C Combi oven waste pump can be seen in operation at the Hotel Restaurant Catering, HRC Exhibition 2123 March 2022 ExCel London on Stand P621 which we are sharing with Combi Oven servicing experts R-Tec Services & Innovation Ltd, (previously known as Rational Technical services UK Ltd.) Combi Oven cleaning cycles require hot wastewater to be pumped away if gravity drainage is not available.

The New DrainMinor C Combi Oven waste water drainage Pump has been developed specifically for this demanding application and offers users excellent reliability and ease of operation.

The compact wastewater collecting tank with low level inlet height, which can be decided onsite to suit the discharge run from the Combi Oven, is fitted with a Specialist Submersible pump. It features a rigid external float arm with large triangular float. This robust design ensures accurate and reliable automatic stop/start of the pump even when the hot wastewater is greasy. It can also cope with food debris or turbulence within the collecting tank.

A Silicon Carbide mechanical shaft seal, oil chamber and inboard shaft seal ring protects the motor within the submersible pump. This arrangement is an engi-

neered solution for leak and ingress protection of the motor windings when pumping hot wastewater with diluted cleaning chemicals and food waste debris. It ensures considerably longer product life and operating reliability over submersible pumps fitted with standard diaphragm shaft seals.

The compact dimensions (380mm W x 290mm D x 332 H) of the rigid, recyclable Polyethylene collecting tank ensure that it will easily fit into most spaces. The lid covers the entire top of the tank and fits onto a captive seal. Removing the lid is quick and simple, making it easy to see into the tank and all around the pump for cleaning and to facilitate removal of any buildup of debris.

Pump Technology Ltd., established 1992, is a specialist wastewater pump and pumping system provider.

The company’s DrainMinor, DrainMajor and DrainKing wastewater pump systems are renowned as robust and reliable commercial kitchen drainage solutions. For all kitchen wastewater pumping requirements call the technical team to discuss an application. They will be able to select a proven wastewater pumping system for you.

The Source Trade Show Preview

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The Source Trade Show is Back in February South West. It will be one of the first trade shows for food and drink in 2022, and no other event serves up such a rewarding and valuable mix of comparative tastings, innovative ideas, networking opportunities and inspirational experiences. The show will have Covid-19 measures in place to ensure a safe environment for both buyers and exhibitors. It's the perfect opportunity to get back up to speed and kickstart your business for the year.

The Source trade show, at Westpoint, Exeter on Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th February, is a great opportunity for you to restock, discover new products, and make the most of an influx of tourists to the

After a very difficult couple of years, this is your opportunity to reconnect in person, network with existing and potential customers, and be inspired by the latest in food, drink, and services. Finally you can get out from behind the computer, and taste and test products in person, as well as meeting the producers that made them. You’ll meet artisan producers that you won’t find anywhere

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

Working with column stills for a smoother spirit, the process is tightly controlled capturing only the hearts of each batch – the sweet spot of any distillation. This avoids the hasher elements found in the heads and tails to create a pure gin that is perfectly balanced.

else, including more Taste of the West exhibitors than at any other trade show. Not to mention brand new to market companies and exclusive show offers!

Attracting buyers from retail, hospitality and catering, the Source trade show brings out the best the South West region has to offer, from artisan food & drink to essential goods and services. If you have a serious interest in speciality foods, quality drinks, profitable catering and inspired hospitality, you cannot afford to miss it. Compare and contrast offerings and negotiate the best deals!

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

CLH NEWS - SERVING THE INDEPENDENT HOSPITALITY SECTOR FOR 21 YEARS!

We preserve the environment of mermaids by supporting marine conservation projects and working with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to restore seagrass meadows around the Solent. Our bottle is also completely plastic-free and made of 100% natural materials, with the seal around the cork being made from corn and potato starch.

See the advert on the facing page for details or visit www.isleofwightdistillery.com Alternatively call 01983 613653 or visit Stand B16

See us at The Source Tradeshow 2022 www.catererlicensee.com

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The Source Trade Show Preview HS French Flint - The Glass Container Specialists HS French Flint Ltd are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Source Trade Show again this year and are looking forward to seeing Old Friends as well as New Contacts on STAND H16.

range and have even more wonderful glass jars and bottles to show you this year. Please have a look at our website www.frenchflint.com or give us a call on 020 7237 1750.

Having moved into a new and larger showroom overlooking the River Thames near Tower Bridge we have continued to expand our

HS French Flint Limited, The Gallery, Springalls Wharf, 25a Bermondsey Wall West, London SE16

South West Labels

South West Labels are a supplier of labelling guns, thermal label printers & labels. We’re here for retail, industrial and manufacturing businesses. We’re independent, which means impartial recommendations combined with over 30 years experience in supplying these products.

The labelling gun market can be complicated. Many products are

Barton Reed & Co Barton Reed & Co is the leading supplier of quality furniture to hotels, restaurants, public houses and leisure facilities in the South West. We can supply beautiful leather sofas, stylish high bar stools, comfy tub seats, elegant restaurant tables and chairs, and relaxing beds.

From laid back, seaside charm to cutting-edge design our extensive product range will suit your style and give your business the look that you want to achieve.

We have a huge choice of colours, fabrics and finishes and all our furniture comes with a two-year warranty.

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

Barton Reed & Co is a familyrun business and we have been involved in the furniture industry since 1945. Over the years we have forged strong relation-

known by different names depending on their use.

Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns. Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industry. A wide variety of specialist features including autoincrementing guns for batch codes.

All equipment is supplied with a one year factory warranty and are designed to give years of reliable and effective service.

Visit us on stand H4 to view our products. ships with our suppliers to give you the best furniture available with a service that goes above and beyond our customers’ expectations.

Seven reasons why you should choose Barton Reed & Co to supply your contract furniture: • Wide range of styles • Easy ordering and re-ordering • Single point of contact • Short lead times • Direct delivery • After sales service • Two-year warranty on every item Get in touch to discuss your furniture requirements or to order our new brochure – we’re here to help.

Call us on 01409 271189, visit www.bartonreed.co.uk or email info@bartonreed.co.uk

SEE US ON STAND H33

Cleaning, Hygiene & Infection Control

Why Tailoring Your Products Will Revolutionise Your Cleaning Routine The pandemic has shone a harsh spotlight on venue hygiene and cleanliness. It can be tempting to cut corners when it comes to your cleaning routine, but ensuring you have the right products for the right job can save you time and money in the long run.

Hance McGhie from Chemisphere UK tells us about the science behind the products that will leave every aspect of your venue sparkling...

THE RIGHT PRODUCTS FOR...

CLEANING SURFACES...

A good surface spray should be food grade but food safe, and the ingredients should eat into biofilm removing any areas of residue that harbour pathogens. We have developed our independently-tested surface sanitiser to be extremely effective against bacteria, yeast and 99.999% of microbes, and - to ensure it’s easy to use - there is no need to rinse and it continues working for up to 14 hours when dry.

CLEANING NOZZLES, CONNECTORS AND SPARKLERS All nozzles, sparklers and connectors should be soaked overnight using sanitising tablets that are effective against bacteria, mould, spores and fungi. Using a tap and keg sanitising spray is also a good idea, as this can be used as and when to target bacteria and fungi, and remove any build up of yeast.

CLEANING BEER LINES Beer lines need to be cleaned by alkaline solutions which contain Potassium Hydroxide - a chemical used

in the food industry because it's an excellent detergent with strong antimicrobial properties. Your beer line cleaning products should be effective at emulsification and saponification of fats, protein peptization, and efficient at removing soils, greases and oils. Beer lines can get clogged up with yeast, so it’s crucial that your line cleaners stand up to the test - time and time again. Our Purple Pipeline Original is well known within the industry and is one of our top selling products, as it changes colour if your lines are dirty and doesn’t contain any caustic soda.

CLEANING GLASSWARE The best detergents for glassware include potassium hydrochloride but no caustic soda. Alkaline cleaning agents such as potassium hydrochloride are incredibly effective at emulsification and saponification of fats, protein peptization, and are efficient at removing soils, greases and oils.

CUTLERY AND CROCKERY Crockery and cutlery should always be put through a hot commercial grade dishwasher to ensure it’s hygienically clean and ready to be used again straight away.

Using a highly concentrated bactericidal dishwashing and sterilising powder should totally eliminate egg, protein, starch deposits and tannin stains, meaning that your customers can be confident of spotless cutlery and crockery.

Call us now on 0800 0188 062 or visit www.chemisphereuk.com

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Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control Issue 95

OptiClean Rapidly Reduces Levels of Virus-sized Airborne Particles Carrier's OptiClean™ air cleaner for hotels, restaurants and pubs is proven to rapidly reduce levels of ultra-fine, virus-sized particles in the air.

OptiClean uses a highly effective High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, which operates with an efficiency rating of up to 99.995% at the most penetrating particle size.

Research carried out by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) demonstrated that OptiClean cuts levels of airborne particles in the critical size range (up to 1 m diameter), covering viruses and virus-containing droplets, by around two thirds in just 30 minutes.

To broaden protection, OptiClean comes with optional internal UV-C lamps to target pathogens on surfaces within the unit and activated charcoal filters to reduce odours and absorb Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

The results also show OptiClean is as effective when located in the corner of a room as at the centre.

The unit is easy and quick to deploy, with smooth-running castors enabling it to be moved rapidly to areas requiring treatment.

Matthew Maleki, the company’s air quality specialist, said: "These independent findings demonstrate that OptiClean effectively targets ultrafine virus-sized airborne particles and can be installed in hospitality settings as part of a risk reduction strategy.”

OptiClean is part of Carrier's Healthy Buildings Programme, a suite of advanced solutions to help deliver healthy, safe, efficient and productive indoor environments.

In the US, where OptiClean was introduced first, the device was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020. In the UK it was selected as Air Conditioning Innovation of the Year in the Cooling Industry Awards.

Matthew Maleki said: “Good air quality is as important as safe drinking water. With people now returning to pubs and restaurants, OptiClean offers owners and managers a practical and visible means of reassuring customers and staff and supporting premises."

For more details: www.carrier.com/commercial/en/uk/products/air-treatment/air-scrubber/39uv/ OptiClean can be used in hotels, pubs, restaurants, offices and classrooms to reduce risks from airborne pathogens. Pictured is an OptiClean unit protecting players and staff in the changing rooms of Sale Sharks Rugby Club.

Dreaming of a Covid-Free 2022? Here’s How to Make it a Reality…

Minoo Patel, Head of Technology at BonaCaeli, explains how hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants can protect staff and customers.

rates.

MAKE YOUR AIR AS CLEAN AS YOUR PLATES

We’re all hoping that 2022 won’t be derailed by further lockdowns. But many in hospitality are also worried that a surge in Covid-19 cases could lead to staff shortages in an already stretched industry. We know that masks, extra ventilation, and social distancing measures can help – but there’s another solution that could be a game changer.

BonaCaeli’s AirVSAFE 2000 air purifier will remove 90% of airborne pathogens in your venue after just six minutes of running time. Run it continuously for seven hours or more, and it will remove 99.999% of pathogens – better than any other air purifier on the market.

Covid-19 is primarily transmitted through air-borne mists of exhaled particles, which can remain in the air for up to three hours. By simply installing a custom designed air-purifier, you can actively remove virus-carrying particles from the air and dramatically reduce transmission

Give your staff and your customers the gift of a safer festive season with a BonaCaeli AirVSAFE 2000 air purifier. To learn more visit https://www.bonacaeli.com/hospitality

Hospital-Grade Air Purification Made Portable Rensair is a specialist in portable air purification, protecting and enhancing lives through clean air.

Our patented technology, which combines H13 HEPA filtration with germicidal UVC light, was originally developed to meet the strict standards of Scandinavian hospitals and is now trusted across all sectors. It is independently validated by scientific research laboratories, including Eurofins, Norconsult, and Oslo University Hospital.

Rensair air purification units destroy a minimum of 99.97% of airborne viruses, including coronavirus, and

meet all the standards recommended by the UK SAGE committee. A powerful fan ensures effective air circulation, cleaning up to 560m3 of air per hour.

In a test to determine Rensair’s performance in reducing the concentration of MS2 bioaerosols as a proxy for SARS-CoV-2, a particle reduction rate of 99.99% was recorded in 30 minutes (Danish Technological Institute, March 2021).

We collaborate with clients to develop the optimum indoor air quality for meeting building requirements, as well as government recommendations for mitigating the risks of Covid transmission. We take into account floor plans, existing HVAC systems, occupancy rates and noise tolerance, before recommending a tailor-made solution based on our portable, modular units.

Rensair has been included in Newsweek’s list of Best Infection Prevention Products 2021. To make the list, a selection committee evaluated the product against several criteria: effectiveness; safety; successful real-world implementation; the quality of research studies demonstrating the product's effectiveness; and the stability of the company (to support future implementations).

Rensair’s mission is to provide clean air for every space and to help the hospitality industry get back on its feet after the pandemic. contact@rensair.com +44 (0)20 3973 8927 www.rensair.com

Encouraging Better Handwashing with Intellimix from Ideal Standard Ideal Standard, one of the world’s leading providers of bathroom and washroom products, has launched Intellimix, a smart, cost-effective solution to support better hygiene in spaces as the commercial world reopens.

Designed to dispense both soap and water with every use, Intellimix is completely touchfree, guaranteeing improved hygiene standards in public washrooms. Ideal for offices, leisure facilities and other high-traffic environments, such as shopping centres, hotels and restaurants, and airports, the fitting significantly lowers running costs while being sustainable and reducing waste.

Despite delivering an optimum volume of soap with every wash for improved hygiene, Intellimix actually reduces the overall amount of soap and water typically used in washrooms with traditional fittings, minimising waste and generating cost savings of up to 80 per cent on soap and 85 per cent on water.

Maintenance and cleaning is also hassle-free, with less frequent and faster soap replacement compared to traditional dispensers, and reduced cleaning required with all soap directed into the bowl.

Bluetooth enabled, Intellimix also offers parameter settings which can be easily controlled by facilities managers via a smartphone. From the palm of their hands, they can conveniently change a variety of settings on all taps in a building, including how much soap is dispensed, how long water should flow and how often anti-stagnation flushing should occur. Intellimix also sends notifications when soap is running low to avoid unnecessary physical checks.

The fitting is available in Chrome and Black Onyx versions, while panel mounted models will launch later in 2021. What’s more, the screen can also be set to display a company logo or any advertising image during idle times.

As well as the fitting, Ideal Standard has also developed Intellimix Mild Antibacterial Foam Soap, a unique formula to ensure flawless performance and optimal hygiene. Irritant-free and with a rich, thick texture, it is gentle on skin and offers a luxurious experience every time.

For more information, visit: www.intellimix.co or see the advert on page 19.

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The Importance Of A Social Media Policy (And How To Write One)

By Jen Hine, HR Advisor at staff management software provider, RotaCloud (www.rotacloud.com) We’ve all read horror stories about misjudged or offensive social media posts and the fallout they receive in the media. With almost 80% of the UK population having an active social media account, people don’t always realise the implications a social post can have – not just for themselves, but for their place of work, too. An errant social post has the potential to damage a business’s reputation and employers need to mitigate the risk social media presents by having a clear policy for their staff to refer to.

In the last year alone, hospitality workers have been dismissed for things ranging from posting complaints about work on TikTok, to

European Hotel Consultancy Everguest Launches in the UK to Help Hoteliers Through Critical Recovery Period Hoteliers must shift their focus from ‘survive’ to ‘thrive’ if they want their businesses to succeed as travel and tourism pick up pace once more during 2022. That is the view of European hotel consultancy Everguest, which is announcing its launch in the UK. Everguest has appointed hospitality business development professional Neil Middleton to lead its UK growth.

Founded in Hungary by experienced hotel GM and marketing agency head Miklós Belán, Everguest takes a guest-first approach to handle the three most decisive factors in the accommodation selection process – guest reviews, pricing and online appearance. The circumstances of the past two years have caused many hotels to retract resources and operate without a full complement of staff, so outsourcing these core capabilities to Everguest’s team of experts ensures that hotels remain competitive, visible and appealing.

Many hotels have survived the pandemic by regularly pivoting to fulfil short-term needs, but according to CEO Belán, now is the time for UK hoteliers to double down on attracting future guests. “The opening up of international tourism means travellers once again have a world of choice when it comes to booking a hotel,” he comments. “As the guest’s mindset shifts, so must the hotel’s strategy. It is no longer enough to keep the fire burning – it is time to fuel the flames; and Everguest has chosen now to expand to the UK because we can provide the manpower and expertise to deliver the right results for UK hoteliers.”

Partnering with hotel owners and managers, Everguest provides services in three key areas:

Reputation Management – Hotels can miss out on potential business if not reacting to the experiences of past customers, so Everguest ensures all guest reviews are responded to, providing reports and analysis to the hotel that will improve its future performance. Crucially, as hotels welcome back international guests, the Everguest team is capable of responding in 10 languages Revenue Management - Everguest implements dynamic pricing based on market trends, competitor analysis and the hotelier’s own insights to maximise a hotel’s revenue. As this service is tailor-made and managed by people rather than software, solutions can be found to accommodate hotels whatever their situation; including introducing dynamic pricing for the first time or optimising current strategies Online Marketing - A hotel’s online presence is essential for enticing potential guests and driving valuable direct bookings. Everguest’s expertise includes managing a hotel’s social media platforms, running PPC advertising campaigns and providing professional web design to elevate the visibility and attractiveness of the property’s owned channels Everguest’s research shows that enhanced online marketing and strategic pricing have the ability to deliver revenue increases of 15-20% for hotels and that bookings can be improved by up to 24% through greater responsiveness to guest reviews.

With a successful track record of growing business for independent hotels in mainland Europe, Everguest has recently appointed Neil Middleton to bring on new partners in the UK. Middleton has 18 years’ experience in tourism and hospitality, having worked in senior sales roles for brands including Booking.com, OYO, Expedia and Orbitz.

“Hospitality is a ‘people’ industry so people are at the core of the Everguest philosophy,” says Neil Middleton, Director of Sales at Everguest. “Our offerings consider what matter most to guests and our approach centres on the needs of the individual hotelier. Our team prides itself on going beyond data and dashboards to tailor a service appropriate for the hotel type and guest base the owner aspires to; and with labour shortages an ongoing issue in the hospitality industry, we give hoteliers the support they need to help their business thrive.”

To find out more about Everguest’s services see www.Everguest.net, watch this short video, or contact Neil Middleton on Neil.Middleton@Everguest.net or 07587 114030.

tweeting about customers. These are two very different types of actions, but both could have breached their respective workplace social media policies. To be clear, a social media policy is not about stifling your staff’s social media usage in their spare time, it’s about making them aware of the possible consequences and that their posts on personal social media channels, even outside of work hours and in their spare time, can potentially breach a social media policy, just as they would if the same thing occurred during work hours. You might think an entire policy dedicated to social media is a bit excessive, but from a business perspective it’s key for a number of reasons. It helps to maintain your business’ online reputation, it makes sure that your staff know their rights and responsibilities, and it helps to mitigate claims of unfair dismissal.

But what is a social media policy and what should you include?

A social media policy is a document that offers guidance to employees who use social media platforms, either as part of their job, or in their personal life. It should be part of your staff handbook or corporate guidelines and it should outline the things staff should be aware of, and behaviours they should uphold when using social media channels. For instance, this could be anything from ensuring staff follow a code of conduct, to making sure that customers’ and colleagues’ confidentiality is respected at all times.

Just like other corporate guidelines, there’s no set rule about what should and shouldn’t be included in your policy, but there are a few things that should be considered as a general rule of thumb.

1.

Start with a clear explanation of why you’re putting a policy in place, clarifying that you’re not trying to control or police what employees do outside of work hours 2.

Make clear that they are responsible for the things they post and share, and include specific guidance that gives them a better understanding on what they should and shouldn’t post 3.

Include any confidentiality agreements and data protection policies, and make clear that these also apply to social media 4.

Make clear your stance on self-identification. In general, staff should not be instructed to represent or advocate for the company they work for online, unless it is mentioned in their job description.

For those who are posting on behalf of their company as part of their role, they need to follow company brand guidelines, follow the law, and refrain from making defamatory or offensive remarks —all of which should be highlighted in your social media policy.

We live in an increasingly connected world where individuals’ details, including their places of work, are often very visible, so it’s important for employers to have clear social media policies. While an employer can’t, and shouldn’t, limit their staff’s social media use in their free time, or prohibit them from expressing themselves online, they are able to put measures in place to ensure the business’s reputation isn’t negatively impacted by an employee’s activity on social media. By creating a comprehensive social media policy, you make staff aware of the risks, and their responsibilities, keeping both you, and them safe.

If you want to read more about creating a staff social media policy, you can at https://blog.rotacloud.com/how-to-write-a-social-media-policy/

New Products from SAM4S SAM4S, a leading manufacturer of store automation products, is happy to introduce you the brand new products in 2022.

We are going to launch New CPU based on mainboard 7th generation Elkhart Lake J6412 for PC POS lineups. It is 2.5 times higher in benchmark score comparing to 4th generation Baytrail J1900 CPU. We will apply new mainboard to our current main POS products, TITAN-S series and Forza series. We also plan to introduce new style stand on TITAN-S model to offer various options for customers.

With the growing demands on self-ordering KIOSK products, we are offering diverse choices to customer for different working environment.

To start with, we have SK series KIOSK in 15” & 21.5” PCAP Touch screen with J1900/Elkhart J6412/Core i3 & i5 CPU supported. It is equipped with 3” printer, 2D barcode scanner &WIFI available.

We have also slimmer type of SK series which fit better for compact and confined environment.

Secondly, we are newly introducing Compact KIOSK using our POS system. You can have various options in screen size of 15”, 15.6” and 18.5” with low-end CPU Celeron N2807, N3160, J1900 and Elkhart J6412 to high-end CPU Core series. It is All-in-one KIOSK with 3” printer integrated in compact size and small foot

Stand allowing space flexibility. In addition, it has price competitiveness than general type of self-ordering KIOSK. Lastly, we are preparing completely new design of 21.5” KIOSK with user-friendly shape which is to be launched in 2nd half of 2022.

Due to global pandemic, the demand for contactless product such as Kiosk for self-ordering & self-checkout has increased rapidly. SAM4S KIOSK would be the perfect solution for your choice.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

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

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Empowering Your Ambition with Xledger or drilling-down to source transactions for a 360° overview at the press of a button. With no requirement for new IT infrastructure, you can grow your business without interruption.

How often do you find yourself needing to update your POS, ticketing or booking systems to keep up with what customers want?

Adapting to the pandemic-enforced restrictions put in place for venues and hospitality settings only added to the on-demand nature of distributed ordering and payment capabilities.

Connecting these ever-adapting external systems with your back-end finance software shouldn’t be a factor holding you back.

It can be achieved seamlessly with Xledger’s advanced cloud-based finance software that allows for effortless custom integrations with external systems. It helps over 10,000 organisations in 60 countries streamline, digitise and automate their finances.

With Xledger, you’re always in control, whether that’s comparing actuals against budget, forecasting year-end

As a cloud software with an open API, Xledger can integrate with any other system to empower your organisation with one version of the truth. It automates financial tasks by up to 75% allowing you to spend less time processing transactions and more time analysing the result of them. From automated workflows to recurring billing, Xledger allows you to improve efficiency and streamline operations. Automated, configurable reports and real-time dashboards allow you to slice and dice data from every angle.

Ultimately, the 100% cloud solution helps you to reduce costs, run a leaner, more efficient finance function and understand key financials in real-time. This gives you the opportunity to add real value to your organisation and frees up your time so you can focus on tasks that grow the business.

If you would like to find out more about Xledger or to book a demo you can contact them by emailing mail@xledger.co.uk or call 0117 457 3293.

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.

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

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

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw said: “So many of our

hospitality customers rely to some extent on students and it’s a relationship that brings benefits to employer and employees. Managing a team where some members are unavailable for certain shifts and not 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.

Visit Bizimply at www.bizimply.com

How often do you find yourself needing to update your POS, ticketing or booking systems to keep up with what customers want?

Xledger is an advanced, cloud-based finance software that allows for effortless custom integrations with external systems, so you never need to worry about your finance software holding you back.

Our powerful automation and real-time reporting tools support a live consolidation across the group, enabling venues to compare actuals against budget, forecast to year-end and drill-down to source transactions for a 360° overview at the press of a button. With Xledger, you’re always in control.

We provide venues & hospitality with: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

One, live version of the truth In-system, real-time reporting with role-based dashboards Flexible and bespoke integrations OCR to eliminate costly data entry errors A paperless workforce with automated digital workflows Consolidated reports in seconds rather than weeks Accessible from anywhere, all you need is an internet connection

To find out how Xledger can help your hotel or catering business, simply email: mail@xledger.co.uk or call 0117 457 3293.

Book a demo today!

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Sustainability and Personalisation Will Prevail in 2022 Peter Moore, Lolly CEO, offers his predictions for a year of further change in hospitality – underpinned by technology (www.itslolly.com) 2021 has been another year of highs and lows for hospitality, with the joys of reopening shadowed by enduring challenges, including staff shortages, no-shows and supply issues.

As we move into a New Year, there will be several priorities we need to consider as we navigate our way through these turbulent times. We must not neglect the core values of sustainability and personalisation, as well as the duty of care we have to our customers in terms of safety and security. Hospitality technology will play a big part in the hospitality sector facilitating and embracing these values.

REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION Sustainability will be ingrained within every part of our lives moving forward. Technology companies should be reviewing the power consumption within their organisations, as well as assessing and strategising on how they can support clients in managing and reducing their power usage.

This relates to both hardware and software. Investing in and providing products that have lower power consumption, or building into software code hibernation modes, which allow for power cycles and automatic updates before opening every day, will help ease power usage reduction.

KEEPING CUSTOMERS INFORMED - SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY Allergen management will continue to be a big topic and there is an ongoing process to develop the most seamless and effective processes to

keep customers safe. As personalisation and data collection in the sector grows this will improve. For instance, automatic allergen alarms built into apps or software could support hospitality providers in safeguarding themselves and their customers.

As well as allergens, consumers are expecting more from hospitality providers in terms of detailed nutritional information and the carbon footprint of their products. They are interested in the whole supply chain, product origins, and what companies are doing to cut back on their carbon footprint.

Environmental information that visually flags products with a high carbonfootprint, or shares the product origin, could begin to appear alongside allergens and nutritional data on app and self-serve unit menus, as well as on PoS software. Carbon-footprint calculators could be built into apps to allow users to calculate the environmental impact of their meal or drinks, down to the type of milk they choose for their coffee.

APPS HAVE PEAKED As predicted, apps have been prominent in 2021. Yet, we are now in the early stages of maturity and subsequent diversification in the tech life-cycle of this product. Their use will settle and solidify, particularly playing a big role for larger hospitality organisations and corporate caterers.

However, consumers don’t want to download an app for every visit or experience. Web-based ordering, particularly in-house will remain a big trend. Tableside ordering, with QR codes, browser-based menus, ordering and payments software will continue to be popular in 2022. Technology providers need to ensure a secure, seamless process and complete integration with back office and kitchen, as well as loyalty and payments.

place and create more seamless payments. New products will also improve accessibility by reducing payment costs for merchants.

Direct bank transfers (via QR codes and pay-by-link) are currently free, but at some point this will be commercialised by banks etc., as revenue is lost from other payment methods. Ensuring consumer protection should be a priority for technology providers, and hospitality businesses need to understand merchant liability.

THE NEW-LOOK Windows 11 operating system was launched in October 2021, and with most hospitality tech operating on Windows software, in 2022 we will see a hardware refresh, as companies who are upgrading systems change their hardware to be compatible with the new OS. Alongside pin-on-glass and other more streamlined PoS and payments methods, this change will result in hospitality environments evolving to look slightly different and more modernised. This will happen slowly, but there are many bigger sites and companies with legacy systems that are going to need to start investing in upgrading their systems, so this will speed up the shift.

In line with sustainable practices, technology providers should only be advising hardware updates only where it is necessary or beneficial from both a business and environmental standpoint.

CONTINUED TECH ADOPTION AND ACCEPTANCE CROSS-GENERATIONS

PAYMENT METHOD EXPERIMENTATION

The older generations are still using tech and adopting new ones, which means that hospitality providers have even more reason to embrace technology - they can be confident the majority of their customers are ready.

New products and entrants to the market will continue, as the industry and consumer habits shift and experiment in the ‘new normal’. In 2021 we saw the extensive rollout of QR codes, and on a lesser scale pin-on-glass and e-wallets. These products are going to continue to change the market-

Generation Alpha are coming into the marketplace. They have fewer reservations about sharing their information, and this openness with data will impact and improve the hospitality experience, leading to greater personalisation.

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

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.

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

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.

Touch boasts a variety of features such as: a complete Stand alone or Multi Lane, Cloud Management, Online

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

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CLH Digital

Issue 95

Outdoor Spaces

Stylish Luxury Gazebos From White Pavilion Hi, I'm Tim Burdekin, and I've designed and built the White Pavilion Garden Gazebo to be your perfect, all-weather gazebo for all the seasons.

I designed the White Pavilion Garden Gazebo range to be combined with a variety of lighting, heating, coloured canopies and side screen options to help create the perfect gazebo for your outdoor space, garden, patio or hot tub area. They're 100% waterproof and designed to withstand the very worst the British weather can throw at them. And they're guaranteed to survive 100 Mph Winds - see 100 Mph Windproof.

Our stylish hospitality gazebos Generate More Income from your outdoor space. Keeping your customers comfortable outdoors, the more time they will spend with you…. which means more money they will spend with you.

A White Pavilion Gazebo gives 100% Waterproof Protection...100 Mph Windproof Guaranteed...100%

Sun Protection......and comes with a 5 Year Guarantee - Your gazebo choice doesn't get better than this.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to get in touch. Give our team a call - 01653 695 285 or visit www.whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk We're here to help you get the very best from your outdoors.

The Bio Climatic Pergola from CambridgeStyle Canopies

products on mainland Britain. We have a chain of partners that can assist you locally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 or see the advert on page 2.

Design and Refit Carbon Savings with Adveco FUSION Hybrid Hot Water Systems Commercial hot water specialist, Adveco, introduces the FUSION FPH-S range of low carbon, all-electric, packaged hybrid hot water systems. Designed to meet the daily needs of restaurants, cafés, public houses and other small to medium sized business, FUSION harnesses Adveco’s FPi32 air source heat pump (ASHP), a high-pressure ATSH calorifier with electric immersion, controls, and metering. Packaged together this provides a reliable, high-temperature, sustainable and cost-effective system for new build and refurbishment projects.

“For organisations with small to medium basin and sink led hot water demands and a desire to embrace a more sustainable business model, the FUSION FPH-S range provides a single, easy to accommodate, highly effective response,” says Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco. “By choosing one of these packaged hybrid

water systems you gain optimum efficiencies, lower your carbon emissions and can be assured building regulations are being met for your commercial project.”

FUSION is available in 16 pre-specified variants with 6 or 10 kW preheat and 9 or 12 kW electric top-up which support continuous capacity hot water demands from 257-377 litres/hour. The physical design, dedicated controls, and integrated metering ensure the ASHP preheat, and immersion work seamlessly to deliver the highest operational efficiencies. This enables FUSION’s heat pump to supply 50°C for system preheat and offset much of the electric immersion top-up in the calorifier to deliver up to 53% carbon emission savings when compared to an identical direct electric only system. When compared to an equivalent gasonly system carbon savings of 50% can be demonstrated. www.adveco.co

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.

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.

Visit www.saniflo.co.uk or see the advert on page 13 for further information.

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Design and Refit Space Saving Solutions Without Compromising On Performance 44

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Issue 95

By Tim Charlton, managing director of Euro Catering Equipment, UK distributor for Giorik.

What are the latest and greatest features chefs should look out for when it comes to this equipment?

Space is one of the biggest limitations in any pub kitchen, as operators try to strike the right balance between maximising space for paying customers whilst providing enough room back of house to serve them. Whether it’s a historic building or a new-build, ask any pub chef and they’ll tell you they’d like more space in the kitchen.

Of course, space constraints don’t just pose logistical challenges for staff, they also impact what equipment can be installed. That’s why slimline ovens are proving increasingly popular and manufacturers are working incredibly hard to deliver the same performance from a smaller footprint.

Giorik offers a number of slimline models across its Kore and Movair combi oven ranges, including a choice of ten countertop Kore ovens (6 or

10 x 1/1gn) which are just 520mm wide and can be stacked two high to get the most capacity from the smallest footprint.

Unique to Giorik, a gas slimline model is also available in both 6 and 10 x 1/1gn format, as well as models with an internal boiler.

Or for complete flexibility, the Movair MTE523W from Giorik is a 13amp countertop 5 x 2/3gn model - universally popular in pub kitchens because it can be plugged in anywhere. And still just 637mm wide.

The most important thing with any slimline model is that they don’t compromise on performance or functionality. All of Giorik’s slimline combi ovens are fitted with touchscreen programmable controls, an automatic wash system, multi-level shelf timers and a core probe – for maximum performance from a minimum footprint in smaller kitchen spaces.

Visit www.euro-catering.co.uk/shop/brands/giorik or www.giorik.com/en/home.html

MST Auctioneers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upgrade Your Chairs with Trent Furniture’s New Reupholstery Service If the metal or wooden chairs in your hospitality setting are looking tatty but the frames are still robust, there’s no need to throw them away. You can easily extend their lifespan and have them looking as good as new again with Trent’s new reupholstery service.

To advertise in the

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier Tel 01202 552333

Trent’s team of expert upholsterers, who work on many of the new chairs we supply, are now able to provide that service for older chairs that require a facelift or need to be recovered to fit in with a new décor scheme. With a choice of hundreds of contract-grade fabrics to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect choice for your venue.

Not only does reupholstery cost a fraction of the amount needed to buy new chairs, prolonging the life of the chairs you already own is a more eco-conscious choice too. What’s more, the process couldn’t be simpler – all you need to do is email a photo of the chair stating how many you need reupholstered for a competitive quote.

To find out more about how Trent’s reupholstery service can give your chairs a new lease of life in 2022, please call us on 0116 2864 911 or fill in our contact form at www.trentfurniture.co.uk

Bar Station Design Has Never Been So Flexible: fleXtations fleXtations also helps bartenders work on an ergonomically designed station, as well as having a wide range of functional modules that are designed for bartenders’ use.

Who’s behind fleXtations?

Innovator of fleXtations is a manufacturer and contractor called F&D Proje. Based on 25 years of business experience in Turkey and having accomplished numerous projects in Europe, Asia and Africa, F&D Proje launched its branch in the UK in 2019.

Despite being pretty new in the UK local market, F&D Proje has rapidly gained solid references mostly in London bar scene. World-wide recognized venues such as Nightjar, Bar Swift, Gibson and Amaro have their kitchen and bar systems set up by F&D Proje.

Further info is available on Instagram accounts: @flextations and @fdproje Everybody in kitchen and bar design would agree that there is no perfect design that works for every user in every occasion.

Especially, when it comes to bar design. Every inch needs to be precisedly taken care of. But, bar operation is always dynamic. In some hours, the bar station would need to be suitable for prep hours, while in the following hours it may need to have space for a number of bartenders preparing cocktails for the guests and the floor.

F&D Proje has come up with an innovative system that allows end users redesign their bar layout any moment they need to.

The system is basically composed of different functional modules sitting on top of a giant well. All these modules are interchangable to redesign according to the end users’ needs.

Design and Refit

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CLH Digital

Having Successfully Launched the ILF Chairs New Comprehensive Website, ILF Have Now Added Further Stock Product Colours 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. They have also now added a range of stock chairs and barstools.

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 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.

www.ilfchairs.com

Perfect Refrigeration Performance, Outstanding Energy Efficiency

German engineered appliances from Liebherr provide exceptional refrigeration and freezing performance for your business.

Ergonomically designed with efficiency in mind, our spacious refrigerators and freezers allow you to store fresh food and ready-to-serve dishes in a well-arranged, easily accessible manner.

Manufactured in Europe using robust, high-quality materials to meet the demands of a busy commercial catering environment.

The fronts, compartments, and containers are all conveniently designed for easy cleaning making Liebherr appliances ideal for bars, bistros, and restaurants.

Liebherr's under-worktop

appliances for the food industry offer generous storage space while taking up little room. They can easily be integrated below a worktop as a space-saving option and provide a highly appealing presentation platform for drinks etc. The interior lighting, with its own on/off function, further enhances the display of your products for optimal effect.

The beverage industry also requires perfect refrigeration performance. Drinks are deliciously chilled and ready for sale even after a short storage period. The combination of modern refrigeration components, powerful and climatefriendly coolants, and precise control systems ensure low-cost energy efficiency.

To find out more information please see that advert below.

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

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Issue 95

Property and Professional

Weathering the Financial Storm It’s undoubtedly been a difficult time for many within catering and foodservice. With the combination of Brexit, COVID-19 and pinches to the economy, it’s no wonder many are looking to diversify or change to stay afloat. Rick Smith, MD of Forbes Burton (www.forbesburton.com), a business advisory firm specialising in insolvency, suggests how businesses can make the most of their situation.

It’s often the small changes that make the most amount of difference. If firms within catering and food are concerned with the state of their business, they should take steps to remedy this as soon as possible. For example, taking a look at your current strategy could work wonders. Is there anything that could be changed easily? It’s best to make a point of this, speak to professionals who may be able to identify weak areas and help strengthen your offering as well as your finances.

Restrictions have taken over the past few years, with many in the catering industry suffering from a lack of live events, cancelled plans and a general recruitment problem that is yet to be solved. All these things can compound to make what is usually a lucrative, seasonal business a success into an unstable, fraught experience.

If you don’t have a business plan to hand, then make sure you review or create one. Are there any areas of your business where costs could be cut? Could you plan for different scenarios of problems and how they can be overcome?

If you are struggling to find areas to save cost, looking at your suppliers could be a great start too. Just because you’ve been with the same one for 10 years and they’ve always been good doesn’t mean you have to stick with them forever. Do the research on any new suppliers beforehand though, reliability and fulfilment needs to be balanced with cost. An unreliable supplier can ruin your business, especially in a time where supply chains have been weakened overall.

You should also look at your marketing plan – has your niche market changed? Are you still using the right messaging and communications channels? Marketing shouldn’t be the first thing that gets cut when looking to save money, but making sure you are on the right platforms for your audience is essential. Otherwise you risk shouting into a void where nobody is engaged. Follow where trends dictate and learn to regroup and reuse content to get the maximum value from your marketing.

Cash-flow is a common problem within catering, from clients not paying on time to the rise in material costs and labour making their mark felt in a very real way. It should be an area that is closely watched. Quick fixes such as short-term cash injections may help, but is it just kicking the can further down the road if the business is actually no longer viable? It may seem obvious, but borrowed money has to be repaid. That piece of equipment you are thinking of purchasing might make you money in the long run, but what does it mean for your short-term cash flow? Could such a purchase cost you more than you think?

It’s always a good idea to take the time to negotiate too, there’s a real chance you might be able to talk to suppliers or clients to review terms or arrange payment structures. Could you arrange a retainer structure for fair use of materials or equipment? The possibilities are endless.

Whatever you do, there is always room for improvement and specialists out there to help. Burying your head in the sand is simply not an option.

Are You Struggling to RUN PROFITABLY Your Restaurant, Pub or Hotel Business?

If so, our bespoke Hospitality Mentoring & Consultancy service can help. Our Managing Consultant, David Hunter, has been a recognised Management Consultant specialising in the Hospitality sector for over 30 years.

David’s mission is to provide practical advice, knowledge and expertise that will help your business to reach its full FINANCIAL POTENTIAL. Our bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service focuses on the key areas of your business, such as

PROFITABILITY, MANAGING PEOPLE, MARKETING and OPERATIONAL STRATEGY. As part of his Mentoring-driven service, David has always provided ‘’free-of-extra-charge’’ key weekly figures, analysis & reporting so that your finger is always on the pulse of your business’s finances and performance.

The GOOD NEWS is that David has now made this service even more accessible, with a lower ‘’entry level’’ ongoing Mentoring arrangement that is ‘’strapped on to’’ our providing those vital weekly figures to you.

So … instead of just getting our own wellestablished, tried and tested and very popular, weekly figures reporting system, you can now access David’s KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and EXPERTISE via INCLUSIVE, and AT NO EXTRA COST, four half-day on-site Mentoring & Consultancy visits every year (or two full days, depending on your location).

You get even more than that … David is

always available to you at the end of the phone or via Email, and always on-hand when you need advice or guidance.

There is MORE. You would also get access to “tried and tested” experts through our Bowden Group Alliance, where our fully approved colleagues are ALSO at your disposal for advice on areas such as legal advice, saving money on Utility bills, Marketing and more. OUR BOWDEN GROUP ALLIANCE MARKETING COLLEAGUE MATTHEW WILL EVEN GIVE YOU A MARKETING REVIEW … COMPLETELY F.O.C. … to help you to get your business going.

Without cost or obligation, David will also take a look at your figures and discuss what could be ACHIEVED … again COMPLETELY F.O.C. …

If your business is struggling with financial or operational challenges, then get in touch today.

MAXIMISE YOUR FULL POTENTIAL by calling David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or 01628 487613, or message us via our website at: www.bowdengroup.co.uk

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Property and Professional

Straight Forward Insolvency Advice from Oury Clark We know that the last couple of years have been tough, especially in the hospitality sector. Not to worry, our Insolvency Practitioners are here to help advise and guide you if your business is struggling.

Oury Clark has been helping people since 1935 and our Insolvency Practitioners have over 20 years of experience in both Personal and Corporate Insolvency. We are a family run professional firm that provides the highest professional standards to all our clients.

If your business is in financial difficulty it is important to take advice well in advance to avoid any wrong doing as a director. At Oury Clark we will hold your hand from

the beginning to the end of the Insolvency process, whether it’s you or your company. We will explain clearly the best insolvency scenario/option that’s applicable to you depending on your circumstances. We will ease your stress and deal with your creditors directly on your behalf. We will not load you with jargon, but will explain matters in plain language.

Insolvency could be the right thing to do if your business is struggling. You can bury your old debts and make a new start.

So, don’t lose sleep over threatening creditors. At Oury Clark we are more than happy to assist and make your life simpler.

If you require advice and support on any sort of formal insolvency procedure we are only a telephone call away. Please ring us on 01753 551111 and ask to speak to Kalani or anyone in the Oury Clark Insolvency team.

Kalani.Gunawardana@ouryclark.com

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

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