CLH News #235 July 2020

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Welcome back to the first “Post Covid- 19” edition of CLH News. (See Editor’s Column on page 2).

The hospitality and on-trade has received a huge boost having been closed for over 3 months following the pandemic, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a series of measures to encourage people to dine out and get the industry back up and trading.

The hospitality sector, including food (and non-alcoholic drinks), accommodation and attractions, will see VAT slashed from 20% to 5% from 15 July 2020 until 12 January 2021, which will provide a “£4bn catalyst”, the Chancellor said.

In addition to this the Chancellor announced an “Eat Out to Help Out” discount for the month of August, which will allow “participating businesses” to offer a

50% discount to customers dining out, and will operate from August 3 to August 31, 2020. The discount offers of up to 50%, is set to a maximum of £10 per person is for food and non-alcoholic drinks for people dining out, and can be used all day each Monday Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Chancellor said: “To get customers back into restaurants, cafes and pubs, and protect the 1.8 million people who work in them, I can announce today that, for the month of August, we will give everyone in the country an Eat Out to Help Out discount.”

At a glance the chancellor has announced: • A cut in VAT on food, accommodation and attractions from 20% to 5% until 12 January; • An “Eat Out to Help Out” discount of up to £10 per head

to get Britons back to restaurants, cafes and pubs; • A £1,000 bonus for each worker that companies bring back from furlough and employ through to January next year; • A “kickstart scheme” to directly pay firms to create jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds; • cash for businesses to take on trainees and apprentices; • An eight-month temporary cut in stamp duty, with no charge on property transactions below £500,000; The move has been broadly welcomed by the hospitality and on trade, British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), welcomed described the support “the as a helpful first step on a long road to recovery, especially for food led pubs and those with accommodation and will help secure jobs”.

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Editor's Viewpoint

Open at Last!

Welcome to the latest printed issue of CLH NEWS! We here at CLH News would firstly take this opportunity to welcome back our regular readers, and we are delighted to welcome readers who will be receiving a copy for the first time.

To very briefly recap we are free to trade publication for the licensed-on trade and hospitality sector.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

Since our last printed issue, and since lockdown on March 23, we here at CLH News have been busy beavering away and have introduced a weekly digital edition, unsurprisingly called CLH NEWS DIGITAL, which is sent out each Friday at 330.

If you would like a copy directly to your inbox please sign up by visiting www.catererlicensee.com and if you have not received a copy once you have signed up please check your spam folder as you may need to whitelist us.

The introduction of the weekly digital issue, we are delighted to say, has been exceptionally well received. Like our printed issue we have all the latest news, plus in-depth thought led articles from some of the industry’s leading lights, as well the best selection of products and services any business in the hospitality and on trade will require at some stage so once again please sign up!

What a past three months it has been! In our digital issue I have repeatedly been banging the drum on how much of an error I believe lockdown has been. It is only my opinion, but I think once we are out of the storm and we have a period of mature reflection we will see that closing down a nation’s entire economy, threatening entire industries, and businesses that have taken years to build up was a colossal error.

Sadly, we here at CLH NEWS say goodbye to two businesses we have been involved in over the years. We were delighted to sponsor a pub football team, our sales director David’s son played for them and we were long-time sponsors, and delighted to say that the team won several trophies over the years. However, the pub has now closed. The landlord had been there over 20 years taking it over from his daughter, but the lockdown was just a step too far. Added to this, our favourite family run Italian restaurant here in Bournemouth has also closed after 30 years. Both supplied warm, genuine, family hospitality.

These are the heart-breaking casualties. Long established family led businesses going to the wall due to what I can only describe as crisis management.

That said, we are where we are, of course. It is essential to move forward as quickly as

possible, and I would take this opportunity to welcome the initiatives the Chancellor announced earlier this month to help get on trade and hospitality sector back on its feet.

The hospitality and on trade sector is a resilient industry, run by dedicated and entrepreneurial people and supported by dedicated and talented staff. Yes, it has faced the biggest crisis it has ever faced, but living in Bournemouth has taught me one thing in recent weeks - and that is that the public are desperate to get back to normality.

Bournemouth, as you probably saw on the news, was overwhelmed with visitors, and we were quite unprepared for it.

Now with VAT being slashed in the hospitality sector until January next year, and the introduction of government backed discounts for the public throughout the month of August, we have a real opportunity to get the sector moving.

It is not going to be easy, and the job is made even more difficult again, in my humble opinion, with mainstream media.

I have been appalled at some of the reporting. No one would argue the vital role the press plays in any free society holding governments and people to account when needed.

But we are seeing increasingly sensationalist reporting polarising society, and as businesses in the hospitality sector attempt to get themselves back on their feet, going to great lengths and cost to convince an anxious public that their premises are safe to visit as part of a continual ongoing safety process, I am concerned that relentless negative reporting is going to hamper any attempt to get back to successful trading.

One glimmer of hope will be Staycations. Bournemouth, as stated above, is a great example. A couple of weeks back, the town was quite literally “besieged”, and it was a great indication that people want to get out and spend money.

Furthermore, we have seen a bonfire of the multi outlets, particularly in the casual dining sector, which through its own expansion had crowded the marketplace. I suspect there is going to be a real move toward supporting “independent and local businesses”, which for the past 20 years has been our bread-and-butter.

We would be very interested in sharing your news and views, or any initiatives and ideas that you have to get the sector back where it belongs. We will continue to bring news, views, in-depth thought pieces and, most importantly, the most diverse and comprehensive selection of products and services from our valued advertisers to keep the wheels of your business moving!

We wish you all the very best of luck these coming months, it’s been a long, hard and quite traumatic past 3 months so once again cheers to the reopening of hospitality!

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July 2020

are excluded from the offer.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “The chancellor has communicated clearly that pubs and hospitality are safe and open for business. The positive measures announced today are a welcome first step on what we believe will be a long road to full recovery for our sector.

Registration for the scheme will be available from 13 July 2020 and will close on 31 August 2020

“These initiatives, which we have been calling for, will be beneficial for pubs that serve food and offer accommodation, and will also help compensate for an expected long period of reduced sales and revenue for pubs.

“The ‘eat out to help out’ scheme, taking place in August, will also help stimulate visits to thousands of pubs that serve great food. It will help show to consumers that our pubs are back open for business.

“Of course, for those pubs that do serve significant amounts of food or offer rooms to stay in, the cut to VAT for these to 5% will be a welcome boost. Whilst the measures announced today will help food led pubs, those who just serve beer may feel they are left wanting.

“The Job Retention Bonus will help our sector to bring back as many of its furloughed staff as possible – with 90% of pub staff furloughed, it should help protect many jobs.

“Our pubs directly employ 600,000 people – 43% of which are under 25, making them a vital source of employment for young people in communities across the UK. We therefore welcome the ‘kickstart job scheme’ announced today for young people on Universal Credit.

There is no limit to the number of times customers can use the offer during the period of the scheme, however customers cannot get a discount for someone who is not eating or drinking, and alcohol and service charges

You can register if your establishment: • Sells food for immediate consumption on the premises • Provides its own dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for eat-in meals • Was registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July You cannot register: • • • • •

An establishment that only offers takeaway food or drink Catering services for private functions A hotel that provides room service only Dining services (such as packaged dinner cruises) Mobile food vans or trailers To register, establishments must have:

• Your Government Gateway ID and password (if you do not have one, you can create one when you register) • The name and address of each establishment to be registered, unless you are registering more than 25 • The UK bank account number and sort code for the business (only provide bank account details where a BACS payment can be accepted) • The address on your bank account for the business (this is the address on your bank statements) You may also need your:

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “It is reassuring that the Chancellor singled out hospitality and tourism as a vital part of the UKs economy and a pillar of social life around the UK. It is also good to see that Government acknowledges that our sector has been uniquely hit by this pandemic.

“Customer confidence is key to our sector’s revival and our ability to help Britain’s economic recovery. Applying every precaution to provide safe venues will count for nothing if customers are not coming through our doors. This significant VAT cut, heightened ability to retain staff and incentives for consumers to eat out together amount to a huge bonus. We hope that the UK public rightly sees it as sign that we are ready to welcome them back safely. The future of many businesses and jobs depends on it.

“The measures to support job retention and recruitment are very positive. Even after the reopening of some venues, we estimate that around 1.5 million workers in our sector are still furloughed. With revenues likely to be down for the foreseeable future, the support measures to get workers off furlough and back into work will be greatly appreciated.

risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place. The scheme is free to join and is open to all businesses across the indsutry.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston MP said, “I want to encourage the public to experience a great British holiday this summer and be confident that they can do so safely.

The "We’re Good to Go" This new industry standard will show people that tourism industry standard mark businesses, destinations and attractions are adhering to designed by VisitEngland in part- the guidance. It puts safety first and is an important move nership with the national tourist in getting this industry back up and running.” organisations Tourism Northern Ireland, VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said, “With millions VisitScotland and Visit Wales, and is designed to provide a ‘ring of confidence’ that businesses have clear processes in of jobs and local economies across the country reliant place and are following industry and Government guidance on tourism, it is essential that businesses can get up and running as soon as the respective Government advice on cleanliness and social distancing. allows to capture the peak British summer season.

The We’re Good To Go industry standard and supporting mark means businesses can demonstrate that “We want visitors to be able to enjoy their holidays they are adhering to the respective Government and and to support businesses to be confident they will public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 have the correct procedures in place. Our priority is to

make sure tourism rebounds to once again become one of the most successful sectors of the UK economy and this ‘ring of confidence’ is a crucial step on the industry’s road to rebuilding.”

To obtain the mark, businesses must complete a selfassessment through the online platform goodtogo.visitbritain.com including a checklist confirming they have put the necessary processes in place, before receiving certification and the We’re Good To Go mark for display in their premises and online.

Businesses across the UK are assessed according to the respective national guidance including the social distancing and cleanliness protocols that ,must be in place.

In England, businesses align with the UK Government’s official guidance for the sector. An alert system ensures that businesses signed up to the standard are notified of any changes to the official guidance. A call-handling service provides support and assessors will also carry out random spot-checks to ensure adherence.

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‘We’re Good to Go’ Industry Standard Launched for Hospitality & Tourism A new initiative has been introduced to show the public which pubs, bars restaurants and attractions are safe to enter and are following Covid-19 guidelines.

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• VAT registration number (if applicable) • Employer PAYE scheme reference number (if applicable) • Corporation Tax or Self Assessment unique taxpayer reference • If you are registering 25 establishments or less, you must provide the details of each.

Companies that are registering more than 25 establishments that are part of the same business, you do not have to provide details for each one, and should provide a link to a website which contains details of each establishment participating in the scheme including the trading name and address.

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July 2020

Britons Staying At Home This Summer Despite LockdownEase: Staycation Offerors are Winning the COVID-19 Crisis From Saturday 4th July, lockdown measures in England will be considerably softened to enable people to see more of their friends and family, help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs. Dimitris Hiotis, Global Head of the Leisure, Travel and Transportation practice at Simon-Kucher & Partners, the global strategy and marketing consulting firm, shares his insights on how this will affect various players in the leisure and hospitality industries, and who is likely to rebound Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a considerable easing of lockdown restrictions in England that enables the majority of leisure and hospitality businesses to reopen their doors to the public from the 4th July. The ease of lockdown comes as a considerable relief to the wider leisure and hospitality industry, who have fundamentally stopped their commercial operation from mid-March. But the real impact varies depending on the specific sub-section a company occupies: Hotels, holiday parks, and vacation rentals with a domestic focus noticed a considerable increase in booking activity in the run up to the announcement. Best Western Hotels reported a 450 percent increase in bookings on Monday 22nd June, demonstrating considerable pent-up demand with people eager to book holidays before they become more expensive and/or sell out. This is in-line with the insights from our Future of Travel* study, in which 34 percent of respondents indicated they expect to travel more domestically and 62 percent expect to travel less internationally than before the pandemic. This clearly indicates that staycations will rebound in-time for the peak summer holidays of July and August and that the pandemic may even benefit the domestic sector in the long term. This, however, will only happen if hotels, holiday parks and camping sites do their outmost to win back customer confidence.

They need to set the right infrastructure to minimize health risks (e.g. social distancing, temperature checks etc.), while at the same time offer booking flexibility to enable a change of travel plans at short notice with minimum penalty.

Pubs and restaurants are in a different situation than traditional hospitality players. It is clearly good news that they can re-open their doors; however, the social distancing rules and the limitation of service to tableonly will reduce their operational capacity and as such their revenues.

On-top of that, the lockdown has increased their reliance on delivery platforms, which customers are now increasingly using instead of eating out. In our survey, about 49 percent of respondents expected to go to restaurants and pubs less often than before, which suggests a considerable decline in covers for restaurants and pubs that, combined with an underlying drop in retail activity, will make things even tougher for them.

How can restaurants reverse this trend? Like everybody else, they need to win the trust of consumers by putting the right measures in place (social distancing, hand sanitisers, etc.). They should also become more agile with their product and promotional strategy to give more reasons for customers to come back, like come-back offers or special nights.

Chains with famous recipes can explore providing people alternative ways to consume their favourites though a retail “cook at home” offering. They should also embrace digitalization further, enabling customers to pre-book their table or pre-order prior to arrival, which both minimizes the “touch points” in the restaurant and also improves the customer experience.

For cinemas and theatres things are potentially bleaker. Our survey revealed that 60 percent of consumers expected to visit them less than before the pandemic. Theatres have been told they can re-open but not with “live performances”, but rather screening previous performances.

This significantly reduces their appeal – people go to theatres to enjoy a live performance. On top of that, the sector is significantly reliant on London tourism. The imposed 14 day quarantine for any arrivals to London has effectively killed off international tourism and with it a significant chunk of demand for the West End. As for cinemas, their business model is considerably at risk. Disney, Universal, and now Paramount have started taking films straight to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, platforms, and have benefited tremendously during the lockdown by doing so. To stay in business under these circumstances, building an infrastructure that minimizes health-risk is not enough.

Companies need to convince people to come through the doors by being more inventive with their product offering. Expanding their food and beverage offering to provide more revenue streams, moving to more subscription based models to guarantee recurring revenue or perhaps exploring innovative “safer” concepts like drive-in cinemas or more pre-

mium cinemas (less seats, higher price) are some potential strategies to help them rebound and secure the long-term revenue growth of their business.

There were no specific measures in the announcement regarding airlines, cruises, tour operators, and travel agencies that predominantly sell international travel and holiday products. However, they are severely impacted by the 14 day quarantine policy the British Government has imposed on travellers coming into Britain. That acts as a considerable deterrent to consumers to consider travelling abroad, with 56 percent of UK consumers expecting to travel less by plane after the lockdown and a staggering 67 percent less likely to take a cruise. There are talks of the British Government potentially agreeing to “air-bridges” that will be excluded from the quarantine, but this might come too late for the industry to rebound anytime soon. The hope for that sector lies more in 2021 and a world where either immunity or a vaccine has made it more secure for people to travel again.

Customer demand and agility decisive factors for rebound In summary, the pandemic of COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on revenue and volume for the travel, hospitality, and leisure industries. As the Government is easing the lockdown, how quickly and effectively businesses will rebound and cover lost ground depends considerably on how demand will go up and how agile businesses are in adjusting their offering and go-to-market model in response to demand changes. Businesses well-suited for staycations like hotels, holiday parks, and cottage rentals will most likely rebound quickly and may even find a mini-boost post-lockdown. Restaurants and pubs will have to be inventive with their promotional strategy to bring people back in as well embrace digitalization to improve customer experiences. As for cinemas and theatres, their business model is at risk and considerable innovation is required on the traditional product set-up but also ancillary offerings to help them rebound from this crisis. Last but not least, businesses related to international travel may have to wait for 2021 to rebound as Britons prefer to take their car and live the Great British Summer in 2020. *About the survey: The Future of Travel online survey was conducted by SimonKucher & Partners between May 20th and June 3rd, 2020. 3,650 consumers were surveyed across the US, the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The study focused on changes in consumer trends in the leisure, tourism and travel industries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Data Protection Considerations for Re-Opening Hospitality Businesses The Government has issued guidance to restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaways following the announcement that they can re-open from 4 July.

PRIVACY NOTICES - GET READY TO UPDATE One key change in the guidance, alongside social distancing measures is that hospitality businesses are asked to keep a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days in order to support the NHS Test and Trace service. It is not yet clear whether this is a mandatory requirement or advised best practice.

As the guidance rightly notes, many businesses that take bookings already have systems for recording their customers and visitors. The Government has said that it will share details of its proposed system 'shortly' and that the system will be designed in line with data protection legislation. Whatever system businesses decide to use, as a minimum, hospitality businesses will have to update their privacy notices to advise customers that their personal data will be shared with the Government through the NHS Test and Trace.

PRIVACY ISSUES AROUND APPS The guidance suggests using apps to allow customers to order and pay, any such app will likely have features to store customers' data and could be a practical tool to allow the business to meet the guidance in both keeping a record and also social distancing. Collecting information through an app introduces a number of privacy issues, and the app provider will usually seek to pass any privacy risk to the hospitality business. We recommend checking the terms of use carefully before agreeing to share any customers' data via an app.

Finally, collecting contact details from customers may be a really useful marketing tool, but you need to make sure you comply with GDPR. In particular, if you are going to use the contact details for electronic marketing, you need to ensure that you are legally permitted to do so.

For specialist legal support on your data protection obligations and privacy notices, please contact Penny Bygrave on 07909 681 572 or Sarah Thorley on 07387 025 970 in VWV's Data Protection team.

New Guide Offers Peace of Mind for Hotel Owners On Pests Hotel premises left empty during the Covid-19 lockdown could be a hot spot for pests – including rats and mice.

National trade body the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), has issued a new guide to help hotel owners and managers prepare to re-open as restrictions ease.

The guide – which is available online – sets out legislation and regulations which they must consider, as well as outlining checks that should be taking place ahead of re-starting production or re-opening to the public.

Technical Manager at BPCA, Dee Ward-Thompson, said: “One of the biggest threats that many closed businesses will have to face is the possibility of a serious pest infestation, which may have established while their premises were left without any activity and unguarded from pests.

“If you kept up pest management visits then you should be in a good position to re-open safely. If you stopped them, then the worst-case scenario when re-opening your business is that you discover a pest infestation that has been given over three months of free time and space to feed, breed and damage your building and the contents within.”

BPCA has eight tips for being ‘pest ready’ when premises re-open: • • • • • • • •

Safely secure all food sources from pests Check access points are sealed Perform thorough cleaning and hygiene process Check condition of pest management equipment, eg fly screens Visit site to perform routine maintenance and pest activity check Follow pest prevention tips in the Pest Ready guide Conduct a back-to-work pest inspection with your pest management company Get a good pest management company on your books – find one in your area

with bpca.org.uk/find BPCA members have reported a surge in rodent activity during the lockdown, with call outs to rats up by 51% and call outs to mice rising by 41%.

Rodents are common and won’t only damage the food they actually want; but will also gnaw through other packaging, as well as wood, cables and some soft metals. This behaviour can cause serious damage such as burst water pipes, faulty electronics and, in rare circumstances, pose a fire risk.

BPCA’s free online guide explains the breeding cycles and habits of rats and mice, highlighting the speed with which they can become a serious issue.

It also lists measures which can be taken to deter pests from entering a building in the first place, explains when and how to call in a pest control company as well as including a handy checklist of tasks to tick off before opening the doors to staff and customers.

Dee added: “If you closed your business due to the pandemic and have been advised that you can reopen, this guide will take you through a step-by-step process to enable you to mitigate the potential risk of pest problems.

“We’re here to help thousands of individuals and businesses find a trusted pest control contractor every year. By choosing a BPCA member, you will get a company that sends out qualified technicians, has the correct insurance in place, works legally and to our strict codes of conduct.

“If you do not have a pest management company contracted to carry out inspections, pest prevention and control, then you can find a BPCA member company on our website at bpca.org.uk/find.”

You can also contact a BPCA member for advice.

To download a copy of the free guide visit: bpca.org.uk/pestready

July 2020

CLH News

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Data Shows Growth in Hospitality, Leisure and Entertainment as Lockdown Eases With many businesses in the Hospitality, Leisure and Entertainment sectors opening their doors for the first time since lockdown began, Barclaycard Payments, which processes nearly 40 per cent of all transactions in the UK, shines a light on consumer spending over the weekend.

Despite the wet weather seen over large parts of the country, Barclaycard Payments data shows that the public took advantage of the long-awaited re-opening of pubs, bars, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas and theme parks.

Across the whole of Hospitality, Leisure and Entertainment, Barclaycard Payments saw a 19 per cent increase in the total number of transactions compared to the weekend before, and a 7 per cent increase in the total value spent.

However, social distancing measures are still having a significant impact – year-on-year, the total value of transactions across Hospitality, Leisure and

Entertainment was down 45 per cent compared to the same weekend last year.

Nevertheless, the lifting of restrictions was still a cause for celebration, for both the public and businesses. For pubs and bars in England, compared the previous weekend, when they were only able to offer take-away and delivery services, the weekend saw them able to serve drinks and food on the premises for the first time since March. This change contributed to a spike of 295 per cent in total value spent in pubs and bars compared to the previous weekend.

Barclaycard Payments also witnessed a similar surge in demand among its hairdresser and barber clients, who were able to open their doors for the first time since lockdown began. Foodies were also able to enjoy eating out in restaurants for the first time since March, leading to an increase of 13 per cent in the total amount spent in UK restaurants compared to the

previous weekend.

Contactless continues to be the preferred way to pay in-store, both because it’s safer and more convenient than paying with cash or handling a card machine – Barclaycard Payments processed 137 per cent more contactless transactions over the weekend compared to the previous weekend.

Rob Cameron, CEO of Barclaycard Payments, said: “While this weekend certainly gave us reasons to celebrate, we’re not out of the woods yet. We know that our clients are doing their utmost to incorporate social distancing measures into their operations in order to maximise revenue, while also keeping their customers safe. As our contactless figures show, the good news is that consumers are still comfortable with the idea of shopping face-to-face, which will bring hope those businesses that are still trying to adapt and thrive in the current economic climate.”

Pubs and Restaurants to Reopen Indoors Social Distancing 'Must Continue to Be Implemented' from 3 August in Wales

Indoor hospitality in Wales can reopen indoors from 3 August, the first minister Mark Drakeford has announced, coinciding with the Government’s “eat out to help out” discount, which is part of a series of measures introduced by the Chancellor to restart the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic also begins on that date.

The Welsh government has set out changes to be made to physical distancing regulations to reflect some of the challenges currently faced by the hospitality industry.

The First Minister confirmed: · Indoor hospitality will open from Monday 3 August if conditions allow · Outdoor hospitality will open from 13 July · The two-metre rule remains businesses where social distancing is crucial to revenues will be permitted to operate at less than two metres with mitigations · Self-contained accommodation will open from 11 July · Indoor attractions (not underground attractions) to open on July 13 · Camping and additional similar accommoda-

tion open from 25 July conditions allow.

The law in Wales will continue to make the two-metre distance the default position, but when two metres cannot reasonably be maintained, the regulations will require businesses to put in place a set of additional measures to minimise the risk of the virus spreading, including taking reasonable steps to minimise close face-toface contact and to maintain hygiene.

Pubs had reopened in England last weekend. In Scotland, they will be able to fully reopen on 15 July.

Mark Drakeford said that “provided the re-opening of outdoor hospitality goes well and the state of the virus allows, indoor opening for pubs, bars, cafes, and restaurants will resume from August 3”.

Asked about concerns that waiting until August to reopen hospitality indoors will put many businesses at risk, Mr Drakeford said he was “very glad” that he could provide a clear reopening date for this sector.

“This sector has had weeks to prepare for reopening outdoors, not three days.

There is plenty of guidance out there for those intending to reopen,” he said.

in Pubs and Restaurants

There was an “anxiety”, the first minister claimed, among the public in Wales “about going back to places where they may feel that their health and wellbeing would not be safely looked after”.

CIEH has urged pubs and restaurants to maintain vigilance and implement government guidance on social distancing following the opening of the sector on July 4.

Commenting on the announcement, UKHospitality Executive Director for Wales, David Chapman said: “This is a vital move and one that the industry has been desperate to hear. The August period accounts for a substantial portion of annual revenue and the immediate sustainability of many of our businesses will depend on this reopening being successful.

Prior to opening the Prime Minister said people should remain two metres apart where possible but a "one metre plus" rule on social distancing would now be introduced.

“That being the case, we are asking Welsh Government to consider, if the health climate allows, reopening three days earlier on Friday 31st to enable a full August of bookings for the sector and have offered to work with Ministers to develop final indoor opening guidelines to ensure a safe enabling of the delivery of either opening date.”

Having been closed since March to stem the spread of COVID-19, pubs, bars and restaurants in England, the CIEH has called for calm and for proprietors to focus on implementing social distancing and other essential public health guidance now the sector is open for business.

Debbie Wood, Executive Director for Membership and External Affairs at CIEH said: “The reopening of pubs, bars and restaurants is obviously good news for businesses and something that many people have been looking forward to for some time.

However, it is vital to remember that COVID-19 has not gone away and is still poses a considerable public health risk. The impacts of reopening businesses are not yet known, and precaution must be taken to avoid any resurgence in the virus and a possible second spike.

We are calling on pubs, bars and restaurants to keep in mind their responsibilities and ensure that social distancing and other public health measures are properly followed and enforced.

Whilst social distancing guidance has been reduced to one metre plus in England, it is still essential that this is adhered to and that the UK Government is prepared to reverse this decision if cases rise.”

6

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

UK Pubs and Bars Need to Undergo a Paradigm Shift – 3 ‘I’s to look at for the ‘New Normal’

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine

A new era for the UK hospitality industry is about to begin, once the government gives a final nod to reopen pubs, restaurants, cafes, and other hospitality venues on 4th July 2020. The industry got a reason to cheer after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement. The industry, which was struggling for survival has finally got some hopes to stand back on its feet, but this might come at a cost. All establishments are expected to keep records of all their guests to enable contact tracing and maintain adequate hygiene as per government guidelines. On the top, this relief comes with a strict warning that the re-opening permission is ‘conditional and reversible’.

‘I’MPACT OF THE LOCK-DOWN It is concerning for the industry as well as for the economy that the industry, which is amongst the top employers of the nation and churns billions in revenue every year, is on the verge of a collapse. The UK pubs and beverages served in these pubs contribute billions of pounds in government tax revenues as well. But around 47,000 of these pubs across the country have remained closed since March 20, 2020, which means there has been no revenue for these establishments and for the government unless they were to work around an online business model. Further, it was estimated that it would have costed these pubs almost £100 million every month in cash, during this period of the lockdown.

‘I’NTRICATE CHALLENGES PUBS MIGHT FACE WHEN THEY RE-OPEN ‘Embracing adversity as a chance for the opportunity’ could be the new mantra for the industry players as they plan to re-open. Though, re-opening might come with stricter rules and guidelines to comply but that is not

40% of Small Businesses Believe It Will Take AT LEAST Five Years for Economy to Fully Recover Four in ten (39%) small business owners believe it will take at least five years for the UK economy to fully recover from the impact of lockdown and Covid-19, according to a new poll out today.

The #ForgottenLtd Campaign, which is campaigning for fair and equal Government support for small limited companies, polled more than 1,000 small business owners on the state of the UK economy.

They were asked a simple question: How long do you think it will be before the UK economy fully recovers from the impact of lockdown and Covid-19?

Only 15% believe the economy will fully recover by the end of 2021, while more than a quarter (28%) said a full recovery will take up to three years. 18% believe it will take up to five years for the economy to bounce back.

But the biggest share of the vote (39%) went to those who believed it will be 2025 and beyond before the UK economy is back on its feet.

The #ForgottenLtd campaign exists to raise awareness of the lack of meaningful government support for small business owners.

Gina Broadhurst, co-founder of the #ForgottenLtd Campaign, comments: “The results of this snap poll send out an unequivocal message to the Government, namely that the small business community believes it will be a very long time before the UK economy bounces back..

“The small businesses we polled are unanimous that a full economic recovery will take years not months. But it’s these very same businesses that so many people depend on for their jobs, big companies for their supplies, and customers for their products and services.

“We are all linked so if small businesses are in trouble, we are all in trouble. But it’s not too late to save them. We call on the Government to reconsider its unfair position on limited companies before it’s too late.”

going to be the only challenge they are expected to face. There could be restrictions imposed initially on the number of guests allowed inside the premises coupled with a possibility that they might not see enough guests visiting their pubs initially.

stricter surveillance, however, many cities allowed these establishments to extend their outdoor open spaces for free by closing the sub-streets. We still need to see how the new normal for the industry will look like, but it (definitely) needs to be disruptive compared to the past.

Thus, what will matter here would be how these businesses attune to have an innovative and a changed business model. Moreover, one big relief was already offered to the industry when the social distancing norm was relaxed to ‘one metre plus rule’. This was something the industry was in desperate need of, otherwise only one-third of these pubs could have taken the advantage of the re-opening announcement.

‘ALCOHOL FOR THOUGHT’ AS YOU WOULD WANT YOUR GUESTS TO ENJOY THE DRINK!

‘I’DEAS FOR PUB-OWNERS Adopting ‘Digi-Business’: Though pubs will have to maintain records of all their guests and will have to comply with strict government guidelines, they can rely on technology to help them run their business more efficiently. Pubs can develop their own app to maintain records of all their guests, which enables contact tracing. The app can help further by offering guests a hassle-free check-in experience, enabling them to pre-booking their slots reducing wait time and book orders on-line. This will also help managing the required level of social distancing.

Capacity Management and Seating Modalities: Some more ideas these pubs can think to implement include, re-arranging their sitting arrangement, modifying washrooms to maintain social distancing, having separate entry and exit doors, ensuring contact-less payment systems, encourage online order booking, set a limit on maximum number of guests inside the premises and even start serving take away orders (if not done so far).

Though, city pubs in the UK have limited space and the crowd is overwhelming, pubs on the countryside are better positioned with lower footfall, open gardens, and extra spaces to manage their guests. However, the challenge is not just going to be limited to comply with the government guidelines, but also to adjust their business models to the new normal.

Remodelling the long-established business traditions is not easy and will need a lot of new strategies to keep the business running. They would also further need financial assistance from the government to survive - as per British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) only six out of ten establishments would survive past September without any further support from the government. Though the government have announced steps of financial support during coronavirus lockdown, but a stretched handholding will be needed in the future as well.

Let us take a glance at some biggies of this industry in the UK amid the prevailing scenario: JD Wetherspoons Plc (LON: JDW) had already announced that it would open its 874 pubs across the UK and Ireland on July 4, on getting approval from the government.

Marston's Plc (LON: MARS), begun brewing well in advance to fill its 1,400 pubs and bars, anticipating the government orders.

Moving from Traditional to Disruptive Ways: More specific guidelines for the pubs are expected to be issued by the government at a later date, but if we have to take clues from the countries where pubs are already open, it appears that Sweden never went into a complete lockdown and relied heavily on its citizens to follow social distancing norms. In Australia, pubs opened with a three-step plan, first by limiting the number of guests inside the premises to 20 and then gradually increasing the number thereafter. Italy on the other hand, opened its hospitality sector with

Owner of the famous brands, Harvester and O'Neill's, Mitchells & Butlers Plc (LON: MAB) has secured £100 million of new funding and is all set to welcome guests with safety becoming the top priority at all its sites.

Global information company The NPD Group says publicans and bar operators have an opportunity post lockdown to focus on the contribution of offpremise visits to their businesses.

In the year to March 2020, 9.9% of all British pub visits were offpremise – up from 7.6% five years earlier, with this growth driven by delivery services and takeaway coffee. Once the British foodservice industry’s lockdown ends, there is scope to expand the range of delivery and takeaway offerings significantly to include alcoholic and other nonalcoholic beverages along with takeaway hot and cold food.

with this steep drop reflecting the UK government’s lockdown introduced on March 23rd. Visits to pubs essentially halted in April and there’s no reason to expect a material change for May when the figures come through. The pressure on business has been enormous and the impact has been devastating. When trading fully resumes, pub and bar operators will want to do everything they can to reinvigorate their offering while ensuring sales operations are as safe and socially distanced as possible. Doubling or tripling off-premise visits – from the current 10% to 20% or even 30% –is a viable ambition for some operators, and there’s also ample scope to grow on-premise orders via mobile apps.”

Others like Greene King Plc has launched “Pub Safe” and will be reopening with five commitments for customer and team safety.

Disruptive business ideas can untap diverse opportunities, do not ‘Quarantine’ your operations to a ‘Restricted Business Mode’.

Pub and Bar Operators Could Boost Off-Premise Visits Through Delivery and Takeaway Post Lockdown

PUBS WERE MISSING OUT ON THE BOOM IN DELIVERY – THIS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE Over the past decade, digital ordering (orders placed via the internet) in the eating-out market has increased by 700%, rising from 95m visits per year in YE March 2010 to 731m for YE March 2020. But within the pub and bar sector, growth has been slower. Take delivery as an example. A high-street quick-service restaurant can expect delivery to account for up to 10% of visits but delivery orders currently account for less than 2% of pub visits, although this is now growing quickly.

Inside a pub or bar, ordering via mobile apps account for just 1.4% of all visits. But this too is increasing rapidly driven by apps that, for example, allow anyone to order food and drinks to their table. Ordering this way has significant scope for growth in pubs and can increase the safety of operations for customers and staff. Visits through digital ordering are increasing across the wider foodservice industry – and not just among younger consumers. In the two years to March 2020, they were up 42% for 16-to-34s, 32% for the 35-to-49s, 22% for the over 50s and 18% for families.

Peter Linden, Insights Manger Foodservice, The NPD Group, said: “In Q1 2020, visits to British pubs declined by over 12% from Q1 2019

ALL OPERATORS HAVE WORK TO DO TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT ACCORDING TO PRE-LOCKDOWN CUSTOMER RESEARCH Any new initiatives post lockdown– on or off the premises – will need to be complemented by rigorous safety practices and cleaning protocols that protect staff and customers, as well as any third parties involved in delivering food and beverages. NPD’s second COVID-19 British Foodservice Sentiment Study recently found that almost six out of 10 respondents (58%) said restaurants and bars are the riskiest places to be infected with COVID-19, and nearly two thirds (64%) said they will only select restaurants, bars, cafes and other establishments that they trust. The same survey showed hygiene, prevention of infection, social distancing and trust are important issues for consumers.

NPD Group data also shows that consumers have been acutely aware of cleanliness in out-of-home (OOH) establishments long before COVID-19. In Q1 2020, there was already 30% customer dissatisfaction regarding cleanliness at all eating-out locations. As the industry moves towards reopening, this represents a significant proportion of the market that will need even more convincing about cleanliness and safety.

Peter Linden added: “Whether you are talking about consumption away from the premises, through delivery or takeaway, or enjoyment on the premises through mobile apps, they still play only a minor role in many pubs and bars. But they have all been growing rapidly and publicans and bar operators have an obvious opportunity to use technology to build post-lockdown business. But any moves to stimulate sales channels or add new ones in the current environment must be complemented by careful attention to cleanliness, health and safety.”

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CLH News

7

Health Secretary Praises Pubs For Closing Two Metre Rule After Visitors Test Positive For Covid-19 Change Means 145 Health secretary Matt Hancock has praised three pubs for closing after the NHS track and trace system identified coronavirus outbreaks among their visitors, just days after pubs, bars and restaurants were permitted to reopen following months of lockdown.

The Fox and Hounds in Batley, West Yorkshire, the Lighthouse in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, and the Village Home in Gosport, Hampshire, reopened on July 4, but have since decided to close again after customers tested positive for Covid-19.

The health secretary told the Commons that the closure of the pubs showed that the UK’s trace and trace system was working. He said :“doing the right thing by their customers and by their communities. This is NHS test and trace working precisely as intended,” he added. “Three pubs shut so that others can be open.”

A spokesperson for Downing Street said the closure of the pubs showed “just how seriously pubs and the public are taking their responsibilities to

Million Additional Pints Will Be Sold

keep others safe”.

Jess Green, licensee at The Lighthouse, said she rang at least 90 people who had left their contact details during their visit on Saturday after she found out that one of the pub’s regulars had tested positive.

Speaking on radio 4 Ms Green said: “The main thing that was going through our heads was we had to make sure everyone was safe, that we contacted every one of our customers.

Following the government’s decision to reduce that social distancing through pubs, cafés, bars, hotels and restaurants 1 metre, out of home food and drink consultancy CGA has calculated that this means 145 million additional pints of beer will be sold through the sector, compared with what would have been sold with 2 metre social distancing.

“We took it upon ourselves, because obviously test and trace can do all that, but we took it upon ourselves to do it because we knew that we had done it before it got out there.”

Ms Green, who said the calls took her all day on Monday, described the experience as “stressful”.

The Fox and Hounds in Batley said it would be closed until further notice after receiving a call from a customer on Monday to say they had tested positive for coronavirus.

The new rule comes as a welcome relief to the out of home food and drink sector.

CGA’s original forecast was based on 2 metre social distancing remaining in place until the end of August, meaning outlets could only trade at around 30% capacity, whereas at 1 metre they can trade at 70%, equating to a significant difference in sales as a result of increased capacity alone.

Pubs and Restaurants See Trade Down 45% on Opening Weekend Managed pub, bar and restaurant companies that opened sites in England last weekend have reported like-for-like trading 44.5% down on the corresponding weekend last year, according to latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data.

Tracker figures reveal that 36% of group-operated sites were open for eating and drinking inside on July 4 and 5, the first time that hospitality business were allowed to reopen fully since lockdown.

open for business.

“Trading at around 55% of pre-COVID norms may seem a disappointing result, and it won’t be profitable for operators, but it is very much in line with what we have seen in other markets,” said Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM.

Managed pubs and bars that opened saw sales 44.7% below pre-COVID levels compared to the same weekend in 2019. Group-owned restaurants that were open were 41.1% down.

“When bars and restaurants began reopening in the US during May, it was only after a couple of weeks that sales reached 54% of pre-COVID levels, according to data from Nielsen CGA, our Chicago-based research business.

However, many more pubs opened their doors than restaurants. The industry barometer shows that 42% of managed pubs, bars and pub restaurants traded, while just 12% of restaurants were

“It is going to take time for the trade to return but this provides a foundation on which to build consumer confidence and adapt and improve operations,” he added.

“As well as the difference in sales, more outlets are likely to open in July, as their businesses become viable at 70% capacity. The combination of more outlets opening and a significantly higher capacity across all who do, equates to an additional 145 million pints of beer sold over the remainder of 2020, although this does depend on consumer confidence and how people feel about going out again,” commented Jonny Jones, CGA’s director of client services.

“Our data suggests there is enough pent-up demand to max out sales at this level of supply, but many consumers are still cautious about returning to the trade and want to see precautions put in place to ensure their safety. It’s now down to operators to market their credentials as Covid-19 safe, and ensure that customers feel comfortable to visit their outlets.”

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8

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

What Will be the Main Legal Concerns for Businesses in the Hospitality Industry Ahead of Reopening?

By Hiren Gandhi, partner at Blaser Mills Law

Following “Super Saturday” which saw a partial opening of the hospitality and on-trade CLH News spoke with Hiren Gandhi, partner at Blaser Mills Law to discuss main legal concerns for businesses in the hospitality industry as the sector returns to trading?

“The main legal concerns for the hospitality industry upon reopening will be sticking to the strict guidelines that have been introduced by the government to ensure businesses in the sector remain COVID-secure.

“Health and safety is central to any business’ legal duties and it is vital that those returning to trading have a carried out a COVID-specific risk assessment, taking into consideration how and where the risks of transmission may be a factor and identifying the necessary measures that need to be taken to mitigate those risks.

ance with regulations and will be supported by the police if needed.

Businesses that breach regulations will be subject to prohibition notices and a fixed penalty.”

• What should hospitality businesses do if their employees are anxious about returning to work?

“Many employees will be anxious about returning to work, but it is the obligation of the employer to make the return as safe and stress-free as possible.

“Employers should brief all staff on the safety measures that have been introduced at the premises. They should also make it clear that they are open to questions and suggestions from those returning to work, to help put employees at ease. It may also be a good idea to discuss each staff member’s circumstances to ensure that their return to work is as safe as it can be.

“Employers should make themselves aware of any members of staff who may be vulnerable or have relatives that fall into this category. Maintaining an open dialogue with employees will not only ease the anxiety upon returning but also allow reopening to run far more smoothly.”

tomers to buy their drinks from a pub and consume them elsewhere, to aid social distancing.

“Some businesses may feel frustration that this change to the law has only been introduced now, as many had already updated their licenses in line with their need to provide outdoor areas before these new simpler and cheaper laws were introduced.”

• What legal implications could a local lockdowns cause on the hospitality sector? Will businesses be covered by their BI insurance?

Those in the Hospitality sector have already been badly affected, further local lockdowns will almost certainly have an even bigger effect on their revenue. With businesses in the hospitality sector set to open on from 4 July 2020, these businesses must comply with the governments restrictions and have had to put in measures to comply.

Before opening up businesses should consider the possibility of a local lockdown and what they would do if it were to happen. They should consider:

• The UK and Scottish governments have released updated guidance for the hospitality sector on the requirements restaurants, pubs and bars need to follow to reopen following the coronavirus lockdown.

What are the main updates?

“The government’s 43-page advisory document outlines information about social distancing for workers, cleaning of premises, keeping customers/guests safe and the use of PPE.

“Most businesses in the sector that take bookings will already have a system in place that records contact details for their customers and visitors, which will already be optimised to protect data. However, some may not have this type of system, which poses the risk of data protection implications.

• The liability of having to repay deposits to customers.

• Cost of preparing for reopening, which although it seems long term as this is the way we will be dining out now, it could be short lived if there were to be a local lockdown.

• The ability to furlough staff at short notice, especially as in August employers will start having to pay a portion of the wage bill.

Many, BI insurance policies covers a business for the loss of income due to an interruption to normal trading, as a result of an external factor that cannot be controlled, such as a fire or flood at the premises. If your cover states that it covers loss of income due to circumstances such as diseases or public closures/restrictions then you should pursue a claim for losses. It is worth nothing that some policies will list the notifiable diseases for which they will pay and as a result of the SARS outbreak in 2002/3 this can often, not always, show as an exclusion. So carefully examining your policy wording is key.

“The government has announced it will work with industry and relevant bodies to design a system in line with data protection legislation, however nothing has been announced yet. This may come as a worry to both businesses and guests as we are very close to the date of reopening.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have started proceedings in the High Court as a test case to seek the clarity of the meaning and effect of BI insurance policy wording in the context of Covid-19. The issues to consider are:

“One of the main updates to the guidance is the call for businesses to help assist the NHS Test and Trace scheme. Businesses in the sector are asked to keep a temporary record of all customers for 21 days, allowing tracers easy access to the contact details if they are needed.

“There is very little guidance on how businesses should keep data secure and how to dispose of this data after 21 days. This may affect businesses who do not have a pre-existing system in place, as customers may be put off visiting as if data protection cannot be promised.”

“Although the guidance encourages premises to avoid bar service where possible, it does not forbid customers from ordering at a bar or standing indoors whilst eating and drinking. The guidance states that ideally, table service by a single staff member should be adopted. Businesses are also advised not to encourage the use of PPE or face coverings unless the situation means the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very high.”

• New laws proposed by the government will allow more pubs, restaurants and cafes to serve customers outside, and will put into effect simpler licensing processes. What are the main legal implications for these businesses to be aware of?

“The new laws proposed mean more pubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to serve customers outdoors and this will reduce the costs of the licensing process for outdoor seating and stalls, making it easier for people to safely drink and dine outside.

• Coverage: Whether the policy wording covers Covid-19 and the proximity of an instance outbreak to the business.

• Causation: The link between the loss suffered by the business and Covid-19.

On 28 June 2020 Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancok announced that due to localised spike in infections the first local lockdown has been imposed in Leicester,

“It is businesses’ legal duties to ensure they consult their workforces on the health and safety arrangements before they return. In addition, they should provide customers/guests with information on how the business is mitigating the risks, outlining how those visiting the premises must act in accordance. The government has also produced a certificate for businesses to display to demonstrate their compliance.”

• Will the authorities be entitled to shut an establishment that they do not believe is following the government guidance for reopening?

“All guidance that is stressed as mandatory can be enforced by law in England. Every business is required to comply with the regulations issued by the government in order to protect itself and its visitors.

“The Environmental Health and Trading Standards will monitor compli-

• One of the new measures introduced this week states that if you open a pub, restaurant or other hospitality venue for business you must keep a record of patrons who visit and be ready to help with the national test and trace effort. What are the data protection implications?

“As previously mentioned, the opening up of the hospitality sector is being supported by NHS Test and Trace, and as such the government has asked businesses to assist by keeping a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days to help contain clusters or outbreaks.

“This means pubs and restaurants will be able to use car parks and terraces such as dining and drinking areas using their existing seating licenses.

“Temporary changes to licensing laws mean many more premises will also be able to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, allowing cus-

Struggling Pubs Need Freedom To Stock Local Products To Survive Post Lockdown CAMRA’s Cheers for Choice campaign calls on pub companies to allow landlords to sell local beers from small and independent breweries.

Every pub across the UK should be allowed to stock and sell beer and cider from small, local and independent brewers and cider producers to help them recover post-lockdown.

That’s the message from CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, as they launch their new ‘Cheers for Choice’ campaign this week.

As pubs prepare for reopening, CAMRA’s 190,000 members across the UK are signing petitions to pub company bosses urging them to allow all landlords to stock local brews. Over 7000 people have taken part so far.

Current beer ties mean that most pub tenants are restricted in what they can sell in their pubs and are often banned from putting on the products they know their customers want to drink.

The campaign hopes that pub companies’ beer tie arrangements can be relaxed as pubs reopen following the coronavirus lockdown, so that all parts of the industry can pull together and support each other.

A recent survey of 21,000 beer drinkers and pub goers carried out by CAMRA found that 68% of people are less likely to go to a pub if it isn’t selling local and independent beer and cider.

Commenting, CAMRA National Director Ben

Wilkinson said: “Relaxing restrictions for tied pub tenants is the right thing for pub companies to do – making sure all parts of the industry, no matter how small, are supported in the recovery from COVID-19 and are able to thrive in the weeks and months ahead.

“Allowing small and independent brewers and cider producers to sell into all pubs will also improve consumer choice and allow pub goers to support local brewing businesses hit by recent events.

“It also makes business sense, with 68% of pubgoers saying they would be less likely to go back to a pub if it doesn’t have a range of brews from small and independent producers.”

Whether a business will still be covered by their BI insurance under a local lockdown depends on their policy wording. The difference between infection rates in different areas of the UK will now only complicate the causation issue, making it harder for business owners to evidence that their loss was due to Covid-19.

Although the FCA have tried their best to establish clear principles, it is likely that the answer will be taken on a case by case basis, with the focus on the detail in each situation. It is hoped that the FCA test case, set to run for 8 days on 20 July 2020, will bring certainty and clarity for policy holders and insurers.

FSA Publishes Updated Allergen Guidance

The FSA has published updated technical guidance for allergen labelling following changes for prepacked for direct sale food.

These changes complement existing labelling rules on providing allergen information to consumers.

The changes, which are now enshrined in legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will come into effect from 1 October 2021.

The updated technical guidance now reflects the legislative changes and will help businesses and enforcement authorities understand the new requirements.

The changes were introduced after an earlier UKwide consultation following the death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse as a result of an allergic reaction to sesame in a baguette she had eaten.

The new requirements only apply to food known as prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), which is packaged onsite by a business before a customer selects or orders it from the same premises.

It means that PPDS food will be required to have a label with an ingredients list and the allergens contained emphasised on the list. This brings the way allergen information is provided for it in line with other prepacked food and reduces consumer confusion.

The FSA will be engaging with industry, enforcement authorities over the coming months to raise awareness with business as they work towards implementing the new requirements that come into effect later next year.

Food Standards Agency Chief Executive, Emily Miles: ‘Consistent and accurate labelling can be life-saving for those living with a food allergy or hypersensitivity.

These new measures are vital as they provide information to hypersensitive consumers in a form that is familiar and convenient for them.

‘Food businesses and enforcement authorities need to be ready for the rules coming into effect in October 2021 which the updated technical guidance on food allergen labelling will help them to do.’

Domestic Bookings Could Prove a Silver Lining for UK Hotels, Says HVS The UK hotel sector’s traditionally strong domestic leisure demand bodes well for the sector’s recovery following the easing of lockdown, according to a new report from global hotel consultancy HVS. However, the report outlines that hotels in the capital and other gateway cities, with heavier reliance on international travellers and corporate bookings, are likely to take longer to recover than those in the provinces, which have a more domestic, leisure-based guest profile.

Many hotels outside London typically generate over 50% of domestic room nights from holidaymakers. In the Southwest of England, for example, holidays account for 69% of domestic room nights, compared with London, where some 29% of hotel bookings come from domestic leisure bookings.

The HVS report shows that across Europe those countries with a high domestic demand will be in a stronger position to recover once lockdown measures are lifted, particularly as international travel is curtailed.

Overall 60% of hotel demand in the UK comes from domestic sources, a similar proportion to France (63%) although not as high a proportion as Germany at 82%, although much of this demand is generated from trade fairs and events, which are likely to take longer to recover, and the Nordics, which averages at 71%. Much of Southern Europe has a lower percentage of domestic tourism, with Portugal at 34% and Italy at 50%, which will result in a slower recovery for their hotels unless they are able to attract foreign visitors when

July 2020

CLH News

circumstances permit this.

“One impact of lockdown is that British tourists will be keen to travel, and unable to go abroad are likely to book holidays in the UK once it’s deemed safe to do so. This could prove a silver lining for UK hoteliers, holiday operators and campsites,” commented report author Stephen Collins, an associate director with HVS London.

“This will help support domestic demand in the short to medium term, smoothing the recovery curve and allowing hotels to stay in business until the pandemic is brought under control and international demand begins to return.”

The report warns that the fact UK tourists are unlikely to travel abroad this summer will also have a big impact on countries such as Spain, Portugal, France and Iceland, with heavy reliance on British holidaymakers – however, this may present an opportunity for strategically-minded and fast-acting British hoteliers to capture at least some of this traditionally outbound demand.

“We are cautiously optimistic about the UK hotel industry’s ability to recover at a reasonable pace compared with the rest of Europe, and to focus on domestic tourism until international demand returns,” concluded Stephen Collins.

“But it will not be smooth sailing and there could be casualties, particularly in areas reliant on international, corporate and MICE demand.”

The Pub Defender and The FPB Launch Support Organisation For Pub Trade The Forum of Private Business, working with the Pub Defender Dave Mountford, have launched The Forum of British Pubs.

Focusing on providing support to local pubs as they struggle through the current lockdown, and as they emerge and reopen, the new Forum will provide both advice and dedicated key service offerings, as well as being the campaigning voice within government and with the pub operating companies.

‘The UK pub sector has been under pressure for many years and the current pandemic has exposed many of these issues, the fragility of parts of the sector and the need for real change,’ says Pub Defender, Dave Mountford.

The Forum for British Pubs will specifically look to address: • The removal of bad business practices and unfair behaviour prevalent in the hospitality industry, driven largely by the big brewing companies.

• Balancing of the power currently in the hands of the PubCo’s fairly across the industry, enabling the pubs to make a decent living whist acting ethically and in the interests of their clients.

• The enforcement of the intentions of the Pub Code set out to protect pubs, but currently with very limited power in the hands of the Pubs Code Adjudicator • The provision to the Government of an informed representative body to engage with on issues relating to the pub trade, and the survival of pubs, many of which sit at the heart of the community. Hitherto the Government has tended to default to the main PubCo’s which has inevitably created a bias towards the PubCo’s and away from the pubs themselves.

• Providing a trusted voice within the industry, and a source of honest, ethical, and balanced information.

• Creation of an independent advisory body for the Pub Code Adjudicator, and the BEIS taskforce, as an interface between the pubs themselves the Adjudicator and BEIS. Managing Director of the new Forum for British Pubs, Ian Cass explained, “The Forum of British Pubs has been formed to protect and preserve British pubs and the publicans who operate them. We aim to support the free trade and tenanted pub sector, giving them practical, proactive, and preventative advice and support as well as being a strong campaigning voice with government and the pub operating companies”

Publican Builds Life Sized Replica of Spitfire During Lockdown Coolham locals returning to community favourite, the Selsey Arms, were be greeted with a full-sized Vickers Supermarine Spitfire (MK IX) replica to add to the pubs already vast memorabilia collection.

The model has been the passion project of publican, Kenny Easton, during lockdown, who runs the pub with his partner Belinda Grover.

With a wingspan of over 10m, the Spitfire is hard to miss in its pride of place next to the WW2 memorial already in the pub garden. The site includes a memorial plaque, that the Coolham community added to the existing memorial last year, commemorating the fifteen airmen that lost their lives at nearby Coolham Airfield during the Second World War. Now, as the Selsey Arms reopened, Kenny and Belinda are planned an official unveiling of the Spitfire with the rest of the Coolham community.

Kenny said: “Since taking over the Selsey Arms two years ago Belinda and I have been determined to showcase the historical importance of Coolham and its airfield, that still functions today as RAF Coolham.

We have collected a lot of memorabilia that we display proudly in the pub and the Spitfire model is a happy new addition.

“Not everyone knows about the vital role our little airfield played in WW2 and we hope to do our bit by keeping the memory of that time alive – especially as the Selsey Arms would have been many of those young men’s local.

Tel: 01495 772164 I 07967 402995 www.shophygiene.co.uk

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Drinkers Will Visit The Pub More Than Six THOUSAND Times During Their Lifetime Drinkers will visit the pub more than six THOUSAND times during their lifetime – enjoying 7,786 pints of lager and 5,579 packets of crisps along the way.

The study of 1,000 pub goers found they will hear ‘time’ called on 1,728 occasions and those who generously tend to buy a round will do so almost 12,000 times.

But 21 per cent admitted they NEVER get the drinks in.

Over the course of their lifetime, pub goers will enjoy 6,131 pints of cider, 3,372 pints of shandy and 6,499 pints of real ale – not forgetting the 3,433 packets of pork scratchings.

They will also attend 696 pub quizzes, getting a respectable 39 per cent of questions correct.

for the many pub workers in this country – and we are here to support them.”

The study also found the typical pub goer usually spends around four hours a week down their local – the equivalent of nine days in total over the year.

But seven in 10 members of staff admitted they find it hard to get their voice heard when it comes to the future of the pub industry.

In fact, recent events have left 69 per cent fearing for the future of the industry amid concerns they wouldn’t be able to drink there again.

Ultimately though, three quarters of workers have been desperate to get behind the bar and serving customers once again.

More than four in 10 admitted they’ve been completely lost without their local, with 62 per cent believing they are the heart and soul of local communities.

But there is more to their role than simply pouring drinks and serving food.

“Pubs are truly the heart of the community for so many and have been sorely missed over the past few months.

“As such, it has been an incredibly challenging time

The Licensed Trade Charity study carried out through OnePoll found three in 10 pub goers have confided in bar staff about personal matters.

James Brewster added: “Every year we provide practical, emotional and financial support to hundreds of people working in the pub industry – and that includes those working in breweries too.

“People who manage or work in pubs give a lot of time, energy and often compassion to their customers, but they don’t necessarily get the recognition they deserve.

“However this study goes some way to shining a light on invaluable service hardworking pub workers provide – it’s so much more than pulling pints.”

Businesses Should Be Allowed To Exchange Covid-19 Losses For Cash Refunds Businesses that have incurred losses during the Covid-19 pandemic should be able to exchange them for a government cash payment, say leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Genevieve said: “The system is already in place and it wouldn’t take much for company tax return software to be updated to allow businesses to elect to sell their Covid-19 losses, rather than carry them forward.”

Genevieve Morris, a partner at the firm said: “The Government should introduce a method where businesses can surrender their Covid-19 losses in exchange for an immediate cash payment. If the government did this not only would small businesses get the cash injection they so desperately need, but ultimately the measure will raise tax as the losses surrendered for a cash payment would not be available to shelter future profits at the higher corporation tax rate. The mechanism already exists for SME’s that have qualifying R&D claims. Where these businesses have losses after claiming enhanced R&D tax relief, the losses can be sold to the Government in exchange for a cash payment equal to 14.5% of the losses.

She added: “The Government could restrict the relief to SMEs, or as is similar with R&D relief for large companies, provide a similar Covid-19 loss relief to large corporates, but with a reduced cash payment – say 9% rather than 14.5% for SME’s.

Genevieve added: “ Many businesses have suffered substantial losses during the Covid-19 lockdown, and whilst businesses that were profit making in the previous year will be able to carry these losses back and claim a cash tax refund, early stage businesses that have been historically loss making will only be able to carry these losses forward and use them to shelter profits in future years. They will not be able to benefit immediately, unlike previously profit-making businesses and the future use of the losses will remain uncertain.”

“This would then still enable large corporates to benefit if they really need to, but it would be a more difficult decision for business leaders, knowing that they would be losing the 19% corporation tax relief in the future, in exchange for a 9% cash payment now.

This would help ensure the system was not abused by larger companies that really do not need the cash now, but still enable some of the larger businesses that are facing crises to benefit when they really need to.”

“A business with losses of £100k arising from R&D expenditure can sell these and receive a cash payment of £14,500. The alternative for these businesses would be to carry the losses forward to shelter future taxable profits – and businesses doing this would benefit at the current corporation tax rate of 19%, meaning the benefit of carrying forward would be worth more than the immediate cash refund at £19,000.

However, many small businesses are likely to prefer receiving the cash benefit today, rather than carry forward the losses to use in the future.”

Novellini launch BeSafe walls to help the UK return to work safely

While their affection for the pub is clear, 47 per cent admit they don’t tend to appreciate just how hard bar staff work.

Commissioned by the Licensed Trade Charity, the study also found four in 10 had been counting down the days until their local opened up again.

A spokesman for the Licensed Trade Charity said: “The research highlights just how important pubs and pub workers are.

11

Additionally, they head down their local to watch football on 2,144 occasions and rugby a further 1,691 times.

Further to this, 70 per cent think the industry needs greater support – a view shared by 89 per cent of pub workers.

And seven in 10 revealed their mental health has suffered for the same reason.

CLH News

During this time, those polled will savour 612 Sunday roasts, with all the trimmings – roast potatoes, vegetables, stuffing and gravy.

And they’ll belt out a total of 769 songs during their lifetime – across 719 karaoke nights held at their local.

Worryingly, the charity, which also polled 100 pub workers, found two thirds of staff members have had sleepless nights due to the current plight of the industry.

July 2020

They could also cap the amount of losses you’d be able to sell, for example at £5m. £5m of losses sold for 9% would generate a cash refund of £450k – but if these losses were carried forward and used in the future they would shelter profits and save £950k of corporation tax. Allowing businesses to sell these losses now will untimely increase future tax revenue by £500k

Genevieve said: “If businesses don’t get the help they need to come out of the Covid-19 crisis in a strong position, there will be no tax revenues in the future from the many businesses that will not survive. It really is in the Government’s interest to continue to help businesses through this challenging time, and the beauty of this option is that it would help businesses survive today, but will ultimately raise tax revenue in the future as the businesses recover and start to make profits and pay corporation tax immediately rather than sheltering this with losses carried forward from previous years.”

Workplaces around the nation are preparing for when the UK can return to a kind of normality. The Novellini Group presents a solution that will help to create safe working environments that are hygienic and adaptable. The BeSafe wall is a protective device that companies with any office, desk space, trade counters, cafe and restaurants can incorporate going forward.

The primary benefit? Hygiene. Employees will feel protected with the BeSafe wall as it provides a barrier. Constructed from 6mm tempered glass, it’s easy to clean with any alcoholic disinfectant. In smaller spaces where it’s difficult to sit two meters away, the wall is a particularly helpful solution.

Office teams aren’t the only ones who will be happy to see these walls put in place. BeSafe is a smart answer for all industries where contact with the public is required, such as pharmacies, retail counters, restaurants and public offices.

Novellini can customise each barrier to suit the space with three versions (floor mounted, trade counter, and desks) and five different sizes.

UK Sales Manager at Novellini, Stuart West says ‘We are looking to help the UK workforce where we can and these are a positive answer to those concerns about health and hygiene.’

As specialists in showers and design, Novellini are putting their skills to good use and many businesses across the UK will be pleased to find a safe and stylish solution. They are even available in several colours and glass finishes to suit the surroundings.

For more information contact Novellini UK on 01727 229922 or visit the website at www.novellini.co.uk For brochure and advice please email info-uk@novellini.com For large projects or orders, customized solutions can be evaluated. We are available to evaluate and propose BeSafe Wall solutions specific for your protection needs.

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

Landlords and Tenants – The Question of Rents

By Russell May, Senior Associate – Solicitor at law firm Boyes Turner

To say that tenants in the hospitality and leisure industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic is an understatement.

Some landlords were initially putting tenants, many of whom have seen their businesses all but destroyed as a result of the unprecedented catastrophe, under considerable pressure by using aggressive debt recovery tactics. Commercial tenants, however, have had a lifeline thrown to them been by recent government legislation, brought in at great speed, which imposed restrictions on landlords seeking aggressively to enforce demands for rent arrears from their tenants.

The government has introduced restrictions on a landlord’s ability to pursue certain enforcement action against a tenant by temporarily banning the use of statutory demands and winding up petitions for those commercial tenants unable to pay their bills due to coronavirus. The ability for a landlord to forfeit the lease for non payment of rent has also been suspended.

These measures, which have provided valuable breathing space for tenants, were both due to expire on 30th June, but they have now been extended to, at least, 30th September.

These government measures have taken the pressure off tenants but instead have shifted that pressure on to landlords, particularly those who have substantial loans to service and financial covenants to meet. The collapse of shopping centre giant Intu into administration last week is a stark

reminder of the pressures landlords face, in the light of evidence that less than 25% of all rent due since March has been paid to landlords.

Companies demanding concessions from landlords have come under media scrutiny of late, including Travelodge who demanded short term deferrals and Superdrug for demanding 75% rental cuts – even though Superdrug remained open during the lockdown.

Landlords and tenants must realise that there needs to be give and take on both sides and that they should work together to reach agreement in respect of rent, for example by shifting quarterly in advance payments, to monthly payments, and even rent holidays.

Government assistance for commercial tenants has also included business rates relief. However, ultimately the rent has to be paid. If a tenant’s lease can be terminated under a break clause or is coming to an end, for example, then the tenant will have a stronger bargaining position.

The ability to institute Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR), a statutory procedure which allows landlords of commercial premises to recover rent arrears by taking control of the tenant’s goods and selling them in order to pay off the debt has also been temporarily limited by emergency government legislation until 30th September. A tenant must be at least 189 days in arrears of rent, so well before the lockdown commenced, before a landlord can make use of CRAR. However, there are other options for landlords to recover rent, such as claiming against guarantors or dipping into any rent deposit that was paid at the start of the tenancy.

Difficulties with rent are against a background of burgeoning costs for those in the leisure and hospitality sector including the need to provide face masks, gloves and screens and cashless payment systems as well as maintaining social distancing as the lockdown comes to an end. In addition,

the industry will need to keep temporary records of all customers and visitors for 21 days and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed.

Yet against this backdrop, there are some positives. Business Secretary Alok Sharma was being urged to intervene to prevent widespread job losses and business failures across the hospitality and leisure sector. Although many businesses might say that the government has moved too slowly to open up the sector, there are still a large number of scientific commentators who say that measures are being relaxed too soon. There is no doubt that the re-opening on July 4th is a result of the political and economic pressure which has been building on the government. The reimposition of lockdown in Leicester this week serves as a stark reminder of the problems we still face.

And the encouragement for the hospitality industry initially for “al fresco” dining and drinking and the general opening up of the sector now underway is to be welcomed. It’s even possible that if people prefer to remain in the UK rather than travel abroad for their holidays, UK leisure may see a boost. The industry is certainly hoping for a surge in retail spending when the lockdown is finally lifted and if reports of frantic holiday bookings are true that could well happen. Certainly this was the case in China but many European countries have seen that people are remaining very cautious.

The ability of the sector to get back to something approaching pre-lockdown business remains subject to compliance with specific guidance from the Government and several leisure and hospitality categories will have to stay closed for the time being. And, of course, it remains to be seen how soon potential customers feel comfortable enough to resume their normal leisure pursuits as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Web: www.boyesturner.com

Six In 10 Adults Will Refuse to Wear a Face Mask In A Pub Or Restaurant Six in 10 adults will refuse to wear a face mask in a pub or restaurant – regardless of government advice.

And less than half would consider donning a face covering when shopping, despite being surrounded by other people.

A study found 29 per cent already feel embarrassed at the thought of wearing a mask when leaving the house.

While seven in 10 are prepared to don a face covering when going on public transport, 84 per cent have no intention of wearing one when out walking, while three quarters won’t consider it for meeting family or friends.

A tenth of adults even went as far as to say they will refuse to wear a face mask anywhere in public – even if it became a law introduced in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

And three in 10 believe wearing a mask to protect from Covid-19 is

both unnecessary and over the top, while 13 per cent think they are ‘pointless’.

feel anxious (13 per cent).

Ashley Mealor from Vision Direct, which carried out the research, said: “Face masks will become the norm, and users will need to find ways to make them comfortable and effective.

Communication is also a very big issue for some, with 17 per cent worried about others understanding them if their mouth is covered and 14 per cent claiming it would be too hard for people to read their facial expressions.

“They will take a bit of getting used to, as they can be uncomfortable, particularly if you are a glasses wearer, have a skin condition, or are particularly sensitive.

More than half of those polled, via OnePoll, don’t like the idea of others not seeing their smile, and 51 per cent don’t think they’ll be able to talk to others properly.

“Some people may just not like the feeling of being claustrophobic – there are lots of reasons why it may be difficult to get the whole of the general public to embrace mask wearing.

Even things like flirting or looking attractive to others are a concern for more than one quarter of adults.

“But as other countries have demonstrated, this may become necessary to fight the pandemic once and for all.”

Ashley Mealor added: “There are many reasons why people may be reluctant to give masks a go, whether that’s having glasses steam up, or not liking the feeling that it is difficult to communicate.

The study also found 46 per cent of adults haven’t yet tried using a mask at all, despite it now being compulsory for public transport, and the norm in places like supermarkets and shops.

“The reality is that wearing a mask will limit the facial expressions other people will see – couple that with wearing glasses too, and those people may really struggle to connect with others effectively.

And 87 per cent will refuse to wear a mask when exercising, while 84 per cent would ditch it for a date.

“You learn so much from a person from seeing their mouth, nose and eyes – if all of these are covered, it could affect how you respond to them.

Brits are resistant to mask wearing because they say it will be hard to eat and drink (26 per cent), too hot (35 per cent) and may make them

“So it is understandable why glasses wearers in particular could be averse to taking these steps to protect themselves and others.”

CAMRA Welcomes New Research That Demonstrates The Positive Impact of Local Beer Festivals Following new research released from Northumbria University which measures the economic impact of local beer festivals with a particular focus on York, please find below a comment from Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Chief Executive: “The research from Northumbria University demonstrates what a positive impact beer festivals have on the local economy. Just one beer festival can inject substantial cash into the local economy, both directly and indirectly, with little or no cost to the local council. In particular, festivals help boost income for local hospitality and tourism businesses. Given that CAMRA runs over 200 beer festivals across the country, we can extrapolate these findings to suggest beer festivals contribute many millions into local economies, as well as providing a valuable route to market for numerous independent breweries.

This is great news all round – for local councils, local pubs and consumer choice.

“We hope that recognition of the huge cultural and economic contribution festivals make will encourage the government to work quickly to develop guidance to allow them to reopen safely, as soon as possible, and in consultation with CAMRA and other organisations which organise them. When that happy day comes, we’d invite everyone to join us in raising a pint to Professor Cabras and his team!”

Reopen in Style with Simon Jersey The past four months has been hard for all businesses, but none more so than that of the hospitality industry. With 3.2 million workers within the sector , and a huge number of employees having been on furlough, the governments job retention scheme, businesses and staff have been waiting for the day when you can reopen your doors and start getting back to some form of normality.

Although life will not be quite the same as it was before lockdown, it has been encouraging to see your businesses adapting during these unprecedented times. Now that restrictions have started to ease across the country, we are seeing pubs, restaurants and bars implementing strict safety measures to keep your customers protected.

But what about your staff? As with other businesses, Simon Jersey has had to adapt during lockdown to the needs of their customers.

They have invested in Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), from face masks and visors, to gloves and disposable aprons, to ensure that their customers have the right equipment to reopen their businesses safely and without fear of cross-contamination.

Equally, Simon Jersey believes that how your staff present themselves is just as crucial in setting reassurance for your customers’ visit, and importantly, how likely they are to return, which is critical for businesses in these times of uncertainty. If your staff look good, they feel good and have a sense of pride in their work – a stylish uniform tells the tale of a successful establishment.

Whilst your teams are busy greeting customers, serving, lifting, carrying and beavering away behind the scenes in kitchens, they really need to be wearing a stylish, comfortable and functional uniform.

Simon Jersey understands the demands on the hospitality sector and the uniforms they need to

work in and have an array of products, perfect to kit out your entire team.

APRONS Simon Jersey’s range of aprons serve as a perfect finishing touch to your hospitality uniform, whether you're kitting out staff for a bar, restaurant or catering service. Their aprons are made from durable fabric and come in an array of different styles, lengths and colours to suit your requirements.

CHEFSWEAR With a wide range of chefswear, Simon Jersey understands that busy kitchen workers need to keep cool and look smart during service. Comfort is key in hot kitchen environments, which is why they have designed a range of perfect culinary outfits that are practical and easy to care for.

FRONT OF HOUSE Simon Jersey offers a large variety of professional front of house uniforms for the hospitality industry. They have a stylish collection of suiting, blouses and shirts in various styles, patterns and colourways, so you are sure find uniforms to suit your business branding and to ensure a consistent appearance across your front of house team.

Why not add a personal touch with embroidered logos or staff names which can really set your business apart and add a bespoke touch to your uniform? There’s no better way to promote your brand!

With over 45 years’ experience, Simon Jersey have the knowledge, expertise and cutting-edge design to supply your business with a uniform that’s modern, stylish, fits perfectly, washes well and lasts.

Find more out about what Simon Jersey can do for you and your staff by visiting www.simonjersey.com or see the advert on page 13.

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

Making the Most of Your Contracts Amid the Coronavirus Uncertainty

By Pete Maguire, partner in the commercial contracts team at Wright Hassall KEY CONTRACTUAL POINTS The service provider and customer relationship is typically completely different from that defined by a standard supply of goods agreement.

Maintaining the relationship through personal interactions is essential to the success of the service.

Whilst it is critical to ensure that exposure is as limited as possible in the current economic climate, it’s also important that the provider does not make the customer feel exposed by a new approach.

To help build the feeling of mutual trust between the two parties, you should be taking steps to mitigate costs and proactively put forward new proposals to improve the situation.

In terms of the contract itself, the first important consideration is whether it contains a force majeure clause and if so, does it extend to the impact of the pandemic?

Understandably, the focus of the coronavirus crisis has been on the impact to human health, however, as lockdown measures are slowly relaxed, the economic instability has become more visible, particularly throughout supply chains.

Businesses in the hospitality sector are itching to get back to work, and with many still in survival mode, it is hardly surprising that many are looking to protect their interests and reduce risks, reviewing existing commercial contracts as part of the process.

Whilst very few contracts will have been written with the risks of a global pandemic in mind, it’s crucial that businesses take the time to understand its impact on commercial relationships and the ability of parties to fulfil their contractual obligations.

For now, businesses must stay in close contact with their customers and suppliers, ensuring everyone is on the same page and understands the impact a failure by any member of the supply chain would have both commercially and practically.

Whilst a service provider should certainly consider this clause and whether the current circumstances could trigger it, they must ask themselves if it will be in their long-term interests to do so, as it can potentially lead to an immediate termination of activity.

HOW TO ADDRESS THE NECESSARY VARIATIONS Instead of immediately triggering the force majeure clause, the variation provisions inside the contract could be used first, allowing any additional costs incurred to be recovered by the service provider.

If the costs incurred under the contract are driven by people costs and if it’s possible to flex resources, but have additional costs picked up by the customer, this would be a sensible option.

Some contracts will have a formal change control procedure which sets out the process to be followed and it would be worth checking to see whether the customer is entitled to withhold its approval of any changes proposed.

The critical point here is to try and find a way of ensuring that a contract remains financially viable. The contract will usually set out how a variation should be documented, but even this can vary.

Drynks Ramp Up 0% NPD After Successful Visit to Dragons’ Den such as Peroni, San Miguel and Budweiser in terms of units sold, proving that consumers really do buy into those specialist, high quality NoLo brands.”

• Smashed Pale Ale is light and refreshing, a fusion of the traditional and modern. Caramel and hints of Toffee and finished with a modern American hop providing Tropical and Passionfruit notes. • Smashed Berry is a purple berry coloured sparkling fruit cider with a fruity, fresh, clean nose with hints of English cider. The taste is sharp and refreshing with a perfect balance of sweetness backed up with a strong forest fruit flavours followed by hints of English cider and a firm cider astringency to finish.

Fresh from their success on Dragons’ Den, Manchester alcohol-free craft brewery Drynks Unlimited is adding two new products to its Smashed range of 0% beers and ciders.

The independent British drinks business is expanding its Smashed portfolio with the addition of a new Smashed Pale Ale and the launch of its Smashed Berry cider in time for summer. Both drinks will be available in bottles and cans and will join three other truly AF drinks in the Smashed range; Smashed Cider, Smashed Citrus and Smashed Lager.

Richard Clark, Founder and MD of Drynks Unlimited said: “So much has happened since we appeared on Dragons’ Den in March. We launched Smashed in Booths and we’ve already overtaken big, established brands,

The current COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity for alcohol-free brands to thrive as consumers look to refocus on their health and wellbeing. A third of people are drinking less alcohol since lockdown and this has created a buyers’ market where quality, innovation and excitement is being sought out.

Founder and MD of Drynks Unlimited, Richard Clark said: “Consumers are currently looking for quality alternatives to alcohol without having to sacrifice taste and experience. This is the perfect time to invest in NPD and build more differential choice that deliver genuine excitement.”

He adds: “We can, and are, driving genuine growth to the sector by offering quality drinks which suit a raft of different occasions; food, driving, work, health and sport.”

Drynks Unlimited own the only 0% brewery in the UK which uses pioneering cool vacuum distillation technology to produce alcohol free

If the contract is silent in this respect, then the accepted position under English law is that any variations would need to be agreed between both parties, rather than imposed by one or the other.

When variations to the contract are agreed, these should be documented carefully, detailing whether they can be agreed verbally or whether they need to be in writing and signed by both parties.

IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK… In May 2020, the government released guidance it hoped would encourage organisations whose contracts have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis to behave fairly and responsibly in relation to performance issues and contractual enforcement.

The official guidance is keen for contracted parties to talk, rather than automatically trigger a dispute due to impaired performance, when a time extension, different performance or compensation could keep the supply chain going.

The single most important issue for service providers, is not necessarily the contract itself but the ongoing relationship with their customer. If there is any risk a business might not meet its contractual requirements, the best thing to do is not suffer in silence but open a dialogue as quickly as possible.

Given a good working relationship and a customer who may also require flexibility, then collaborating to find an equitable outcome, with the contract as the foundations for that relationship, businesses could emerge from the crisis in an improved position.

About the author: Pete Maguire is a partner in the commercial contracts team at Wright Hassall. He specialises in the drafting and negotiation of outsourcing and commercial contracts in the technology, retail, security, logistics, catering and support services sectors. Pete previously worked for 12 years in the in-house legal team at Compass Group, UK and Ireland, the UK and Ireland division of the world’s biggest catering, FM and soft services provider. drinks that taste so good you wouldn’t know there wasn’t any booze in them. The business invested in this because it delivers a quality taste experience that consumers crave.

Clark adds; “Our own consumer research shows that 49% of people have reduced the amount of alcohol they drank in the previous 12 months; this isn’t a trend that will suddenly go away when COVID-19 ends. All our drinks start life as real craft beer and cider (between 5% 5.7%) and they are gently dealcoholised which retains the DNA of the original drink. This pioneering process ensures we produce the best 0% drinks.”

Drynks Unlimited recently appeared on Dragons’ Den and received an offer from Sara Davies. Peter Jones stated; “I was quite surprised because I didn’t think it’d taste even close (to an alcoholic drink) but I’m quite surprised how close that is.” Deborah Meaden said: “That tastes…really good!”

The Smashed range uses the finest British ingredients to create authentic tasting beers and ciders and then the alcohol is gently removed in a low impact cool vacuumed environment which maintains the same bubbly, personality, character and flavour of the full alcohol version. All Smashed drinks are vegan, gluten free (where possible), low in sugar and contain less than 100 calories.

Smashed 330ml bottles and cans have a RRP of £1.99 and are available in Booths supermarket as well as online at www.drynks.co.uk, Zeroholic.co.uk, Drydrinker.com, and a range of local independent retailers across the UK. Check us out on www.drynks.co.uk and on social @drynkssocial

Employers To Contribute To Furlough Scheme From August Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled plans for employers to start paying towards their furloughed staff and extend reduced support to self-employed workers.

The Chancellor also set out more details on how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will continue to support jobs and business as people return to work, following the announcement of an extension of the scheme on 12 May. So far, the CJRS has helped 1 million employers across the UK furlough 8.4 million jobs, protecting people’s livelihoods.

From 1 July 2020, businesses will be given the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back part time. This is a month earlier than previously announced to help support people back to work. Individual firms will decide the hours and shift patterns their employees will work on their return, so that they can decide on the best approach for them – and will be responsible for paying their wages while in work.

From August 2020, the level of government grant provided through the job retention scheme will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. That means that for June and July the government will continue to pay 80% of people’s salaries. In the following months, businesses will be asked to contribute a modest share, but crucially individuals will continue to receive that 80% of salary covering the time they are unable to work.

The scheme updates mean that the following will apply for the period

people are furloughed: June and July: The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 as well as employer National Insurance (ER NICS) and pension contributions. Employers are not required to pay anything.

August: The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500.

Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions – for the average claim, this represents 5% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

September: The government will pay 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50. Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 10% of wages to make up 80% total up to a cap of £2,500. For the average claim, this represents 14% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

October: The government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875.

Employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions and 20% of wages to make up 80% total up to a cap of £2,500. For the average claim, this represents 23% of the gross employment costs the employer would have incurred had the employee not been furloughed.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: Our top priority has always been to support people, protect jobs and businesses through this crisis. The furlough and self-employment schemes have been a lifeline for millions of people and businesses.

We stood behind Britain’s businesses and workers as we came into this crisis and we stand behind them as we come through the other side.

Now, as we begin to re-open our country and kickstart our economy, these schemes will adjust to ensure those who are able to work can do so, while remaining amongst the most generous in the world.

Employers will be required to submit data on the usual hours an employee would be expected to work in a claim period and actual hours worked. Employees who believe they are not getting their 80% share can also report any concerns to the HMRC fraud hotline. HMRC will not hesitate to take action against those found to be abusing the scheme.

CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said: “The lockdown has brought home just how important local pubs are to communities and in tackling loneliness and social isolation. It is vital that we give pubs the support they need to be able to survive and thrive in the months and years ahead.

“The introduction of flexibility in the furlough scheme that will allow people to work part time is welcome news for pubs and their staff.

However, the harsh reality of this announcement is that many pubs just won’t be able to pay towards wages, National Insurance and pension contributions on top of existing costs and during periods of reduced trade due to social distancing measures reducing capacity.

“Those smaller pubs that are unsuitable for social distancing, as well as those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales that might not be able to re-open until much later in the year, won’t have any income at all to pay these extra staff costs.

“This will leave pubs with an impossible choice between taking on more debt, letting staff go, or calling it a day and closing down their businesses for good.

“The Government should look again at this announcement and consider applying a flexible furlough arrangement for pubs until later in the year, helping them survive restricted re-openings. Otherwise I fear we will see many jobs lost and pubs not being able to survive and having to close for good.”

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16

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

Are Hospitality Brands Ready To Step Up To The Next Challenge?

Opinion piece from Nick Tearle, MD of E1Media (www.e1ma.co.uk)

As the UK begins to tentatively reopen and emerge from its hibernation thanks to lockdown restrictions lifting, hospitality businesses are faced with their biggest challenge yet. Dubbed Super Saturday, scenes from the weekend proved the nation's desperation to return to their much-loved local pubs and restaurants. But the shifting sands of regulations and advice mean that opening up was just the first hurdle. The coming months will require a constant evolution to meet changing rules and satisfy demands as we move forward.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE For restaurants, pubs, bars and other hospitality venues, challenges will be centred around instilling a renewed sense of confidence in the safety of eating out. Yet, whilst this is of vital importance, there's a fine balance to ensuring we don't let safety measures heavily (and negatively) impact the overall dining experience and the nation’s much-loved habit of eating and drinking out.

It’s important to also remember that everyone has a different level of ‘C19-comfort’. Some customers may be fine with physical contact, others might be shielding or within a support bubble. It's vital to be in constant communication with your audience, both in-store and online to help evaluate consumer confidence and respond accordingly.

The updated lockdown rules are a massive boost to a large portion of the hospitality industry, which has been severely crippled by the pandemic. Right now, it's important for businesses to encourage the return of customers, but without causing the same unappealing and unmanageable queuing the retail industry has suffered from over the last few weeks.

Although some bars and restaurants have continued trading via takeaway and delivery services, most of their revenue comes from visits to the premises. Business models will have to be adapted in order to meet demands and align with new rules.

But despite the loosening of restrictions, we are still amidst a pandemic, and it's not over. The way businesses operate moving forward will not be the same as pre-lockdown. So, there are some key points that need to be considered.

KEEPING CUSTOMERS SEATED – THE RISE OF HOSPITALITY TECH To minimise social contact, new regulations dictate that patrons are not allowed to order at the bar or stand around the premises. The government has also instructed bars and restaurants to collect the contact information of guests in order to help with their ‘test-and-trace’ efforts.

Having an online ordering system could resolve both these issues.

Brands that don’t already use an app to help with ordering, should look to build one as soon as possible, or use a third-party service. More and more pubs and restaurants will be turning to new technology in order to keep staff and customers safe.

When Wetherspoons introduced their ordering app over three years ago, reactions were mixed. Some traditionalists felt attached to the experience of standing and ordering at the bar, whilst others were happy to have an easy way of avoiding the queues. However, as we are now faced with little choice – these apps may just be the perfect answer. This more efficient method of taking orders will free up valuable time for serving staff, so they can focus on maintaining a clean and safe environment.

PREMISES REMAINING ‘COVID-SECURE’ The government is providing plenty of guidance to help businesses become ‘Covid-secure’. These include small changes like providing hand sanitizer on entry as well as bigger implementations like encouraging contactless card payment. The social distancing guidelines have also relaxed from 2-metres to 1-metre plus. Whilst the recommended distance is still 2-metres, for many businesses this is simply not manageable

or profitable. To better control the flow of people throughout the day, the implementation of pre-booking and time slots where possible will help create a streamlined process.

Every business will have slightly different social distancing guidelines, and these should be clearly communicated to customers.

SELLING OUTDOORS Scientists generally agree that being in an open-air environment decreases the risk of transmission. That’s why the government is introducing changes that make it easier for businesses to trade outdoors. This includes temporarily changing laws to allow more licensed bars and restaurants to sell alcohol for off-site consumption. The cost of the licensing process for outdoor seating and stalls is also being reduced – great news if your premises is located next to a park or public space.

Pubs and restaurants will also be able to use car parks and terraces as dining and drinking areas, using their existing seating licenses. Now is definitely the time to make the most of your surrounding outdoor space – especially if your premises are on the smaller side.

Although businesses have much more flexibility around how you can serve customers, they should still actively encourage and incentive takeaway orders. Not only is this safer, but it frees up vital indoor and outdoor space for additional customers.

THE FUTURE It’s safe to say that the changes announced are a real boost to hospitality businesses, particularly pubs and restaurants. These decisions are reflective of the ‘feel-good’ messaging present by the government in recent times. Although the 4th July saw us take a step back into normality, business need to operate with caution – as we are still navigating a pandemic.

We await to see what the government has to say regarding the reopening of nightclubs, live music venues and theatres. These have largely been forgotten so far, despite their numerous social, cultural and economic contributions to society It will be interesting to see where the hospitality industry goes from here.

Pubs and Restaurants Reopen to Weekly Sales 40% Down on Last Year’s Levels Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups that had sites open in England in the first week after shut-down was lifted have reported collective like-for-like sales 39.8% down on the same week last year, according to latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data.

Tracker figures for the week starting July 6 show that 55% of group-operated sites had reopened for eating and drinking inside, up from the 36% trading on the first weekend restrictions were lifted. Full-week sales were also better than over the first Saturday and Sunday, when like-for-likes were 44.5% below pre-COVID norms.

Pubs that were open over the week saw sales 39.3% down on the same week in 2019. Bars that were open were 42.9% down and group-owned restaurants saw like-for-likes down 40.0%.

However, many more pubs opened their doors than restaurants and bars. The industry barometer shows that 70% of managed pubs and pub restaurants traded, while just 17% of restaurants and 42% of bars were open for business.

“Trading at almost 60% of pre-COVID norms is actually a better performance than many other markets internationally, such as the US, experienced on reopening. The sector still has a long way to go, but this sets the benchmark against which the speed of recovery will be judged,” said Karl Chessell, director of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM. CGA will be reporting trading progress via the Tracker on a weekly basis as the market begins to recover and more sites reopen, including measuring week-on-week increases.

“Operators told us that most would be taking a phased approach to reopening and we have seen this in the figures. The 70% of managed pubs in the first full week compares to just 42% over the first weekend, and although restaurants have been taking an even more cautious approach we know more will be open next week,” Chessell added.

In all, 44 companies provided data to the Tracker, with another 11 operators reporting that they had yet to open any sites.

£20m Support for Pubs During Lockdown from the Independent Family Brewers of Britain The Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB), an association of 29 of the oldest family businesses in the country, have provided well over £20M in financial support for their pub tenants since lockdown began in March. The support included cancelling rent payments, and suspending service charge and loan repayments.

As the pubs finally began to open their doors to the public again this week, IFBB members are now actively working with pub landlords to put all the necessary measures in place to protect staff and reassure customers that it is safe to return.

The Coronavirus outbreak is one of the most severe challenges IFBB members have ever faced in their long histories. They are famous and much-loved regional names, who have weathered recessions, wars and epidemics over more than two centuries.

The shock imposed on them and the wider hospitality industry by forced closure has left them reeling as they reassess their business models and look to the future. However, as familyowned businesses with a focus very much on the long term they will continue to invest in and support their pubs and their people through re-opening and beyond.

Rick Bailey, Chairman of the Independent Family Brewers of Britain and Chief Executive of Thwaites Brewery, said: “This has been a terrible and worrying time for our tenants and anyone who cares about the Great British Pub. This crisis has hit all parts of the hospitality sector hard, but together we must pull through into a brighter future.

“Collectively, IFBB companies have provided over £20M of support for their pub tenants during this crisis, even while sustaining losses elsewhere, and it is likely that we will yet have to do more to help. But we will be there on the other side – supporting landlords to come through this extremely challenging period, protect jobs and of course be successful and prosperous again.

“The Family Brewers form part of the social fabric of our society, protectors of some of the finest pubs in the country. We are responsible for safeguarding this country’s historic pub and brewing heritage and investing in community assets for the long term. We will not allow the Great British Pub to fail and we are doing all we can to prevent that.

“There can be no doubt, however, that the assistance given by the Chancellor and the Government has been crucial. Furlough and pub grants gave our sector crucial oxygen at a time in March when we were suffocating. Now we have August’s innovative Dine Out to Help Out scheme and the Government’s incentives to continue to sustain and create employment through to the other side of furlough as we recover.

“The Government’s support of the Great British Pub and wider hospitality sector has saved jobs and sparked hope that we can rebuild for the future – it should be celebrated.

“Pubs have taken huge steps to protect their customers and help them to socialise again. Be positive. Celebrate the future.

Rediscover and support us. You will find that we are ready for you!”

July 2020

CLH News

17

Government Support For H&L Is Not A Silver Bullet

By Dave Gosling, a partner specialising in the hospitality and leisure sector at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP (www.menzies.co.uk) From reduced VAT rates for food to the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, measures promised in the Chancellor’s Summer Statement could prove a much-needed lifeline for the UK’s struggling hospitality and leisure businesses, helping them entice customers back through the doors and strengthen their financial position. However, in order to take full advantage of the new measures and optimise their business performance, decisive action to adapt business models is essential.

Recent Government measures continue to highlight the hospitality and leisure sector’s need for public support and footfall, they will not be the silver bullet that the industry is looking for. While UK tourist destinations may experience an initial boost, for commuter locations, the battle between outlets to secure their share of consumer spending continues.

Following Rishi Sunak’s announcement, VAT has been temporarily cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for the hospitality and tourism sector. To accommodate for this, businesses will need to decide their new pricing structure and update their accounting systems, electronic points of sale (EPOS), and tills in line with the new rules. This should include altering

menus and websites, and re-calculating any advance bookings, taking the VAT reduction into account.

financial failure.

Although its exact scope is not clear at the moment, early Government discussions around the Kickstarter Scheme - which aims to create more jobs for young people - have suggested that to be eligible, the 16-24 year old must be claiming Universal Credit and at ‘risk of long term unemployment’. Therefore, to take advantage of the proposed scheme, businesses should be looking to make the most of their existing business partnerships, as well as actively looking to form new ones.

In accordance with the new ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ initiative, where consumers can purchase meals and non-alcoholic drinks at a discounted rate each week during August from Monday to Wednesday, participating restaurants will need to analyse whether it will be profitable to open on those days. To ensure all of a business’ administration processes are accurate and have been adapted to take advantage of the VAT reduction and ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme, it may be wise to seek the support of an expert; this is particularly crucial when ensuring you accurately account for VAT, capture figures for claims, and consider employee tips and bonuses.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has made the biggest contribution towards helping to preserve the industry. In an ideal world, the Government would have extended the scheme further for the sectors worst affected by the lockdown, such as the hospitality and leisure industry, or provided another grant to support businesses through the tougher months.

Businesses should begin preparing now for the winter period when their income stream is likely to reduce even further. By making use of cashflow modelling techniques such as three-way forecasts, it should be possible to calculate the impact that VAT changes, as well as existing and new loan repayments, will have on the business over the long-term.

Forecasting cashflow, not only between now and when the furlough scheme ends in October, but also for the next 12 months, is essential to put solutions in place in good time, and avoid companies falling into

Many colleges offer fantastic opportunities for young people interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality and leisure sector. From chefs to front of house staff, these high-quality candidates could provide businesses with the perfect solution to any staffing issues they are currently facing, as well as allowing the company to claim incentives for each young person they offer a traineeship to. In order to protect and retain as many existing staff as possible, business owners should also be looking out for any grants that may be available to them. This is particularly important for employees of hotels, weddings, and conferences, which are likely to experience extreme fluctuations in trading levels over the summer season.

For hospitality and leisure businesses at this uncertain time, it is important to try and see through the fog, where possible and adapt their business models for the challenges that the coming weeks may have in store.

No matter whether it’s a global chain experiencing financial hardship, or the director of a boutique cafe, spotting any warning signs early and taking action is crucial; with the right support, there will often be a chance to turn the fortunes of a business around.

Last Call for Pubs in England to Destroy Spoilt Beer at No Cost BBPA advises publicans in England to apply to destroy their spoilt beer before the end of July, to avoid water company charges The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today advised publicans to ensure they have submitted applications to destroy their spoilt beer before the end of July, so they avoid charges from water companies.

The trade association said it had hoped water companies would continue to waiver fees and cut bureaucracy for the disposal of spoilt beer in pubs. Unfortunately though, the water industry has now set deadlines for each region of the UK indicating when applications must be received from pubs wishing to destroy their spoilt beer, under the emergency measures currently in place.

In England, pubs will have until the end of July to apply to destroy their spoilt beer. In Scotland, they will have until mid-August. In Wales, they will have until the end of August.

Any publicans who apply to their local water authority to destroy their spoilt beer after these deadlines will have to pay fees and face increased bureaucracy.

To help publicans destroy their spoilt beer, the BBPA and its members set up www.Returnyourbeer.co.uk, a free website for publicans to use, guiding them on how to destroy their beer safely and in an environmentally friendly manner. Licensees can also record destruction through the platform enabling duty to be claimed back by brewers, who will then agree the means of reimbursing the customer. Licensees with questions on how to destroy their beer can also email beer-support@returnyourbeer.co.uk for further support.

The website, which acts as a one stop shop for many of the UK’s leading and most popular beer brands, has helped thousands of pubs and publicans across the UK destroy their beer safely and also benefit from the reclaimed duty.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “We’re strongly advising publicans in England to apply to their water wholesaler to destroy their spoilt beer before the end of July. Any publican who misses the deadline will have to pay costly water company charges and face additional bureaucracy, so it’s better for publicans in England who haven’t already to destroy their beer now.

“We had hoped water companies would continue to waiver their fees and cut out bureaucracy for disposing waste beer for a longer period, but unfortunately the water industry has now set these deadlines.

“Pubs in Scotland and Wales have a little longer to make applications to destroy their beer. Those in Scotland have until mid-August. Those in Wales have until the end of August. However, we urge all publicans not to wait until the last minute.

“Any publican who still has beer to destroy should also utilise our free website www.returnyourbeer.co.uk to do so. It provides essential guidance on how to destroy beer safely and allow the duty to then be reclaimed for many popular brands. Thousands of pubs across the UK have already successfully used it.

“We urge any publicans struggling to destroy their beer or with questions to email beer-support@returnyourbeer.co.uk for further support.”

Hospitality Sector Sees Rise In Confidence From 11% To 16% In Three Months The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy.

The quarterly tracking study by Hitachi Capital Business Finance goes beyond sentiment and confidence - it examines the percentage of small businesses that actually predict growth in the next three months.

Following last quarter’s report, which saw the percentage of small business owners predicting growth plummeting from 39% to just 14%, the new findings show the highest quarter-on-quarter rise in five years.

With 27% predicting growth overall, there were significant rises in the percentage of small businesses predicting moderate expansion the next three months (up from 10% to 23%) or no change (26% to 43%).

This meant there has been a huge reduction in the percentage of businesses that fear contraction (down from 31% to 19%) or collapse in the next three months (down by almost two thirds from 29% to 11%).

In retail, the percentage of small businesses predicting growth rose from 21% to 27% - and in hospitality growth forecasts rose from 11%

to 16% in the three months since April.

The research also suggests that smaller, more agile enterprises will be the fastest to adapt to the UK’s re-emergence from lockdown: Small businesses that had been trading for less than five years (35%) and those that employed 10-49 employees (37%) were most likely to predict business growth for the next three months (to 30th September).

Gavin Wraith-Carter, Managing Director at Hitachi Capital Business Finance commented: “The latest Hitachi Capital research findings are remarkable for both the scale and the speed of the revival in small business confidence. We knew last quarter that small business confidence would fall as lockdown started and the scale of the fall was a concern, particularly the steep rise in the number of business owners fearing for their survival. Our new research - just in - shows what an immediate and positive impact the easing of lockdown has had on the small business community. Whilst bigger businesses are having to adjust and adapt at a slower pace, small business confidence across the UK has bounced back and as the engine room of the British economy, today’s figures can give us confidence that small businesses will lead the nation’s effort to rebuild the economy and secure growth.”

July 2020

CLH News

19

APPG Publishes Report into Effects of COVID-19 Heineken Launches ‘Keg Talks’ Webinars on Hospitality and Tourism Sectors Featuring Independent tancing rules.

• Promoting tourism should be a priority for the Government. The Government should create an October Bank Holiday and cut tourism VAT by 10% in order to encourage domestic tourism. The introduction of air bridges and cutting Air Passenger Duty would also boost inbound tourism.

Commenting on the publication of the report, Chair of the APPG, Steve Double MP said: ““The UK’s hospitality and tourism sectors have been devastated by the COVID-19 crisis and this report highlights the scale of the damage done to businesses.

Cutting tourism VAT, (now implemented) an overhaul of the business rates system and the creation of an October Bank Holiday are some of the ways in which the Government can support the UK’s hospitality and tourism businesses, according to a new report.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism’s report: Pathways to Recovery highlights the scale of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the UK’s hospitality and tourism sectors and outlining a series of recommendations to help businesses recover.

“These are two of the most important parts of our economy and our inquiry has highlighted the importance of supporting these vital sectors in both the immediate and long term.

The report, published by UKHospitality, follows in inquiry by the APPG, chaired by Steve Double MP, which collected testimony and written evidence from over 350 businesses, trade bodies and Students’ Unions.

The report states: • Hospitality and tourism sectors have been two of the hardest hit by COVID-19. Just 11% of hospitality businesses have been able to operate normally during the lockdown and international tourist arrivals likely to be down 30% for the year.

• When these sectors reopen, the majority of businesses will be operating sub-economically.

A common framework will be required to ensure that venues can operate safely and a phased approach to reopening businesses, due to the variety of business models across the sectors. A false start would be devastating for both hospitality and tourism.

• Government financial support of both sectors has been crucial in keeping businesses alive and jobs secure, however, some businesses have struggled to access available support. This support must be extended in order to keep jobs safe.

• Urgent action is required on rents and the Government must undertake a holistic review of business costs.

• The Government should work with sector businesses to reconsider the 2 metre social dis-

“Whilst the support provided to the sector so far has been very welcomed, we are under no illusions that the path to recovery will be tough. This report and its recommendations provide the Government with a blueprint for supporting businesses. There is every reason to believe that businesses can bounce back if they have the correct support from Westminster and devolved governments.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls added: “In every region of the UK, high streets in town and city centres have been almost entirely shuttered and normal life has been suspended. Hospitality and tourism were some of the first sectors to take a noticeable hit, even before lockdown began. The reality is that these sectors will also be two of the last to fully emerge and it will take time for employers to get back up to anywhere near full speed.

“If the Government is positive and decisive in delivering support for these sectors, then the job will be made much easier. Businesses will be saved and jobs all around the country kept secure. We hope that the Government acts on the recommendations in this report. Otherwise, the road back will be a long and hard one.”

Tip Chop: Restaurants Face Losses of £482 Million In Cashless Society Restaurants could face losses of more than £482 million in a cashless society, according to a new study from financial analysis experts.

nesses themselves, or those making use of their services, will need to change their behaviours – either continuing to allow a level of cash payment, or making tips via cashless payment a clearer option.

According to the research, two in three (63%) consumers would avoid tipping if they couldn’t use cash, equating to losses of £482,882,037 for restaurants based on a standard 10% tip.

Clare Bailey is an independent retail analyst and she shared her advice for restaurants to mitigate their losses in light of a cashless society:

Habitat Cafe in Aberfeldy was forced to go cashless after their local bank branch was closed down.

Speaking on their Facebook page about the reduction in tips as a result of contactless payments, they said: “Contactless cards now make up around 80% of customer payments (at least in our business). They are fast and less bother than chip & pin or cash. Just hover and go. Our customers love contactless.

“Technology has begun to kill the tip. At least with chip & pin, customers had the option to add a tip onto the payment. But with contactless that is not possible, or at least not practical.”

Speaking of the findings, Nigel Frith, senior financial analyst at AskTraders.com, said: “It’s clear that a move to a cashless society is on the

Expert Advice

“For those businesses who do decide to move to cashless, there are plenty of options. One is to start with the British Independent Retail Association; membership is free at the moment, and they offer lower cost payment options for small businesses. cards, as consumers have been encouraged to use cashless payments during the pandemic.

“The net gains of that move could be positive; the ease of digital payments combined with the rise in challenger banks and payment-enabled devices mean it’s a more accessible payment method than ever before. Yet the impact on those in service industries cannot be ignored.

“To move with the times, either the hospitality busi-

“There are also the technologies that plug into the bottom of mobile phones that allow card payments, so even retailers without physical stores like market traders can have them. Or for those who are smartphone enabled, you can simply bump phones to take payment using things like Google Pay and Apple Pay.” “When you talk about tipping, for example, there are forms of contactless tipping. The technology exists and if people move away from cash, those technologies will become more accessible.”

HEINEKEN has expanded its on-trade support resource with a new series of webinars, offering expert advice to operators on navigating lockdown.

Called ‘Keg Talks’, the interviews see independent speakers and operators share their advice on areas ranging from government grants and advice on furlough, to ideas on how to adapt your business for delivery or takeaway. Each of the bite-size, 20-minute webinars are accessible in video and audio formats.

The episodes are hosted on the newly launched The Pub Collective site, open to the entire on-trade as an online resource for advice, government guidance and inspirational stories to support them throughout lockdown.

Operators visiting The Pub Collective can submit questions to the expert speakers ahead of the interviews, which will then be addressed on the webinar.

Alternatively, operators who have specific topics on which they’d like advice, can submit their requests here. HEINEKEN will then aim to source expert guests on that topic and will open questions ahead of the webinar recording to visitors of The Pub Collective.

Stephen Watt, on-trade sales director at Heineken UK, says: “As a business, we’re striving to do everything we can to support the On Trade during these difficult times. Part of this process is creating an open dialogue between us and our customers or licensees to identify the areas in which they need advice. The launch of this new series of webinars enables us to gather that feedback from operators and address their questions with independent experts.”

The first in the series features Vandana Dass – MD of Davenport Solicitors – who sheds light on the technicalities around furlough, as well as information on government grants and loans. With re-opening conditions still being drawn up, the next two in the series offer advice from Michele Civiera – MD of Civerinos – and Sam Ulph – CEO of e-commerce site, StarStock – on creating additional revenue streams through food delivery or takeaway services, both during and post lockdown.

Alongside the webinars, key tips and advice from each of the experts can be found www.thepubcollective.co.uk/podcasts

Over Half Of The British Public Think It’s Too Soon For Businesses To Re-Open New YouGov nationwide poll of more than 2,000 GB adults, commissioned by workplace safety company SafetyCulture reveals that more than half of British people believe ‘Super Saturday’ came too soon.

Over half of British adults (54%) think that the re-opening happened too soon, and it is unsafe for businesses such as pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas and museums to open again. Just 6% of the UK public feel that the re-opening of businesses was too slow and should have happened earlier.

35-44-year olds are particularly concerned about restrictions being eased, with only just over one third (34%) feeling that it was safe for businesses to be allowed to re-open from the 4th July. Those aged 45-54 are most confident in businesses re-opening, with 43% believing it to be safe.

PUBLIC CONFIDENCE LEVELS DIFFER BY SECTOR The research found that businesses fare differently in terms of public confidence with just over a quarter of the British public feeling safe to go back to the pub (26%) and 37% feeling safe to go back to restaurants and cafes. With 2020 being the year for staycations, there is still some way to go to convince the people holiday accommodation is safe – just 40% of the British public say they feel safe staying in holiday accommodation such as a hotel, B&B or Airbnb.

Concerns about using gyms or other fitness centres also remain high, with 52% of people saying they wouldn’t feel safe going back to these currently. While these businesses have not yet been allowed to re-open under the latest government guidelines, it seems that the British public may be

sticking to home work-outs even when they do.

However, the public are starting to feel more confident with returning to work, with 41% saying they would feel safe going back to their workplace.

Yet, getting to work and travelling to socialise is still a challenge, as almost 6 in 10 people (59%) do not feel safe using public transport.

BUSINESSES NEED TO GET SAFETY MEASURES RIGHT TO HELP IMPROVE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE Having effective social distancing protocols in place, which are monitored and enforced even at the expense of reduced capacity, is especially important for the British public. More than 3 in 5 people said this would make them feel better about going out for a drink at a pub or bar (62%) or dining out at restaurants and cafes (63%).

The British public also want to see gloves, masks, and hand sanitiser supplies readily available for free at pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes, with 43% of respondents saying this would make them feel better about visiting a café or restaurant with 42% saying the same for pubs and bars.

Compulsory temperature checks would also help – 38% of people would prefer if this was introduced at pubs/bars and 37% saying the same for restaurants and cafes.

Having the right technology to manage safety and ensure compliance with the latest regulations and advice will also help improve public confidence.

More than 1 in 4 British people (26%) said being able to access a list of

daily safety procedures conducted by cafes and restaurants before visiting would make them feel safer. 31% would feel safer if they are able to see a list of recent cleaning activities.

The launch of this research follows SafetyCulture’s recent partnership with the British Beer & Pub Association, to support pubs as they re-open their premises. Completing a risk assessment will be essential for businesses to obtain Visit Britain’s new accreditation – known as ‘We’re Good to Go’ – and iAuditor is the BBPA-recommended technology to do this.

Dan Joyce, General Manager EMEA, SafetyCulture, says: “As we move into the next phase of re-opening in Britain, the majority of the public are still unsure about returning to the iconic British pub, local restaurant, hairdressers or museums. Everywhere is high risk in a pandemic but everyone has the right to expect a safe experience so businesses must prioritise the safety of both their customers and employees right now.

“But safety and getting your business up and running can go hand-inhand. As we have seen in other markets which have re-opened sooner, including Australia where SafetyCulture was born, safety has become a differentiator that will attract customers and talent to your business.

Transparency around the safety measures businesses have put in place will help ensure both customers and employees feel confident about getting back to work and to socialise, which is crucial to get the British economy up and running again.”

Pent-Up Demand For Holidays Will See UK Households Spend £960 on UK Breaks 20

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

As hotels, pubs and restaurants reopened on July 4 research from hospitality job board, Caterer.com, reveals that 41% of people are keen to book a staycation as soon as they can. half (58%) of people say that they have saved money during lockdown and 36% plan to put some of this towards holidaying at home. The average UK household is set to spend £960.

The survey of 2,001 UK representative adults suggests that whilst people are keen to salvage their holidays and are willing to spend the money to do so, they are also mindful of which amenities and hospitality businesses will be open for them to enjoy during their time away. Over half (53%) say they would not book a staycation unless restaurants, pubs and bars were open in the area.

The survey reveals: • Despite uncertainty, holiday spending will bring much needed support to the hospitality sector, with 41% of the public keen to book a break away as soon as they can • Old favourites such as Cornwall and the Lake District remain the most popular staycation locations, whilst 38% of people are seeking more remote destinations, including the Scottish Highlands which can expect an economic boost • Over half (53%) of people say they would not book a staycation unless restaurants, pubs and bars were open in the area • A key consideration for holiday-goers is that hotels, restaurants and pubs in their destination have a strict hygiene protocol (62%) and social distancing is main-

tained (56%) The research shows that in the current climate 38% of people will be looking for more secluded locations such as the Scottish Highlands (14%).

The most popular locations include Cornwall (16%) and the Lake District (14%), as well as old favourites Blackpool (6%) and Bournemouth (6%), which can all expect an increase in visitors in the coming months.

Top staycation hotspots post lockdown: Cornwall (16%) Lake District (14%) Scottish Highlands (14%) London (14%) Wales (13%) Devon (12%)

Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com, said: “It’s really welcome news that the government has confirmed the reopening of hospitality businesses from July 4th, alongside a reduction in social distancing to 1m in time for the crucial summer season. Our research shows that the demand that clearly exists for summer staycations will hopefully give the sector a much-needed boost.

needs. Our research demonstrates just how valuable hospitality businesses are to consumers, with the majority of people saying that their decision on whether to book a staycation relies heavily on restaurants, pubs and bars being open. The industry is looking forward to welcoming back loyal customers to help kickstart the economy. ” As hospitality businesses around the UK strive to recover from forced closures, they are also working hard to respond to changing customer preferences by training up staff and adapting offerings. Over a quarter of people (29%) are more likely to consider using room service to avoid contact with others and 33% of customers expect to be able to find readily available hygiene protocol online before booking. In order for people to feel like they are in safe hands whilst travelling, the research suggests customers would like to see hotels, restaurants and pubs up-skill staff, increasing training in hygiene (54%) as well as limiting the number of guests (49%) and providing PPE for all workers (38%).

In an effort to help the domestic tourism and hospitality industries that have missed out on the May bank holidays this year, reports suggest the government is considering introducing an extra day of holiday in October.

The research suggests that over half (52%) of the UK are in favour of this, with a further 39% say if it is to go ahead, they will likely plan a staycation for the long weekend.

“The industry has been adapting rapidly to not only comply with government regulations, but also align with changing customer expectations and

Working Safely During Coronavirus - New Free Expert Guide For Hospitality Industry and Retail Sector The UK is opening up again, and many businesses are storming ahead with getting back to business. The UK economy shrank by a record 20.4% in April, and reopening industries is vital to getting the economy back on track.

nesses reopening.

While the COVID-19 lockdown has ended, the virus continues to spread, albeit at a significantly reduced rate, and businesses must take precautions.

The guide covers a range of burning questions, including advice on maintaining safety at work, adhering to new regulations on the operation of vehicles and running takeaway services that minimise the chance of infection. The guide is also routinely updated as the UK Government modifies the regulations.

While some companies have taken to the new regulations like ducks to water, others are finding it difficult to get used to what many have dubbed "the new normal".

Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of CTSI, said: "As the hospitality industry reopens it is vital that it has the information and support to navigate the new regulations confidently.

The hospitality industry is the third biggest employer in the UK, directly employing 3.2 million people according to industry association UK Hospitality. It is also among the hardest hit sectors due to the social nature of hospitality. As such, getting the many new regulations right when reopening is critical for future recovery and success.

"The vast majority of UK businesses have behaved admirably during the lockdown, and their safe reopening is crucial for economic recovery. The hospitality sector is among the largest and hardest hit industries and its recovery is crucial for the future.

Thankfully, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) have produced a free, expert guide for retail busi-

“This guide is an excellent tool, and I advise all businesses, big and small, to take advantage of its expert advice."

The guide can be downloaded at www.businesscompanion.info/focus/coronavirus-covid-19

Hospitality Responsible For A Quarter Of Britain’s GDP Fall, Says Sector Tracker Britain’s hospitality sector was responsible for nearly a quarter of the GDP losses felt by UK business in April, highlighting the urgent need for the sector to be allowed to re-open.

Total GDP in the UK fell by 20.4% in April, according to ONS figures released yesterday, while new figures from the UKHospitality Tracker reveal how badly the hospitality sector was hit, with turnovers down nearly 90% in the same month.

Taken with data from March, with hospitality being first into the downturn, the sector has been responsible for some 32.7% of lost GDP for the country since the crisis began, with figures for trading in May and June being no better.

With many operations across the country unable to trade, the impact has been felt across all areas of hospitality from pubs, cafés, and high street restaurants to hotels, fine dining restaurants and institutional catering. Many hospitality businesses, faced with continuing overheads and no turnover, are struggling to survive.

Commenting on the figures, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said: “This decline has been shockingly acute and graphically illustrates the importance of hospitality and tourism to the UK economy.

“The corresponding recovery can be as equally dramatic but we must be given a date to reopen by the 4th of July and we must be given the right conditions, with a distancing rule of one metre, and the right on-going sup-

ReFood Provides COVID-19 Safe Food Waste Recycling tised empty one. Each bin unloaded at one of our nationwide cutting-edge recycling plants, goes through a fully-automated wash and foodgrade disinfection cycle. This allows customers to use the bins in a food preparation or service area, reducing the risk of creating an infection vector in shared external spaces such as bin storage areas.

As the hospitality sector starts to re-open, ensuring your business is COVID-safe for both staff and customers is critical. As the nation’s leading food waste recycling specialists, we understand that the demands on businesses have never been more onerous, and the risks associated never greater.

Risks associated with handling and storing dirty food waste bins are well-known. At ReFood, we provide an innovative bin-swap food waste collection service that accepts loose food waste and pre-packaged products.

With our bin-swap service, each time a full bin is collected, it is swapped for a clean, sani-

Our recycling service is fully-traceable, and our Green Standard means you can continue to work, safe in the knowledge that your food waste is being properly handled and disposed of. We provide secure disposal certificates backed by a full audit trail to prove that waste food has been professionally recycled. We also have a 24-hour hotline, should you need a quick, safe and cost-effective way to deal with emergency food-waste situations.

We’re here to support hospitality businesses comply with Government, PHE and FSA guidance for safe disposal of food waste. For more information, or to schedule a collection, please visit www.refood.co.uk or call 01302 390 968.

See the advert on page 10 for further details.

port by the government to aid hospitality’s recovery, and to enable as many businesses as possible to survive, protecting jobs and communities.”

CGA Business Leader research estimated there would be an overall reduction in the number of pubs, bars and restaurants of some 20-30%, but this could be significantly worse if revenues continue to be affected.

“The UK’s hospitality sector employs over 3 million people and is a huge generator of revenues for the Government. Reopening is as soon as possible is vital not just for these businesses, but to enable the whole economy to be able to recover,” commented Phil Tate, group chief executive for CGA.

Learn the Language of Cider and Explore Herbal Beers at CAMRA CAMRA has launched new content on its Learn & Discover platform to help members get to grips with cider and herbal beers.

These include: • A beginners’ guide to cider terminology, put together by cider writer, educator and reviewer James Finch, otherwise known as the Cider Critic. James’ introductory guide will help cider lovers learn about some of the words and details to unlock a more informed cider and perry drinking experience.

• A video guide to foraging for brewing ingredients, created by writer, broadcaster, educator and bestselling author of ‘Booze for Free’ Andy Hamilton. In this video guide, Andy will take members on a virtual forage looking for the ingredients used in brewing prior to the arrival of hops to Britain, and which today’s brewers look to for inspiration. Each plant is presented with a profile and a brief brewing factsheet to show what stage in the brewing process the plant ought to be used, and which other ingredients they could be paired with.

Throughout the summer, CAMRA’s online learning platform ‘CAMRA Learn & Discover’ will be home to new content from writers, educators and experts. There will be new guides, articles, videos and audio content added every week exploring everything there is to know about beer, cider, perry and pubs.

Alex Metcalfe, CAMRA’s Learn & Discover Manager said: “We are delighted to have this content from James Finch and Andy Hamilton, two very experienced and knowledgeable

people in their fields. We hope both the guide to cider terminology and the video guide to foraging and herbal beers will help inform our members about two fascinating topics, and hopefully encourage them on with their learning journeys!”

All new content includes free intro’s and tasters so visitors to the site can get a feel for the full access enjoyed by CAMRA members. To access member-only content, CAMRA members simply need to sign in at the top of the webpage with their membership number and password. Non-members can join the campaign for just £26/year. A CAMRA membership helps CAMRA’s campaigning efforts to support the pub and brewing industry during this difficult time.

To find out more, visit: https://camra.org.uk/learn-discover/

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2020

Expert Predicts Big Changes in the Restaurant Industry A food industry expect has predicted the evolution of the traditional restaurant as online delivery becomes a permanent feature as a result of Covid-19.

Ben Christopherson, Culinary Arts Management Lecturer at the University of West London (UWL) said that future restaurants will need to be more than places you just sit and eat, combining face-to-face dining with online delivery, and focusing much more on their online brand.

Describing it as a “dual-model”, the future food specialist from UWL’s London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, explained that such an approach would maximise revenue whilst providing business owners with the ability to respond to the needs of customers.

Highlighting how many food businesses have had to move online to engage with customers, he also predicted this as an area where significant development will be needed in the coming year.

He said: “In the future restaurants will be much more flexible with strong online presence.

During the last few months, we’ve seen great examples of chefs providing masterclasses and virtual eating events.

The industry has realised that an online experience is just as important as the experience you provide in person. “The food industry employs three to four million people each year and it will bounce back.

The people who will be successful will be the ones who understand how the industry is changing and develop the skills that are fit for the future. “Those looking for a future in the food industry will need to understand the sector, the future of food and how to operate online.”

Hospitality in the Post Covid-19 Era: Harnessing the Power of Technology and Data

By Jonathan Harlock, Managing Director of Sypro Ltd (www.sypro.co.uk) The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic with Britain’s pubs, hotels and restaurants facing major financial uncertainty. Safely re-opening and managing premises will be one of the biggest challenges the industry faces with the likelihood of social-distancing measures continuing to the end of the year.

What’s become clear from conversations we’ve had with businesses of all sizes across the sector, is that while owners and managers understand that technology will play a major role in the safe re-opening of the premises, they are uncertain about what the technological offerings are, how they can apply them to their business’ specific requirements and how they can get a return on their investment in any systems in the long-run. The hospitality sector is vital for the UK economy so embracing new technologies and harnessing the power of data will help the industry navigate the complex landscape of business post Covid-19.

The first aspect business owners need to examine is how the technology can help them monitor the safe occupancy levels within a building in a simple yet effective way. For example, the sensors installed through the IP camera feeds on the smart building technology we’re using can monitor spaces through algorithms ensuring rooms are not over occupied. The system operates a traffic light system which monitors people entering and leaving a venue taking away the need for crowd control and the possibility of human error.

Monitoring software offers flexibility because it can be tailored to suit the specific needs of each business. Apart from monitoring occupancy levels, sensors can also help detect cluster areas where people tend to gather providing managers with the insight to put measures in place to ensure social distancing is maintained.

In order to abide with GDPR regulations, businesses incorporating visual sensors, need to ensure that no personal data is gathered or stored so the system needs to be able to pick up all the anonymised meta data and automatically clear the personal data. For example, the IP cameras we’re using recognise heads and shoulders but don’t recognise facial features.

The second element businesses need to monitor is the distance between individuals. Through sensors or IP cameras, it is possible to set a safe distance which can be altered when necessary to abide by the changing government guidelines. Audio and visual alarms then alert both patrons and staff to the problem. The visual alarm can be linked to a monitor on the wall where people can see it or interrupt the TV feed. Defined areas can also be set to avoid setting off alerts and alarms. These can include specific seating areas or the area around tables to allow waiting staff to serve customers. If a venue has already IP cameras in place it is possible to connect software to link to the feed of IP instead of installing new equipment.

In the long term, businesses need to ensure a return on their investment by purchasing monitoring technology that will continue to benefit the business once the Coronavirus pandemic has passed and social distancing is no longer in place.

Monitoring technology can help businesses make the most of their space

as it shows them how different areas of the premises are used. Also, linking the technology to the building’s automated management system, which may already be in place to control the lighting or the heating, will ensure the smooth running of the facilities.

Visuals can also provide alerts to staff about areas that need tending to.

For example, we can set our software to recognise anything ‘unusual’ within a room or area after it has been vacated such as glasses left on a table or a white board which hasn’t been wiped clean after a meeting in a conference venue.

When it comes to data, the possibilities are endless. Software can allow businesses to gather information about a wide variety of issues including service, how the weather or specific events affect their industry or trends in how people are interacting. It can also monitor the level of food and beverage consumption compared to the number of customers in the premises.

The implementation of new technology may sound daunting at first, however if you choose a provider that offers a managed a service, they should be able to set the hardware and software up in a way that takes all the hard work out for you. It can be as simple as receiving automated reports that drill into how different elements affect revenue and plan operations around them. Times are changing and it’s important for the hospitality industry to embrace technological advances to provide their staff and customers with the best possible environment.

Jonathan Harlock is the Managing Director of Sypro Ltd. which specialises in monitoring control analytic software and hardware. Sypro Ltd. is the UK distributor of the UbiqiSense system. https://www.syproltd.com/socialdistancing

Government Extends Business Eviction Protection and Increases Support The Government has extended a ban to protect struggling businesses, in particular the hospitality and on-trade sector which has been the most affected from eviction this summer, as rent breaks across the high street come to an end, following the easing of lockdown.

The extension, until the end of September, comes together with further support to help local businesses plan for economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

A new Code of Practice has been established with leaders from the retail, hospitality and property sectors to provide transparency for businesses when debating rental payments with landlords and to encourage best practice so that all parties are supported.

These interventions are in addition to the comprehensive financial package provided by the Government to businesses during the crisis and is in acknowledgment of the strain that the retail and hospitality sector is currently under. The code is voluntary for businesses and is applicable to all commercial leases held by businesses in any sector which have been

The code encourages tenants to continue to pay their rent in full if they are in a position to do so and advises that others should pay what they can, whilst recognizing that landlords should provide support to businesses if they too are able to do so

“And in recognition of the strain that the virus has had on our high streets, our new code, backed by leaders across the industry, will help unlock conversations on rent and future payments whilst ensuring best practice is displayed across the board as we confront the challenges of this pandemic.”

The deferral of the threat of evictions will be welcomed in particular by pubs, cafes and restaurants, after the hospitality sector called upon the government for action in this area.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma MP said: “From clothes stores to our local book shop, we want as many high street businesses as possible to emerge from the pandemic, in the best position to bounce back.

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: “As our high streets come to life and our town centres open for business, it is crucial that both landlords and tenants have clarity and reassurance as they seek to keep their finances stable and bounce back.

“During this particularly challenging time for businesses, our retail stores are safely welcoming shoppers back and taking the necessary steps to drive economic recovery.

impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“That is why we are extending measures to protect those who are unable to pay rent from eviction so that businesses have the security they need to plan for their futures.

“By putting a stop to unreasonable evictions, these measures will protect jobs and provide further flexibility to our high street businesses that were trading successfully before the COVID-19 emergency, so they can focus on continuing to deliver for their customers and communities.”

Pubs ‘Vanishing’ Stabilise Ahead Of Reopening How Busy Was 'Super Saturday'?

With excitement growing ahead of the pubs being allowed to reopen on ‘Super Saturday’ in England, the sector have been dealt a shot in arm with the number of pubs ‘vanishing’, those having called last orders for the final time, stabilising despite having been closed since 20th March through the coronavirus lockdown.

Analysis of official Government data by the real estate adviser Altus Group reveals that the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and to let, fell to 40,835 at the end of the first half of 2020 down just 228 during the first half of 2020 despite their enforced closure.

Altus Group says this compares with a loss of 235 pubs during the first half of 2019 and 473 during the whole of 2019.

OVERALL PUB NUMBERS IN ENGLAND & WALES H2 H1 H2 H1

2018 2019 2019 2020

41,536 41,301 41,063 40,835

PUBS IN ENGLAND & WALES BY REGION Region

H2 2019

H1 2020

6 Month Difference

South East North West South West Yorkshire/Humberside West Midlands East of England East Midlands London Wales North East

5,876 5,480 4,797 4,432 4,085 3,856 3,688 3,660 3,152 2,037

5,843 5,446 4,777 4,415 4,059 3,820 3,672 3,649 3,130 2,024

33 34 20 17 26 36 16 11 22 13

But the rate at which pubs are ‘vanishing’ from the communities that they once served, either being demolished or converted into other types of use, such as homes and offices, has halved from the 914 lost during the whole of 2018.

Robert Hayton, Head of U.K. business rates at Altus Group, says Government measures to support pubs during the period of lockdown have undoubtedly helped but urged caution saying: “Pubs in England and Wales are receiving a 1 year business rates holiday worth £768.12m which started on 1st April as well being eligible for £557.94m in grant funding. These interventions have gone a long way to saving our pubs ensuring that they can reopen safely. However, some change of use applications may have been held up due to delays in local planning whilst it also remains to be seen, once the first few cold beers have been downed, the impact on trade new strict rules will have moving forward.”

‘Super Saturday’ on 4th July saw footfall across the UK hospitality sector recover to just 21% of pre-Covid levels, up from 17% the previous Saturday. The insight from Huq Industries measures footfall across 23,035 restaurants, quick-service outlets (QSR) and pubs UK-wide, based on mobile phone geolocation data.

Only a limited number of restaurants were open for dine-in from 4th July, and the small weekly rise in activity across hospitality can be ascribed to a step-change in footfall that began in late May. Mobile data shows a combination of takeaway visits, delivery driver pick-ups and the presence of staff preparing outlets for opening on Super Saturday. Quite simply, the opportunity that was newly available on 4th July for customers to dine-in at hospitality outlets has yet to translate into a meaningful increase in visits.

The data comes from the ‘Huq Index for Restaurants & Pubs’, which offers a daily update on site-level footfall specifically across the UK hospitality industry. It contrasts with other more conventional sources that measure pedestrian footfall into retail destinations and high streets as a whole, as a means of identifying trends in hospitality footfall.Further analysis of individual categories supports Huq’s analysis: • QSR has recovered to 26% of pre-Covid levels,

up 2% from Saturday 27th June • Restaurants stand at 18% of pre-Covid levels, up 2% • Pubs stand at 14% of pre-Covid levels, up 4% That QSR (including McDonald’s, Greggs, KFC, Domino’s and others) leads restaurants and pubs by 11% shows that dine-in has yet to make an impact.

Commenting on the results, food services expert Peter Backman said: “On Saturday 4th July the Huq Index stood at 21.0. While this is the highest reading since the start of the lockdown, it barely budged from the previous few days and is way off the prelockdown reading of over 100. This sluggish performance is in line with other, anecdotal evidence from restaurants. The Huq Index has been trending upwards since early June but this reflects the opening up of restaurants for take away and delivery. The hopedfor surge on Saturday did not materialise and the restaurant sector still has a mountain to climb.”

Conrad Poulson, CEO Huq added: “While headlines would like us to believe that footfall into hospitality outlets is surging, the picture our data reveals may unfortunately not be as positive. Although total high street footfall has risen this does not yet appear to be translating into many more visits to pubs and restaurants.”

Eight Ways To Save Money Behind The Scenes July 2020

With Britain’s pub and bar industry still riding out the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s natural that landlords and bar managers will be looking at ways to ensure they can operate as efficiently as possible when they open again.

Trouble-shooting some classic money wasting areas behind the scenes can ensure that you can run your cellar efficiently and smoothly, and make some meaty long-term cost savings when your establishment opens back up for business on July 4th.

Jeff Singer from Beer Piper talks us through eight ways you can save money behind the scenes...

1. KEEP YOUR COOLERS MAINTAINED Coolers are an integral part of the cellar, but - if not properly maintained - the heat produced by these machines can increase your running costs substantially.

Firstly if you have the space, move all remote coolers (and any other cooling or refrigeration units) outside the beer cellar as they emit heat from their condenser systems. Did you know that a freezer located in your beer cellar can increase your cellar cooling costs by over £100 a year?

Additionally, ensure they are situated away from other equipment and kept clean. When a remote cooler is installed it should be sited with plenty of space around it. The space is there for a reason - to enable air to circulate around the unit. Half covering the grills on the side means half the cooling capacity!

Additionally, always keep the cooling grills on the outside of your units free from dust and dirt. A single typical remote cooler costs approximately £500 a year to run, so it’s crucial they are kept in good condition and run properly or they could end up costing you more.

2. CHECK YOUR FANS

With this in mind, one of the most distinctive features of Beer Piper’s market-leading wet wash beer line cleaning systems is the Dispense Line Beer function, which gives landlords and bar managers the option of saving much of the valuable beer that - until now - simply gets poured down the drain when doing manual line cleans.

Most systems remove the heat in the cellar to a fan outside the cellar (usually on an outside wall). The grill on these often can also become blocked due to lack of maintenance.

3. GIVE YOUR REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS THE ONCE-OVER Checking that your refrigeration equipment is working as efficiently as possible is a sensible move.

Make sure that all of the pipe work circuits are kept as short as possible and that the condensing unit is in a well-ventilated location. Try to place cooling system temperature sensors at barrel height and away from the evaporator.

Set cooling system controls to the recommended cellar temperature, usually between 11°C and 13°C. Use a thermometer to regularly check that this temperature is maintained, as overcooling the cellar by as little as 1°C can increase cellar energy costs by up to 10%.

5. SHUT THE DOOR! If cellar doors are left open, cold air escapes and warm air enters. This can cause excess frost on the evaporators that the defrost mechanisms cannot cope with, and if this happens, manual defrosts may be required which involves switching machinery off for 24 hours.

Keep your cellar doors closed as much as possible and - in larger cellars that also store your bottle stocks - separate the keg/cask beers from the packaged beers, spirits and minerals (providing the indoor unit is on the draught beer side of the cellar) with a PVC door strip curtain, as this will reduce the size of the cubic space to be chilled.

6. CONSIDER SOME EASY WINS FOR HEAT REDUCTION

Regularly clean evaporators and heat rejection coils to allow free airflow - that way they’ll run more economically. Lastly, ensure the equipment is properly and regularly maintained by a professional so that it operates efficiently.

To further reduce heat in the cellar, try to locate any heat-producing equipment (such as line python coolers for beer and soft drinks, cooling cabinets and icemakers) outside the cellar in a well-ventilated area.

4. INSULATE

Lastly, replace standard tungsten bulbs with LED or fluorescent strip lighting, and turn off lighting whenever you can to avoid excess heat production.

To ensure your cellar works well, and all equipment works efficiently, consider your insulation needs.

You may need to install thermal insulation PVC strip curtains and draught stripping. If heating pipes have to pass through cellars, the pipes and fittings should all be insulated and draught stripping should be applied in places where pipes pass through walls. Additionally, beer cellar doors and hatches should also be draughtproofed and insulated.

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pub wastes 20 pints a week with inefficient line cleaning, costing them £74 - and 40 million pints are thrown away each year needlessly - a collective cost of £147 MILLION.

Your cellar cooling system should always be turned on and the cellar fan should run continuously, but this can be quite costly as typical running costs for an average pub are around £1,500 a year.

To avoid costly replacements or increased running costs, it is advisable that you periodically check that the fan blades and grills on both your indoor and outdoor units are clean and not blocked, as blocked grills can increase running costs by up to 40%.

CLH News

7. REDUCE YOUR BEER WASTE It may sound like something that wouldn’t particularly contribute to behind the scenes cost savings, but installing high tech, automated beer line cleaning systems instead of cleaning lines manually will save you a lot of money, a lot of time (or staff hours!) and - more importantly for cost saving - will reduce waste.

A recent study by Beer Piper found that the average

The actual savings to be made will naturally depend on the number of lines and the length of the beer line from cellar to bar. However, if you calculate how much beer you currently pull-off and throw away when cleaning your beer lines via the traditional manual method, Beer Piper systems save landlords and bar managers up to at least 75% of by selling it rather than throwing it down the drain. Some of Beer Piper’s customers even claim to save 100% of their beer.

The Marine Boathouse in Skegness, Lincs, installed the Beer Piper BP4 system in their seaside pub after many years of using traditional line cleaning methods. With the main bar hosting 24 lines, cleaning the lines manually used to take staff members a long time. Even more staggering, the owner estimates that installing the system saved them £5,000 in the first quarter and waste dropped by 75%.

On top of all the savings made regarding beer waste, clean beer lines mean that you’ll pull a good pint every time, ensuring that your punters come back for more.

8. USE TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP TRACK It can take some getting used to, but utilising tech can be hugely beneficial to running your establishment.

Beer Piper systems use cloud-based tech and a mobile app, which allows landlords, business owners and bar managers to track and report in real time, making line cleaning easy, accurate and super quick. The system logs when the lines are cleaned and by who, and the data can be accessed straight away using a smartphone or tablet.

The tech enables hospitality managers to deliver increased reportability and trackability, helping them to save money and waste

Call for Chancellor to Reverse Slump in Seaside Towns Cross-party MPs, coastal destinations and the National Coastal Tourism Academy have called for the Chancellor to provide much-needed funding for a four-year recovery programme to restore the economies in seaside towns to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Led by Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, the attached letter was sent to Chancellor Rishi Sunak today backed by MPs from around the coast proposing a national programme of business support for small and micro businesses.

“Coastal towns such as Bournemouth, with economies which are reliant on tourism, are being devastatingly impacted by Covid-19,” said Mr Ellwood.

“Whilst I am grateful for the financial support packages for businesses already put in place by the Chancellor, the tourism sector will need further support to ensure businesses can survive through this period and to minimise as many job cuts as possible.

“I am very pleased to support the National Coastal Tourism Academy in writing to the Chancellor, along with my colleagues from other coastal constituencies, to request funding for a proposed four-year recovery programme for businesses in seaside towns. I believe this programme would be a vital step in boosting tourism and getting coastal businesses back on track.”

The new initiative devised by the National Coastal Tourism Academy would provide product development, training and a major marketing campaign to boost tourism and address the long-standing challenge of seasonality in coastal towns.The framework would see all major coastal groups – businesses, councils and coastal organisations – working collaboratively for the first time on this scale.

“Whilst we welcome the opening up of most hospitality businesses and attractions on 4 July, coastal towns have been particularly under threat from Covid-19. To date, seven per cent of coastal businesses have already permanently closed and a further 25 per cent of accommodation is forecast to shut.” said Samantha Richardson, Academy Director of the NCTA. “Before the current pandemic, coastal tourism in England was valued at £13.7bn. With businesses permitted to open in July, under current Government guidance, the economic loss will be £7.96bn in England, meaning a cut of more than 100 thousand jobs in England alone.

“To address this, we have set out a four-year national strategy providing support for businesses and coastal destinations underpinned by a major marketing campaign which we are asking the Chancellor to support. We want to share examples of best practice and lessons learnt during this pandemic to drive economic recovery and build long-term resilience for coastal towns.”

In its plan, the immediate activity will help visitor-facing businesses to boost the off-peak period and survive the winter, next year focuses on recovery and sustainability, escalating to a landmark year for 2023 – a celebratory Year of the Coast.

The Recovery Programme builds on the oral evidence submitted last month [May] by the National Coastal Tourism Academy to the Government’s DCMS Select Committee Inquiry examining the impact of Covid-19 on the tourism sector.

26

CLH News

July 2020

Technology and Software

Sentinel Check-In: A Unique Contact ROUND - The Order, Pay and Loyalty App Tracing Solution for Pubs and Bars The government is asking pubs and bars to keep a record of their customers.

Sentinel Check-in gathers verified information and processes customers in seconds.

LANDLORDS • Want customers to get drinks quickly • Want customers to register without delay • Want an ability to check if a customer has registered • Want immediate notification if a customer has contracted Covid-19 CUSTOMERS • Don’t want to disclose personal information • Don’t want a complex process to get a drink • Don’t want pub staff accessing their data • Don’t want their data used for marketing Sentinel Check-in delivers on all the above for Landlords, Customers and the NHS. HOW SENTINEL CHECK-IN WORKS. IT’S SIMPLICITY ITSELF. • Each pub gets a unique QR code and phone number displayed on posters and postcards.

• Customers scan the QR code to call the number.

• Those without smart phones just call the pub’s displayed

number.

• The customer hears a message and receives a text saying they have ‘Checked-in’.

• The customer’s mobile phone number and date and time of registration is stored in the pub’s Check-in database.

• No names, no email addresses, no apps, just a verified mobile phone number that’s 100% accurate.

• Customer numbers are encrypted and only available to the NHS test and trace team on request.

• Sentinel Check-in is ISO27001 and GDPR compliant.

For more information and to register your pub, visit our Check-in webpage: www.yudu.com/sentinel-check-in/register Try a demo at www.yudu.com/sentinel-check-in/demo Here’s our explainer video: https://vimeo.com/432806850

The Role Of Tech In Consumer Reassurance The 4th July brought cause for celebration and marked the UK’s biggest step in our journey back to some form of normality. However, hospitality businesses have had to change face dramatically to accommodate the required safety measures and to reassure consumers. But does even more need to be done?

We’re not out of the woods yet but, as ‘super Saturday’ showed, consumers are desperately missing eating and drinking out of home. That being said, 2020 has certainly been the year to shout loud and proud about cleaning protocols and hand sanitiser - and research conducted by CGA has shown that 68% of consumers prioritise feeling safe in a hospitality ven-

ues above their normal pre-Covid experience (1).

When asked which were the most important safety/hygiene precautions to implement, technology solutions such as contactless payment were third in the list of priorities for consumers (1). It’s fair to say that no-one wants to be touching anything they don’t need to be in the current climate. In a recent study of 1,000 consumers conducted by Ordamo, 73% said having contact-free ordering and payment in restaurants would make them feel safer and cleaner (2). The good news for operators is that implementing such solutions in their business has never been easier.

Contact-free order and pay systems not only enable

Round is the brainchild of Ethan Martin, who, whilst still at university, wanted to develop a simpler, more accessible means of transacting digitally, on university campuses as well as high street bars and coffee shops. Like many of his generation, life for them is online, they don’t want to carry cash and they don’t want to have to download a plethora of individual apps. Most of all, Ethan & his cofounder, Harry, felt that you shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to order a pint or a coffee over your phone.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brighton, ROUND is at the forefront of the digital revolution that is shaping the hospitality industry. Launching at Northfield Bar at Sussex University, the free to join app is enables our community of pubs across the country to accept mobile payments, helping them keep their staff and customers safe.

ROUND has signed a partnership agreement with EI Group and Greene King Pub Partners to allow their Leased and Tenanted estates and free trade customers to take advantage of our affordable and easy to use mobile ordering system. The app has been developed over the last two years from a university bedroom to a shipping container to a thriving start-up with our central Brighton office. Whilst the app launched successfully at the University of Sussex before lockdown, ROUND has been helping publicans across the country

customers to pay contact-free, but can deliver an almost entirely contact-free dining experience end to end. With Ordamo, the most user-friendly contact-free order and pay system, customers arriving at a venue simply scan a QR code or go to a custom URL on their mobile. From there, they can browse an entire branded menu, place their orders and make tailored requests. They can also securely pay the bill and be given a receipt; all integrating seamlessly with businesses’ existing EPoS systems.

Not having to download an app is also a plus for consumers, with Ordamo research showing that half would see having to download an app as a barrier to ordering and paying using technology in a restaurant (2).

Insight clearly demonstrates that consumers want to view menus, order and pay using their own device and the Government’s most recent guidance, published on

reopen their venues and start serving customers again.

There are now hundreds of ROUND enabled venues across the UK & we are constantly adding more but at the time of print the following are accepting ROUND orders in Brighton & Hove: The Mucky Duck, The Foundry, The Crescent, The Montpellier Inn & Sussex University (Northfield Bar & Falmer Deli).

BENEFITS OF ROUND: 1. Allows consumers to order safely and adhere to social distancing guidelines 2. 1 click payment as is easy to use, there is no card or cash handling 3. Presence across universities, pub groups, coffee shops and independent venues so there is a diverse demographic of users on our platform Ethan Martin CEO comments: “Over the past two years, we have focused on developing a platform to digitally transform hospitality in a way that is accessible to all. Whilst we fully understand the need for pub closures, we are excited for the plans to reopen and are particularly excited that ROUND will be part of the solution in navigating what ‘new normal’ will look like in terms of business and social life.”

Sign up today at www.round.app

23rd June, supports this need. With the ambition of safely managing service interactions at hospitality venues and endorsed by UKHospitality, the Government’s most recent guidance suggests that the use of contactless ordering and payment to minimise staff and customer contact should be encouraged.

INTRODUCING ORDAMO Ordamo is the most user-friendly contact-free ordering and payment platform, with no app download required. Ordamo has been designed and created by hospitality experts with decades of development experience and owns patents around the globe for its technology. There are no upfront or ongoing fees, just a small commission per transaction, and businesses can have the system up and running within 48 hours.

Sources: 1. CGA 2. MCA for Ordamo June 2018, n=1000 UK consumers

Technology and Software

July 2020

CLH News

Game-Changing Tech Helps Hospitality Venues Navigate Data Minefield Magenta Data’s Affixr solution takes the pressure off licensees, hoteliers, restaurateurs and caterers burdened with data control responsibilities.

work with a simple click • Collect feedback • Set up guests lists and RSVPs • Send thank you/invitation emails Affixr allows data to be stored safely, GDPR compliantly and securely yet be easily retrievable.

Affixr uses technology in a new, cutting-edge solution with smart QR codes for easy-to-use and GDPR compliant data capture – without the need for an app or website.

Its unique system eliminates the need for an app and no hardware, such as a tablet, or website is required although QR codes can be pointed towards existing websites if required.

Game-changing COVID-19 ‘track and trace’ technology has been launched for the food and drink industry.

Customers simply point their mobile phone’s camera to scan bespoke QR codes which takes them to a screen to easily and quickly leave their contact details.

Director Daniel Jain said: “This is game changing technology which allows both customers and licensees get to grips with the new regulations in the easiest way possible.”

With a bespoke dashboard, Affixr also allow licensees and caterers to:

Prices start at £9.99 with our introduction plan absolutely free. Contact director Daniel Jain at daniel.jain@ magentadata.com, and 0208 996 5182. Or visit www.affixr.com to get started today.

• Compliantly record data of all customers, not just the bill payer • Share menus – reducing the need for paper versions • Let customers join a wi-fi net-

Caterbook - A Software Solution for the 2020s

This Spring - Hotels, B&B’s and pubs like yours are migrating to Caterbook - a modern, cloud-based hotel software solution for the 2020’s.

• Batch create, print and email invoices in a single click.

• Post food & drink items from your EPOS to the room bill for settlement on checkout.

• Use yield management to automate pricing changes based on availability.

• Create and schedule custom guest email and SMS messages.

• Role based access control restricts staff privileges to features based on their needs.

• Responsive, customisable booking engine embeds on your

own website.

• Configure and assign unique per-rate deposit and cancellation policies.

• Housekeeping report shows cleaning type, linen and towels required each day.

• Industry standard reporting metrics of RevPAR, ADR etc.

• Take payments in real time using our built in PCI compliant payment gateway.

• Channel Manager links to booking.com and Expedia.

Call 01840 298298 or visit www.caterbook.com and sign up for a free 14 day trial account.

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

A smart solution for easy COVID-19 track and trace data Easy to use for you and your customers in pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, food outlets and hotels.

Customers scan QR codes with phones to leave contact details, view menus, join wi-fi, collect feedback and more:

• GDPR compliant • No hardware or app needed • Zero set-up costs • Record all customers details, not just the bill payer • Quick data access • Track covers in real time

Prices start at £9.99/month with a

FREE introduction plan Contact us now to set up your Affixr system today.

Contact us to get started today by visiting our website

www.affixr.com

27

Hygiene and Infection Control

July 2020

CLH News

29

Creating a Safe Washroom When Re-Opening After the Coronavirus Pandemic Astreea - The Pedal Hospitality businesses across the country were naturally excited by the Prime Minister’s announcement that pubs, cafes and restaurants could re-open on July 4th. No doubt most want to get back up and running as quickly as possible and are busy working to ensure they comply with the government guidance. One area that cannot be ignored is the washroom.

It’s already been reported that anxiety surrounding public washrooms could be holding some people back from enjoying the activities they could do prior to lockdown and this potentially isn’t an unfounded concern.

Washrooms represent one of the greatest hygiene challenges following the pandemic, as they are spaces in which social distancing could be difficult to maintain.

They also contain many shared touchpoints and hard surfaces on which Coronavirus can survive and become vectors for transmission.

But there are many practical steps businesses can take to eliminate the fear and anxiety that people may have around using

By Jamie Woodhall UK Technical and Innovation Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene: washrooms after the lockdown. It all starts ing facilities is vital to help give consumers social distancing. Electronic display systems with identifying the key hygiene hotspots peace of mind. To maximum control over such as Initial’s Rapid>Count accurately within the washroom and developing a cross contamination risks, opt for no-touch counts how many people are in the washstrategy to maintain best practice hygiene soap dispensers and hand dryers with High room, and gives users a green or red light as well as reducing, where possible, the Efficiency HEPA filters, which trap airborne if it is safe to enter. This helps to eliminate number of shared touchpoints. Key areas microbes during filtration, helping ensure queues near the washroom and it also to focus on are the cubicle, washbasin, that clean air is provided. helps identify cleaning activities and schedshared facilities (such as the circulating air Hand sanitiser provides a vital third step in ule reports. Hand sanitiser stations should and door handles) and the immediate vicin- hand hygiene. Dispensers should be installed be placed just outside the washroom proity outside of the washroom. vides users with an opportunity to sanitise in the washroom to provide ongoing hand protection for users after they have finished before returning to their tables.

THE WASHROOM CUBICLE washing and drying their hands.

FINAL THOUGHTS People expect the washroom cubicle to be a personal space, even if it is within a public facility. It also contains several shared touchpoints. We recommend providing surface disinfectant or toilet seat cleaner in every cubicle to provide patrons with some peace of mind. You should also look to provide a toilet paper dispenser that seals away the paper so that people can’t touch the entire roll and a no touch FHU with a modesty flap that is sensor activated, ensure there is no need for users to touch the unit.

Removing waste from the cubicle is also a vital consideration. Best practice is to safely remove washroom waste and sterilise washroom equipment in-situ rather than swapping out units and risking units being contaminated as they are transported to site or carried to the washroom.

SHARED AREAS

Providing surface disinfectant dispenses near critical touchpoints – including baby changing stations is a key step in reducing the risk of cross contamination in shard areas. Also consider installing air steriliser units to remove potentially harmful germs from the air and reassures users that the air being circulated is clean. You could also install contactless vending solutions to distribute products such as face masks, PPE or sanitiser.

Where possible, use urinals with automatic flushes to remove the need for communal touchpoints. Urinals may also breach physical distancing guidelines, and therefore some may have to be closed to maintain social distancing measures.

OUTSIDE THE WASHROOM

AT THE WASH BASIN

The area outside the washroom is an Providing adequate handwashing and dry- important consideration in the context of

Businesses will be very busy in the coming weeks as they prepare to create a safe and pleasant experience for their returning customers. While the washroom has to be one area of focus, it is important to remember that consumers have an important role to play too. The simple act of thoroughly washing your hands can significantly reduce the risk of cross contamination, so be sure to provide consumers with the facilities they need to play their part in reducing risk.

Based on over 100 years’ experience, Initial Washroom Hygiene has developed a plan to help create a safer washroom experience for pubs and hospitality businesses, that is rooted in latest government guidance and HSE directives on Coronavirus. For more information about Initial Washroom Hygiene and how it makes washrooms safer, visit: www.initial.co.uk/?utm_source=PR

Innovative Managed Tech Solutions for Covid-19 Launched tomers in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Utilising technology most often seen in acute healthcare settings, the THOR UVC® terminal cleaning device kills viruses quickly and efficiently. The remotely operated system uses ultraviolet to decontaminate both the air and A first-of-its-kind suite of smart tech surfaces in a room, killing 99.9999% of solutions has been launched by Contrac pathogens. An entire room is cleaned in IT to help businesses in the hospitality minutes and the network-connected sysindustry protect their workforce and cus- tem provides certification. Nanoclave cab-

inets use the same UV technology to clean smaller items such as menus, remote controls, equipment or uniforms.

To ensure social distancing is maintained within the workplace, Contrac IT has also worked with partners to bring together a range of wearable tech.

Available as a lanyard, wristband or vest, the technology alerts the wearer when they get too close to a colleague.

A third piece of technology can moni-

tor people as they enter premises with thermal imaging cameras, detecting anyone experiencing a higher than normal temperature.

All the devices, which are GDPR compliant, can be monitored by Contrac IT to enable corrective action.

For more information: www.contracfm.com/covid-response / info@contracfm.com

Hand Sanitiser

As the 4th July reopening date has been confirmed, businesses need to plan and implement strategies to keep their visitors and employees safe. Where cleanliness and efficiency are key for the hospitality trade, a simple and safe way of sanitising is the way forward. Introducing the Astreea® pedal hand sanitiser.

Touchless, fully mechanical and made entirely from medical stainless steel, this revolutionary dispenser requires no assembly, electrical outlet, or maintenance. It’s designed for both indoor and outdoor use, making it ideal for any public space.

The Astreea® dispenser is different from typical plastic wall or post-mounted products. Its seamless steel body and mechanical operation make it almost indestructible. Units are maintenance-free, arrive fully assembled, and use any hand sanitiser product, making them an ideal solution during these uncertain times.

Astreea®'s many virtues have made it an easy choice for businesses as lockdown eases.

• 12 month warranty • Anti-theft • Hands-free • Genuine usage increase where installed • Medical stainless-steel construction • Developed in an aerospace factory • No electrical outlet needed • Visitors see you are proactively making site safe • Highest quality materials • Universal use, can be filled with any hand sanitiser To learn more, visit www.astreeauk.co.uk or contact info@astreeauk.co.uk.

Innovative Managed Tech Solutions to Help Hospitality Businesses Protect Employees and Customers from Covid-19

Hand sanitising just got simpler and safer with the Astreea® touchless pedal operated stylish sanitiser dispenser.

• Revolutionary dispenser • 12 month warranty • Anti-theft • Hands-free • Genuine usage increase • Suitable Indoor or Outdoor • Medical stainless-steel • No electrical outlet needed • Use any hand sanitiser

astreeauk.co.uk | info@astreeauk.co.uk

• THOR UVC® terminal cleaning device safely kills viruses in the air and on surfaces in minutes • Nanoclave cabinets use UV lights to disinfect items such as menus, remotes and shared equipment • Wearable tech alerts colleagues if they breach social distancing – available as lanyards, wristbands and hi-vis vests • Thermal imaging camera detects higher than normal temperatures

www.contracfm.com/covid-response For more information contact: info@contracfm.com

30

CLH News

July 2020

Hygiene and Infection Control

InnuScience Urges Hospitality Sector To Practice ‘Justified Disinfection’ Post-Lockdown To Keep Businesses Clean InnuScience, a global leader in commercial cleaning systems based on biotechnology, is urging the hospitality sector to adopt high levels of hygiene with an emphasis on effective cleaning using high performing detergents rather than an over reliance of disinfectants that do not clean and risk negative impact for the environment.

The biotech company with a vision to change the way the world cleans is advocating a cleaning regime called ‘Justified Disinfection’ which encourages disinfecting only where and when it is useful and relevant and which it has championed for over 20 years.

Steve Teasdale, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Scientific Affairs at InnuScience, explained: “Justified Disinfection is the principle that effective cleaning with high quality detergents across all non-critical touch surfaces is as effective, if not more so, than the widespread systematic or abusive use of disinfectants.

“There is also a need to continue to look after our environment. This has been at our heart since we began”.

InnuScience warns that regular and widespread use of disinfectants does not provide a clean surface as disinfectants do not clean per se promoting the development of bacteria, and recommends they should only be used on critical “high frequency” touch surfaces such as door handles, taps, toilet flush handles, keyboards, lift switches and handrails as these are surfaces that are most likely

to cause transmission of bugs.

It suggests effective regular cleaning is most appropriate for all non-critical surfaces such as floors, urinals, ceilings and most walls as these are areas that are not typically touched and do not represent a real biological risk to health. Scientific reporting demonstrates that the coronavirus is effectively rendered inactive and noninfective when detergents are used.

InnuScience, which has a UK base in Milton Keynes, Bucks, sets out its strategy in a 24-page document entitled: “RESTART program: Guide for hospitality reopening post lockdown”. It advises the hospitality sector how to apply its ‘Justified Disinfection’ methods in settings such as reception areas and lobbies, guest rooms, communal areas, spas and wellness areas.

Planet conscious InnuScience also warns of the potential disadvantages and risks associated with large-scale disinfection such as creating a false sense of security with some people believing a disinfected surface becomes safe from bacteria triggering bad habits that could pose a risk to health.

Other factors that concern InnuScience are an increase in pollution as hundreds of thousands of tonnes of disinfectants end up as environmental waste while overuse of disinfectants has been linked to an increase in the number of allergies as well as skin complaints, eczema, asthma and eye irritations.

InnuScience’s portfolio of products includes - but is not limited to - cleaners and degreasers, industrial cleaners, warewash and laundry, and personal care products.

Backed by nearly 30 years of research, InnuScience has a reputation for being a disruptor in the professional cleaning market bringing biotechnology to the hospitality, facilities management, building and care sectors.

Visit www.innuscience.com for details

WaterCare Proudly Introduce the New iX Water Range

Temperature Testing - The New Normal The pandemic has taught us that information is power.

When it comes to testing it has rarely been out of the news. Manufacturers that continued to work during the lockdown on essential goods and services often led the way in adopting testing measures – on their staff.

Temperature testing is recognised as a powerful tool in the employer’s toolbox to assist in preventing the virus potentially wreaking havoc and worse with the workforce and the business. Any person in a manufacturing environment that tests positive for the virus is a personal tragedy but also will probably result in all colleagues in their workspace self-isolating.

One MD of such a company claimed on a recent webinar that testing staff temperature at the beginning and end of every shift had been helpful to their business, and staff were very comforted by it. To know your work colleagues don’t have one of the major symptoms is comforting.

Obviously, an instant cheap test for the virus is not yet with us but temperature testing of staff and potentially customers is now being adopted by many large employers too as workers return from “Lockdown”.

At a basic level it is easily put in place; getting staff permission to take their temperature has rarely been refused but is essential. If using a handheld device like a “gun” the operator has to wear full PPE. Then the need for clear procedures as to what happens if someone is over temperature – absolutely essential for all involved. The “gun” and the member of staff in PPE is somewhat unfriendly and many companies have moved up a level in their approach to eliminate both.

New equipment allows employees to walk up

to a screen – which can welcome them and give them any message for the day. Without contact, the screen will identify the person, take their temperature and create a record for management. It will sound an alarm if the person is outside the set temperatures and can remind employees if they need to wear a mask and will allow for masks in the facial recognition. Ford, Amazon, Walmart and others are now running such equipment often linked to their time and attendance software.

Others have introduced such a contactless temperature checking system for customers too. With both face or wrist temperature measuring options temperature testing customers can be reassuring for them as well as for your staff.

Some hospitality organisations like Handpicked Hotels are letting their customers know that they will get a temperature check on check-in.

Others are advertising the fact their staff are tested. Temperature testing will not in itself defeat the virus, but it is reassuring for all.

The equipment to do so is now available in the UK and many technology companies now offer these services. One such IT support company is TIO, whose Director, Peter Lowe, states that professional temperature testing equipment that is several levels up from the unfriendly “gun” is a new service his company provides with managed installation and user training. “The level of integration is determined by the customer as some prefer a simple plug and play device that can be moved around the business, and it’s fast becoming the new normal for some of our customers.”

Information and details of the different systems with indicative costs can viewed on our website. www.tionet.co.uk

The iXWater range now has a newly designed head for ease of maintenance. The iXWater head has quick shut off, flush valve and an optional digital flow meter. The head also has a variable bypass to allow some untreated water to be dialled back into the water supply which is essential for better coffee extraction and taste. iX Water filters are the first truly eco-friendly, 100% recyclable cartridge filter in the market, offering Insert Refill Technology to provide a genuinely sustainable and cost-effective alternative to mainstream cartridge water WaterCare are passionate about providing cost effective, eco-friendly filters. For use on coffee machines, water coolers, ice machines, vending machines, and catering applications. The solutions to water treatment. Their NEW, improved iX range of water iX range offers a comprehensive product in a cost effective, efficient, flexible, and stylish package. filters, along with our Replace & Return Program provide an easy, WaterCare are extremely aware of the negative impact that waste plastic has on the environment, plus with the responsible, and cost-effective alternative to current one-way systems. uncertainty of where the hospitality industry will be in the next 12 months following Covid-19 pandemic, Discover the full iX Water range at www.watercare.co.uk/ecoWaterCare have created a product and program designed to not only reduce your costs significantly, but also friendly-water-filters/ or call 01279 780250 to speak to a sales reprerecycle 100% of the expired media inserts and return these back into the marketplace – keeping costs & waste sentative. down, whilst creating measurable control.

Commercial body temperature testing equipment for use in hotels, bars and restaurants.

Fully installed on premises, with staff training provided Face Recognition Access Control Terminal with Digital Detection Module

Temperature Measurement with Face Recognition and Access Control Terminal

Standing Temperature Measurement Terminal

www.tionet.co.uk contactus@tio.uk.com 020 3301 2729

Handheld Thermal Imager

32

CLH News

July 2020

Hygiene and Infection Control

Temp.com - Protect Your Staff and Customers

As part of the strategy to reopen after the lock down, temperature monitoring of staff is encouraged and highly recommended for customers. It should of course be implemented along with other safety measures recommended by the government.

There are many temperature monitoring products now available on the market. However, in the absence of official guidance, it is difficult to establish which solutions are fit for purpose. Handheld infrared thermometers are notoriously inaccurate and high-end thermal imaging systems can cost a small fortune. temp.cam offers a practical and effective solution with functionality ideal for both staff and visitors. The product is completely stand-alone, contactless, gives quick readings, requires no human intervention at point of test and records the data via secure UK servers.

The temperature monitoring with a temp.cam works as follows:

• Reduce costs • Improve operational efficiencies • Raise bottom line profitability • Improve Quality

High-performance

Specially formulated Eco-

Flow and temperature

electronic smart box

friendly beer line cleaner

sensor based dispense

Decontamination

which keeps beer

that uses active oxygen to

monitoring system,

Kills 99.995% of Bacteria,

lines cleaner for longer.

clean safely - replaces

offering the very best in

Viruses, Fungi and Spores

reducing cleans from 52

caustic cleaners.

terms of quality, reliability

100% biodegradable.

to around 13 per year.

Easy, Effective

and value.

Tel: 0800 170 1564 | Email: enquiries@lineclenze.com

www.lineclenze.com

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

- A member of staff or guest stands in front of the tablet

- Temperature check is done in an instant and reading displayed on the screen - If a high temperature above 37.5 C is detected, the tablet gives an audible alert and sends an email alert with details of the check - The data is available to view remotely online through a dashboard. You do not need a staff member standing around to watch the temperature checks.

- You can have the system configured to log staff temperature checks with names or employee numbers - All other public checks are recorded and displayed on the dashboard with a date time tag / site name / device name and the corresponding temperature readings. temp.cam is being used by the NHS, TFL, National Grid, Veolia, UK Power Networks, Kautex Textron, National transport operators and numerous hospitality sector businesses in the UK and Europe.

All their systems are provided with a 12month warranty and ongoing technical support.

Make Your Premises Safe for the Environment, Staff and Customers LineClenze have the ultimate solution to make any hospitality and licensed on trade environment safe for staff, customers and at the same time protecting the environment.

Our innovative decontamination process involves distributing superfine droplets of disinfectant into the atmosphere, to kill the bacteria and viruses in the air and, when the droplets land on any surface, it also kills the bacteria and viruses on that surface.

DEW Disinfects only active ingredient is the same as our body produces when fighting an infection, so it presents no danger to humans, animals, plants or the environment.

There is no need to evacuate an area being fogged, or to wear PPE. DEW Disinfect is highly effective at killing bacteria, viruses and fungi, without damaging the environment and it is entirely human-compatible, it can be used almost

everywhere where disinfection or sanitisation is required.

DEW Disinfect leaves NO residue, in fact, it destroys biofilm and hormonal residues, then simply evaporates.

We offer a number of different dispense mechanisms to enable DEW Disinfect to be used throughout your venue. These include:

• Fogging Machine for large areas • Room Mister • Vehicle Mister • Handheld Spray for localised use • Wall dispensers and small spray bottles for hand sanitisation For further details visit www.lineclenze.com

Hygiene and Infection Control CTU Services' Thermal Access System With the introduction of various measures to constrain and manage the emergency of COVID-19 in the UK, CTU Services Thermal Access System presents the ideal solution. To address the challenge of social distancing many public places are implementing restrictions on customer flow. This includes locations such as the hospitality industry and the retail sector.

CTU Services perfectly resolves the problem of "how to accurately and efficiently control customer flow in a premises" Their system detects how many people are present in the targeted area and display the figure in real-time. If the capacity is reached the system's display immediately indicates no more people should enter.

The two systems that CTU Services supply can be merged together to give you more security and social distancing. The Thermal camera can be wall mounted or comes on a sleek stand. It will also notify any number of

members of staff of any issues with potential clients entering the premisses via text or email.

• Facial recognition is fully integrated with body temperature monitoring. This means no additional sta are required.

• The solution is contactless, reducing the risk of cross infection.

• Extensive storage of facial images and temperature information enabling easy historical access.

• Fast facial recognition and temperature monitoring reducing access congestion. In Scotland will detect if you are or are not wearing a mask / face covering.

• Integration with third party products such as turnstiles and VMS. See a demonstration of the system at https://youtu.be/lcQllOytA7Y For further information, see the advert this page, call 01257 477060 or visit www.ctuservices.com

Sanozone. The Easy Way To Sanitise Your Indoor Spaces SANOZONE, which delivers the most efficient sanitisation performance in indoor spaces, is now available from Barbel.

Manufactured by Vitaeco S.r.l., the world famous manufacturer of the highly regarded HotmixPro thermal blender range, SANOZONE sanitises rooms of many sizes in enclosed HRC sites, hotels, restaurants, bars, conference rooms and similar establishments where totally reliable and regular sanitisation is needed.

SANOZONE is particularly suitable for hospitals and care home areas, where absolute cleanliness is mandatory, and in areas where it is difficult or impossible to deliver effective sanitisation throughout.

The SANOZONE range of

machines use Ozone (O3) technology, a gaseous form of Ozone that fills the room, reaching every corner of the space, santising surfaces and critical hard-to-reach corners homogenously, consistently and safely.

The SANOZONE range of sanitisation machines are all equipped with the latest technology and customised disinfection programmes to suit your specific requirements.

The running costs are considerably lower than any traditional disinfecting programmes and most importantly, there is no manual labour involved.

For further information about the SANOZONE range, please contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net, or visit the website at www.barbel.net

July 2020

CLH News

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CLH News

July 2020

Hygiene and Infection Control

Pub Loving Entrepreneurs Launch New Play It Safe App The new PlayItSafe app has been designed to collect visitor contact details so that, in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, NHS Test and Trace teams can quickly get in touch with anybody who might have been infected.

Entrepreneurs Tim Joyce and Justin Smith designed the app to make it as easy as possible for pubs, cafés, restaurants and visitors to use. They said: “We love a good pint – it’s something we’ve both missed in lockdown. We know COVID-19 has hit everyone hard – families, friends and businesses, so we understand people wanting to go out and meet up. But a second wave of COVID-19 is a real threat. We want to help businesses to be safe and compliant when they open back up – and in doing that, help our NHS heroes. We want people to be able to meet up and have a good time but still feel that if there was an outbreak, they could be safely traced. We care about pubs and people and we have the skills to make a difference.”

cally after 21 days.

Software developer Tim Joyce from Happy Tickets, and Director of creative agency Orbital Justin Smith, have been working on projects together for the last three years. When they heard the news about the pubs opening, and the issues around the Government’s own track and trace app, they knew they wanted to help out businesses, the NHS and their community with a solution. They put together the app to ensure the design was tested, compliant, secure and launched in time for the reopening of pubs and restaurants.

Early feedback has been encouraging with take up from cafés and pubs from Dorset to Scotland. Martin, from Velo Lounge in Wool, Dorset said: “For customers the great thing is that you don’t even need to download an app.

Just point your phone camera at the poster and it brings the link up. It’s so easy, there’s no reason not to use it. It makes it quicker, easier, and for those customers who don’t have a smart phone we just type it in on our ipad.”

Play It Safe is free for visitors to use and costs businesses just 2p per visit. Customer data is securely stored, GDPR compliant, deleted automati-

When asked about the set up and management of the system, Martin said “I had a quick look Friday, logged-in, completed it last night and printed off the poster. It’s definitely taken a lot of pressure off us, not having to write things down or record it on a different format.”

Justin and Tim said it was peace of mind for businesses and visitors alike.

They said: “You just show your phone screen to pub staff so they know you’ve signed in. It is your Passport to a Pint! It saves staff time, no taking down details on bits of paper, storing them securely and then finding all the relevant details if they ever need it.”

They added: “Let’s not be naïve about this. This app will be used – there will be people who get tracked through this app. It is needed. We now know from Melbourne and Texas that when pubs and restaurants reopened, they had a jump in cases, and we can all see what’s happening in Leicester! This is not a ‘nice to have’, this is vital – we are at the most critical time in the UK’s COVID-19 journey so far, as social distancing is relaxed. Play it Safe is a simple, cheap and effective way to keep your business and clients safe – to keep our communities safe.”

For more information visit www.playitsafe.uk or see the advert on the facing page.

HI-MACS , the Ideal Material for the Hospitality Sector ®

GERMS DON’T STAND A CHANCE

In tests carried out in accordance with the U.S. EPA OCSPP 810.2000 (2018) and 810.2200 (2018) product performance guidelines, it was demonstrated that HIMACS® can be decontaminated in just 30 seconds after contact with the HIV virus, using a solution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol*.

The current health emergency reminds us how important hygiene and cleanliness are. And naturally in public areas these are essential characteristics that require the use of only the best materials. HI-MACS®, thanks to its resistance to dirt, viruses, bacteria and numerous chemical agents - internationally certified - is the perfect material for wall coverings, furniture, work surfaces and other applications, where hygiene really counts.

In addition, tests conducted on HI-MACS® Alpine White S028, conforming to EN 16615, have demonstrated an excellent resistance to the staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In addition to this, Alpine White S028 demonstrated a good resistance to the cleaning products which contain the disinfectants published in the “disinfection capacity” – see our brochure for more details.

With a 15 year guarantee when installed by a member of our Quality Club, HIMACS® offers excellent price to performance ratio.

HI-MACS® by LG Hausys T: +44 (0)1732 897820 W: www.himacs.eu

Spotless meets seamless.

An almost seamless appearance and a non-porous surface make for a surface that‘s easy to clean and meets the highest standards for hygiene. The seemless property of HI-MACS® means there is nowhere for germs and dirt to linger.

Perfect for installation in restaurants and pubs.

OUTSTANDING SANITARY PROPERTIES

Safe Distance Signage KINEPROTECT Ensures Safe Social Spaces from Amenity Warehouse screens and panels to ensure the safety and welfare of staff and the public.

Designed specifically for Hospitality, Amenity Warehouse have launched their ‘Safe Distance’ signage range.

By focussing on a safe distance message, they won’t go out of date - even if government distancing rules change again!

With a choice of SIX colour options now available on the shelf, AW don’t believe that social-distancing signage needs to look so industrial.

Their extensive range addresses the operational needs of hotels, restaurants and bars – including queue management, guest movement and customer reassurance.

Aside from floor stickers for receptions, the most popular items for hotels appear to be Elevator Signs (£8.74 for a pack of 10) that advise customers not to share lifts. These can be paired with ‘stairs this way’ signage to guide guests towards the stairs when needed.

Restaurants and Bars can use their Table/Seat Not In Use range (£3.58 for a pack of 10 stickers or £4.32 for a pack of 10 tent cards) to manage their seating area, without resorting to the dreaded yellow and black tape! www.amenitywarehouse.com

As the hospitality sector opens up to visitors and customers following lockdown many organisations are installing protective screens and panels to eliminate any risk of virus transmission.

Shower brand, Kinedo, a highly regarded European manufacturer of cubicles and enclosures and sister company of leading plumbing brand, Saniflo, has re-purposed its French factory to design and launch a new range of high quality glass protection

Using existing stocks of scratch-resistant glass the new Kineprotect range includes table mounted options in 75cm and 100 cm heights and a choice of five widths from 80 to 160cm. A useful countertop option features a wider space at the bottom to pass drinks and consumables. A choice of highly portable, floor mounted options includes tall, selfsupporting panels available in three widths – 80,100 & 120cm and four heights – 140, 160. 180 and 200cm.

Free-standing or drillable feet can be

Staysafe Visor - Showing the New Face of Hospitality and agility to switch their production to essential PPE. Staysafe Visor was created as a specialist subsidiary operation and across one weekend in April, its team created the necessary tools to manufacture high volumes of protective visors. The first week of production delivered 65,000 units (a number that has since risen to more than 250,000), the bulk of which went straight to frontline healthcare workers.

Managing Director Clive Hawkins explains: “Some fantastic efforts were made by small producers in the early days of the crisis, but a clear shortage of PPE meant there was an urgent need for the situation to be addressed by specialists in large-scale manufacture.

We hold high stock levels of raw materials, have a strong supply chain, and by making the products directly available to organisations and end-users, were able to ensure swift delivery and keep costs as low as possible.”

The return to work in the post-lockdown hospitality sector presents many challenges. Staysafe Visor addresses one very important issue...

When the true scale of the unfolding crisis of COVID-19 became apparent to leading UK plastics manufacturer 1st Packaging Limited, the company’s response was swift. Specialising in the large scale production of die-cut P.E.T for products in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical sectors since 2002, they not only recognised the urgency with which PPE would be required across the country, but crucially, had the capacity

Initial orders for Staysafe Visor came almost exclusively from the health and care sectors, but as the extent to which the pandemic would impact every aspect of working life in the UK was laid bare, the company received a much wider range of enquiries. The value of visors as a primary element of PPE is well illustrated by the Faculty for General Dental Practice who state that ‘A full-face visor will reduce the amount of exposed skin on the face and neck that may be subject to splash or droplet contamination.’

Clive Hawkins continues:

specified along with a range of side panels.

Manufactured from 6mm tempered glass the screens and panels will not warp or discolour and are easy to clean and maintain.

Highly durable, the Kineprotect range provides an upmarket, professional solution that won’t diminish the aesthetics of the hospitality environment. All items are available for quick delivery and can be ordered online https://kinedo.co.uk/kineprotect-glass.

More information is available from the technical sales team on 020 8842 0033 or email: info@kinedo.co.uk.

“As lockdown is relaxed to allow economic activity to resume, employees in a broad range of service industries where social distancing is not always possible, require protection. In the hospitality sector particularly, where masks are not always appropriate, a visor can preserve the human touch and still offer a high level of protection to the wearer and customer. We produce a range of BSI CE-certified visors which protect against splashes, droplets and sprays, can be easily cleaned and are comfortable to wear. The visor doesn’t just protect - it helps to inspire customer confidence and that’s going to be a key factor in helping business to regain momentum.”

As bar, kitchen, security, waiting and other support staff prepare to resume service in a post-lockdown hospitality industry, Staysafe Visor offers available and affordable protection that offers the following features: • Full face protection from liquid droplets, sprays and splashes (visor is 314mm wide x 240mm long) • CE-certification • Optical-grade clear recyclable 300micron P.E.T for clarity • Soft medical-grade foam headband • Adjustable non-elasticated strap to prevent slippage • Printed white label area to identify user • Anti-fog • Suitable for use with prescription glasses and face masks • Disposable and recyclable Visit https://staysafevisor.co.uk for details and to order or see the advert on page 26.

Hygiene and Infection Control

July 2020

CLH News

A Clean Start - Integrated Sanitising Solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Northumberland Firm Helping to Clear the Path Out of Covid-19 Lockdown with Environmentally-Friendly Fogging Range Hospitality businesses will be able to offer customers an extra layer of reassurance thanks to Northumberland company Clear Fog’s newly launched collection of environmentally-friendly fogging systems.

Promising to eliminate Covid-19 from indoor environments of all sizes, the Clear Fog range allows businesses and homeowners to take charge of their own fogging procedures by equipping them directly with industry standard kit.

As business owners across the UK commit to making their premises Covid-19 secure and give confidence to customers, staff and visitors that their surroundings are as protected as they can be, Clear Fog offers an environmentally safe and cost effective option.

Used extensively in the food industry, this environmentally-friendly solution is harmless to humans but deadly to bacteria and viruses, making it an invaluable addition to hygiene protocols in a post-lockdown world.

Clear Fog offers customers three options: The industrial Dry Fogging trolley unit can fog up to 500 cubic metres in just 30 minutes – perfect for large venue spaces, sports halls, conference centres etc; The handheld CF35 is used in conjunction with regular cleaning and applies the anti-bacteria/anti-viral CFLD to all spaces and surfaces including hard-toreach places. This is the popular choice for pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and Holiday lets.

The mini-diffuser is ideal for personal protection throughout the day, whether at work, at home or out and about.

Refillable and rechargeable, the pocketsized unit allows the user to apply a fogging layer of CFLD to anything they are using – steering wheels, chip and pin machines, door handles, telephone receivers, cash, pens, cutlery etc.

For more information on Clear Fog, visit www.clearfog.co.uk

Take charge of your disinfectant fogging and offer customers an extra layer of confidence As hospitality businesses commit to making premises Covid-19 secure, Clear Fog provides an environmentally safe and cost-effective solution - eliminating Covid-19 from indoor settings of all sizes.

From large-scale

equipment to handheld units, order now at

www.clearfog.co.uk or email

info@clearfog.co.uk

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

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CLH News

July 2020

Products and Services

Life Systems For Lobster and Shellfish An homarium is a life system for shellfish. Due to a chilled and filtered closed water circuit, the animals are stored in optimal conditions in a fresh or seawater environment. In many places it is even a common tradition to pick the lobster of your choice out of the homarium tank!

Not only lobsters feel 'at home' in an homarium, also rants, fish mongers, fish wholesalers, fishermen and crab, langoustine, crayfish, crawfish, spiny lobster and supermarkets, from our offices in Southampton, rock lobster do. Even fish such as trout, eel and turbot throughout the UK. can be held in the perfect condition of an homarium.

Visit www.lobstertanks.co.uk or Tel 07711 188045 or At Lobster Tank UK, we supply homariums to restausee the advert on page 7.

The GIGA X3 - A Flexible Move Into The Top Class The GIGA X3 allows JURA to impressively demonstrate Swiss innovation and professionalism down to the very last detail.

Anywhere where a capacity of up to 150 cups is the order of business, the machine impresses users with its quality, functionality and reliability.

31 speciality coffees, as well as the start screen, can be individually programmed to suit the occasion or customer. For instance, products can be renamed and arranged to the user’s liking on the display. The high performance ceramic grinder, controlled by electronic motors, guarantees quick, precise, even and consistent grinding for many years to come.

As well as being easy to operate and programme, the machine is designed to be very easy to care for. The integrated rinsing, cleaning and descaling programmes reduce the effort involved to a minimum and guarantee TUV-certified hygiene.

MODEL shown is a GIGA X3 in Aluminium.

Visit uk.jura.com for further information.

Available accessories include a 2.5Ltr Cool Control, a 4Ltr Universal Fridge, a 4Ltr Combi Cool Fridge, a Cup Warmer Professional, Waste Water and Grounds Eject, a Nayax Cashless System and a Data Communicator.

Both machines come with a 24 month on-site warranty, parts and labour and machine only prices start from £4250.00.

rexmartins Induction Technologies The very real financial benefits available to your food service business when you use the latest in rexmartins Induction Technologies.

By leasing a rexmartins induction catering fryer or griddle you can achieve savings on energy and cooking oil that covers the monthly leasing costs, so your fryer or griddle effectively pays for itself!

The energy-saving benefits of induction equipment are well-known and used in countless commercial kitchens throughout the world. You can now benefit from induction technology in a range of exclusive and cost-effective rexmartins catering equipment, including fryers, griddles, pasta cookers, large bratt pans and much, much more!

Not all induction equipment is made the same, the rexmartins range has numerous exclusive patented parts and is built to last for many years, even in the most hos-

tile and demanding conditions. All the working components are water resistant; reducing the incidence of costly and inconvenient failure meaning we have some of the lowest failure rates in the industry.

Not all quality induction catering equipment has to be expensive. The rexmartins induction range is high on quality but the most cost effective option available on the market today.

LEASE TO CONSERVE CAPITAL COSTS Upgraded Technology Leasing provides companies with the ability to keep pace with technology. Leasing offers the option of deducting 100 percent of the lease payment as a business expense & 19% Tax relief.

To order, or for more information, please call 01892 543222 or email info@rexmartins.com or see the advert on page 24.

Re-Inventing Bar And Table Service After Lockdown As venues begin to reopen, the biggest challenge is how to maintain social distancing and safety for customers and staff, while still delivering a great experience.

The PortaBrands range from Tri-Star Packaging enables the easy and safe carrying of multiple drinks while speeding up service, saving space, and converting more sales with fewer trips to and from the bar.

“Our PortaBrands solution creates the opportunity to re-invent bar and table service,” says Tri-Star Packaging Sales Director Lee Richards. “To minimise waiting times and queues, drinks will need to be served

quickly and safely with minimum contact between staff and customers. PortaBrands is a great range of quick-service drink carrier solutions which enables safe multi-drink serving under social distancing guidelines, as an individual can collect drinks for small groups of people.”

All PortaBrands products can be fully branded and printed with additional messages such as social distancing guidelines, how to use a drinks ordering app, or how to recycle them. All PortaBrands products are 100% plastic-free and are made in the UK, from FSC® certified paper which is fully recyclable in dry mixed recycling.

See more at: www.tri-star.co.uk/portabrands/

Who are Tudor Tea and Coffee Ltd? We are an Award Winning Supplier to the hospitality and licensed on trade and have been for over 36 years.

Tudor’s success was established upon a highly successful range of high quality catering and specialist tea’s that it produces along with its outstanding coffee offering and

associated products.

What makes us different?

We understand that you want to provide exceptional tasting coffee, tea and other beverages, using cost effective and reliable machines. We roast all our own coffee beans so you can serve coffee at its best. We also supply our award winning tea plus all the sundries you might need, from grinders and crockery to syrups and disposable cups.

With over 36 years of experience in the industry we are able to advise you on the most appropriate equipment for your needs and give you the full Barista training that you need from beginners to experts we can all

Hats Off to a New Mr Porky – The Nation’s Favourite Pork Scratchings

A butcher’s smiling face has long been a sign of quality and so it has for many years been synonymous with Mr Porky - the No1 pork snacks brand with a 45% market share1.

But, there comes a time when every butcher needs to hand over his apron to the next generation, and our beloved Mr Porky is no different. After 60 years of making the finest pork scratchings, Mr Porky is handing over to his son to become the trusted face of the nation’s favourite pork snacks.

The younger Mr Porky has already put his stamp on the new look range, introducing some exciting changes.

The range now comprises of three products: ‘Mr Porky Hand Cooked Scratchings’ - A NEW PRODUCT With a delicious Great Taste award-winning recipe, this new, premium product is hand cooked in small batches to be the ultimate pork scratching!

(This product scored highest in blind testing2 and the packs had the highest purchase intent of any pack in consumer research.)

Pack sizes and RRP: 65g RRP £1.49

40g RRP £1.00 ‘Original Scratchings’ - THE UK’s BEST-SELLING SCRATCHING RENAMED AND WITH REFRESHED PACKAGING. Previously called ‘Crackles’, the leading scratching in supermarkets has been re-named ‘Scratchings’, in line with consumer feedback but the triple-cooked product is unchanged and packs retain their distinctive gold look.

Pack sizes and RRP: 65g RRP £1.00 6pk (6x16.5g) RRP £2.00 ‘Crispy Strips’ - THE SAME PRODUCT BUT UPDATED PACKAGING. The pork snack with a lighter bite that is attracting new consumers and opening up new pork snacking occasions.

Pack sizes and RRP: 35g RRP £1.00 The updated design performed strongly with consumers with increased purchase intent across the range, promising a sales uplift from the refresh. The new range launches first in Sainsbury’s in mid-July before rolling out across all major mults, as well as Convenience and Ontrade, over the following weeks.

The packs may look different, but young Mr Porky assures us, the terrific taste and quality we’ve all enjoyed for the last 60 years will not change and will remain the same for generations to come!

See the advert on page 10 for details.

Sources: 1) Kantar WorldPanel | Total GB | Pork and Mr Porky | Spend (£000) | 52 w/e 11-Aug-19 2) Wirral Sensory Services | Jun 18 2) Norstat | Dec 19

Say ‘Pasta la Vista’ to Plastic and Paper Straws A pasta straw company, Stroodles, has launched to provide an environmentally friendly solution to the single-use plastic crisis and rise of greenwashing from the paper straw industry.

In comparison to soggy paper and plastic straws, Stroodles are an improvement as they provide greater durability, are flavourless, vegan, 100% biodegradable and are edible raw or cooked after use.

A core principle for Stroodles is their ‘drink-easy’ ethos, meaning drinkers don’t have to change behaviour or compromise on drinking experience to do good for the environment.

Speaking about the inception of his pasta straws, Chief Stroodle and Founder, Maxim Gelmann, says: “While we’re a very logical and effortless solution to the plastic problem, Stroodles is not just a straw company. Our driving goal is to become a vehicle for change and we hope that Stroodles can act as

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

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

Proper Pork Crackling: ALLERGEN FREE & KETO Delectable Nuts, Peanuts: VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE & KETO Delectable Nuts, Cashews: VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE

learn something new. Our team is on hand to help you every step of the way, including our own ‘factory-trained’ engineers to maintain and repair your machines.

Please do not just take our word for it visit our website at www.tudorcoffee.co.uk and read what our customers have to say such as Mark from Caffe Lee who wrote “I just wanted to drop you a note to thank Tudor coffee for all their support through the covid-19 pandemic. Since we have moved over to you 6 months ago we have had nothing but first class service. Tina and John have helped us through the purchase of a new coffee machine to the supply of a quality coffee bean at a competitive price. Thank you once again and look forward to resuming business with you very soon.”

THE PRODUCTS! Award Winning Tea along with Award Winning Espresso Coffees! Indeed, with over 20+ blends our

an enabler, subtly inspiring people to question how they consume everyday items. We hope these incremental changes will lead to a ripple effect and create a greater shift in behaviour, one Stroodle at a time.”

Stroodles caters to both, the on-trade and Direct Consumers (so-called ‘Stroodlers’) As of End of June 2020, Stroodles is changing their retail offering. 20cm Stroodles will then be available to purchase online and in-store at an RRP of £2.99 for a pack of 40 + delivery.

The concept of conscious consumerism also extends to Stroodles’ business model and operation. A share of each sale is donated to local charities. For the hospitality industry, Stroodles are also available in bulk orders of 775 per pack.

Stroodles are available online at www.stroodles.co.uk. Instagram: @stroodles_straws Facebook: @stroodlesstraws Twitter: @stroodles_straw

Fabulous Fudge: GLUTEN FREE We not only supply are products pre packed but loose with a free 3L display jar, supplied in a large clip seal bucket for the perfectly free taste every time. which give you an even greater margin.

All orders received before 2pm each day are sent out with FEDEX for next day delivery anywhere in the UK with European deliveries on a 3 day service.

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

Our full range is available to see on our retail website so please call 01202875280 or email trade@sct-sct.com for a trade price list. See page 15 for details. most popular six have all proudly won Gold in the Great Taste Awards, these include our Rainforest Alliance (100% Arabica & R/A Coffee), our ever popular Milano Coffee Beans, along with Roma, Latte, Espresso, and the Artisan’s choice - our Rocket London blend. We also offer a comprehensive range of exciting, rich and delicious Single Origin Coffees. If you prefer we can roast to Order for maximum freshness.

We hope this has given you a flavour of what we can do so if you would like a first class supplier to help and advise you to enhance your business further, then please give us a call and we can build our businesses together!

Phone: 01708 866 966 Email: sales@tudorcoffee.co.uk Web: www.tudorcoffee.co.uk See the advert on page 21 for details.

Outdoor Spaces

July 2020

CLH News

Natural Swimming Pools by Matthew Stewart tiful planting, the dividing wall means that plants and wildlife are left undisturbed. These plants are carefully selected using native species to create colour and contrast, combined with their ability for filtration and absorbing nutrients leaving nothing behind for algae or bacteria.

Natural pools are a great way to swim or just enjoy the scenery around you. Our aim is to promote Matthew Stewart natural swimming pools using a tailored design service to allow the construction of a bespoke swimming pool to suit all of your requirements and budget.

Natural swimming pools combine the best of swimming pools and beautifully landscaped ponds to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation.

A dual filtration and pumping system along with the natural filters from aquatic and marginal plants rooted within gravel and shingle banks create a pure water swimming experience unrivalled by its chemically loaded counterparts.

Whilst you feel you are swimming amongst the beau-

Matthew Stewart has over 30 years landscape experience and offers a complete design and build service for your natural swimming pool.

You can be assured of a comprehensive service and exquisite results. Each project has its own unique criteria and as such our service will be tailored to your needs.

Call today on 01425 280 599, email matthewadamstewart@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.naturalswimmingpoolsbymatthewstewart.co.uk

CambridgeStyle Canopies

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

Our product range includes: • Wall mounted non-fragile or glass roof canopies with up to 6m projection and unlimited length • Free standing canopies with up to 12m projection and unlimited length • Solisysteme Bio Climatic Pergolas with the latest Somfy

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

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

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

Our product range includes:

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

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

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

Previous Clients Include:

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Outdoor Spaces Outdoor Events to Reengage Customers 40

CLH News

July 2020

With the opening day for pubs approaching closer and closer, we can almost taste the excitement felt by many to go back to beer gardens with their friends. In my experience of events and hospitality, we will see some people flood back, craving to get their summer Aperol spritz, but others will be more cautious. But if sufficient social distancing measures are in place and safety is prioritised, how can we encourage those more cautious customers to return?

Holding an outdoor function creates an incentive for customers to attend and spend.

Having outside space is an enormous advantage right now, as we know the infection rates significantly reduce outside. So how can you safely use your outdoor space for social events over the next few months?

BEER FESTIVALS Providing you have the right contacts to obtain traders, a beer festival is a great way to draw in customers. The weather need not be an issue; gazebos will solve that problem. A socially distanced beer festival will look different from usual, a reoccurring theme across all areas of hospitality. Consider asking customers to order from their tables rather than queuing for a drink to manage social distancing.

MUSIC

It’s been months since anyone has seen music live. Many people are absolutely gutted that all of their festivals, gigs and open nights have been cancelled or rescheduled. Creating a mini socially distanced festival using your outdoor space could be a great way to entice music fans. Plus, it’s been so long since musicians have had any live jobs, they’ll jump at the change to play again.

OUTDOOR FILM NIGHTS Projector screens, blankets, warm drinks and food. Doesn’t that sound cosy? An abundance of outdoor cinemas are opening, but some people are concerned about being in such large groups of people. Smaller films nights will make those people feel more comfortable. The equipment is easy to come by, so tells guests to bring blankets, and make sure you have the hot chocolates ready.

BINGO Bingo is no longer just for pensioners. Since lockdown began, we’ve seen all ages suddenly take up bingo. With the addition of drag queen callers and attractive prizes, bingo can be an entertaining event. Again, the equipment isn’t difficult to come by; there are many callers online. Plus, as this is an activity which takes place seated, it’s easier to keep people apart.

SILENT DISCO Clubs and bars will be closed for some time, so why not bring a safe version of this to your outdoor space? If you can find a suitable way of sectioning off your space so customers can be socially distanced, this is a great

option. Silent disco kits are easy to come by and can be hired for a small cost.

WEDDINGS Many couples have cancelled weddings due to COVID, and are therefor getting married with fewer family and friends around. It isn’t currently legal to get married outside in the UK, but you can offer your outside space as a place to celebrate a couple’s wedding with their family and friends safely.

FOODFEST Again focussing on the elements people have lacked over the past few months, many are craving restaurant meals. With smart but straightforward technology such as QR codes, ordering food from a variety of different vendors while remaining safe is easy. Consider theming your food fest to a particular cuisine, maybe you have an Asian food-themed day and invite street food vendors from your local area.

Owners and managers have the difficult task of managing alcohol intake, knowing that social distancing and safety measures are likely to slip as people have more to drink. Tokens or limits should be considered, with managers using their discretion on safe contact.

With all of these suggestions, it’s paramount that the marketing of such events is right. The hospitality industry has a huge challenge ahead to shift the attitudes of customers, as many people will still be concerned about safety. By addressing those concerns from the forefront, we can make customers feel comfortable in the knowledge that social distancing has been adhered to, and their safety is the paramount concern.

For more information, pase contact Rebecca Brennan-Brown LTD Website: www.byrbb.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byrebeccabrennanbrown

Garden Furniture In Stock Now! Capitalise On Your Outside Space In these troubled times, many of you will be looking for garden furniture to enable you to spread out more outside, to meet Government requirements re social distancing. Look no further than LeisureBench Ltd. for quality commercial grade outdoor products.

We have a huge range in stock now, thanks to our 50,000 sq. ft. of storage space. We have A Frame and round picnic tables, that includes heavy duty pressure treated designs, benches, parasols, chairs, tables, dining sets, Rattan furniture and much much more.

You are sure to find something that suits your requirements.

Make sure you order now while stocks last and take advantage of our trade only volume

discounts.

Any purchase over £500 will save you 5% off our trade prices, £1000 plus orders, 10% off and £1500 plus orders will save you a massive 15% off.

On top of that readers of this magazine can claim an extra 5% off selected products, by using the discount code CATERER19 when ordering on our web site at the check out.

LeisureBench Ltd offer a speedy delivery throughout the UK. To view our full range of outdoor furniture, visit our website at www.leisurebench.co.uk.

You can also contact our dedicated sales team by emailing sales@leisurebench.co.uk or by telephoning 01949 862920.

with a Broadview Shading Solution

A common source of lost revenue for pubs, cafés and restaurants, even without the covid-19 social distancing rules, is under-utilised outside space.

Installing a retractable awning or louvred roof pergola is the simplest and easiest way to create a sheltered area that boosts your establishment’s capacity all year round, come rain or shine. This means your customers will be able to enjoy a delicious dinner or their favourite tipple in style and socially distanced safety no matter what the ever-changing British weather is up to.

Not only will outside shading

allow you to safely serve as many people as possible while social distancing is in effect, but also long into the future when coronavirus is a distant memory, so it's an almost guaranteed return on your investment.

With a range of shading solutions available, from stylish awnings perfect for patio areas to impressive louvred roof outdoor structures that provide the ultimate in flexible dining space, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your business’s needs at Broadview Outdoor Shading.

To learn more and to book your free design consultation, get in touch with Broadview today

Outdoor Spaces

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.

made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement. If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz

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

EcoTensil Launches Plastic-Free Paperboard Utensils Across Europe European-based team, and distribution centre in Rotterdam.

The award-winning multi-functional EcoTensil utensils have a more pleasing “mouth-feel” than wooden spoons and forks. The sturdy EcoSpoon® is formed with one simple “bend to touch dotsTM” fold.

EcoTensil has designed its current product line for single-serve packaging, foodservice and sampling applications and supplies its utensils formatted ready to fit into existing packaging.

EcoTensil announces the European launch of its plastic-free single-use cutlery. The range of folding multifunctional paper utensils was developed to replace small plastic spoons in food packaging. The range is available to order through EcoTensil.eu.

Addressing the upcoming EU ban on single-use plastics, California-based EcoTensil brings its trusted sustainable paperboard solutions through its

All EcoTensil products are made from materials from well-managed FSC®-certified forests* and use 50-80% less material than plastic, bio-plastic or wood cutlery. . The GreenDot© line is made from a similar material to a coffee cup, but fully compostable, recyclable and contains no plastic. There is no taste, after taste, dissolving of the coating in one's mouth, or falling apart after a few bites.

Order online at www.EcoTensil.eu

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

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

and lounge furniture.

Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market.

Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements.

Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

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

Caterquip - For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year.

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

They have strong relationships with all lead-

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

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, Dock Gate 4, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses. Ensuring that all systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

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

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

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

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

In this demanding Health & Safety led market place we guarantee that all our fabrics and fillings meet the exacting BS5852 Crib 5 fire reg-

ulations.

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

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

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

Design and Refit

Engraved Table Numbers and QR Discs Facilitate Social Distancing as Pubs and Restaurants Re-Open The hospitality sector has begun to open its doors after the long lock down faced with a major challenge to maintain social distancing. Government guidelines stated that from 4th July pubs and restaurants should encourage the use of contactless ordering from tables and should adjust their service approach to minimise staff contact with customers.

It’s a huge ask and one which Brunel Engraving, one of the country’s leading commercial and industrial engraving specialists, has been working on to kick start the industry.

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

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

“We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that we can

SD Screens

SD Screens is a new division of Sims Contract Furniture and our solution to support the hospitality sector in recovering from the aftermath of a global pandemic. Our aim was to manufacture a high quality, British made solution at a fraction of the price of our competitors.

During lockdown we developed a range of Social Distancing screens to enable commercial premises to open their doors with ease, allow customers to return in a safe environ-

answer the increasing demand for our engraved products”, said Martyn Wright, managing director of Brunel Engraving and founder of the company.

“Many pubs and restaurants have been undertaking major renovations during the lockdown period and we have assisted with their efforts to maintain social distancing by supplying table numbers, QR code discs, signage, PPE Visors and distancing floor stencils which will be used in the new public areas as businesses open their doors to the public once again.”

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

For further information please contact: Martyn Wright, Managing Director, Brunel Engraving Company Limited Tel: 01275 871720 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk ment with some boasting up to 95% capacity.

The range is available in 2 different sizes, in 3 colourways with an optional wing to complement our well established Modular Banquette Seating range. Made from real wood, stained to your preferred choice of 3 colours and coated using a polyurethane lacquer, the screens are easy to wipe clean making turnaround time in-between covers an easy task.

The screens arrive to you preassembled, all you need to do is screw on the feet and you are ready to open your doors.

To order or to discuss your requirements please contact our sales team on 01945 450957, email us at sales@simscf.com or buy online at www.sdscreens.co.uk

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Create a Cosy Feel with Upholstered Seating from Trent Furniture Leather sofas, fully upholstered chairs and padded bar stools don’t just make your restaurant or bar area look welcoming, they offer a relaxing environment for guests to unwind in.

atmosphere and furnish every available nook and cranny. Bar stools are a great option for corners and awkward spaces, while leather or faux leather sofas like our popular Manhattan style create a focal point for friends to gather.

For any hospitality setting practicality is as important as looks. That’s why our fully upholstered furniture, like our versatile and stylish Abbruzzo chair, is made from contract grade foam and sturdy wooden frames. The Abruzzo chair is available in Brown Faux Leather, Mulberry, Mink or Carbon Chenille and checked Autumn and Cappuccino options.

Trent’s fully upholstered furniture is cost effective as well as stylish. The Abbruzzo chair in brown faux leather is £40.90, Autumn and Cappuccino are £48.90 and Chenille is £52.90.

Choosing a mix of different seating options is an easy way to create a convivial

Square One Interiors

See the Abbruzzo Chair range and more great upholstered furniture for your pub or restaurant at www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call us on 0116 2986 286 to find out more.

well as several different wood finishes which would compliment the overall design.

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

Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furni- with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture ture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years. Having had a history in companies and high street names. Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very design and furniture design, an idea was born and he decided to run with it. He loved the idea of a rustic looking, industrial range which was also eco friendly and sustainable. He soon excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space! found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as Visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk

Emergency Solutions Service Launched for Hospitality Sector to Re-Open Under Covid-19 Restrictions Hospitality outlets planning on how to re-open with social distancing and new safety measures in place can now receive support straight through their letterbox thanks to the introduction of a new service.

Design Equals, an agency network of creative experts for the hospitality industry, has launched a support service which will provide on-going business advice from its community to the industry as it navigates the roadmap of re-opening now we are on the ‘downward slope’ of the Coronavirus.

Katie McCarthy, founder and design director at Design Equals, said: “The industry has unexpectedly evolved, almost overnight, due to Covid-19. The way our customers must experience dining out will not be the same for some time, maybe never even the same again. We urgently need to know what regulations will be put in place by the Government and until then, we are learning from our European counterparts who are a few weeks ahead of us and working to cascade that information to businesses in a simple, creative way.”

There are three boxes for businesses to choose from with each offering different levels of guidance, each addresses the main areas of priorities being safety, space and style.

The entry level ‘Help Hospitality Heal’ support box (RRP £111) is a one-off purchase which provides an extensive guide on preparing and prioritising your space for re-opening.

This includes access to a one to one consultation with a designer to discuss space, cost effective solutions such as revised use of seating arrangements, flow of operation safe spaces and flexible partitions for creating safe distancing.

The full-service support kit (RRP £999) is a fully personalised business solution which is developed with you by a team of experts. Customers will receive three meetings with a dedicated DESIGN=creative team specifically selected with skill sets considered to the venue type.

The team will define solutions as well as fast-track a programme of works tailored to your individual business needs.

For those wanting to keep abreast of the latest guidance and advice regarding Covid-19, the company will be working with partners in the hospitality industry, to provide a monthly ‘Back to Business’ subscription box (RRP £59.99 per month) that will land directly on your doorstep. This will include research and examples from European countries who are re-opening establishments with new laws in place, with the UK expected to follow similar

measures.

Each month will provide up to date advice guide covering the latest changes, provided by a team of experts. It will also share details of design, products and discounts to help you prepare for your re-opening. Advice will range from interior design advice to operational guidance and insights into individual business’ plans.

Katie added: “We wanted to launch a solution that would help hospitality owners prepare for re-opening, including being ready to open their doors whilst adhering to new guidelines. With little yet known about an exact return date from the Government, we need to act now to be ready to successfully re-open. Our message to outlets is whilst your doors are closed be open to change.

“We have an army of creatives who are working together to provide sensible, educated and affordable ideas for the industry which will arm them with the knowledge and products to a successful re-opening.

“The industry has been hit hard, but we can’t dwell on that now, we can only be ready to welcome guests back through the door and for them to feel safe when they return.”

For more information on the ‘Design Equals in Box’ solution enter your details at https://weare898548.typeform.com/to/bl3B9x to receive information or email weare@designequals.co.uk.

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CLH News

CFG Capabilities Inspire Customer Confidence Thousands of pubs, bars and restaurants up and down the UK have safely reopened thanks to the quick thinking and supply chain capabilities of the Contract Furniture Group (CFG). As the pandemic spread and lock down forced many to down tools, the team at CFG sprang into action to design, source and manufacture the range of PPE screens, sanitiser stations and safety signage it knew would be needed to get the hospitality sector back in business.

The first few weeks of lockdown subsequently felt out of step with the rest of the country for the UK’s leading supplier of contract furniture, as CFG managing director Richard Bellamy confirms: “As most of the nation’s businesses effectively prepared to go into hibernation, we were frantically working to create products we knew would be essential to get this sector trading again. While others were forced to wind down at work, we were winding up the product development and production activity for our social

Protecting Assets

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

CardsSafe® has revolutionised the way hospitality and leisure businesses manage their assets. It protects against theft and walkouts, streamlines services and reduces losses, which means it pays for itself!

There are numerous benefits of using CardsSafe® for your business and over 5000 outlets in the UK agree!

CardsSafe® reduce costs and losses, makes card fraud is virtually impossible and ensures that equipment is returned CardsSafe® is affordable and pays for itself! From just £9.95 (net) per unit per month + install fee, it is quick & easy to use with minimal training CardsSafe® ensures peace of mind and protects against fraud and theft CardsSafe® increases staff trust and improves the work environment CardsSafe® is easy to use and need minimal training CardsSafe® is PCI & GDPR Compliant to standards 9.6, 9.9, 12.2 and 12.6 and protects card data from identity fraud and theft

and sneeze screens. We quickly added sanitiser stations, masks, signage and various other essentials to the range, so remained in full flow. It turned out to be a good thing we moved so quickly as demand soon outstripped supply and at times it was a real challenge to keep up with orders.

“With so many venues now using our PPE range to keep customers safe, we’re starting to get back to our core business of designing, fitting and furnishing pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels. Hopefully it won’t be long before the sector is buzzing again.”

Contract Furniture Group has served the hospitality industry for over two decades.

The size of its range and project capabilities remain unrivalled, and the firm still promises to never to beat any quote for products of the same quality. Visit www.ContractFurniture.co.uk to learn more, or call the team on 0115 965 9030 to discuss your contract furniture needs.

Some of the UK’s biggest brands now rely on the CardsSafe® system when they handle customer cards, including: Young & Co.’s Brewery Hilton Hotels Foxhills Country Club Lord’s – The Home of Cricket Evans Cycles The National Portrait Gallery “Average spend is up and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.”

Timothy, Young’s Bar Manager

“The CardsSafe system is great for servicing our customers who enjoy our outside areas.”

Debbie, Manager and Landlady of The Deers Hut pub

Please visit the website and create your own account quickly and securely, or for more info, contact CardsSafe Customer Team.

WEB: www.cardssafe.com Phone: 0845 500 1040 Email: sales@cardssafe.com

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Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating

We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience. Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality.

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

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

walls in a period setting.

Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating.

Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com Web www.simscf.com 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 page 40 for further details.

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier

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

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

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

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

With clever planning, seating generates a great flow for customers and staff

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

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

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

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

See the advert below for details.

Property and Professional

July 2020

CLH News

Maintain a Healthy Cashflow with Boyes Turner Having an effective debt recovery system in place is a must for all businesses – Boyes Turner’s Debt recovery service has considerable experience in dealing with uncontested cases in the leisure and hospitality industry. With our expertise in the industry and including recruitment, logistics and audiovisual, the team pride themselves on offering an efficient and cost effective service on fixed standard charges.

The Debt recovery service deals with the collection of all uncontested debts from

the issue of demand letters through to issuing court proceedings, obtaining judgment and enforcement thereof including insolvency proceedings.

With a real understanding of the pressures, targets, and deadlines faced by credit controllers and managers with the industry slowly going back to work, our service operates as an extension to your own internal credit control team.

Call today on 0118 952 7173 or email dgoddard@boyesturner.com

New Weekly Figures Analysis & Reporting Service David Hunter has been in the business for over 30 years, and with his vast amount of experience has become an expert in ensuring that businesses reach their full financial potential.

For years he’s provided a bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service to a select few, and he has always provided with that, free-of-charge weekly figures analysis and reporting … yes, weekly.

David has now come up with a way of making his amazing Mentoring & Consultancy service more accessible to the wider market, and for a lower monthly fee.

Instead of being charged for monthly consultancy, you can now access David’s knowledge and expertise via his already-established and very wellused weekly figures reporting system.

He will send you weekly reports on how your business is doing and will

throw in FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE AT ALL, four half-day on site Mentoring & Consultancy visits per year (or two full days, depending on location). He will also always be at the end of a phone for you, or email, if you needed him, and he also has access to legal experts as well as a ‘’tried and trusted’’ Bowden Group Alliance colleague who can advise you … again FREE OF CHARGE … on how to save money on your utility bills.

If you have a Pub, Restaurant or Hotel business which is facing financial or operational challenges … why not let David have a look, and help you maximise your full potential. There is no cost to David having a look at your figures, and letting you know what COULD be achieved.

Call David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or on 01628 487613.

The Retail Mutual Launches Business Cover Product for the Catering Industry with variable limits to include just the cover they need, and benefit from a range of additional information and support services to help them manage their business both in times of need and in times of growth.

As the hospitality sector is given the green light to reopen from 4 July, The Retail Mutual has this week announced the launch of its new business cover product, specifically tailored to the needs of the restaurant and catering trades.

Having served independent retailers since 1999, The Retail Mutual is delighted to be able to open its doors to a wider range of independent businesses including restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bakeries, and takeaways.

With small business owners under intense pressure to reduce overheads and minimise risks, The Retail Mutual sets out to offer an alternative. Unlike an insurance company, as a discretionary mutual it is Memberowned and operates in the sole interests of its Member community. It is open to independents only, specialising in supporting retailers, restaurateurs and take-away owners who own and run their own independent businesses. Members can create a personalised cover plan

The service is available online at www.theretailmutual.com/catering, offering those in the hospitality sector the flexibility to obtain a quote and buy their cover outside standard office hours. Those who prefer to buy by telephone can do so via the Mutual’s UK-based Member Services Centre on 0333 2121 007.

Mutual Manager, Kirsty Hampton, said, “It’s great to see businesses be able to reopen their doors after a period of closure during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a welcome boost to the hospitality market and to further support the high street, we are expanding our Open for Business campaign to include the food service industry.

Expanding into the catering sector was the natural progression for the Mutual. There is huge synergy with retail and in fact many of our existing Members own multiple businesses that span both categories. We are delighted to give them the opportunity to access competitive cover for all their businesses all in one place and to welcome a new tranche of independent business owners into The Retail Mutual’s Member community.”

See the advert on this page for further details.

For Sale: Licensed Coffee House and Tea Garden Commercial property specialists Stonesmith, are delighted to be marketing the sale of Selleys Coffee Shop - a popular and well-regarded character licensed café, coffee house and tea garden in Sidmouth. The business was established 30 years ago, and has been owned and operated by our clients for the last 7 years. Presented in excellent order throughout, the business offers potential for incoming operators to purchase an attractive, easy to run and sought-after catering business with an excellent reputation with both locals and visitors alike.

The premises are quite unique, forming part of a courtyard development of retail units, from which spinoff trade is derived. Libra Court is situated in a lucrative town centre trading position, just off the main seafront and the main shopping thoroughfare of Fore Street.

The business, which is pur-

posefully fitted, briefly comprises: - Main Coffee Shop/Tea Room Seating Area seating 14 customers, Customer Servery, Kitchen, Separate Wash Up Room and a Customer Cloakroom. Enclosed Courtyard Seating Area providing al fresco seating for 32 customers, with electrically operated canopy and heat lamps, enabling customers to sit outside year-round.

Selleys also offers potential for incoming operators to develop their own style of trade, to suit their own personal requirements, taking advantage of this desirable catering business in this extremely popular East Devon coastal town. With solid levels of trade and profits, there is genuine potential to increase all aspects of the trade still further.

The leasehold business is on the market for an asking price of £39,950. Full property details are available on our website: www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

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For Sale: Well-Established Traditional Tea-Room

Commercial property specialists Stonesmith, are delighted to be marketing the sale of this thriving and well-regarded day time only traditional tea-room. The Singing Kettle is set within a charming character filled Grade II listed property. The business offers potential for incoming operators to purchase an attractive and highly sought-after business with a successful trade from both locals and visitors alike. The premises retain period original features including heavily beamed ceilings and is presented to a high standard throughout.

They briefly comprise of: Main Tea Room Seating Area comfortably seating 30 customers; Customer Servery and Preparation Area and Kitchen Area; Well-presented and spacious Living Accommodation offering 2 Double Bedrooms (1 with Ensuite Shower Room), attractive Sitting Room with feature vaulted ceiling, spacious Kitchen and separate Family Bathroom.

town centre trading position in the very heart of Dartmouth, which is one of the prettiest and possibly most visited and photographed of all of the South Hams towns.

The Singing Kettle offers a traditional and popular menu to include breakfast, morning coffees, lunches, afternoon teas, to include the popular Devon cream tea, together with a selection of hot and cold beverages. The business trades daytime hours only for around 42 weeks of the year in order to suit our client’s lifestyle requirements. For anyone looking to relocate to the West Country, this could be the perfect opportunity to run a profitable catering business, with a comfortable home in a much sought-after estuary town.

The leasehold business is on the market for an asking price of £79,950.

Full property details are available on our website: www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

The Singing Kettle occupies a prime

Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions Much like the mythological bird, Phoenix Specialist Risk Solutions was born from the ashes of an industry which has grown tired and disassociated from the people it is designed to protect. Phoenix is built to be different, our main focus is you.

We have built our business with care at the core of everything we do. We strive to offer a quality personalised service which is tailored to each individual’s needs — we listen to you, get to know you and aim to support you every step of the way.

Your business is in most cases the biggest risk and the biggest asset you will ever have from the initial days of worrying about business levels and cash flow through to staff and HR issues and then back to business levels and cash flow, a revolving cycle.

Within your business you will also have your trusted partners,

your accountants and bankers, do you include your insurance broker? If not why not?

Commercial insurance should not just be about the lowest possible price, it should be with someone you can work with and trust, someone flexible to the changes your business faces and someone who can advise you of which covers you may like to consider and not just the ones which you are legal required to have. Does your business description on your policy actually match your business, are your sums insured reviewed and adequate, do you have seasonal stock increases? Have you declared the accurate turnover and wageroll?

We work with you to help you establish and maintain an insurance program which meets your needs and provides the best value for money.

See the website on the facing page or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

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

TAUNTON, SOMERSET

SIDMOUTH, EAST DEVON

SIDMOUTH, EAST DEVON

DARTMOUTH, SOUTH HAMS

TAUNTON, SOMERSET

EXETER, DEVON

Attractive & Well Regarded Licensed Cafe & Restaurant Trading on a Predominately Day Time Only Basis Main Restaurant 45+ & Al Fresco Seating For 32 Impressive Town Centre Business Must Be Viewed

Wonderful Day Time Only Coffee House & Tea Garden Seating Throughout For 46+ Customers Prime Position Close To The Sea Front Solid Trade Levels and Impressive Profits Excellent Catering Opportunity With Low Overheads

Well Presented Free Of Tie Village Inn Prime and Prominent Landmark Trading Position Bar Area (13+), Lounge Bar & Restaurant (46+) Large Owners 6 Bedroom Accommodation Commercial Catering Kitchen & Ancillary Facilities

Traditional Tea Room With Accommodation Much Sought After Estuary Town Well Presented With 30 Covers & Outside Seating Spacious 2 Bed Owner's Accommodation Day Time Only, 9-10 Months Of The Year Award Winning & Lucrative Business

Stunning Waterside Licensed Restaurant Impressive Sales Of £540,410 Net Of VAT Refurbished Restaurant Areas Seating 74 Customers External Seating for 30, Well Appointed Kitchens Outstanding Town Centre Opportunity

Stunning & Award Winning City Centre Gin Bar Furnished To An Exceptionally High Standard Exceptionally Profitable With Impressive Sales Customer Seating Areas For 50+ First Class Business In A Prime Location Run Under Full Management

LH £79,950

LH £95,000

LH £35,000

2040

LH £39,950

2114

LH £49,950

4756

2113

2115

LH £95,000

4787

DARTMOOR, DEVON

EXE VALLEY, MID DEVON

DEVON/CORNWALL BORDERS

DEVON/SOMERSET BORDERS

NORTH DEVON

DORSET VILLAGE

Substantial & Impressive Moorland Village Inn Bar (28+), Lounge & Restaurant (52), Beer Garden 4 High Quality Letting Bedrooms Stunning 4 Bedroom Family Accommodation Impressive Levels Of Trade & Profits

Substantial Detached Country Hotel & Restaurant 10 Ensuite Letting Rooms Lounge with Bar (16), Dining Room (22) 2 Bedroom Owner's Accommodation Set in 2 Acres with Tremendous Potential

Immaculate Detached Village Guest House 5 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms Superior 2 Bedroom Owner’s Accommodation Commercial Kitchens, Car Park & Gardens Profitable Lifestyle B & B Business

Substantial & Impressive Detached Hotel 7 Letting Rooms And A 3 Bedroom Suite Lounge Bar, Breakfast/Dining Room Superior 4 Bedroom Owner's Accommodation Gardens, 5 Electric Hook Ups, Parking Huge Potential To Develop All Aspects

Stunning Detached Thatched Country Inn Character Bar (30+), Restaurant & Dining Areas (55) 4 Letting Bedrooms & 3 Bed Owner’s Accommodation Grounds Of 1½ Acres, Gardens (62) Car Park & Lake Impressive Levels Of Trade & Profits

Substantial Well Presented Character Inn Located In Highly Sought After Dorset Village Bar/Dining Area (50+) & Restaurant (32) 4 Stunning Letting Rooms & 3 Bed Owner’s Home Set In Over ¾ Acre With Car Parking & Gardens

FH £495,000

4789

FH £575,000

6002

FH £650,000

6004

FH £695,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CONTACT STONESMITH FOR A FREE VALUATION

6003

FH £695,000

4783

FH £725,000

4798

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk