CLH News #238 April/May 2021

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ISSUE 238

APRIL/MAY 2021

Prime Minister Backtracks on Vaccine Passports Following Backlash

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backtracked on earlier comments that pub landlords could be forced to ask customers to provide a negative Covid-19 test result or show their “vaccine passport” before they were admitted inside the premises.

The Prime Minister has now said that vaccine certification may only be introduced once all British adults have been offered coronavirus jabs, after an angry backlash from the hospitality sector.

In discussions which took place on March 24 regarding the ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown Conservative MP William Wragg asked the Prime Minister if “Covid vac-

cine certification for domestic use” could be required for pub-goers. The Prime Minister responded, telling the Liaison Committee that individual pub landlords should decide whether they will ask for a certificate of vaccination before they allow a customer to enter their pub.

“I think the public have been thinking deeply about it and I have the impression that there is a huge wisdom in the public’s feeling about this," the Prime Minister said.

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A report has revealed that pubs and restaurants are seeing a huge surge in outdoor table bookings as we lead up to April 12 partial reopening of the sector.

Almost 5 million people are making reservations for the first 2 weeks from April 12.

I suspect over the next 2 weeks that will increase considerably maybe even double!

EDITOR

Even better news for the sector and the Treasury is that £2.4 billion could be injected into the economy for the first month from April 12 with the average hospitality spend being £167 per person. Bear in mind that is just for outdoor dining. The sector still will be under restrictions until June 21 when we hope all restrictions will be lifted.

Peter Adams

Fantastic cause for celebration. However, tempered by the ludicrous suggestions/rumours and comments that we may need vaccine passports before we can enter a pub or restaurant, although after angry backlash the PM has backtracked.

To quote Katie Nicholls CEO of UKHospitality “it is simply unworkable”.

And that is it in a nutshell!

Am I the only one asking the question why pubs? Or have I missed the Prime Minister’s comments when he said we would need vaccine passports to visit supermarkets, cinemas, garden centres, art galleries or taking the dog to the vet?

Why make the comments now as the sector prepares for its long-awaited opening?

Prior to this “bonkers” suggestion to Wetherspoon’s Tim Martin was forthright when he said “the idiocy of outdoor drinking indoors”, which in effect is what will happen with some of the larger marquees.

Don’t get me wrong. If we have to endure partial opening, then housing and community secretary Robert Jenrick’s decision to permit pubs, bars restaurants and other hospitality venues to put up gazebos and marquees without planning permission from April 12, as part of a new £56 million “Welcome Back” fund is most welcome. But really in the grander scheme of things I agree with Tim Martin when he said: “The pub trade and the country need less weekly, barmy ideas from Boris in the future- and more review by parliament , consultation with industry and common sense.”

Which once again begs the question why give the sector so much support and then hamper it days later with a clearly unworkable proposal?

With bookings rolling in, and as the public “Chomps at the bit” to get back to normality, with the added bonus of staycation this year, July or August would be great months for Chancellor Rishi Sundak to reintroduce what was the best government initiative in years “Eat Out To Help Out”.

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It does not necessarily have to be at the same level as before, but given how the public have complied and sacrificed this past year, a little bit of goodwill on the government’s behalf would go a very long way!

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Prime Minister Backtracks on Vaccine Passports Following Backlash Apr/May 2021

“Human beings instinctively recognise when something is dangerous and nasty to them, they can see that Covid is collectively a threat, and they want us as their government and me as the Prime Minister to take all the actions I can to protect them”.

However following criticism from industry bodies and the wider public, the Prime Minister has since clarified his earlier comments saying: “There is going to be a role for certification,” but he added: “You might only be able to implement a thoroughgoing vaccination passport scheme, in the context of when absolutely everybody had been offered a vaccine.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “It is crucial that visiting the pub and other parts of hospitality should not be subject to mandatory vaccination certification. It is simply unworkable, would cause conflict between staff and customers and almost certainty result in breaches of equality rules.

“Even introduced on a voluntary basis, vaccine passports have the potential to cause huge amounts of confusion among businesses, customers and staff. It could potentially give rise toa two-tier system of viability among businesses and a situation in which young staff members, due to be vaccinated last, are able to work in a pub, but not able to visit it socially.

“Over the past year our sector has been devastated and businesses have only known forced closure or the most severe restrictions. We need to avoid any further measures that give rise to the potential of further restrictions.

“A vaccine passport system may be useful in opening up international travel more quickly and it might play a role at large-scale events in the near future, but it should not be used for day-to-day hospitality. A vaccine passport scheme in pubs and the wider hospitality sector would not be the liberating move the Prime Minister believes it to be. It would see further restrictions imposed at the worst possible time.

“Pubs and other hospitality businesses have spent a significant amount of time, energy and money ensuring their premises are safe and ready to welcome customers back in April and May. We need to throw off the shackles of Coronavirus in line with the Government’s roadmap; not impose more checks on our ability to socialise and do business.”.

Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, which operates 1,000 pubs in the UK, said that his reaction to the idea “could not be printed”.

“I think it would be extremely difficult to enforce. I think it is discriminatory in many respects. It’s likely to cause potential conflict between people working in the pub and people visiting and it goes against the whole ethos of pubs being a welcoming and communal place,” he added.

Steven Alton, BII CEO commented: “Public Health England proved last year that despite over 60 million visits a week in the summer of 2020 to hospitality venues, there was no discernible rise in Covid rates caused by

“The recovery of our nation’s economy will rely heavily on our vibrant and vital sector, which contributes almost £60 billion to the treasury each year. To introduce this unworkable solution at a point where our pubs need to be open and trading freely and fully, will seriously endanger the survival of our pubs and materially damage the communities, high streets, livelihoods, suppliers & brewers and local employment that rely so heavily upon them.”

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS The move may also lead to legal implications for employers, Emma Swan, head of commercial employment at Forbes Solicitors explains: “If hospitality and leisure venues like pubs, restaurants and cinemas request customers to produce a vaccine certificate, there’s also a reasonable argument that they should require the same of employees. Staff in these venues will be closely interacting with customers and it’d be very difficult to plausibly argue a real point of difference between a non-vaccinated employee and not admitting a customer who doesn’t have a vaccine passport.

“If vaccine passports are used, hospitality and leisure businesses serving the public risk getting to a point where they might not be able to employ non-vaccinated people and employers need protecting against the • MICROWAVES • EXTRACTION CANOPIES • risks this presents. Hospitality operators may need to consider drawing up staff vaccination policies.

“Drawing comparisons with doctors already having hepatitis B jabs isn’t particularly useful for hospitality businesses. The medical care sector is well used to implementing staff vaccination policies and these link to ethical guidance and moral codes that are widely practiced and adhered to via Codes of Conduct.

“Government shouldn’t be putting the onus on individual publicans or businesses to make decisions about vaccine passports. This isn’t fair on employers or useful to them at a time when they’re focused on trying to reopen and make money after months and months of no revenue. Instead, the government review of vaccine certification needs to offer clear guidelines on the use of vaccine passports and how this will impact all staff interfacing with the public. Clear guidelines can then be used by companies to adhere to changing circumstances, while respecting employment laws, as we follow the roadmap out of lockdown.”

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“There is a concern among businesses that the eventual rolling back of restrictions, vital to business survival, may be linked to the use of a vaccine passport scheme. That cannot be allowed to happen. It would put businesses owners in a hugely invidious position and has the potential to effectively impose further unnecessary restrictions on businesses that cannot or will not operate a passport scheme.

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people safely socialising in our pubs. To demand even more of them at a time when their businesses are teetering on the edge, and at the same time excluding members of their communities who may not have the option of vaccination, would be devastating for our sector.

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“No Jab, No Job” - The Latest Advice 4

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Apr/May 2021

By Daniel Stander, employment lawyer in the London office of international law firm, Vedder Price (www.vedderprice.com)

With the outdoor hospitality sector set to reopen from 12 April, Daniel Stander, employment lawyer at Vedder Price LLP, breaks down the issue of mandatory employee vaccination.

1) “JAB / JOB” As over 50% of all UK adults have now received their first dose of the vaccine, the simplest scenario an employer might face is reopening with a workforce that is already fully vaccinated.

In these cases employers will not need to engage with the question of mandatory vaccination. However, employers who wish to confirm and record the vaccination status of their employees should be mindful of the special category data protections that are applicable to health data. A data privacy impact assessment looking at how the business holds and processes such data should be conducted.

2) “NO JAB / NO JOB” Despite the above statistic, recent YouGov data suggests that up to 21% of people still do not intend on being vaccinated. Concerns around the level of vaccine take-up have led to the Government announcing a policy of mandatory vaccination for workers within the care sector, a move without modern precedent, and only time will tell whether this is the beginnings of a sea change in vaccination law, or whether the peculiarities of the care sector make it a unique case for government intervention.

Given this uncertainty, employers should keep in mind that having a policy requiring vaccination is one thing, but being able to enforce that policy is another entirely.

The relevant question is whether the requirement to be vaccinated amounts to a “reasonable request” that the employer can make of the employee. Employers will need to justify why vaccination is necessary, considering the balance between the employee’s individual liberties and the benefit to colleagues and customers in reducing risk of transmission and infection in the workplace.

It is important to remember that this notion of reasonableness is fact-specific. When considering close contact or public-facing roles, such as those in the hospitality sector, there may be a stronger argument in favour of requiring vaccination to enable employers to comply with their health and safety obligations and maintain relationships with their customers. That being said, the issue of mandatory vaccination remains untested at Employment Tribunal level and an untempered reliance on vaccination status when hiring, disciplining, or dismissing employees may well leave employers open to legal action.

3) BEWARE OF DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES Blanket policies of compulsory vaccination overlook the reality that employees may have a legitimate reason for not being vaccinated. This can be the case where the employee is pregnant, has a disability, or is simply not yet in the relevant age bracket to receive the vaccine. An inflexible approach that fails to engage with these realities is likely to invite discrimination claims under the Equality Act. There has been discussion around whether such policies risk discriminating against certain religious groups.

However, the availability of vaccines free from animal products fetters the likelihood of such claims. That said, it remains to be seen whether Equality Act protections should be afforded to those who argue being anti-vax is a philosophical belief.

Employers faced with a discrimination complaint would need to be able to justify their vaccination policy as an objective means of achieving a legitimate aim. Hospitality businesses are rightly concerned about protecting the health of their workers and their customers – but consideration must also be given to what the measure would achieve in reality and whether the aim could be achieved through less intrusive means. Given that no vaccine is known to be 100% effective, and that social distancing is likely to remain part of our lives for some time to come, it may not be justified to discriminate where an employee could be re-deployed or otherwise abide by social distancing guidelines. In these difficult cases, it is important that employers’ actions are considered, proportionate and take full account of the facts at hand.

CONCLUSIONS Ultimately, employers are recommended to avoid heavy-handed practices and instead approach vaccination in a cautious and considered way, leading with empathy, encouraging their workforces to be vaccinated, and, in so doing educating them of the benefits that vaccination would mean for the individual, the business and public at large.

Pubs And Restaurants Will Be Allowed To Erect A Marquee WITHOUT Planning Permission Pubs, bars restaurants and other hospitality venues will be allowed to put up gazebos and marquees without planning permission from April 12, as the sector begins its move out of lockdown, as part of a new £56 million “Welcome Back” fund which aims to help England’s high streets and coastal towns safely reopen as coronavirus restrictions are eased toward June 21 when it is anticipated that all restrictions will be removed.

Any venue, even if it is listed, can put up a marquee or structure of any size on their land without planning permission, and keep it up till September, as the government looks to get the industry up and running as quickly as possible.

Side panels will need to be open for ventilation, but paperwork is not

Part of the funding pot will be exclusively allocated for coastal areas, with all English seaside resorts to receive support, under the Government’s plans to help holidaymakers this year, as the country embraces “staycations”, with much of Europe now entering a third lockdown and travel restrictions still in place.

Under its road map out of England’s coronavirus restrictions, and subject to the ongoing assessment of coronavirus data, the Government aims to lift its “stay at home” order from March 29, with further gradual easing to follow.

Outdoor attractions, non-essential retail and some holiday lets could re-open after April 12 and most social contact restrictions could be lifted from June 21.

The funding will allow councils to improve the “look and feel” of local areas, creating more outdoor seating areas as well as markets and popup food stalls.

Pubs and restaurants, including premises in listed buildings, will be given the flexibility to provide more outdoor space for customers for the whole summer rather than the current 28 days permitted, with figures suggesting that the move will allow 9,000 additional venues to open next month rather than having to wait for indoor serving in May.

There are also to be restrictions on private parking fines in a bid to attract and give drivers confidence when visiting towns.

Mr Jenrick said: “As we move to the next stage on the roadmap out of lockdown we are all looking forward to being reunited with friends and family outdoors and making a safe and happy return to our favourite shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. an issue after ministers ordered councils to back down on threats to cripple the reopening with red tape.

An estimated 70 councils will also receive “targeted, hands-on support” from the Government’s High Streets Task Force, described as “an elite team of high street experts who will advise them on how to adapt to meet changing consumer demands so they can thrive in the years ahead”.

“Our Welcome Back Fund gives every city, town and high street support to prepare for a great summer. This funding will help councils and businesses to welcome shoppers, diners and tourists back safely.

“As soon as the roadmap allows, we need to get behind our local businesses and enjoy all that this country has to offer and that we’ve been missing so much.”

Pork Scratchings Named Favourite Pub Snack peanuts.

The survey, which separated crisps by flavour, surprisingly revealed that only 4 per cent of pubgoers named cheese and onion among their top pub snacks, with salt and vinegar coming third while ready salted came fourth.

Bacon fries made the top 20, as did Bombay mix, Scotch eggs and pickled eggs.

Olives, salami sticks and wasabi peas were also among the preferred snacks.

Pork scratchings are the UK’s favourite pub snack according to a recent poll, with peanuts (salted and dry roasted) second and third followed by salt and vinegar crisps.

Pub snacks have long been a traditional favourite, often bought on impulse, and are considered the perfect partner with a drink, with pork scratchings, traditionally made from pork rind, delivering a distinctive combination of hard crunch and a rich soft texture, and seen as the perfect “meat and drink” combination for pub goers with 83% of pork snacks consumed with a drink.

The past 12 months have provided unprecedented challenges for the pub sector, now as pubs prepare to open their outdoor spaces on April 12, with indoor spaces open from May 17, 2,000 pubgoers were asked to choose their favourite snacks, with no limit on their selections., And 37% named pork scratchings among their favourites while 34 per cent named

According to food historians, butchers started selling pork scratchings in the 1930s, calling it crackling, however it is believed they first went to market almost 100 years ago in the West Midlands is working class snack arising from the addition of families keeping their own pig at home to be fed to the slaughter.

Matt Smith, Marketing Director, Tayto Group who own the UK’s top 3 pork brands says, “We’ve seen sales of scratchings soar – even through lockdown – as people ‘take the pub taste home’.

“We know that snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are made more visible. If customers can see your range they are more likely to buy so, stocking the right range and

ensuring they are highly visible as crucial capturing those profitable incremental impulse sales”, we have developed some fantastic POS including bar runners, beer mats and display solutions specifically to support on trade sales” “We’re thrilled that it’s ‘official’ – when it comes to the ULTIMATE PUB SNACK, there’s no matching a scratching!”

Rob Parkin of SCT-SCT commented, “All good landlords know how to please the customers and will have a good selection of ready snacks for every drink and every occasion. And simple ready to eat snacks work well!

“Bar snacks are quick, convenient and increase profits, keeping the customers content and encourage more drink sales. We are now seeing something of a renaissance for traditional snacks in the on trade sector with pork scratchings in particular which are back in fashion!”

David Arnold, director of Perspectus Global, which carried out the survey, said he was ‘delighted’ to see pork scratchings at the top of the list. He added that 73 per cent of those surveyed cited their local pub as their number one ‘happy place’.

1-In-3 Customers Will Return While ‘Outdoor Only’ Apr/May 2021

1-in-3 UK adults say they will visit pubs and restaurants when they re-open with outdoor seating and service only, according to a snap poll by KAM Media.

The research found that Generation Z and younger Millennials are least likely to be put off by the prospect of ‘outdoor seating only’ with 43% of 18-34 year olds saying they’ll return, compared with 24% of over 55 year olds.

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pubs and restaurants to re-open with indoor seating and service before they visit them. And a further 33% said they are not planning on visiting pubs or restaurants at all for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19.

This figure was 42% for over 55 year olds.

“Most of our research throughout the pandemic has pointed to the fact that older customers are being more cautious, for obvious reasons. It seems that despite the vaccination programme, these customers are still less likely to return to hospitality right away. It is likely that many have also got used to staying at home, helped along by all the fantastic new ‘hospitality at home’ options, operators will not only need to make them feel safe but also remind them what they’ve been missing.” comment Moses.

Katy Moses, MD, KAM Media: “It’s positive that such a large proportion of potential customers are happy to dine and drink outside. I’ve heard examples of incredibly high numbers of bookings where operators are lucky enough to have outdoor space. And it’s not a huge surprise that younger customers will be the first back into our beer gardens and outdoor dining areas. This reflects what we saw last July too when hospitality first reopened. The weather will obviously have a huge impact too.”

“Overall, UK consumers are considerably less fearful coming out of lockdown 3 compared with lockdown 1. They are however much more frustrated and bored which is a huge opportunity for hospitality to be a saviour in the eyes of its customers and give them something to smile about once lockdown measures lift again.”

Lockdown Legacy: A Year Of Pain For The Hospitality Sector The research found that a further 26% of UK adults intend to wait for

One year on from the first lockdown, a shattered industry calls for the Government to be guided by “data not dates” and ease restrictions Exactly a year since the first national lockdown, UKHospitality has revealed the terrible toll of the Covid-19 pandemic on a devastated sector that has experienced more than eight months of closure, costing more than 600,000 jobs, 12,000 business failures and lost sales of £86bn.

With only a minority of pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities being able to trade outdoors from 12 April, the trade association is warning that closure for the vast majority of operators is due to last another nine weeks until 17 May, when indoor hospitality is permitted to reopen.

This delay means even more jobs are in danger and even more businesses are facing ruin. Until restrictions are lifted, pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities will not be able to break even and, with the expectation that consumer confidence will take time to recover, trading is unlikely to return to anything like normal levels for at least six months.

UKHospitality says that it’s critical that the Westminster Government sticks to its plans for a full removal of restrictions no later than 21 June.

However, with the continued success of the vaccination programme and hospitalisations and fatalities continuing to decline, the industry is urging the Government to follow the “data not dates” and loosen the restrictions that are in place at different stages of the roadmap.

UKHospitality is therefore urging the Government to allow:

• Hotels with self-contained rooms to be able to open alongside other self-contained accommodation on 12 April • Earlier re-opening of children’s indoor play areas (currently set for 17 May) • People to be able to order via a hatch or outdoor till on outdoor re-opening in April • People to be able to order at the bar from indoor opening in May, and for customers to be allowed to consume drinks while standing outdoors • Covid- secure weddings and receptions indoors from April, with an increase in guest numbers from May 17 in line with sporting and other events UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The last 12 months

have been truly awful for our sector. That is why any controls that limit commercial activity upon reopening should be necessary and proportionate and we back the recent call from the Public Accounts Committee for the Government to provide the evidence for such limits. While any restrictions remain in place, our pubs and restaurants can only break even and the viability of thousands remains at risk – we lost over 12,000 in the last year alone.

“Hospitality can lead economic recovery in the UK, providing jobs to people who have lost them and continuing to serve those most in need in communities all over the country. To do this however, we need to be able to operate without being strangled by restrictions.

“We also urge the Government to look again at some areas of support it introduced in the Budget, in particular the business rates cap, which unfairly penalises a large proportion of hospitality businesses who will find themselves paying full rates just days after restrictions are fully lifted in June. That cannot be right, and we urge ministers to think again.”

A Reckless Policy; Mandatory Vaccination 6

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

By Helen Jamieson, Founder and MD at Jaluch HR & Training (www.jaluch.co.uk)

COVID-19 vaccination is an essential tool to help stop the pandemic and businesses have already been encouraging employees to take up the offer as soon as the opportunity arises. Some have even gone a step further. For example Barchester Healthcare has announced a ‘No Jab, No Job’ policy for new hires. Others are considering across-the-board mandatory vaccinations for all staff.

The intention of such policies is clear; to protect employees and clients. However the issue of ‘forced’ vaccination is a legal minefield. For care leaders, this is an especially pertinent dilemma.

If any sector should adopt a mandatory vaccination policy, surely it should be that which supports our most vulnerable?

A RECKLESS POLICY In my view, as an HR adviser for some 30+years, it would be a brave, even reckless business that employs a ‘no jab, ‘no job’ policy. Existing legislation, and recent government statements have made it clear that vaccination is not mandatory.

While vaccinations have been administered to millions of individuals, there are many who are refusing, including many who work with the most vulnerable such as in care homes. Whether for religious or spiritual reasons, health concerns, fear of needles and mistrust of vaccinations, there are many reasons why an employee might decline a vaccination.

For health and social care employers this causes a myriad of issues. Bear in mind that under RIDDOR and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of staff and clients. That means that where an employee refuses vaccination, the employer has to revisit and reconsider how it can operate, given this duty of care.

So let’s take a look at this issue in more detail...

ENCOURAGEMENT FIRST For employees whose hesitancy of vaccination is borne of fear, mistrust or misinformation, as an employer the best place to start is with a mission to inform and encourage. This means taking a proactive approach to communicating the benefits of vaccination to staff - carrot rather than stick.

The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development) suggests running an awareness campaign based on NHS information. It also suggests employers: - Offer employees consistent, accessible and factual safety data which promotes the genuine achievement of science in producing an effective vaccine.

- Consider counteracting misinformation and conspiracy theory spread through social media. read up about COVID-19 vaccinations via official and reliable sources Staff should feel able to raise anxieties about vaccination to their man-

agers. Finding out the reasons why they are hesitant means you’re able to point them towards the right information, from trusted sources.

Encouraging employees to make the choice to receive the vaccination without force or coercion will always deliver a better outcome.

A REASONABLE REQUEST Given the nature of health and social care clientele, it may be considered a reasonable request to ask your staff to have a vaccine as a condition of their employment. Failure to adhere to a reasonable request can, in theory, lead to grounds for disciplinary action and ultimately dismissal. But be very careful.

Disciplinary action and dismissal in normal circumstances can be fraught, with all the checks, balances, procedures and legislation we have in place to ensure fairness. COVID-19 is no different, other than the fact that with no tribunal cases having been brought yet, there is no precedent and therefore no direction on the possible outcome. Do you want to be the test case?

And how will your stance of requiring vaccination for Covid stack up when considering fairness when you do not require vaccinations for flu or shingles, etc?

Rather than rush to disciplinary action, first and foremost make sure you understand the reasons why they are objecting. Are they allergic, or have a medical condition that prevents them? Under Equality and Discrimination law they could be protected from any such action - even a fear of needles coud be covered under this. Where this is the case, you could consider redeployment from ‘front line’ duties or take other steps to ensure Covidsecure health and safety - additional PPE, for example.

WHAT ABOUT SO-CALLED ‘ANTI-VAXXERS’?

There is some debate about whether the refusal of a vaccine can be considered a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010. It is possible that if it came to tribunal, an employer could successfully argue that an ‘anti-vax’ opinion does not constitute a philosophical belief. With no case law to draw from in this area, is it a risk worth taking?

Again, conversation, communication and information should be the preferred strategy in any such circumstance. If that fails to shift views you may need to consider not allowing unvaccinated employees to work and ultimately, consider a dismissal. Any employers considering this should always seek professional advice.

CHANGING EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS For existing employees any unilateral change to the contract by the employer could lead to resignations and claims of constructive dismissal. It is possible for employers to ask for agreement to vary to include a mandatory vaccination clause.

Whether or not agreement is given, practically speaking there’s still no way for the employer to legally force employees to have a vaccination. This would be akin to criminal assault!

Some employers have taken the approach that only new starters will have a mandatory vaccine clause in their contract. This avoids issues around changing the terms of employment of existing workers but only half solves

the problem.

DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY As care providers it may be reasonable for you to ask employees about their vaccination status. However, bear in mind that the vilification of those working in the NHS who have refused the flu jab for years has, by and large, driven the non-vaccination group underground and they are therefore likely to strongly refute it is reasonable for you to ask for such sensitive data.

If you do get the data, all such information must be treated sensitively and inline with data protection measures. Proof of course, is another matter - will you take their word for it? With the government naysaying vaccination passports, what proof can you ask for and what proof will be reliable? Already there are fake vaccination certificates springing up on the internet for travellers who are looking for a work around to airline requirements. At present there is no real ‘proof’ you can ask for other than making a specific application to a GP for confirmation, which may or may not be given, depending on each GP surgery’s approach to providing access to such information.

If employees refuse to answer, we return to the issue of whether they are refusing to comply with a reasonable request - again a minefield given the lack of case law on this issue.

Remember, health related data is subject to strict data protection regulations; GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. You will need to consider your current data protection and privacy policies and amend accordingly, bearing in mind that sensitivity and classification of medical data under these rules.

AND FINALLY...

The subject of the COVID-19 vaccination programme can be contentious and lead to the expression of strong opinions. However, employees must remain responsible and respectful when communicating with their colleagues about COVID-19 vaccinations. Any employee who is offended by, or concerned about, a colleague's behaviour in this regard should feel able to raise the matter with management and/or raise a formal complaint via a clear grievance procedure. Calm, responsible leadership will be key here to minimising time-consuming and costly complaints as well as maintaining good employee relations and trust.

As you’re beginning to see, the issue of ‘mandatory’ COVID-19 vaccination is multi-faceted. In determining your approach, other considerations include dealing with time off for vaccination appointments, self isolation following vaccinations and interpersonal issues between staff. The list goes on...

Health and social care vaccinations are pushing ahead at speed. With so many concerns, and potential conflicts arising from this, it is vital that you have a clear and comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination policy in place as soon as possible. Support, advice and help to determine this policy is available at www.jaluch.co.uk/hr-services. Don’t wait for conflict to rear its head, get informed and be prepared!

UK Removes EU Cap on Covid Grants for Struggling Businesses The government has tripled the size limit of Covid-19 grants accessible to businesses after being criticized for complying with EU state aid regulations months after the end of the Brexit transition period. The UK was still applying temporary EU measures and was locked out of the £ 4.6 billion emergency coronavirus grant announced in January.

Last year, subject to the Brexit transition period, which expired at the end of December, the UK government signed the European Commission’s “Temporary Framework for State Assistance”, with individual companies each granting more than € 4 million. I restricted the receipt. Covid-19 in crisis.

The state aid cap on government grants has now been raised to £10.9m, meaning larger hospitality groups will be able to gain access to more support.

Business minster Paul Scully, whose responsibility includes restaurants and pubs, announced the move saying: "We continue to back businesses of all sizes through the pandemic and I'm delighted to see the cap on Covid-19 support grants raised to £10.9m.

"Extending our support will help retail and hospitality chains and the thousands of staff they employ.

Commenting on the increase, Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality today said: “The increase in the value of subsidies permitted to businesses is a positive move by Government and will allow more businesses to access the grants that they so desperately need. While this cut-off means that some businesses will continue to miss out on parts of the funding that Government has announced, it is a big step forward and provides certainty for business. This increase must be communicated to local authorities urgently to ensure that funds are paid out. Government could go further

and explore uncapped grants in respect to Covid-19 in line with EU subsidy rules.

“The Business Secretary has rightly recognised that these companies are significant employers and that 230,000 people’s jobs were potentially at risk if this emergency funding has not been provided.

“Government must now look urgently at the arbitrary £2 million cap imposed on business rates relief in Wednesday’s Budget. This will see many mid-sized businesses facing full rates bills in July, just days after reopening. This limit on support for hard-pressed hospitality businesses is deeply damaging and could threaten the survival of jobs and businesses in the sector, as mid-sized companies are forced to prioritise paying tax over paying wages. We urge Government to take the same pragmatic and sensible approach to rates relief as with subsidies and review their approach on business rates support.”

More Than 7,500 of Britain’s Licensed Premises Lost in the Year of COVID Figures from the forthcoming edition of the Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners reveals intensifying closures in 2021 and a devastating toll on independents Britain has 7,592 fewer licensed premises than it did before the COVID19 pandemic hit, according to a new report to be published next week by analysts CGA and advisory firm AlixPartners.

The March edition of the Market Recovery Monitor, published as the UK marks 12 months since its first lockdown, sets out the full devastating impact of the pandemic and lockdowns on hospitality, including a rapid acceleration in closures since the start of 2021. Britain’s total licensed premises fell by 2,713 over January and February—equivalent to 46 closures a day, or one every 31 minutes. In total, Britain had 107,516 sites at the end of February 2021, down by 7,592 or 6.6% from 115,108 in March 2020.

The Market Recovery Monitor reveals how independent businesses have borne the brunt of closures. A total of 5,112 have been lost since March 2020, including 1,971 in January and February alone. This reflects the vulnerability of small and family-run businesses by comparison to well-invested restaurant and pub groups, which have recorded 1,229

closures—fewer than a quarter of the independent sector’s number.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s business unit director for hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “While hospitality finally has a roadmap out of lockdown, these figures show that dozens more businesses are being pushed to collapse every day. Losing Christmas sales had a shattering impact on many entrepreneurial restaurants, pubs and bars, who add so much colour to our high streets and enrich communities up and down Britain. Hospitality is a vibrant sector that can help to kickstart the UK’s economic recovery this summer, but in the meantime support is desperately needed to avoid thousands more business failures.”

Graeme Smith, AlixPartners’ managing director, said: “These figures show what a truly devastating 12 months it has been for the hospitality sector. All segments of the market have been impacted, but the dynamic independent sector has borne the brunt of closures. The pandemic has reshaped the market for many years to come and unfortunately there are likely to be further casualties before businesses are permitted to trade without restrictions this summer. With many businesses unable to trade before 17 May, further support is needed for the industry, which is creaking at the seams.”

UKHospitality: Business Rates Relief Cap Could “Strangle Sector Recovery” Apr/May 2021

UKHospitality is warning that the business rates relief cap will jeopardise the futures of thousands of hospitality venues, which will face full rates bills within weeks following the unrestricted opening of the sector planned for June. Remaining ratepayers will also begin having to pay rates bills before they are able to afford to do so.

UKHospitality analysis shows almost 8,000 business venues, employing about 343,000 people will be paying full rates in July, despite Budget measures to soften the acute rates burden. A further 1,850 venues would face the same situation before the end of September. This will likely prompt businesses to look at slashing costs, such as closing unviable sites, cutting jobs or holding back investment.

The Chancellor announced in the Budget a full business rates holiday for all hospitality businesses for the first quarter of the financial year (Apr-Jun) and then two-thirds off for the remainder of the year (Jul 21-Mar 22).

However, a cap of £2 million on relief available to individual firms means

that a significant proportion of the sector will miss out on the benefits.

The new cap will typically affect businesses with either large sites or those companies that have grown to multiple sites, along with businesses in high rental areas such as high streets and city centres. It is also likely to penalise operators who have previously invested to improve their sites, therefore resulting in higher rates bills under the current system.

As a solution, UKHospitality is calling on the Treasury to extend the period for which the 100% rates relief (uncapped) would apply from three to six months. It proposes that this move is balanced by a reduction in the level of relief for the remainder of the year to 50%. The move would support cashflow for all sizes of operation, as well as assisting those businesses that will have limited demand during the summer.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “While the Budget was broadly positive for the hospitality sector with a range of welcome

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measures, the cap on business rates support really took the shine off things, by excluding so many potential recipients. The cap comes into effect just days after trading restrictions are due to be lifted and will put a major economic drag on the businesses affected and risk the jobs that they support.

“For all ratepaying hospitality businesses, their bills will begin landing in June, with demands for payment before they are back on their feet. July is simply too early for businesses to be expected to start repaying rates after a devastating year of closure, restrictions and accumulation of debt.

“Hospitality stands ready to play its part in creating new jobs and boosting our communities across the country, but this policy risks strangling the recovery in its infancy. Our proposed solution can unleash greater economic activity and we urge the Treasury to follow Wales and Scotland’s lead and provide greater relief.”

Weymouth Pubs Donate All Surplus Stock To Local Charities

Keith Treggiden, General Manager of Rendezvous & Royal Oak and Slug and Lettuce on St Thomas Street in Weymouth has donated all his venues’ surplus stock to the local Weymouth Community Fire Station, Weymouth Community Hospital and the local paramedics.

All three bars’ surplus crisps, snacks, nuts, juices and soft drinks, were all donated to the invaluable community services to show their appreciation and ensure the people who keep them running could enjoy a break with a snack whenever they needed one.

Many of Stonegate’s furloughed teams have stepped up during each lockdown to support their local communities in a variety of ways, from mass 3D printing PPE for NHS staff during the first lockdown, to free school meals in the second, to crocheting ‘fiddle blankets’ for dementia patients this time around. This new initiative allows the pubs to continue their central roles in their communities, despite doors being closed.

Keith has been active throughout all three lockdowns, from helping to organise the Virtual Quayfest online festival that raised over £13,000 for the NHS, to ensure the well-being of his three teams by checking in and delivering small gifts to them on his bicycle.

Keith said: “I was absolutely delighted to be able to give something back to the people who have kept Weymouth safe over the last year. It’s not much but if we

can show or appreciation by the small token of ensuring that each of these services has a free drink and a snack when they need one, then I am a happy man.

“We can’t wait to begin to reopen next month. It’s been a hard year, but as with everyone across the nation, we hope that this will be the last lockdown and we can start moving towards a new normal where we can see our family and friends and enjoy a great British Summer.”

Rendezvous & Royal are sent to reopen on Monday 12 April, with Slug and Lettuce following suit on Monday 17 May. Colin Hawkins, Operations Director for Stonegate Pub Company, said: “We’re delighted to be able to give away our short-dated products to a range of worthwhile causes. We wanted to give each GM the autonomy to choose where it goes, as they all have relationships with their local charities and their fingers on the pulse of their local communities, to know exactly to who and where the food and drink would make the most difference.

“We’ve seen the most difficult year in most of our living memory over the last 12 months, but I’m delighted to say, against adversity, our teams continue to surprise us with their creativity, drive and ingenuity when it comes to making a difference to their local communities.”

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Apr/May 2021

A Year On, How the Hospitality Sector Is Fighting the Odds

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) sector dropped from £133.5 billion (US$182bn) in 2019 to £61.7bn (US$84bn) in 2020. The first lockdown itself cost the sector and the high street a whopping £45 billion in revenue, a joint study by the Cambridge and Newcastle Universities noted. This is equivalent to £1.4 billion per week and £200 million per day.

The night-time economy was hit as most outlets could not operate due to the lockdown restrictions. UKHospitality data shows at least 7,659 licensed premises shut shop permanently between December 2019 and January 2021.

Independent businesses were the worst hit, and small and family-run businesses were more vulnerable to closures as compared to bigger pubs and restaurants with stronger roots.

THE LICENSED PREMISES IN BRITAIN FROM MARCH 2020 TO FEBRUARY 2021

It is exactly 12 months since the Boris Johnson government first announced a lockdown shutting down pubs, bars, restaurants, and eateries, among other establishments. At the time, the hospitality sector, which is the third-biggest employer in the nation, faced one of the worst crises in history. According to market observers, the year 2020 was the most bewildering one that impacted every business of the hospitality sector and forced some to shut shop permanently. The worst part is it’s not over yet.

According to recent government data, a 68 per cent slump in output was reported between February 2020 and January 2021. In the last one year, around 10,000 pubs, restaurants, eateries were forced to close, while around 4.8 million people lost their jobs due to the uncertainties.

According to data and research consultancy firm CGA, the third lockdown had the worst effect, with the total licensed premises in January and February falling by 2,713, which comes to 46 closures every day.

Industry trade body UKHospitality has stated the on-trade sales for the

Month Number March 2020 115,108 June 2020 115,004 113,025 August 2020 October 2020 111,914 December 2020 110,229 107,516 February 2021 (Data Source- Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners) Though the government launched schemes to keep the sector afloat, many firms had to lay off their staff when the crisis hit pubs, bars, restaurants, and hotels. In most cases, the profits turned into losses. As the sector is highly dependent on the seasonal rush, experts feel around 200,000 jobs around Easter, the summer holidays and Christmas were lost last year, creating a severe void.

GOVERNMENT HELP

The UK Government started pouring assistance since the first lockdown was announced. It first brought in the furlough scheme and then cut VAT and business rates. The government also announced grants based on the rateable value of premises.

In Budget 2021, the government extended the VAT cut and the furlough scheme, besides continuing with the business rates holiday.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL The UK was one of the first European countries to roll out the vaccination drive. Till 19 March, around 26.8 million Britons have received their first dose of vaccination, and almost 2.1 million received both doses.

Banking on the fast vaccine roll-out and the falling rate of infections, the year 2021 looks promising, despite the odds. The Boris Johnson government has already chalked out the phased reopening.

As per the plan, April 12 onwards, beer gardens and outdoor cafes can resume, where people should form a maximum group of six at an eatery or restaurant. The hotels, hostels and B&Bs will also be allowed to reopen.

From May 17, restaurants will be allowed to serve meals and drinks inside the premises, while night clubs will be allowed to open from June 21.

WHERE FROM HERE? Though the market is buoyant about the vaccine rollout and the government’s recent measures to support businesses, it is still very difficult to predict the exact way out of these uncertain times with added issues like disruptions owing to Brexit. With reports such as the UK economy expected to shrink by 4.2 per cent in the current quarter and the monthly bill for the current lockdown might be around £5 billion, it remains to be seen if the government’s efforts will fructify.

The industry view is that the hospitality sector may lead the economic recovery in the country by providing jobs to people and bringing down the unemployment numbers significantly. For that to come true, it is required that the sector be allowed to operate without any further limitations and possibly no more lockdowns or tiered restrictions.

“Indoor Drinking Outdoors” -Another “Idiocy” Says Tim Martin As the country moves towards the first stage of the “roadmap” out of lockdown Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has hit out at what he calls the government’s “weekly barmy ideas “.

Politicians, the press and the public should note the tribalism and division implicit in the message from Downing St- the government wants to “ strip power from town hall busybodies and stop them blocking moves, which could help pubs recover”.

Like kings of old, Boris and the “quad” are bypassing Parliament, he says with tacit approval from the evanescent opposition, and are foisting “oven-ready” idiocies on the public.

There is no doubt that some town halls can be bureaucratic, from time to time, but they’ve generally been helpful to pubs, and have been cooperative in granting permission for outside seating over the years.

Wetherspoon was contacted on Friday by a national newspaper reporter, seeking comments on yet another Downing St initiative for pubs.

Tim Martin said: “The government is going to announce tomorrow… that when pubs reopen… they will be able to put up marquees …..without planning permission until September (and) tables and chairs … on pavements….The government is keen to strip power from town hall busybodies to stop them blocking moves which could help pubs recover”.

The proposal, bearing the fingerprints of the Downing St PR department , which is slightly bigger than the British Army of the Rhine, is entirely barking.

Wetherspoon, for example, has a five-acre beer garden in Exeter, probably with more indoor space than all central Exeter pubs combined, if covered by a giant marquee.

About 20 years ago, as a one-off aberration, during a beer festival, the great Wurzles played in the garden at this venue- and the neighbours were up in arms at the racket from the crowd. We avoided a repeat, and relations have been good ever since.

One crazy aspect of the proposals is that the government itself has banned indoor drinking in pubs. Now it’s permitting indoor drinking outside pubs- in marquees.

Less than half the UK’s pubs will be open in April. If the weather’s good, up to 100% of UK customers, deprived of a pint for yonks, may head towards those which are open- except that 80% of the space at the “open” pubs , that which is indoors, will be shut. What could possibly go wrong?

Of course, the normal pub safety features and controls, those which are indoors, built up by increments over decades and centuries, will be lost under these arrangements- including visibility of customers from the bar, cctv, proximity to lavatories, comfortable seating and so on.

In demonising town halls and bigging up the government, Downing St is indulging in autocratic and divisive politicking- which always results in stupid decisions.

Some publicans and politicians will likely be seduced by these crumbs from the Downing St table, but they should beware- the government has veered from “eat out to help”, to curfews, to “substantial meals only”, to baffling tiers, and then to lockdowns.

Marquees are expensive and will be jettisoned in a jiffy by Downing St, if selfish political expediency deems it advantageous.

The hospitality industry needs to remember that transmission of the virus, counterintuitive though it may be, has been extraordinarily low in pubs since reopening last July.

The medical evidence has been unambiguous, although it has been manipulated and distorted by the government and SAGE- transmission has overwhelmingly occurred in care homes, hospitals and households.

Pubs are pawns in the game and kowtowing to the latest headline-grabbing initiative doesn’t pay.

The truth is that the madcap Downing St dodgem car is out of control. It’s using emergency powers to spend more money than any government in history, unsupervised by parliament, and unchecked by a supine opposition.

As the Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, has said, the market, unlike the Lord, does not forgive those who know not what they do- as then Prime Minister, John Major, discovered, in the debacle of the UK’s ejection from the exchange rate mechanism (ERM) in September 1992.

As to the marquee proposal, Downing St should remember that the real micromanagers and busybodies in the last year haven’t been in town halls- they’ve been in 10 Downing St. The pub trade and the country need less weekly, barmy ideas from Boris in the future- and more review by parliament , consultation with industry and common sense.

MPs and the public should relay to Boris the advice from Eddie Grant’s famous song: “Sometimes, I think it’s insanity, the way you go”.

One Lucky Hospitality Business To Win A Game-Changing £30,000 ‘Reopening Package’ Yoello, the hospitality order and pay solution, has launched a £30k reopening giveaway to support a UK hospitality business.

After one of the most challenging years in the hospitality trade, Yoello has worked with other hospitality professionals to create this support package that will give a massive boost to any hospitality business opening their doors again in the coming weeks.

Thanks to support from partners and friends of Yoello, including Square, Touchpoint, Stampede, Flawsome, The Pop Up Bar Hire Co, Cygnet, Aircharge, Flowerhorn, Stint and The Restaurant Collective, this support package is worth more than £30,000.

The prize package, which is valued at over £30,000 includes two tablet devices, a square register, a pop-up outdoor bar set up for a month, Aircharge docking stations, Covid safe temperature checker, sanitisation station, bar stock from Flawsome, Flowerhorn Brewery and Cygnet Distillery, as well as lifetime Yoello order and pay solution with £10,000 of free transactions - which means that customers can order and pay without downloading an app.

Deadline to enter the competition is midnight on April 6th, with the lucky winner announced on April 7th. It is hoped that the prize package will then be delivered before English hospitality businesses open their doors on the 12th.

Scott Waddington, Director at Yoello and former CEO of S.A. Brain, said: “It’s been a really tough journey for hospitality businesses over the last year having to navigate, adapt and endure the Covid restrictions. But the industry is still standing and there is certainly a growing feeling of optimism in the sector as we see seeing a roadmap for reopening and a very successful roll out of vaccines across the country.

“Through this giveaway, Yoello wanted to give businesses the chance to win a support package that could be really game-changing, helping to get them ahead with reopening and starting to rebuild their business.”

Businesses can easily enter Yoello’s grand £30,000 hospitality reopening giveaway via giveaway.yoello.com, the deadline for businesses to enter is midnight on Saturday 3rd April.

Yoello, the Wales-based, award-winning fintech, has worked on various initiatives to support the hospitality sector since launching its order and pay platform last year.

One such initiative was the Castle Quarter Cafe project in Cardiff, which is ran with FOR Cardiff and Cardiff Council. Designed to encourage trade back into the city centre after the first lockdown, the project gave traders the opportunity to serve additional tables through a 240-seat pop-up food court that brought an additional quarter of a million pounds of revenue into the city centre in the first 10 days of opening.

MPs Show Support for Tax Changes to Help Pubs Apr/May 2021

MPs showed support for long-term reforms and COVID support packages to help pubs and brewers during a Parliamentary debate, which included CAMRA’s proposal for a preferential rate of duty for draught beer.

MPs were debating support for the hospitality industry during the Covid19 pandemic, with Parliamentarians from all corners of the UK taking part.

important pubs, clubs and breweries are within the hospitality industry and wider communities. They not only boost local economies and create jobs, but are also a key part of our social fabric, tackling loneliness and social isolation.

“It is clear that there is support across parties for further support to

Selaine Saxby MP for North Devon, who secured the debate, said in her opening remarks that “a draught beer duty would be targeted, quicklyactioned support, and could play a crucial role in stopping so many of our vibrant pubs and other hospitality businesses from going under”.

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help pubs, clubs and brewers recover from the effects of this crisis, and that there is strong support for a preferential rate of duty for draught beer.

“Further support for our brewers is a must - they have been denied a dedicated support package so far, and we were pleased that several MPs called on the Government to reverse plans to change Small Brewers Relief, which would cause small businesses to pay more tax. This would be a devastating blow, at what is already a time of great financial uncertainty, and we thank the MPs who raised this.

“Some provisions were made to help the industry during the Chancellor’s Budget earlier this month, including the 5% VAT rate being extended until September, and we would like to see this extended further - pubs have not benefitted thus far from the 5% rate due to closures, and will not have long to benefit once restrictions lift. The VAT cut must also include alcohol, in order to help wet-led pubs and social clubs.

Her support for a new draught beer duty rate, which CAMRA has long campaigned for, was echoed by MPs from throughout the UK. MPs also called for more support for brewers during the lockdown restrictions. Charlotte Nichols MP, Chair of the Pubs APPG, said that the loss of trade for brewers due to closed pubs “represents 10 years of lost growth for the sector”, and called for more compensation and support to help them recover.

“Thank you to all the MPs who took part in the debate. The industry needs more support to ensure it can not only survive, but thrive once restrictions are lifted. The impact of the pandemic on pubs, clubs, and the brewers and cider makers that supply them, will continue to be felt long beyond reopening, and it is vital that this is reflected in the steps taken by Government.”

Speaking after the debate, CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “We were thrilled to see so many MPs from all parties and across the nations of the UK take part in the debate last night, displaying just how

Brits Rally Behind Pubs Left Adrift For A Further 3 Months March saw the relaunch of the next phase of the #PubsMatter campaign, with thousands of Brits taking to social media to call on the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak to rescue our fragile pubs with an emergency package of support.

“Whilst the roadmap from the Prime Minister gives us all hope for a return to more normal life in the summer, our pubs and the supply chain of businesses that support them cannot hold on until then without a further urgent package of support.

Thousands of Brits have taken to social media to urge Government to further support pubs thousands of social media posts and emails flooding MPs inboxes describing how integral the local pub is to their communities.

“Our sector will be one of the first to bounce back, making it a key part of the economic recovery of our nation and will support employment for the thousands of people who have lost their jobs over the course of the last 12 months.

In December 2020, the #PubsMatter campaign was launched by a coalition of industry partners including the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), the Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB) and UKHospitality (UKH), to remind politicians just how important pubs are to local communities across the UK.

“We have also proven that as an industry, we can keep the public safe, with huge amounts of time and money invested in making our pubs Covid-secure. Last summer, 60 million visits a week to hospitality venues without a discernible rise in infection rates showed not only just how safe it was to visit the pub, but how the Great British Pub is at the heart of our communities up and down the UK.

The government's roadmap for reopening leaves our nation’s pubs closed for a further 3 months, and sees small businesses across the country teetering on the edge of collapse with no customers and for the majority, no way to open their doors again until at least 17th May. When friends and family can finally come together once more to recon-

nect and celebrate the end of lockdown, without further support, our much-loved pubs may not have survived to welcome them back.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: “Pubs and breweries across the UK have been amongst the hardest hit businesses in the pandemic, but we also know that they will be the most needed, with the public desperate to get back to those places that allow them to celebrate, commiserate and reconnect with each other once restrictions are lifted.

“The Chancellor holds the fate of the nation’s pubs in his hands as we face a critical turning point. The package of measures must support all businesses, including our traditional wet-led pubs, otherwise a large part of the UK’s heritage will be lost forever.”

To find out more and see some highlights from the campaign, visit https://whypubsmatter.org.uk/

One Year On:

2,000 Pubs Lost -2.1 Billion Pints in Beer Sales Lost - £8.2 Billion in Trade Wiped Out

by June 21st.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “Our sector has been devastated by COVID-19 and the lockdowns. It has been a year to forget for the Great British Pub. “It is estimated that 2,000 pubs have been lost forever. 2.1 billion pints in beer sales have also been missed, wiping out £8.2 billion in trade value from the sector.

One year on from the Prime Minister ordering the first COVID-19 lockdown, which forced pubs to close, the British Beer & Pub Association has revealed the devastation the UK’s brewers and pubs have faced.

The trade association has revealed that 2,000 pubs are estimated to have been lost forever to date, 2.1 billion pints in beer sales lost due to a full year of either forced closure, or trading under severe restrictions, and £8.2 billion in trade value wiped out from the sector in beer sales alone.

Since the first lockdown in March 2020, pubs have faced a further two lockdowns. They have also faced severe restrictions to their trade during other periods of being “open”, including tier restrictions that ultimately forced many to stay shut regionally or open but under conditions that made their trade unviable due to the 10pm curfew and substantial meal rules.

Last month the Prime Minister unveiled the Government’s roadmap indicating that pubs will reopen outdoors only from April 12th at the earliest, followed by indoors from May 17th at the earliest and with all restrictions lifted by June 21st at the earliest.

Whilst the BBPA has welcomed continued support for the sector in the most recent Budget, in the form of £2 billion worth of measures including grants and furlough support, it stated that longer term investment in the sector was still needed.

It also expressed concern for wet-led pubs who would not be able to take advantage of the VAT cut for hospitality, which only applied to food, soft drinks and accommodation, and urged the Government to provide more support for these community pubs.

It says it is now all the more important that pubs can operate without restrictions from June 21st as stated in the Government’s roadmap for reopening, to aid with their recovery and the economic fightback after the virus. This comes as new research by the think tank Localis revealed that pubs have a vital role to play in the COVID-19 recovery and Government’s own levelling up agenda, but that to do so they must reopen fully

“Sadly, we still haven’t seen the full extent of the damage yet and won’t do for some time until things really do go back to normal. And by normal, I mean a return to what life was like pre-covid.

“Whilst we continue to assess the full damage to our sector, I urge the Government to look at providing more support for our wet-led community pubs who, although grateful for all the support they received in the Budget, will not benefit from the VAT cut to food in the same way restaurants will. Local wet-led pubs have been amongst the worst affected by the virus so it’s important the Government goes that little bit further for them.

“It is becoming all the more clear that the Government must ensure all our pubs are fully reopened on June 21st as indicated in the roadmap. This is when their recovery will really start and until then we stand to lose more pubs and community assets.”

Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, commented on the year anniversary of pub closures: “It’s hard to believe that on 20 March it will be a year since we first closed our pubs. Looking back, we had no idea of the challenges we would face including three national lockdowns, tiered and regional reopening strategies, a myriad of different trading restrictions as well as the financial impact on the business. While many of our 40,000 team members have been furloughed and struggled with the uncertainty, I have been continually amazed by their positivity, resilience and sense of community. The stories of how they have pulled together throughout the crisis, in particular supporting their local communities and volunteering for good causes have been inspiring.

“The last year has taught us how important pubs are to communities, and I know our customers are keen to reconnect with their friends and family over a pint or a meal, so it is imperative that we are able to operate without restrictions from 21 June so we can all enjoy the summer. Whilst there will still be challenges in the months ahead, we stand ready to open our doors and welcome people back to the Great British pub experience they know and love.”

Undercover Police To Be Deployed In Clubs and Bars To Keep Women Safe Proposals are under consideration for plain clothes police officers to be deployed in bars and nightclubs around the country as part of plans to protect women from “predatory” offenders.

Following a meeting of the Government’s Crime and Justice Taskforce chaired by the Prime Minister, the government has said it was taking a series of “immediate steps” to improve security and safety, which may include plain clothes police officers deployed to identify predatory and suspicious offenders by attending areas around clubs and bars to “help women feel safer in the night-time economy as we build back from the pandemic”.

Pilots of ‘Project Vigilant’ are expected to be rolled out across the country will also see increased patrols as people leave venues at closing time.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The horrific case of Sarah Everard has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night. We must do everything we can to ensure our streets are safe, and we are bringing in landmark legislation to toughen sentences and put more police on the streets.

“We are also now taking further steps to provide

greater reassurance, such as providing better lighting and greater use of CCTV in parks and routes women may take on their walks home. Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.”

Other measures unveiled by the government include a doubling of the Safer Streets fund – which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV – to £45 million.

It also said ministers were committed to working with police forces and with police and crime commissioners to ensure the measures were more focused on preventing sexual violence.

Policing minister Kit Malthouse will also hold a summit in the coming weeks with police and industry representatives from the night-time economy on preparations to protect women as pandemic restrictions lift.

The announcements were made against the backdrop of demonstrations taking to the streets of central London to protest against the police treatment of women who attended a vigil for Sarah Everard on Saturday evening.

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

11

Preparing for the Reopening of Hospitality 12

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

With the reopening of the hospitality sector on the (longawaited) horizon, Hayden Hibbert, Director of Client Relations at allmanhall (www.allmanhall.co.uk) the independently owned food procurement expert, provides advice on procedures and operational changes to help ease the pressure faced by caterers and enable the safety of staff and customers, as venues start welcoming back guests.

stone rapidly approaching, experienced caterer, allmanhall’s Hibbert advises that, after a period of closure, now would be a good time to revisit and refresh operational practices prior to welcoming back customers, to ensure everything runs smoothly. It may also be a chance to embrace innovation and new ideas…

REVIEW STAFF WORKING PRACTICES One of the most critical planning considerations is staff numbers and their ability to cope with a change in procedures. The pandemic forced a number of establishments to trial new operation methods, such as takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through and delivery services. Decisions need to be made as to whether these will continue, or if pre-lockdown services will be resumed, which can impact on staff numbers. With many permanent closures, there may be an opportunity by way of a pool of talented resource available. As more of your team are brought back into the workplace, it is important that staff have the appropriate training and advice on new working procedures that ensure everyone is aware of COVID-19 compliant practices.

If staff are absent due to sickness, it is important to have contingency plans in place to deal with the shortfall. It would be good to undergo a cost analysis of buying in some prepared meals versus cooking in house and looking at batch cooking to ease pressures. Menus could be simplified, with simpler dishes that require reduced labour.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

A number of hospitality establishments continued to operate during lockdown, with takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services, and will have a good infrastructure in place to provide an environment that is safe and COVID compliant as they begin to fully reopen. Other establishments that remained closed may well have used this time to also look at risk assessment and ensure they can meet the new demands once restrictions are lifted. With the relaxing of restrictions and the reopening mile-

With the distancing rules still in place, it is necessary to review the flow in a kitchen. Ease the pressure and help with safety by staggering the time of staff arrival and departure and create shift working and a flexible rota system. If limited space, introduce one-way travel, and - of course - make sure there is adequate PPE. Similar distancing rules will apply when it comes to your customers, with arrangements such as clearly marked oneway systems around a restaurant and so forth.

HYGIENE Kitchens will already be designed with good hygiene in mind. Now is an

opportunity to update cleaning schedules, such as introducing more regular cleaning, concentrating on key touch points. It could be a good idea to look at deep cleaning the whole kitchen area prior to re-opening.

Remove unnecessary furnishings and other items from eating and cooking areas which can harbor germs and ensure any staff uniforms are cleaned more frequently. Some equipment may need maintenance after a period of inaction, and others, such as fridges and display counters, a thorough clean prior to restocking.

FOOD SAFETY AND SUPPLY CHAIN CONSIDERATIONS With restaurants closed for long periods of time, it is important to check that existing stock has not passed the use-by and best before dates.

Reordering and restocking will be required, and it will be wise to place orders in advance with as much notice and flexibility as possible, as elements of the supply chain have been under extreme pressure during the pandemic and may still be adjusting. Many foodservice suppliers, still recovering from the initial lockdown, are now carrying out impact assessments, appraising their resource requirements and will need to control costs and optimise distribution. With the possibility of a disruption in supplies of some products, it is important to communicate with suppliers regularly.

Give them early indications of volume changes as menus change. Continue to support and extend empathy to suppliers during this challenging trading time, understanding that some flexibility around delivery days and product availability may be required. If you are using a procurement partner, like allmanhall, they will be in constant dialogue with these suppliers and will offer advice about stock-taking devices and other innovations available.

Something else a procurement partner can help with is checking if suppliers have COVID compliant practices in place. Even if they do, you can take simple steps like considering buying in cases, to reduce touch points.

OPPORTUNITY TO TRIAL NEW IDEAS With many businesses having to reinvent themselves, now is a good make this a happy time for all.

Hospitality Expects Long Term Restrictions as Price of Reopening

Hospitality operators expect increased safety measures such as social distancing and wearing masks to be trading requirements for the foreseeable future, according to new research by workforce management specialist Bizimply.

tomers are pragmatic. They accept that the world has changed over the past year, and the safety measures needed to prevent Covid spreading are going to be part and parcel of everyday life, including going out to eat and drink, for some time to come.”

The majority of businesses would also welcome a vaccine passport scheme, in the form of a physical card or a simple online check, to enable them to ensure customers have been inoculated against Covid.

With the survey showing that 86% of operators anticipate high demand from customers once hospitality fully reopens, Shaw adds “people are very ready to get back out into hospitality, and are prepared to live with increased restrictions if that’s the trade-off. That sends a strong message as the Government continues to show caution about the timetable for reopening.”

While most operators anticipate strong pent-up demand from customers once restrictions are lifted, the Bizimply survey also flags up significant concerns about staffing. The ‘double whammy’ of the impact of Brexit on the labour force, and employees who may still have concerns over workplace Covid safety, means 40% of operators do not expect to have enough suitably trained or experienced staff when the business is fully able to reopen.

Responses were received from owners and senior managers of hospitality businesses including restaurants, bars, coffee shops and hotels, both managed and franchise-based, representing hundreds of outlets in total.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw says: “Our survey shows that the UK hospitality sector is more than ready to meet the government half-way when it comes to lifting the lockdown. The vast majority, 93%, say they expect measures such as social distancing, wearing masks while not seated, and hand gel on entry, to be a trading requirement not just when they reopen, but in the longer term.

“That tallies with consumer surveys which show that the public will also expect such measures. It’s clear that both operators and their cus-

However, the issue of vaccine passports is more complex, believes Shaw. “Although 53% of operators told us they would welcome a card or online check to confirm a customer has been vaccinated, that still leaves a substantial minority that are uncertain.

“Politicians continue to debate the issue, but it would take time to set up a reliable system. Many hospitality operators are looking to the government for a clear message now on whether passports are the right way to go, so they can prepare.”

Despite expectations that employment will rise over the next year, the Bizimply survey also flags up a range of operator concerns about staff.

Shaw says: “The Office for National Statistics has reported that many EU workers have returned to their home countries over the past year as hospitality shut down due to the pandemic, and the reality of Brexit became apparent.

“The vast majority of operators, 93%, believe that Brexit will have an impact on the availability of staff, and 40% do not expect to have enough suitably trained or experienced employees to call on when the business is able to fully reopen post lockdown. Businesses expect some staff to be reluctant to return to work, due to factors such as their perceived Covid risk, despite the measures operators are putting in place.

“While hospitality has relied on the skills and experience of migrant EU workers for a long time, and it’s not always possible to make a simple like-for-like replacement with UK staff, the survey shows very clearly that operators are taking the steps needed to address the issues they face,” says Shaw.

Findings of the survey include: • 80% of operators have made or are planning changes to their recruitment and training to address post-lockdown staff requirements; • 86% are investing in reassuring staff through Covid-specific measures such as PPE, and increased hygiene; • 40% expect to increase staff numbers when they can fully reopen; • 25% are increasing investment in technology to better manage their staffing.

Shaw sums up: “Competition for the best people will be as strong as ever. The minimum response is for hospitality operators to ensure they have a workforce plan in place that will enable the business to fully reopen once restrictions are lifted, supported by robust systems that give them a clear understanding of their business in terms of labour requirements and costs.”

Prepare for Recovery by Offering Outstanding Customer Service with Online Drinks Courses Now Available from School of Booze As hospitality operators prepare for business recovery despite an uncertain reopening schedule, Jane Peyton, founder of School of Booze, has launched an online drinks education platform offering training courses in Beer, Cider, and Wine.

The courses are an opportunity for team members to develop their drinks knowledge to provide the best possible customer service and memorable experience once hospitality is open for business again.

There are three levels of learning - Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced - offering essential starter knowledge for anyone who works in the drinks industry and wants to know more about what they are selling or to expand their knowledge to improve their career prospects.

Commenting on the launch, Jane Peyton said “All staff should know what they are selling and be able to engage, communicate and enthuse customers about their drinks offer. Educated staff are more motivated and good for business, as they bring a higher likelihood of encouraging incremental spend. They perform more effectively and have more confidence in upselling, giving customers a better experience and more confidence in the service provided. They feel more valued, are happier, enjoy their work more, stay in the job for longer and therefore bring greater stability and a clear career pathway to a business.

“With so many talented hospitality staff currently on furlough, this is the ideal time for them to study a relevant subject to add to their CV and ensure that their expertise can contribute to the sector’s recovery.”

The convenient courses are concise with easy-to-learn content in audio and written formats. They are aimed at people who work in the on-trade and off-

trade, brand owners, drinks producers, PR and Marketing or associated suppliers, and anyone who is keen to learn more about the industry they work in.

The courses are accessed through School of Booze’s learning portal via mobile devices or computer, allowing study to be completed whenever and wherever is convenient, removing the need to travel and sit in a classroom.

When students feel ready, they take an online multiple-choice examination and receive a digital certificate when they pass. In other words, the School of Booze courses are ‘On Your Device, In Your Place, At Your Pace’.

The courses have been developed in response to the growing number of hospitality staff who want to become better informed about beer, cider and wine, as businesses seek to use every advantage through the preparation of pandemic recovery plans. They draw on Jane’s experience as a drinks expert, having run tasting, training and education, and consultancy events. Jane is a Beer Sommelier, was Britain’s first accredited Cider Pommelier, is accredited through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and has also written extensively about drinks and the hospitality industry.

Individual online learning courses from School of Booze are priced at £50 inc VAT, with discounts available for subscribing to multiple programmes. “With three levels of study available” continued Jane “the courses offer an informative and engaging way to learn for beginners, intermediates and advanced students and are aimed at further improving service standards within the UK hospitality sector.”

The online courses are available through the School of Booze website. Single subject education materials such as the principles of Beer & Food Matching will be available next month. www.school-of-booze.com

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

13

Outdoor Hospitality Bookings Soar as Millions Book Visits for the First Two Weeks of Reopening Pubs and restaurants have reported a huge surge in bookings for outdoor tables after the announcement of hospitality reopening from 12 April, as new research from Caterer.com finds more than 4.7 million people are making reservations for the first two weeks.

the UK (56%) think that hospitality venues have higher cleanliness and Covid-19 safety precautions than other industries and public spaces, such as supermarkets.

Nearly a third (32%) of people think the hospitality sector should be allowed to re-open indoors sooner than the 17th May.

Following four months of lockdown and time away from hospitality venues, the survey reveals that as much as £2.4bn could be injected into the economy in the first month that it reopens, with people planning on splashing out an average of £167 in the first month to make up for lost time.

Since the 22 February roadmap announcements, Caterer.com has seen job adverts increase by 84% as businesses prepare to meet demand for people eager to make up for lost time. Data from the job board reveals that there has been significant rise in vacancies right across the UK, with the fastest growth in vacancies coming from Wales with a 103% increase between February and March, followed by the South East (97%), North West (94%) and South West (83%).

For many people (34%), pubs, restaurants and hotels being closed has been one of the hardest things about lockdown and over a quarter (29%) of people say not being able to experience hospitality has affected their mental health.

Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com, hospitality’s online recruitment solutions partner, said: “Hospitality businesses have been unfairly subjected to tighter restrictions than other sectors throughout the pandemic and our research shows just how eager people are to get back into hospitality venues. As we’ve seen over the last year, businesses have gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of customers. Many have remodelled to allow for more outdoor space enabling them to remain open within safety guidelines. The recovery of the sector is crucial to the wider

economy of the UK and at Caterer.com we’re already seeing green shoots appear with more jobs being advertised as businesses gear up for reopening and the prospect of a busy summer – we’re not alone in saying we can’t wait for the sector to reopen!”

The insights from Caterer.com reveal that the majority of people in

Hospitality businesses around the country are reporting an influx in bookings ahead of the public being able to get back to enjoying hospitality. Matt Fleming, MD of Vagabond Wines, commented: "Vagabond has seen a fantastic response since we reopened our bookings. Not only have we already booked out a large percentage of all our spaces, but the uplift in pre-booked packages and wine flights has been very strong too, suggesting a large number of people are ready to get out and have exciting experiences once again."

Safety of Customers and Staff a Priority for Hospitality Sector UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s commitment of additional funding to provide safer public spaces for women. The trade body has also reiterated its, and the sector’s, commitment to ensuring that the safety of customers and staff is rigorously upheld.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “We welcome the fact that this issue is being addressed by the Government and that funding will be forthcoming to ensure that spaces are made safer for women.

“It should be highlighted that the hospitality sector already works incredibly hard on this issue. We have numerous partnership schemes in place to ensure the safety of customers on a night out. Schemes like Best Bar None, Pub Watch, Drinkaware and Ask for Angela have been adopted by the sector to ensure that safety is central to the running of businesses. UKHospitality is a signatory to the Women’s Night Safety Charter and we engage regularly with the Mayor of London’s Office to make sure that nights out are fun and safe.

The welfare of our customers and our staff is a priority.

“In recent years, our businesses have invested considerable sums of money in their security and surveil-

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lance to ensure that venues our safe. This must be matched by resources on the streets from local police and other civic bodies.

“That does not mean we can relax our efforts. We must continue to work hard to provide safe environments and we will regularly review our practices to see how we can be even more effective. We will be in contact with Thames Valley Police to learn from their experiences from Project Vigilant and share best practice throughout the industry, and to share our own expertise. It is critical that all stakeholders are involved in making our streets safe for everyone.”

For more information on hospitality partnership schemes please visit https://bbnuk.com/ https://www.nationalpubwatch.org.uk/ https://www.goodnightoutcampaign.org/

Why Vaccine Passports Could Prove Much More Than A Customer Admission Problem 14

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

Requiring customers to produce vaccine passports could also create employment law problems for hospitality businesses, according to Emma Swan, head of commercial employment at Forbes Solicitors.

She explains: “If hospitality and leisure venues like pubs, restaurants and cinemas request customers to produce a vaccine certificate, there’s also a reasonable argument that they should require the same of employees. Staff in these venues will be closely interacting with customers and it’d be very difficult to plausibly argue a real point of difference between a non-vaccinated employee and not admitting a customer who doesn’t have a vaccine passport.

“If vaccine passports are used, hospitality and leisure businesses serving the public risk getting to a point where they might not be able to employ non-vaccinated people and employers need protecting against the risks this presents. Hospitality operators may need to consider drawing up staff vaccination policies.

“Drawing comparisons with doctors already having hepatitis B jabs isn’t particularly useful for hospitality businesses. The medical care sector is well used to implementing staff vaccination policies and these link to ethical guidance and moral codes that are widely practiced and adhered to via Codes of Conduct.

“Government shouldn’t be putting the onus on individual publicans or businesses to make decisions about vaccine passports. This isn’t fair on employers or useful to them at a time when they’re focused on trying to reopen and make money after months and months of no revenue.

Instead, the government review of vaccine certification needs to offer clear guidelines on the use of vaccine passports and how this will impact all staff interfacing with the public. Clear guidelines can then be used by companies to adhere to changing circumstances, while respecting employment laws, as we follow the roadmap out of lockdown.”

Stonegate’s We Love Sport Announces Fan Of The Year 2021 In January 2021, Stonegate’s We Love Sport and their partner, Coca-Cola, went on a search to find the Football Fan of the Year. After over a huge 20,000 votes, Paul Squire has been voted the 2021 We Love Sport Fan of the Year.

2020 proved that football is nothing without fans, the Fan of the Year competition recognises football fans that have gone above and beyond to support their club throughout the last 12 months in what has been a truly difficult year for the beautiful game. The winner won £500 in cash and an Ultimate Football Fan Experience, courtesy of Coca-Cola.

them through the difficult lockdown months.”

This year’s winner, Paul is the father of Finley ‘The Mighty Fin’ Williams. Together they aim to raise as much money as possible to grant magical wishes to families. To date, they have raised over £10,000 for Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Fin has a rare syndrome called Mowat-Wilson Syndrome and Hirshsprungs Disease but he gives joy to thousands via his Facebook page ‘The Mighty Fin’s I Have No Voice’. Nothing makes Fin happier than watching his beloved Seagulls and before the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul would travel 600 miles from North Wales to Brighton to ensure they saw the matches.

Stephen Cooper, Stonegate’s Sports Marketing Manager, said: “With pubs being closed for the majority of 2020, it was more important than ever that We Love Sport continued to unite sports fans. We wanted to recognise those incredible fans that had gone above and beyond to support their club throughout the last 12 months in what has been a truly difficult year for the beautiful game. It could have been someone who has helped their club out in the community, that season ticket holder who never misses a game but has been forced to the confinement of their living room or maybe they have had a tough year and their beloved club has got

Paul said: “The Mighty Fin comes alive during our trips. Every second is a moment to savour for me. I will probably outlive my son and so making beautiful memories is very important to me. We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to create as many beautiful memories with their lovely children too! Many people can’t afford to do that, so that is where Make-A-Wish UK comes in.”

Pubs Lose Sales Worth 12 Million Pints and 3.6 Million Meals Due to Second Mother’s Day Lockdown in a Row BBPA highlights ongoing damage lockdown is causing to pubs and communities they serve, reiterates Government must ensure pubs fully reopen on June 21st The British Beer & Pub Association, the leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, has today revealed that pubs will miss out on 12 million in sales of pints and 3.6 million in sales of meals due to the ongoing restrictions covering this Mother's Day. Pubs across the UK will remain closed and unable to serve takeaway beer on Mothering Sunday – which falls on Sunday 14th March this year – because they remain in lockdown until April at the earliest, where they should hopefully reopen outdoors only.

Mother’s Day with loved ones in their local for the second year in a row.

The BBPA said it made it all the more important that pubs, following limited outside opening in April and indoors in May, can trade fully from June 21st as stated in the Government’s roadmap for reopening.

The news comes as new research by the think tank Localis revealed that pubs have a vital role to play in the COVID-19 recovery and Government’s own levelling up agenda, but that to do so they must reopen fully by June 21st.

Despite being unable to open and serve their communities at the pub, operators have done all they can to ‘Save Mother’s Day’ and provide the pub experience at home this Sunday.

Pubs were also forced to shut for Mother’s Day in 2020, which fell on 22nd March and shortly after the Prime Minister announced the first UK lockdown on March 16th.

Oakman Inns, which has a number of venues across the Home Counties and Midlands, has launched Oakman At Home - a range of ‘makeaway’ meal boxes for Mother’s Day.

It means for the second year in a row, families have not been able to celebrate the occasion in their local with a pub meal.

Fuller’s, which has a number of pubs across London and the South, has created a Mother’s Day Sunday Roast Box Feast, as part of the ‘Fuller’s At Home’ range. The Box Feast includes all the ingredients and food necessary to prepare a quality roast dinner – the next best thing to having one at the pub.

According to the BBPA, this Mother’s Day alone will result in the trade losing out on £83 million worth of sales which would have been crucial to the sectors recovery. More importantly though, it said, was the fact that thousands of communities across the UK were unable to celebrate

The BBPA also said pubs across the UK were offering takeaway meals and

cook-at-home kits to enable Brits to get the Sunday Pub roast experience at home for Mother’s Day. It encouraged people to ask their local if they were offering such a service.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “A pub Sunday Roast on Mother’s Day is one of life's simple pleasures, yet for the second year in a row, families will not be able to celebrate the occasion at their local.

“The pub is the place where we connect and spend quality time with one another, so it is a great shame they are not open for Mother’s Day again.

“From a trade perspective, it does mean our pubs will miss out on some much-needed support too. On a typical Mothering Sunday they would expect to sell some 12 million pints and 3.6 million meals. That’s £83 million in trade which they really could do with right now.

“As ever, our locals are still doing all they can to serve their communities despite the lockdown, safely. This has seen pubs innovate and create ‘makeaways’, cooking kits and more traditional takeaways. Although it isn’t quite the same as being in the pub, it is the next best thing.

“It is becoming all the more clear that the Government must ensure all our pubs are open and able to trade fully from June 21st as indicated in the roadmap.”

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

To meet government rules for numbers allowed at such events, Hale Events, the show’s organisers, are, for the first time, complementing the space in the hall with outside exhibiting space and features.

“We are delighted that government regulations will allow this trade show to happen. It will be our first for more than a year!” says Mike Anderson, MD of Hale Events.

“In order to enable plenty of social distancing and comfort for our exhibitors and visitors we are extending this popular trade show. Catering and Show Features will be outside in 2021, alongside a brand-new outside area for exhibitors, which will extend the show and enable more people to

take part, and to attend.”

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

Outside space at the Source trade show will be provided for companies who have their own facilities, such as trailer, gazebos, or other structures, as well as for companies who need covered space provided.

“We look forward to welcoming the Source trade show back to Westpoint in June. We will be working in collaboration with Hale Events to deliver a safe show which meets with the prevailing government guidelines.” Richard Maunders, Westpoint CEO. For more information about the show, to book a stand, or register to attend, please call 01934 733433, follow the show on Twitter @sourcefooddrink, or visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk.

New Guidance Urges Local Authorities To Deliver Financial Support To Forgotten Businesses 16

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New guidance aims to ensure previously ineligible businesses are supported with targeted grant support

COVID crisis on hospitality goes deeper than closed venues on high streets. The pain is being felt throughout the totality of the sector.

UKHospitality has welcomed updated guidance on the Additional Restrictions Grant aimed at supporting businesses.

“Less visually prominent businesses like suppliers, catering businesses and event spaces have been hit just as hard. The support has to make its way through to these businesses as well. Too many of our members have reported that they have struggled to access grant support and are at risk of being left behind. This must end.

The new instructions for local authorities published today encourages them to ensure businesses impacted by the pandemic but not eligible for the Restart Grant Scheme are supported. This includes contract caterers, that tend to operate out of the properties of others, events businesses and the thousands of suppliers to the sector.

“UKHospitality has been urging the Government to acknowledge this and highlight this point to local authorities. It is good to see our voices being heard. Local authorities must now take this guidance to heart. They must act to ensure valuable businesses in their areas receive the support they desperately need.”

The trade body has also urged local authorities to ensure that grant support finds its way to hard-hit businesses to ensure the whole of the hospitality sector is properly supported.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971482/additional-restrictions-grant-la-guidance.pdf

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “This is another pragmatic move by the Government. It is reassuring to see that Westminster understands that the impact of the

Hospitality Action launches ‘To Hell and Back’ Fundraising Challenge Hospitality Action has launched the ‘To Hell and Back’ challenge to help raise money for vulnerable hospitality workers.

Hospitality Action is asking people to run, cycle or walk as many miles as they can between 10-18 June 2021.

In total participants are aiming to cover 30,693 miles to virtually visit four actual hells on earth: towns called Hell in California, Michigan and Norway; and Hell Creek in

Montana.

Hospitality Action was launched in 1837 and it aims to offer financial, physical or psychological support services to help people from hospitality get back on their feet.

Participants are also encouraged to post snaps of their route and their endeavours to share across social media tagging friends using #HellandBack, @hospaction.

What Makes Scratchings So Special? The Relationship Between Scratchings and the Pub It’s official - pork scratchings are the ULTIMATE PUB SNACK! In a recent poll by the Daily Mail, pork scratchings topped the list when 2,000 pubgoers were asked to name their favourite pub snack.* Matt Smith explains, “Pubs hold a special place in British hearts as somewhere to relax, shake off the stresses of daily life and enjoy yourself. Pork scratchings have long been part of that experience. When consumers talk about scratchings, they often recall the very first time they tried them in the pub, often evoking quite vivid and emotional memories of a close friend or relative who first encouraged them to try one. A pub without scratchings really isn’t a proper pub!”

Pork scratchings are undisputedly linked with drinking alcohol - 83% of pork snacks are consumed with a drink - and drinking is associated with the pub.1 The combination of a pint and scratching is one that many have grown up with and see as fundamental to the pub experience.

Pork scratchings are seen as an ‘adult’ snack, being much less likely to be consumed by children than other savoury snacks - which means that they are naturally at home in the pub. Few parents will offer their children scratchings until they are in their teens and hence ‘the first time’ is within many people’s memory. This then means that there is an intrinsic link between scratchings, the pub and good times.

WHO EATS SCRATCHINGS AND WHY? Contrary to popular belief, pork scratchings are not the preserve of ‘old blokes’:

RE-OPENING OF HOSPITALITY SECTOR – MAXIMISING PROFITS THROUGH SNACKS The phased re-opening of the hospitality sector can’t come soon enough after months in lockdown. However, it is unlikely to be plain sailing as it’s unclear whether people will flock back or be wary about socialising in groups – and that’s before you factor in the uncertainty of our great British weather (a real consideration until mid-May when we can all go indoors)! Many operators are financially stretched and rightly cautious, especially when it comes to the cost of re-stocking.

As a major snacks supplier, with a range of award-winning brands tailored to Foodservice such as REAL Handcooked crisps and the leading pork scratchings brands - Mr Porky and Midlands Snacks, Tayto understands these challenges.

Matt Smith, Marketing Director for Tayto Group explains, “Conserving cash and maximising sales will be key to hospitality venues as they re-open their beer gardens, and eventually, their doors. Snacks provide a brilliant opportunity to increase sales. However, we know that less than 20% of people buy a savoury snack, with a drink and the main reason for customers not doing so being ‘I just didn’t think about it’. Prompting a purchase by prominently displaying snacks and getting staff to offer them, can make all the difference. Given most people either have no idea what they pay for pub snacks, or expect to pay over £1 a pack, venues can easily make over 50p profit on each bag of premium crisps or scratchings they sell.”

Premium product fact - 82% of pub goers eat handcooked crisps and are willing to pay up to 30% more for premium crisps over standard products3.

2

• 44% of consumers are women1 • 63% are under 45 and 41% are under 351 • A third of pork snacks are consumed by AB consumers and over half are consumed by ABC1 consumers1 These consumers are under no illusion that pork scratchings are anything but a treat. The fantastic taste and fond memories mean that we have a deeper love of scratchings than ‘ordinary’ crisps and snacks.

Scratchings are the perfect partner to booze as Smith explains, “Scratchings are the perfect partner to beer, wine and spirits due to their unique taste. The fattiness balances the sharpness and carbonation of some drinks, while the saltiness enhances the flavour of a drink and helps get your thirst on - making both the snacks and the drinks even more moreish. There is no matching a scratching.”

Matt explains, “In every piece of research we have conducted, taste is always the No1 reason for purchase as consumers recognise savoury snacks are a treat and so, have to be ‘worth the calories’. This is underlined in pork scratchings where consumers crave the unique taste so much that 1 in 5 people will simply not buy another snack if they are not available1, making them a ‘must-stock’ item!”

CATEGORY ADVICE / MERCHANDISING TIPS Consumers are looking for brands they can trust and re-stocking with proven sellers is key! Not all scratchings are the same and Tayto has a range of award-winning pork snacks to suit every pub: – Midland Snacks Traditional Scratchings is our best-selling pubcard - hand cooked scratchings using a recipe that has stood the test of time.

– Mr Porky Hand Cooked Scratchings – from the most recognised name in scratchings, this Great Taste award-winning scratching is set to become the new benchmark for a premium scratching.

– Mr Porky Crispy Strips – a lighter bite, akin to crispy bacon rind, for those who want all the taste of a scratching but not as hard in texture.

Given that snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are more visible4, the recent growth in pork snacks can be maximised by making use of eye-catching pubcards behind the bar and in areas of high footfall. This can help prompt those unplanned snacks purchases - providing an excellent opportunity to drive high margin, VAT-free sales.

CLOSE THE DEAL Snacks offer a simple route to incremental sales, if customers are reminded to consider buying them alongside their drinks. Thankfully there are a number of simple tips for venues to achieve this:

– Stock a range of proven, premium snacks that have been developed for the licensed sector o Award-winning pork scratching pubcards from Midland Snacks and Mr Porky o Premium REAL Handcooked crisps which are exclusive to Foodservice – Put your snacks where customers can see them o Pubcards behind the bar o A full range of crisps on the bar o Include them in menus or apps for table-orders – Get your team to prompt purchase o A simple ‘would you like some crisps or pork scratchings with that?’ is all it takes.

HOW IS TAYTO SUPPORTING THE ON-TRADE? STOCK UP FOR LESS Having heard the hospitality sector’s concerns about the cost of restocking, Tayto has lined up a range of aggressive promotional offers now, and over the coming months, that will enable venues to stock up for less on a proven range of bar snacks.

In addition to strong price promotions on our premium REAL Handcooked Crisps, best-selling Midland Snacks and Mr Porky pork scratchings, our top-selling flavours of REAL Handcooked crisps will be available in mixed cases for a limited period. These flavours have been developed specifically for licensed venues and each box includes a Great Taste award-winning flavour.

Given that snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are more visible4, visibility of snacks is vital so, to help maximise your sales of premium crisps, Tayto have FREE POS available at realcrisps.com/trade

UPCOMING MARKETING CAMPAIGNS As the leading supplier of pork snacks with the top three brands (Mr Porky, Midland Snacks and Real Pork Co) Tayto is launching the biggest ever campaign for pork scratchings with the strapline “There’s no matching a scratching”. Aimed at engaging both new and lapsed consumers, the campaign sets out to hero the unique appeal of scratchings and how other snacks just don’t come up to scratch.

The campaign will include national radio coverage through a partnership with TalkSport as well as a heavyweight regional campaign in the Midlands (where sales of scratchings are particularly strong) across OOH, radio and digital. The campaign will support the ongoing digital activity that is already bringing more people into the Mr Porky brand and the wider category. This investment in the category is unprecedented and could only be delivered by the category leaders.

SOURCES: 1. Norstat | Jan 20 2. Norstat | Mar 19) 3. CGA Strategy Research 2016/17.

4. HIM! Foodservice Research 2016) * https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9374575/Get-crackling-Pork-scratchings-namedfavourite-pub-snack.html

What’s Keeping Operators Up At Night: New Heineken UK Research Reveals The On-Trade’s Biggest Challenges and Priorities For 2021 18

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

from displaying social distancing signage and sanitising tables in between covers, to hosting events like curry or quiz nights. Establishing these lower-tempo ‘Rhythm of the Week’ activities will help drive footfall and loyalty during quieter periods, rather than relying so heavily on the weekend trade. This led to the creation of POS Direct, so our customers could access professional point of sale and digital assets, from safety and reopening POS to personalised events and promotions.

You can also offer your venue as a great remote working space, with speedy Wi-Fi and a business offer lunch included, to bring in more customers. Wireless Social is a tool that sits over your existing Wi-Fi network and allows you to capture customer data then retarget them based on their demographic, likes, interests or how often they visit – helping you drive footfall. Through the HEINEKEN Buying Club you can receive a 55% discount on the annual fee of Wireless Social, helping you drive more traffic for less money.

To better understand operators and therefore provide the right support that they need, HEINEKEN has commissioned research into the on-trade’s biggest concerns, challenges and expectations ahead of reopening. This new insight – provided by real operators managing wetled and food-led venues across the UK – will assist HEINEKEN in delivering relevant support at the right time to give on-trade businesses every chance of success in 2021.

Commissioned in December 2020, HEINEKEN’s research revealed that the three main challenges facing operators are attracting new customers (20%), retaining current customers (18%) and managing costs (17%).

Recruitment and retention of staff was also a key concern for food-led operators.

Recent HEINEKEN consumer sentiment research shows 42% of consumers are excited to try new drinks brands and 37% plan to make their on-trade visits more special by choosing more premium drinks and food. Your customers are after a quality experience, so taking time to properly train your staff is an investment worth making – especially with new starters and people who have been on furlough so may be less confident. From delivering perfect serve and new hygiene protocols, to recommending dishes on your menu or great drinks pairings, this will help enhance your customer experience and encourage them to return again and again.

When used effectively, your social media channels can not only tempt existing customers back but help reach new prospects. Drive awareness of your offering, focusing on good food and outdoor space – the top two traits consumers will be looking for in an on-trade venue. Even before the government announcements, 53% of people are more likely to visit a pub if it has a beer garden, increasing to 67% among 25 to 34year-olds. Capture attention by posting regular, relevant content with images and video and keep your tone light, upbeat and chatty – just like you would if you were talking face to face.

Via The Pub Collective, HEINEKEN offers support on what type of content to share (and when) to connect with customers, as well as free social media training for operators, in partnership with our Star Pubs & Bars.

HOW TO RETAIN CURRENT CUSTOMERS Your customers are looking forward to a perfectly poured, quality pint from their local. Reminding current customers of all the reasons they love your venue and showcasing the ways in which they will be kept safe will boost confidence and encourage them back into your business –

HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE First impressions are everything; you can drive footfall and promote dwell time with a smart, clean environment. Simple housekeeping like pressure washing the path up to your entrance or adding flowers and benches will make your space attractive to passers-by and shows you care about safety and hygiene. It’s also worth investing in coverings, lighting and heating to weather-proof your space and encourage people to stay longer. To help finance these up-front costs – which pay dividends – you can access unique discounts from top suppliers like Woodberry (quality outdoor furniture) via the HEINEKEN Buying Club. Our Facebook group, The Pub Social, is also a great source of recommendations from other operators.

Ensure you promote your great outdoor space on your website and via social media. Customers won’t be visiting if they don’t know it’s there! Your garden should feature at least twice in your nine most recent social posts alongside relevant hashtags like #beergarden. Video content is key and attracts higher engagement than still photos, meaning your photos will get pushed to the top of your followers’ newsfeeds – increasing your chances of attracting customers.

HOW TO BOLSTER YOUR FOOD OFFERING

HOW TO ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS

As restrictions start to ease, your online presence becomes no less important. After months of remaining at home watching Netflix, the ‘Staycation’ is likely to be a big part of 2021. With over 200,000 visits per month, Useyourlocal.com offers a great opportunity for potential customers, locals or people visiting the area to discover your pub based on their location or search criteria.

HEINEKEN’s research also revealed that to futureproof their businesses, operators are looking at upgrading their outdoor spaces and bolstering their food offering.

This is just a taster of the operational expertise and advice shared by our Star Pubs & Bars. Through the HEINEKEN Benefits Bar, we are able to share further support for maximising any size of outdoor space, ensuring it remains compliant, and real experience and insight from Star Pubs & Bars with our customers. All easily accessible via HEINEKEN Direct or your HEINEKEN representative.

Driven by these research results and feedback from HEINEKEN’s own customers and its Star Pubs & Bars, HEINEKEN created the Benefits Bar. HEINEKEN has built and gathered all the benefits of simply working together into this virtual local, serving up the products, services and ideas operators need to help them run a profitable pub business.

Offering a flavour of the vast pub expertise and insight available to its customers, HEINEKEN has shared top-line advice for future proofing your business, in line with the key concerns outlined in the research.

A digital presence is the best way of helping people discover and visit your venue – especially when 87% of people search online before they choose where to spend their money. If you don’t already have a website or feel yours may not be working hard enough for you, we recommend Useyourlocal, which is accessible at a discounted rate via the HEINEKEN Buying Club – one of many tools that sit within the HEINEKEN Benefits Bar. Useyourlocal can help you create a great looking website in just 20 minutes! Once your website is set up, your regulars can like or follow your pub to receive newsletters and updates to encourage repeat visits.

The service also integrates with your social media channels and the team can even help with maintaining your site on an ongoing basis – all geared towards keeping your members up to date with planned events and to attract new customers.

year, the app is easily accessible for all staff and could help you tap into an additional £25,000 worth of profit – plus it’s available free via the HEINEKEN Buying Club.

HOW TO MANAGE COSTS From equipment to utilities, we understand running a pub business isn’t cheap – and now more than ever you’ll want to make financial savings where you can. Simple measures like introducing more energy-efficient light bulbs, better insulation for boilers and pipes, and using more seasonal products in your menus can all help to chip away at running costs.

Reviewing your supplier base is always an opportunity to ensure you continue to get value for money, although this can take time to fully research and negotiate with suppliers.

That’s why we created the HEINEKEN Buying Club to offer our customers exclusive discounts and better commercial terms with leading suppliers to help manage costs. Sharing the combined buying power of HEINEKEN and Star Pubs & Bars saves an estimated £5,000 per pub per year, as well as time negotiating with suppliers. Whether it’s utilities, waste disposal, catering equipment or marketing tools, the HEINEKEN Buying Club has you covered. For example, you can get up to a 32% discount with wholesale foodservice supplier Brakes, 30% off catering equipment at Nisbets and 25% off outdoor furniture with Woodberry.

Also, you could receive an average annual saving of £1,500 with Biffa and save 10% on business insurance.

HOW TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN STAFF HEINEKEN and Star Pubs & Bars recommend Remit, one of the UK’s top providers of government funded apprenticeship programmes, whose recruitment and training solutions help businesses effectively and affordably. Under the government’s #PlanforJobs, you could be eligible for a £3,000 cash injection for every apprentice you take on from 1st April 2021. Per the revised Kickstart Scheme, you could also receive £1,000 for every new hire – no longer subject to taking on 30 staff.

Well-trained staff are typically happier and more loyal. However, in an industry with traditionally high staff turnover, training can be costly and time-consuming. Hello BEER is a staff training app providing courses in beer and cider quality from cellar to serve, ultimately helping you to deliver a great customer experience. Priced from just £2 per learner per

A venue’s food offering has become a major motivator for consumers when choosing where to go. When building your food menu, start by thinking about your customers, local competitors, food trends and planning your commercials (like setting dish RSPs and an overall target dry GP). Providing quality, locally sourced options and prioritising al fresco dining can increase the number of covers, boost profit potential and open up opportunities for events like barbecues. Challenge yourself to expand your menu and offer a point of difference, for example pulled pork or loaded hot dogs beyond simple burgers, which also adds a premium to your pricing. Wet-led venues without a kitchen could consider partnering with a local street food vendor to create a new, exciting experience. Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to ensure you deliver consistently high standards and utilise your digital presence to promote your offering to customers.

In trading with HEINEKEN, you will have access to the HEINEKEN Benefits Bar and its insights, tools and advice. We are proud to share the experiences of our Star Pubs & Bars with our customers, such as how to plan a new menu, adjust an underperforming one and encourage trade up – giving you everything you need to deliver a strong food offering in your own venue.

While the past year has seen numerous challenges, the research revealed that the suppliers delivering great customer service, regular communication and flexibility came out on top. For 99% of respondents, customer service is the most important factor in choosing a drinks supplier and it’s important to us that we deliver on this. Our UK-based contact centre, online portal and HEINEKEN representatives are all available to give practical support in a way that works best for you. Whatever your request, whatever your query, we are here to help.

For more information on The HEINEKEN Benefits Bar and growing your business, visit: www.heineken.co.uk/our-pubs/make-heinekenyour-supplier/

Brrit British B itish free itish fr f id egg id range liliqui liquid

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

Creating Kerb Appeal: Food Safety Expert Gives Advice On Outdoor Dining Ahead Of Reopening 20

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

With the government gradually easing lockdown restrictions across the UK, it won’t be long until restaurants and pubs are once again rushed off their feet.

Set to reopen for outdoor dining from April 12, the industry will still see some limitations in place, including table-service only, along with the rule of six or a restriction on two households.

Not only that, but customers can expect to check-in and mask-up as they walk to and from their tables, and to use amenities such as toilets.

Despite restrictions, the UK anticipates an increase in footfall to outdoor dining spaces. Here, Daniel Reid, Chief Marketing Officer at Navitas Safety (www.navitas.eu.com), a single destination for digital food safety, discusses outdoor management whilst providing an insight as to how businesses can reopen their outdoor spaces safely.

OUTDOOR MANAGEMENT: SAFETY AND SOCIAL DISTANCING Businesses have been tasked not only with reopening their doors after a terrible time of uncertainty, but have now been forced to adapt their entire way of running in order to meet new government guidelines. What was once busy bars and bustling dance floors, restaurants and pubs will now be met with reduced numbers, social distancing and an increased food safety standard.

In order to meet this new need, and as the term ‘outdoor dining’ would suggest, customers are unable to enter the premises of a pub or restaurant, unless it is to use the toilet, meaning that all payments must also be taken at their table.

Social distancing measures also remain in place; therefore pubs, restaurants and hotels should make it a priority to enforce a one-way system throughout the entirety of their premises, even if it is outdoors, to maintain the safety of both staff and guests.

This should also be carried out with seating arrangements, too. All tables should have adequate space surrounding them, providing a sufficient 2m

distance between diners and the table next to them.

DIGITAL FOOD SAFETY

To limit physical human interaction, businesses should provide visitors with an online booking system with table numbers clearly assigned at the point of booking. This reduces face-to-face contact and also puts a halt to people turning up unannounced.

After three lockdowns, consumers across all sectors are counting down to socialising and returning back to their favourite restaurants and bars again. Staff are going to be stretched when businesses reopen due to the sheer demand, so are likely to struggle to stay on top of food safety tasks which are paper-based. Moving to a tech-based approach means digital food safety management systems can take care of those essential but time and resource consuming safety processes.

HOW CAN RESTAURANTS PREPARE? It is safe to say that after 12 months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are eagerly awaiting to reopen their businesses and consumers are just as excited to visit their favourite restaurants again.

With that in mind, much more is required to go into this than just simply reopening the doors. First and foremost, it is vital that all businesses and staff are up to date with all Covid-19 work-related changes. Businesses should also either complete or update risk assessments covering Covid-19 measures prior to reopening, to ensure adequate controls have been put in place to keep staff and customers safe. As with all places of work, the Covid-19 declaration very much remains essential. All staff are required to declare if they are experiencing symptoms and if they have been in contact with anybody who has tested positive or is showing symptoms. Those that have, must remain at home – similarly with visitors.

We suggest that businesses operate using a ‘pod working’ scheme. This means that the same staff work the same shifts where possible, reducing the amount of mixing and in turn, limiting the risk of infections.

We know well-trained and attentive personnel are essential to positive experiences. Many staff will, of course, be furloughed and may have been for some time, so before reopening, it would be prudent to think about remotely retraining employees. Retraining employees on basic safety procedures will be crucial to customer satisfaction and wellbeing and Online safety training courses can offer rigorous, time-friendly refreshers.

Once all relevant and necessary training has been completed, it is time for businesses to assess their space, making any changes in order to meet government guidelines, ensuring they adhere to current restrictions.

We would also recommend the use of digital menus, either via a QR code or website link. This not only mitigates reduces the risk of spreading the likes of coronavirus, but it is also a more sustainable option, too. Where digital menus aren’t available, all physical menus must be disposable or sufficiently disinfected in between uses.

We would recommend using a digital food safety system. This will alleviate time absorbing tasks, allowing staff to easily monitor and log food temperature readings quickly and accurately, as all of the information is already available to hand. You can also complete digital cleaning checklists, to ensure that hygiene standards in your kitchens are always maintained to the highest standard. These systems will alert staff as to what safety tasks need to be completed on a daily basis, making sure that nothing is ever forgotten.

These checklists form part of a centralised safety system to store all information digitally and help businesses to actively track their compliance in line with current food safety standards.

A key element of Covid-19 safety is to ensure thorough sanitisation between each booking. Servers will need to ensure they have cleaned down all tables, chairs and any on table items before the next guest arrives. As front of house staff will already be using some form of tablet to take orders, simply adding a digital food safety app to this tablet would allow servers to complete a digital cleaning check between each sitting. This checklist will cover all items that need to be cleaned, ensuring nothing is ever missed and hygiene standards are consistently maintained.

As Covid-19 risk assessments are crucial to how restaurants can prepare for reopening, these can be completed digitally via this system. Any incidents or Covid-19 related cases are also RIDDOR reportable, and by having a digital process, this ensures that all evidence is collated, along with how and why the incident occurred and how it was resolved. In doing so, businesses will have sufficient evidence to prove that the incident was dealt with correctly, and that it won’t happen again – all in line with Health and Safety practices.

To find out more about the services on offer at Navitas Safety, please visit: www.navitas.eu.com

Time at the Bar as Jobseekers Pin Hopes on Hospitality still face stiff competition. The sectors seeing the biggest jump in interest from candidates are those that require few formal qualifications, such as customer service, administration and retail. However, job postings remain much scarcer in these sectors than before the pandemic raising the possibility of a squeeze for available jobs.

Struggling jobseekers are pinning their hopes on getting work in the hospitality, beauty and retail sectors, as vacancies start to appear in industries expected to unlock soon, according to new research by job site Indeed.

A year on from the first UK lockdown, job opportunities in the parts of the economy hardest hit by the pandemic, including in hospitality and food, remain almost 70% down on pre-pandemic levels1, but there are signs postings are picking up in areas that the Government roadmap suggests will reopen soon.

However, there remain areas of the labour market which are not being flooded with applicants. Sectors requiring high qualifications, such as software development, healthcare and engineering, still receive relatively few clicks per posting and roles remain relatively difficult to fill.

The early evidence is that announcements of the UK’s roadmaps out of lockdown prompted employers to post more new jobs as they readied themselves to reopen. The sectors chosen to unlock first are among those seeing the largest growth in new postings.

Postings for sport jobs have risen by 44%, ahead of outdoor sports resuming in England from March 29, while beauty and wellness roles have increased by 39% and education and instruction jobs are up by 27%.

New job postings rising in hardest hit sectors Jobseeker interest has started to grow in sectors which are set to reopen in the coming weeks and months.

Interest in bar and waitressing jobs has grown by 98% and 60% respectively in the past two weeks, making them two of the top three fastestrising search terms on the Indeed platform. Pubs and restaurants are scheduled to begin opening, albeit only outdoors, from April 12 in

Jack Kennedy, UK Economist at global job site Indeed, comments: “Roadmaps out of lockdown and the success of the vaccine rollout are building optimism that the labour market will bounce back, as the release of lockdown unleashes pent-up demand for jobs in the hardesthit sectors, including beauty, gyms, retail and hospitality.

England and April 26 in Scotland.

There is also surging interest from jobseekers in beauty therapist and hairdressing roles, and jobs in retail and gyms, which are expected to reopen on April 12 in England and Wales, and from April 5 in Scotland.

Simultaneously, interest in jobs which were a lifeline for jobseekers during the depths of the pandemic, such as in supermarkets, warehouses and delivery driving, are seeing interest falling fastest. Interest in delivery driver roles has fallen by 13% in the past fortnight alone, while demand for supermarket jobs is down 11%.

FASTEST-RISING JOB SEARCH TERMS:

“Although consumer-facing businesses are hoping sales will be brisk immediately after lockdown restrictions ease, particularly to people who have managed to save money during the pandemic, employers will need to find ways to sustain this demand.

“The pandemic has accelerated the trend towards flexible work, and office-based workers may return to the workplace less frequently, which will impact consumer-facing businesses in cities that rely heavily on commuter footfall. It also remains unclear when restrictions on international travel will end, meaning businesses that rely on tourism will need to appeal to UK customers more than usual.”

The Return of the Hospitality Industry Despite the promising increase in job postings, many jobseekers will

Your FREE trading standards legislation guide The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought many challenges to the hospitality sector, with some businesses - particularly pubs and restaurants - forced to radically change the way they operate. Indeed, the hospitality sector’s economic output dropped as much as 92% (source UK Parliament) between February and April 2020 during the first lockdown; however, the sector bounced back when restrictions were relaxed last summer, giving hope of a similar recovery this year.

Now one year on from the first national lockdown and with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown response, we look to exit the pandemic measures and return to some sense of normality. It is clear that the public will still hunger for their favourite restaurant or take a trip to the local pub that they’ve been missing for months. This gives the sector the potential for ample opportunities, recovery and even growth in 2021.

For a smooth return, business owners must get regulation right from the outset.

Streamlining measures to secure consumer safety enables business owners to build their business without succumbing to regulatory hiccups.

Fortunately, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), working in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), created Business Companion which offers free, impartial legal guidance for businesses, written by experts with years of experience. The Retail Guide Food and Drink annex brings together the tasks and measures that businesses will need to put into place prior to the return of the hospitality industry and beyond.

Download your free copy at www.businesscompanion.info/focus/working-safely–a-retail-guide See the facing page for details.

How to Re-onboard Furloughed Employees…

22

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

By Paul Sleath, CEO at PEO Worldwide (www.peoworldwide.com/en-gb/) On Wednesday the 3rd of March, the UK Government announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until September 2021.

Realistically, many companies who shut down entirely also won’t be at full operations as soon as they reopen (hence why furlough is being extended beyond the hopeful return to ‘normality’ at the end of June). In these circumstances, you’ll have some difficult decisions to make about who to bring back first.

This news will no doubt be welcomed by businesses across many different industries, as the furlough scheme has helped keep millions of employees’ jobs secure and avoid mass redundancies over the past 12 months.

During this process, you should set out clear criteria for recalling staff.

Will the decision be based merely on business need, or will you consider individual circumstances? It’s important to be fair and inclusive when making your decision and to document your reasons (such as seniority or operational needs) to mitigate the risk of potential discrimination claims.

However, the extension shouldn’t be a cue for employers to kick back and relax. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to attend to the wellbeing of your furloughed employees and ensure they’re well prepared for their return to the workplace.

So, if you’re thinking of bringing your staff back to work, it’s essential to do so in the right way at a time that’s right for both your employees and your business — whether it’s next week or in September.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHO TO BRING BACK? There’s no prescribed way to bring employees back to work, but it’s advisable to give reasonable written notice of at least 48 hours. Remember, some staff members may still have children at home unable to go to school and need to arrange childcare.

In an ideal world, you’d want to bring back ALL employees on their previous terms and conditions. However, this might not be possible yet — particularly if they cannot work from home and your office or facility isn’t big enough to allow for social distancing.

So, once you’ve decided who to bring back, what’s the best approach to handling the re-onboarding process?

WELCOME THEM BACK AS YOU WOULD ANY EMPLOYEE Start with an offer letter which states all the information they need to know. The employee needs to know what’s changed (if anything) when it comes to their position, salary and benefits. For example, have wages been reduced across the board? How does being on furlough affect their sick leave or annual leave entitlement? You should also provide details about how you will be ensuring workplace safety and staff wellbeing.

As an employer, you also need to understand that transitioning back to work after an extended period can come as a shock (particularly under these circumstances), so it’s essential to allow a degree of flexibility.

shortages. These discrepancies could result in some negative feelings creeping into employee relations, so it’s important to nip any potential conflict in the bud.

As an employer, you should look for opportunities to reintegrate employees into the team. For example, you could organise team-building exercises over a video call, virtual quiz nights or depending on the size of your team, arrange a socially distanced BBQ. You should also encourage all managers to have one-to-one meetings with every employee upon their return (even if it’s done virtually).

PROVIDE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES While on furlough, employees may have missed out on crucial training, so it’s important to get them back up to speed. Make sure you provide them with the tools and time they need to complete their training (this may have to be done online if they’re still working from home).

If remote working isn’t possible in your industry, it’s your responsibility as the employer to create a safe work environment and promote social distancing. Re-onboarding should include efforts to educate staff in the various guidelines available, which will vary country by country.

OFFER REASSURANCE AND SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED

INTEGRATE THEM BACK INTO THE WORKPLACE CULTURE

This is a time of high anxiety, which has been hard on everyone’s mental wellbeing. Add to that the stress and uncertainty of being placed on furlough, and there’s a chance your returning workers will have some extremely complicated feelings. So, it’s essential to be aware of this and do what you can to reassure and support them.

Employees should feel they are returning to a supportive and caring environment. However, it’s also vital to recognise that the pandemic may have had an unequal impact on your workforce. Some people will have been furloughed (potentially with full pay depending on which country they are in) while others might have had increased workloads to make up for staff

You should offer frequent and transparent communication about the state of the business and recovery plans, as well as an open-door policy so that employees can reach out privately with any questions or concerns.

Knowing they are valued and supported by you will be pivotal to their wellbeing.

Chef Philli Cooks with The Sausage Man and Lamb Weston

The Sausage Man teams up with Lamb Weston to inspire operators with innovative, celebratory dishes for the coming summer months. Chef Philli Armitage-Mattin, Master Chef the Professionals 2020 Finalist, Chef Philli Armitage-Mattin joins the two companies to help kick-off the collaboration in style!

Think German food fused with exciting flavours. One typically traditional German dish is currywurst and fries, packed full of spice. So why not go crazy for Chef Philli’s katsu curry with crispy panko bread-crumbed Bratwurst from The Sausage Man, and togarashi fries using Lamb Weston Hot2Home or Stealth fries?

Joy is in the air as people across the land anticipate letting loose and whooping it up after lockdown is lifted. So, there’s no better time to share our exciting news – we at The Sausage Man are excited to announce our exciting new partnership with Lamb Weston! Their high quality range of British potato products compliment our authentic German range perfectly.

Street Food, outdoor eating, delivery and fusion cuisine will all play a big role for operators reopening in 2021 so how can pubs, restaurants and food truck owners surprise their guests easily with tantalising new recipes? The Sausage Man and Lamb Weston have the solution – and who better than Chef Philli to cook up some of the yummiest, most irresistible and instagrammable recipes to celebrate the partnership.

“How can you improve upon sausage and mash or a hot dog with fries? Chef Philli has dreamed up some super creative, highly flavoursome recipes for us such as Korean Kogo – sausage and fries on a stick – that is so Instagramable consumers and operators will love it!” said Andrea Deutschmanek, Lamb Weston’s International Marketing Lead, Northern Europe. “We gave her the freedom to create these dishes and she stunned us with strong and bold flavours that will wow!”

“Being a chef is about being passionate and creative. It’s about being an artist. We use simple foods and turn them into beautiful creations. Just like Lamb Weston’s products, The Sausage Man’s products are perfect for this!” says Chef Philli.

“When designing dishes today we have access to a larder of worldwide

ingredients. This gives you the ultimate creativity. Along with that, it’s important to make dishes colourful and Instagramable. People want their food be beautiful on the plate. The camera eats first.

“I’ve created some simple sausage-based dishes with Lamb Weston and The Sausage Man, fused with flavours from around the world, that both look and taste fantastic. I hope keen cooks will take these ideas and build on them.

“My passion is creating delicious dishes that you crave and simplifying them so that the recipes are easy to make for everyone. I love Asian cuisine, and have really enjoyed experimenting to find the best ways to fuse Asian flavours with these traditional German favourites.”

Joshua Grocott, Marketing Director for The Sausage Man, said: “Chef Philli delivered some extraordinary dishes, completely reimagining ‘sausage and chips’ as a concept. Using the quintessentially British chips of Lamb Weston and our authentic German sausages as a starting point, Chef Philli tied in complimentary flavours from around the world to develop tasty plates that please the eye as well as the taste buds. This menu is easy to recreate, especially with Chef Philli’s step-by-step videos, and every recipe looks and tastes fantastic!”

Check out the first episode of “Cooking with Chef Philli” on the website at www.sausageman.co.uk/chef-philli-korean-kogo

Microwaves and Combis

Microwaves - Easy Quick and Cost Effective For those who did not know, including us here at CLH News the first ever microwave oven was manufactured in 1953, was five feet high and was patented by an American engineer called Percy Spencer who had made his discovery by accident!

Apparently, he was working with a radar system that used a magnetron to send out radiowaves when a chocolate bar he had in his pocket simply melted rather too quickly. He went on to develop his idea further the rest as they say is history.

Wind the clock forward 65 years and it is pretty safe to say that microwaves are now vital to almost every food service operation, playing a pivotal role in an outlet’s success, cutting down waiting times and allowing for flexible cooking.

As the sector emerges from lockdown, beginning April 12 when bars pubs and restaurants can reopen but only outdoors, operators will be keen to turn over tables as quickly and efficiently as possible, and will also be keeping in mindful eye to ensure waste is kept at a minimum. Many operators may decide to offer limited menus while the country remains under restrictions moving towards full menu offerings when restrictions are lifted.

A standard microwave-only oven can perform essential functions such as safely re-heating frozen or chilled food, which is at the heart of many menus in informal dining restaurants and pubs or in room-service for

hotels.

They become more versatile when they become a combination microwave oven. The combination is the addition of convection hot air and a grill. This transforms a simple re-heating cabinet into a multi-function cooking oven.

Furthermore, studies over the past few years have revealed that outlets serving food tend to be perform better than those which don’t, hence the reason many wet led pubs have incorporated microwaves and pubs had to offer a “substantial meal” when serving drinks.

Whether you are a pub/bar restaurant hotel or café you will recognise the importance of having a strong and varied menu using quality produce, and will already recognise the importance of having a the right equipment in your kitchen. The speed at which food can be prepared on premises using microwave ovens and the quality of cooking results they deliver means that they are a time and cost-effective way to provide quick portion controlled dining!

See the following page for equipment for your kitchen

Microwaves and Combis

High Speed Solutions 40 years, with Exclusive supply status on the Sharp and Maestrowave ranges.

Sharp have a reputation for quality and reliability that is second to none. With models ranging from the everyday 1000W R21AT best-seller, to the high power R1900M work-horse used by many leading chain operators - there is a model for every user.

A microwave is a true kitchen essential and has a place in every kitchen. A microwave is traditionally seen as an enhancement to use alongside other items of prime cooking equipment, but their versatility is often underestimated and they can be of particular use where space or budgets are limited.

The Maestrowave high speed cooking range combines innovation with every day essentials - including the affordable yet durable MW10 and MW12, the innovative iWave® automated cooking solution – which uses barcodes to ensure consistent, error proof cooking – and the award winning Combi Chef 7, which combines traditional cooking methods with microwave speed to provide exceptional results.

For all your microwave needs – contact the Microwave Masters at R H Hall on 01296 663400 or sales@rhhall.com

From the standard microwave used for fast reheating and regeneration – to combination microwaves for versatility and optimum results on a wide range of products – we have a solution for every operation. R H Hall have been dominating the microwave market for over

WINA Microwaves, The Answer To The Question

out dated incandescent bulbs still found in many commercial microwaves.

Pat Bray, MD of Regale Microwaves is rightly proud of his companies latest product group.

“We listened very closely to our customers and users to understand what was ( and what was not ) important to them”.

Regale Microwave announce it’s ‘Solution’ promotion, which starts in April.

But if Regale has the solution, what’s the problem ?

Many Microwaves have a cavity designed so a ½ Gastronorm dish can only just fit inside.

However, with demand for the excellent Microsave® cavity liner growing daily, this creates a problem for the user. The ½ gastronorm dish cannot fit inside the Microsave on these ovens, so does the site protect their oven with a Microsave, or use a smaller dish to cook in?

The solution is the exciting new range of WINIA heavy duty commercial microwaves.

The 1500w & 1850w ovens comes complete with a Microsave cavity liner as standard and the larger cavity can easily accommodate either one ½ Gastronorm dish or two 1/3 Gastronorm dishes.

The ovens also come with super bright LED interior lights, which are designed to last far longer than the

He continued “They want a well-built, high quality microwave they can rely on. The oven must also have a Microsave cavity liner to protect their investment.

With the larger cavity, chefs can easily use either a ½ or 2 off 1/3 Gastronorm dishes, to give real versatility”.

SPECIAL OFFER There has never been a better time to look at the WINIA brand of Commercial Microwaves. Starting in April, Regale Microwave are giving 2 x 1/3 and 1 x ½ Polycarbonate 100mm gastronorm dishes worth over £15.00 with the first 100 pieces with either model WINIA KOM9F50 (1500w) or KOM9F85 (1850w).

Visit www.regale.co.uk Email sales@regale.co.uk Telephone 01329 285518 SEE THE ADVERT ON PAGE 15.

Rational Wins Capital Equipment Supplier of the Year Award 2021 With a turnover of £400m representing seventy dealers, the ENSE Buying Consortium is one of the foodservice equipment industry’s biggest hitters – which is why its annual awards are highly regarded and eagerly contested. At ENSE’s recent Conference the consortium announced its 2021 awards – and Rational won the prestigious Capital Equipment Supplier of the Year.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to pick up this award,” says Simon Lohse, managing director of Rational UK. “It’s especially important because it’s the dealers who vote for it – so to win it is a real boost for us.”

Competition was tough in the Capital Equipment Supplier

award and Rational was up against six other top suppliers.

“We work very closely with ENSE and its dealer network,” says Lohse. “Being a supplier partner to the Consortium is vital to the success of our strategic dealer development. Events like this Conference let us network with our ENSE dealer partners, building relationships and addressing issues.

“The award underlines the close relationship we have with ENSE and its dealer members, and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for us!”

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

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24

CLH News

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Apr/May 2021

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

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

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

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

“We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that we can answer the increasing demand for our engraved prod-

ucts”, 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: 01275 871720 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

Welcome To Greener, Safer, Cheaper Food Waste Recycling

ReFood is the European market leader in food waste recycling. We offer businesses of all sizes an alternative to sending unwanted food to landfill with our safe, secure, closed-loop, end-to-end solution. We improve companies’ green credentials, reduce their carbon footprint and lower their overall food waste disposal costs by up to 50%*.

By combining the very best knowledge and technology with decades of experience in environmentally

sustainable practices, we deliver the ultimate recycling service to private and public sectors across the UK. And, our cutting-edge Anaerobic Digestion facilities create renewable energy as well as ReGrow, our nutrient-rich biofertiliser.

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

See the advert on page 10. *Figure based on April 2020 landfill rate vs. volume weight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Apr/May 2021

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

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

Genesis’ Sanitiser – part of its Evogen Professional range – delivers safe, high performance cleaning and dis-

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

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

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

CLH News

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Give Patrons Peace of Mind with an Air Purifier unprecedented time, and the results demonstrate a clear trend for increased confidence in hospitality venues such as hotels and restaurants with an air purifier.

The results showed:

A new YouGov survey has revealed that customers would be more confident visiting hospitality venues that use air purifiers. Leading global air purifier experts Blueair, make units using unique HepaSilent technology that removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants It may be shocking to learn that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air . A new YouGov survey, commissioned by Swedish global air purification experts Blueair, has recently revealed the UK’s thoughts on visiting hospitality venues during this

• Two in five adults (41%) said they would be more likely to visit a restaurant with an air purifier installed.

• 40% of people would be more likely to head to a café while 39% would stay in a hotel that offered purified air to its guests.

• 36% are more likely toa visit to a pub if an air purifier is in use There’s no doubt that purifying indoor air will give consumers more confidence about heading out to their favourite hospitality venue. As well as removing bacteria and viruses , an air purifier can help with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Thanks to its HEPASilent™ technology, Blueair air purifiers remove at least 99.97% of dust and harmful particulate matter as small as 0.1 microns in size, to create a safer environment for all those visiting and working in the venue.

Contact Blueair to discuss air purifiers for your hospitality venue: michael.westin@blueair.se

Please mention

when responding to adverts.

High performing air purifiers The Blueair Blue Pure 411 is the air purifier of choice for the Page 8 Hotel in London. It is a Which? Best Buy as well as Good Housekeeping Institute and Quiet Mark approved. With HEPASilent™ technology that removes at least 99.97% of all airborne particles as small as 0.1 micron in size, including pollen, smoke, dust, mould, spores, virus, bacteria, pet allergens and micro-plastics, alongside app connectivity, it couldn’t be easier to improve the air quality in your hospitality facility with Blueair.

Asthma & Allergy Nordic certified.

Learn more at www.blueair.com

✶ ★★★★★

Winner BEST CLEANING PRODUCT

UK

APP

02 ROVED 2

0

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CLH News

Cleaning, Hygiene and Infection Control

Apr/May 2021

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

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

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

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

Call 01569 690802 today.

Telephone: 01569 690802 Email: info@laundrymachines.co.uk Website: www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk

Restore Customer Confidence With Wizard’s Air Cleaning Technology Over the last year, the quality of the indoor air we breathe has become more important than ever.

Wizard’s air purification devices are a state-of-the-art solution to air cleaning, offering reassurance and confidence to clients and staff within the hospitality sector.

Protecting the air you breathe Wizard air cleaning technology provides hospitality venues with a cutting-edge solution to air cleaning, whilst suiting the needs of your business and clientele.

Purifying and eliminating airborne contaminants, these cutting-edge devices help to destroy bacteria, viruses, odours and harmful pollutants in an indoor space, such as: • Bars • Restaurants • Hotels • Cafés

tilation that your business needs. Using class-leading UV-C lamp technology and hospital-grade HEPA-13 filtration to purify indoor air, Scarecrow detoxifies spaces of up to 500m2 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Designed with a forced ventilation programme that consistently circulates air, the Northern Fairy cleans the air in spaces of up to 40m2 using the same powerful UV-C lamp cleaning technology as Scarecrow.

Completely safe to use around clients and staff, and available in a variety of colours and sizes, the ultrasmart Scarecrow units let your customers know that you’re working to create a safer, cleaner environment for them to feel comfortable in. Find out more about Scarecrow.

The Northern Fairy can be stood or hung on the wall for ease of application and is available in five different colours.

OTHER DEVICES FROM THE WIZARD FAMILY Suitable for all your business cleaning requirements, we also stock alternative air and surface sanitising solutions from Wizard.

SCARECROW UV-C AIR PURIFICATION

AIR DECONTAMINATION FROM THE NORTHERN FAIRY We have smaller spaces covered with the Northern Fairy, the newest addition to the Wizard product range.

Purozo’s flagship device, Scarecrow, could be the costeffective answer to poor ven-

SANITISE SPACES WITH LION & TOTO High performance Ozone generators from Wizard work to sanitise surfaces and indoor air within spaces of up to 300m2. Fast and effective, the Toto and Lion reach and sanitise every nook and cranny of an area whilst simultaneously removing odours and surface stains.

With a stunning design and build quality, Toto and Lion are both easy to use, either controlled manually or via the mobile app.

GET IN TOUCH For more information and a virtual device demonstration, get in touch with us on info@purozo.co.uk or give us a call on 01594 546250.

See the advert on the facing page for more details.

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

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

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

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

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

informational and/or decorative posters, signs and paper.

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

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

Sundeala FR Board is manufactured in the UK from UK waste materials. Sundeala notice boards protect the environment outside while improving the environment inside.

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

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CLH News

Apr/May 2021

Hospitality Technology

Business Development Through Integrated Technology and CRM

By Henry Seddon, Managing Director Access Hospitality The advances in hospitality technology over the last year have been well documented, with delivery and takeaway, pre ordering, order and pay at table, and contactless payments being amongst the most utilised in response to controls placed on the sector.

With so many solutions available, it’s worth highlighting a couple of areas that we expect will impact most significantly on an operators’ efficiency and revenue generation.

Firstly, the importance of technology integration. As Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality acknowledged in an Access Hospitality webinar last year “I have never seen such a rapid rollout of technology; things that would normally take three to five years to get through. We have now got that seamless integration of technology and the acceleration towards a single portal for a customer. Where you want to use technology is in a smart way to allow your staff to be freed up to deliver better service. That's where technology comes into its own.”

gy, a second business area that shouldn’t be overlooked is customer relationship management (CRM). Customer expectations within hospitality venues remain high; in fact, they are likely to have risen in response to the post pandemic safety and cleaning measures that have been introduced, so the ability to track, manage and build relationships with customers remains vital.

To ensure that we can provide the most comprehensive and responsive service, Access Hospitality recently acquired Acteol, the UK’s leading provider of CRM software and contracted marketing managed services to the hospitality, leisure, travel, and gaming sectors. Our belief is that by creating a single customer view where all data is in one place, de-duped and enriched, multi-channel marketing becomes more efficient and effective, with more meaningful connections, greater customer engagement and resulting sales.

CRM tracks customer interactions, visit frequency, preferences and spend providing an accurate profile that they might not even recognise about themselves. Using the information available to tailor bespoke communications and offers deepens the affinity and loyalty from customers, increasing the likelihood of them returning to venue and redeeming any incentives provided.

Where information and data can be entered once and shared across multiple platforms, there is an obvious benefit in increasing efficiency but also reducing the potential for errors when keying in. Monitoring performance and development opportunities is also enhanced when key metrics are available in one view from a single sign-on and the volume of rich data for qualitative analysis is increased.

For any customer interaction measurement is priceless and, understanding what works and what doesn’t, enables you to focus your efforts in the most effective way possible and make data driven decisions.

Analysis of results identifies the best channels for communication – which might include email, SMS, push notifications or direct mail – as well as conveying the best sentiments or promotions to generate a positive response.

With so much attention given to the operational benefits of technolo-

Predictions suggest that there may be fewer out of home hospitality

occasions taken over the next few months, but that customers will be looking for more premium experiences. The value of integrating a powerful CRM system into your technology management suite will give your hospitality operation a significant boost and offers a compelling argument for integration with other cost saving and revenue generating technology.

See the advert below to find out more about how Access Hospitality can help your business.

Hospitality Technology

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

Yoello - Mobile Order & Pay You Can Trust 2020 was a pivotal year for Cardiff based Fintech Yoello.

Since launching their mobile order and pay solution in June, the company has gone from strength to strength growing rapidly whilst supporting thousands of hospitality businesses across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yoello aims to disrupt the current payment networks which are outdated and expensive. By processing payments themselves, utilising open banking regulations, they want to bring operators and customers closer together with cheaper and instantaneous transactions. The platform is currently focused on the hospitality industry, from small cafes and traditional pubs to luxury hotels and large theatres. Yoello’s mobile order and pay technology also has the capability to expand into sectors such as retail and tourism.

The company’s aim is to improve efficiency, increase revenues and improve the customer experience through

mobile technology, in particular in the current climate with businesses currently operating with reduced staff numbers and customer capacity. As we head towards a cashless society and a new technology led, post-Covid, future of service – Yoello’s tech will play a vital role for most businesses to survive.

Yoello’s mobile ordering solution allows customers to access digital menus simply by scanning a QR code or typing in a URL using any smartphone or web device, without needing to download an app. Customers can access table service, click & collect and delivery services all through one platform. From a merchant’s point of view, it’s very easy to set up and manage contactless order and pay either alongside an existing system or through POS integration.

Find out more visit www.yoello.com or speak to the sales team: sales@yoello.com / 07764 86 4840

ConnectSmart from QSR ®

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

The platform effectively combines QSR Automations’ software suite into a single platform: • ConnectSmart Kitchen, industry-leading kitchen display system • ConnectSmart Go, an off-premise order management system • ConnectSmart Host (formerly DineTime), a guest experience, reservation and table management solution • ConnectSmart Insights, a business intelligence tool • ConnectSmart ControlPoint, hardware management software • ConnectSmart Recipes (formerly TeamAssist), a kitchenintegrated recipe viewer By connecting the back end and integrating these solutions into one operational platform, operators can work with a solution that shares data from all its components and make holistic restaurant decisions in real-time.

Flexible APIs and robust integrations allow operators to tailor the platform to their specific needs and focus on what’s most important — the guest experience.

“Removing the barriers between products on the back end to create the ConnectSmart Platform architecture demonstrates how our software has advanced from individual product offerings to a connected operational platform. This move is a logical progression based on an industry that’s progressing just as rapidly. The pandemic accelerated what we already knew, connectivity and operational data are paramount for operational success.

The platform will allow providers to make strategic, data-driven decisions that will ultimately deliver tailored guest experiences for their diners,” said QSR Automations Founder and CEO Lee Leet.

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

F uture-Proof Y Future-Proof Your our Oper ations with an Operations In tegrated Pla tform Integrated Platform KITCHEN KITCHEN AUT AUTOMATION OMATION GUEST M MANAGEMENT ANAGEMENT OFF-PREMISE TECHNOL TECHNOLOGY OGY PREDIC PREDICTIVE TIVE ANALYTICS ANAL LYTICS

What can the ConnectSmar ConnectSmartt® platform do for your your restaurant?

Learn more more at:

www www.qsrautomations.com/overview .qsrautomations.com/overview

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CLH News

Apr/May 2021

Hospitality Technology

Invest in the Right POS Solutions to Get You Through Reopening and Beyond The COVID-19 pandemic has seen hospitality ventures in particular desperately searching for simple solutions easy to implement with the impending time crunch to address a set of stringent guidelines introduced by the Government. Keen to abide by social distancing rules, business owners are looking for ways to give their customers the peace of mind to continue purchase from their stores inperson and out with many turning to new tech to keep their businesses afloat.

Adopting a bespoke point-of-sale system (POS) is becoming an increasingly popular choice in light of their offering; features to boost performance through faster transactions, expansive data collection and live stock count –

an especially useful component to address and respond to unexpected spikes and drops in demand during an unpredictable climate.

Opting for a click & collect service like Goodeats offered by Goodtill has been the perfect example of innovation in the hospitality industry as an answer to COVID-security and beyond with its pivoting feature enabling table ordering solutions when dining-in becomes an option once again. Today, a POS system integrated with a click & collect service has become an essential and is no longer limited to giant retailers but accessible to smaller ventures to help diversify revenue streams. Access to these kinds of value-add services promotes customer loyalty even in

trying times.

Many of these systems were initially deemed as temporary solutions to stay in business during the COVID-crises, but the staggering uptake in interest and usage of POS solutions are altering the hospitality sector from the ground up. We now see such software playing a key role within the service industry, providing establishments a stronger offering over their competitors.

Businesses that have acquired a click & collect service are well-placed to satisfy potential future restrictions when partnered with contactless payment and pickup alongside a dedicated POS software introducing affordable automation to business operations.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

Hospitality and Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Harvey Morton, Digital Expert and founder of HarveyMorton.Digital (www.harveymorton.digital)

A disgruntled employee could do more damage on social media in a moment of anger than any good done by consistent and regular updates by your marketing team. A simple comment about the poor hygiene standards in a kitchen could set a coffee shop back many months.

account makes the individual responsible for any fallout from inappropriate or even criminal content. As a company, you want to be sure you are not seen as liable for this.

Consequently, writing a social media policy for your employees is an essential tool for protecting your brand and all colleagues' best interests.

While writing such a policy is akin to walking on eggshells, it is best to undertake this difficult task anyway.

Obviously, the number one goal of your policy is to protect your brand.

Setting expectations for social media use reduces the chances for error and prevents confusion about what is and what isn't seen as professional to your company.

What is a social media policy?

A social media policy will lay out your organisation's expectations for employees use of social media platforms. The policy will need to respect the law above all else. The Human Rights Act 1998 allows your team the right to respect for private and family life, home, and correspondence.

Basically, you must be careful when telling your team what to do when they are not at work.

No hospitality business would be without social media. It is a good time business, and showing people enjoying themselves is an excellent source of brand enhancement and marketing. The benefits of social media for hotels, restaurants, and other outlets, is significant, and most companies have an active presence on most sites.

Yet, there is no denying the bad of social media and the downright ugly.

What you hope to achieve with your policy

There are positive aspects to this too. When your team post positive messages about your company, you are leveraging the potency of employee advocacy. Your business social media account might make it clear you are unique but imagine how much more powerful it sounds from someone who works for you.

What should I include in my policy?

Equally, you need to be careful with how you choose to monitor social media activity. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 clarifies that you cannot monitor the posts without the staff member's permission. If that colleague accepts you as a friend or follower, this is explicit permission to view posts.

Having a look at other companies' policies is a sound starting point.

Often there is a request for transparency and disclosure. In other words, you ask your team to tell you when they are on social media. You might also ask that they act responsibly and professionally when posting. You should acknowledge that having fun and connecting is great; expressing concerns can negatively affect all.

Your social media policy should also make clear that these accounts are owned by individuals. This is vital. The ownership of the social media

The skill in writing this policy is getting the tone right and seeking buyin from the start. It will be worth the effort.

Technology is Key to Combatting the Food Waste Problem

By Danilo Mangano, General Manager Europe at guest experience platform SevenRooms (www.sevenrooms.com) Following the release of the UN’s 2021 Food Waste Index Report, Danilo Mangano, General Manager Europe at SevenRooms discusses how technology can help the hospitality industry reduce food waste Globally, food waste accounts for 8% of greenhouse emissions. If it were a country, it would be the thirdlargest producer of greenhouse gases after the US and China. The topic of sustainability in business is not new, and is certainly not going unnoticed by consumers, who increasingly want all of the experience with none of the eco-guilt.

As hospitality reopens this spring, there is an opportunity to both renew focus on sustainability and boost profitability. Research has shown that if the average restaurant reduced food waste by just 20% a year, it would save an estimated £2,000. This is significant, especially when you consider the lost revenue restaurants will want to make up when on-premise dining restarts.

There is a clear environmental and economic need for restaurants to reduce food waste — and technology can offer a solution. Many restaurants use technology to help them manage operations, from reservations to seating management, but far fewer use these platforms to gain insight into where food waste can be reduced. With this in mind, we have looked at how the hospitality industry can make the most of technology to tackle food waste while still ensuring guests go home satisfied.

USE GUEST DATA TO INFORM YOUR SUPPLY

ORDERS When it comes to ordering food, many restaurants rely on rule of thumb estimates. With reduced capacity likely to be the norm for the first few months after reopening, it’s going to be difficult to predict exactly what they will need in terms of produce and the qualities required. Ultimately, this could cause challenges when reining in spending, especially as maximising profits needs to be front of mind upon reopening.

With the right technology solution, this unpredictability could be one less thing for operators to think about. Restaurants that have fully-integrated guest experience platforms in place can capture and leverage data directly, offering important insights into a diner’s dietary preferences, allergies and favourite orders. Not only does this enable them to provide tailored experiences that help to build a deeper relationship, but these insights also allow operators to undertake supply ordering more accurately.

Looking at the data, a restaurant manager may see that a guest was a Friday night regular, and always ordered the salmon en croute with a specific vegetable side dish. When making their next reservation, it’s likely this will be the meal they choose, which an operator can use to plan when placing orders with suppliers. While lockdown has meant venues have been closed for dining on-premise, restaurants that have been facilitating their own online ordering, collection and delivery services will have continued to build their bank of customer data. This same data will prove invaluable when they are organising inventory. For instance, if a customer has ordered a specific chicken dish for delivery over the lockdown, chances are they are going to order it again when they can eat at the venue.

The benefit of knowing this information is twofold. With a better idea of what diners will order, the kitchen can more accurately judge what they will need to order from suppliers. Plus, by anticipating the customers’ wishes, an operator can continue to provide a positive diner experience that makes them feel valued and more likely to return again.

REPURPOSE YOUR SURPLUS

On some occasions, an operator will have leveraged all the available data to inform supply orders and still be left with surplus food at the end of service. So what happens then? We know how valuable the art of the quick pivot was during the lockdown. There is no reason why restaurants should leave that mindset behind now; particularly when it can have such a profound impact on food waste. The introduction of retail was a lifeline to many restaurant businesses over the pandemic, and is a great way to help operators eliminate food waste in the long-term. With special relationships often required to access high-end produce, meats and more, these retail operations are often the only way for consumers to purchase these specialty items.

At-home meal kits were also wildly popular over the past year – why not continue to supply these kits with surplus food? It’s a simple way for customers to feel connected to their favourite dining spot if they don’t feel ready to return to on-premise, while using food that would otherwise have been discarded. Many are more than happy to support their favourite restaurants, and they will feel better in the knowledge that not only will they have prevented food from going to landfill, but that they have helped a local business as it recovers and rebuilds.

Tackling food waste concerns should be a priority for everyone within the hospitality space when venues reopen. It is worth noting, however, that the recommendations outlined are only possible if operators own their customer data and hold direct relationships. Without access to their email address, how will you contact them to let them know their favourite pasta sauce is available to buy and enjoy at home? If you can’t access their order history, how would you know who to contact when marketing a meal kit for the dish they never fail to order? Or encourage a regular delivery diner to visit you on-site once your venue reopens? Operators that are proactive in using intelligent, data-driven technology can only benefit, especially as costs associated with wastage decline and consumers opt for restaurants that prioritise sustainability and top-tier service.

Apr/May 2021

Drinks Dispense and Cellar Management

CLH News

33

“ Raising the Bar” cellars will likely not have been maintained as regularly and consistently as usual, meaning a thorough, deep clean and safety assessment should take place prior to reopening. It’s important to consider the way cellar equipment was left during the periods of closure to ensure the hygiene of the bar and cellar, and to re-start dispense systems correctly for the reopening phase.

“90% of beer and cider sales come from draught , making the dispense system the beating heart of any pub or bar. Now more than ever, operators need to drive footfall, prolong visits and ultimately deliver a great customer experience every time. Draught systems that contribute to this are worth the investment, taking unnecessary burdens away and giving operators time to focus on running their business. HEINEKEN SmartDispense™ is an industry-leading business solution, connecting dispense technology with service and the insights that an operator needs to improve their quality, reduce waste and save time.”

Beer Piper’s Jeff Singer provides six elements to consider when storing and serving beautiful beer:

A STELLAR CELLAR It is vital that every pub has a well-kept cellar. Whilst it is out of sight, licensees must ensure their cellar is well maintained to prevent low quality beer and poor hygiene standards. A well maintained cellar means a happy customer.

After the rockiest period for many a decade, the hospitality community are eager to pick themselves up and get set for a return to trading, as the UK slowly eases out of the Covid19 restrictions, says Jeff Singer, Commercial Manager, Beer Piper “Despite the road map out of lockdown including a roll-out of dates for the On Trade, there are still many uncertainties. The plan has given the industry some glimmers of hope, though, and with better weather on the horizon and the vaccine roll-out ahead of schedule, it’s a good time to gear up for a summer of muchneeded success.”

“With that in mind, this time can be used to make some changes that can have an impact on the success of pubs and bars when they are finally allowed to open their doors to the public, in April for outdoors and 17th May for indoors if all goes to plan.”

“Since the first national lockdown back in March 2020, the UK’s drinking habits have shifted. With the On Trade closed for much of 2020 and 2021 to date, consumers have been buying into more premium products from the Off Trade. Sales of premium beers, wines and spirits have all rocketed, as drinkers have looked for ways to treat themselves at home.”

According to Nielsen Scantrack and the CGA, beer was one of the big winners of the 2020 lockdown period, with value sales up £737m compared to the same period in 2019. Premium beers grew faster than standard beer up £452m, compared to £164m.

This is backed up by the CGA’s Drinks Premiumisation Report 2020, which demonstrated that premium craft beer sales were up 22.8% over the last two years. It also pointed towards the fact that the premiumisation trend is driving new product launches in beer - with almost half (47%) of the new launches in the category being craft beer, and another fifth (22%) being premium beers such as world lagers.

Jeff adds: “It’s clear from research such as this that publicans and bar owners need to take on board the trend for premium beers when assessing their range before reopening. And, if premium beers are on the menu, then looking after the beer and ensuring a perfect pint every time is critical - in fact, according to SIBA’s British Craft Beer Report 2020, a staggering 94% of ale drinkers say the most important factor in choosing a pub is beer quality.”

GOOD CELLAR MANAGEMENT A good cellar management routine is an essential part of any pub’s success, helping to produce quality pints and boost profitability, says John Gemmell, On Trade Category and Commercial Strategy Director at HEINEKEN UK. “Due to the long periods of closure over the past year,

The cellar is the true engine room of the pub or bar, and should be treated as such . Your bar may offer great cocktails or even fabulous food, but if you want to keep the beer drinkers coming back, your cellar needs to be up to scratch and run like a well-tuned machine.

Cleanliness is king in the cellar, which needs to be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week with the correct sanitising products. Regular cleaning will prevent the build up of bacteria and also help the air quality to remain tip top. Both of these things can affect beer quality, as dirt and unclean air can make beer go off.

Additionally, maintaining and cleaning equipment, especially coolers, will ensure that they do their job properly and avoid build-ups of dust and grease which can, again, can contaminate beer and affect quality.

It’s also worth knowing how to cellar certain beer types. Cask ale especially needs to undergo conditioning in the cellar - it needs to be stored and settled correctly before serving to ensure it hits pint perfection. The passion that brewers put into their craft and cask ales is incredible, and cellaring well is really the last step in the process to ensure drinkers have that blissful “ahh” moment with the first sip!

To always ensure a gorgeous pint, there are other things that can help, too. Turning off the beer gas to all beer lines every night will reduce the possibility of over-carbonating the beer in the barrels, which can also lead to excessive fobbing while serving.

At the front of the bar, removing all nozzles and sparklers every night and ensuring they are all washed, cleaned and sanitised with sanitiser tablets and left to soak overnight, and covering all dispense taps (minus sparklers) each night with cling film or “sponge/brush bungs” to create a physical barrier will prevent contamination from natural yeast airborne bacteria and beer flies.

Reviewing the stock-turn of every stock item held is also a good plan, and one to think hard about before re-opening. Ideally you should be aiming for a full stock turnover of each SKU every two weeks.

Consider removing any SKU’s that struggle to meet this threshold - You need to balance the benefit of offering your customers a wide choice of product against the cost of writing off stock that has passed its best before date.

It’s worth knowing that the BII offers cellar management courses for senior management and staff, and ensuring that at least one person is fully up to scratch with cellar maintenance knowledge can only be a good thing. Certainly something to think about before summer.

TEST THE TEMPERATURE Remote coolers are used to take the temperature of the beer down from cellar temperature (of around 12oC) to the correct dispense temperature and, as with your cellar cooling unit, remote coolers should be kept running constantly.

If beer temperature rises above 12 degrees, then bacteria can breed and the risk of fobbing - the foaming of beer during processing and dispense - sky rockets.

Additionally, harsh fluctuations in temperature can also affect the beer quality.

When it comes to serving temperature, then it really depends on the beer. It’s recommended by Cask Marque that you should serve standard lagers and keg beers between 5-8°C to stay cold and refreshing.

Traditional cask ale on the other hand should be dispensed at a temperature of between 10-14°C to allow for the fresh and vibrant aromas.

BRILLIANT BEER LINES There really is no point in offering a delicious array of craft and cask ales and cellaring them well, only to serve them through unclean beer lines.

Unclean beer lines can result in beer becoming infected with bacteria and wild yeasts, which will spoil the aroma and flavour of the beer and produce carbon dioxide which results in fobbing. Poor line cleaning can also result in build-ups of things like mould, beer stone and limescale - all of which can also affect the taste and quality of your beer.

Last year, Beer Piper launched a revolutionary, gamechanging system to help pubs, bars and hospitality outlets save money, save waste and pull perfect pints.

The BP4 beer line cleaning system ensures that beer lines are cleaned to extremely high standards at regular intervals with environmentally-friendly chemicals, something that is of utmost importance during the current climate.

As well as keeping beer lines spotless, the system allows bar managers and landlords to save waste because they can serve the beer in the lines that is normally thrown away as part of a “manual” line clean. This can lead to huge savings behind the bar.

The BP4 system also eliminates the need for timeconsuming manual line cleans, meaning that staff members are free to get on with additional activities.

SPOT-ON GLASSWARE It goes without saying that glasses need to be cleaned until they are spotless, preferably in a hot pot wash or dishwasher, and then left to return to room temperature before using.

The choice of glass also matters for serving beer, and with so many different draft beers available, the glass choice really can make a difference to the taste of the beer you’re selling.

Of course, most breweries will have a recommended and branded glass, perfected for their product to maximise the customer’s enjoyment, but if you find yourself without these resources, it’s worth taking the time to think about how your customer will enjoy their drink to optimum satisfaction.

With your nose determining much of the taste of your beer, it’s important to pick a glass that suits the drink’s carbonation - which can affect its aroma and therefore taste. Traditional ales tend to be served in wider, straight glasses, as they have little carbonation.

However, Pilsners or Lagers are often best served in narrower, rounded glasses that help them to keep their carbonation and keep the pint cooler for longer.

Customers usually watch their pints being pulled, and the correct glassware will add to the experience, whetting the appetite and awakening the senses as the beer hits the bottom of the glass.

PULLED TO PERFECTION It’s critical that bartenders are well trained in pulling pints, as well as creating fancy cocktails! A perfectly pulled pint makes a huge difference to a seasoned beer drinker, who will no doubt be looking out for the flawless pour as they look on.

Glasses should be held at 45 degrees, and held without touching the beer nozzle. As the beer is pulled into the glass, it should be gradually tipped back to an upright position to allow the head of the beer to build up nicely. Hand-pulled pints are pulled in a similar way, but this can be a real art form for some bartenders and can take a while to perfect!

ADVERTISED WELL TO CUSTOMERS Because of the nation’s passion for craft beers and artisan drinks, younger drinkers especially like to be knowledgeable about the products they are drinking, so training bar staff to know their stuff is a no brainer.

As well as training staff members to be expert baristas and mixologists, consider sending them to craft beer breweries and distilleries for brands that you stock so they can find out more behind the scenes and enhance their knowledge. This will enable them to pass on their expertise to customers regarding flavour profiles, interesting combinations and even food matches.

Additionally, think about how you advertise your range of beers to customers at point of purchase.

Consider investing in a chalkboard where you can write up the daily or weekly beer range - and rather than just write the names of the beers and the price

of the pint, add a little flavour with some tasting notes and information on the beer’s origin and brewery.

This type of information will give customers an insight into each beer and allow them to explore the range and make informed choices. It can also be repurposed for your social media channels, where you can utilise photography, video and other content to market your products and services to a local audience.

Heineken’s John Gemmell adds “Full guidelines are available for operators on The Pub Collective, including advice about the correct line cleaning processes, preparation and tailored guidance. You can also find checklists and risk assessments to support your reopening, shared by HEINEKEN’s Star Pubs & Bars managed estate.”

John says that in maintaining a good cellar it is vital to: • Ensure line cleaning is carried out to correct procedures every seven days (except HEINEKEN SmartDispense™ systems, where line cleaning can be extended to six- or even twelve-weekly, if needed at all), using brewery recommended detergent. Remove and clean nozzles in hot water after every session, use sanitiser spray for keg couplers, keg wells and cask taps, and ensure the sump is clean and working correctly. Always wear the correct PPE when line cleaning.

• Keep cellars at a constant temperature of 11-13°C by installing a wall-mounted thermometer, regularly topping up cooling equipment with water, checking fans and condensers are free from dust and blockages and keeping a planned schedule of maintenance to avoid costly breakdowns. If the cellar is too cold, cask ales will be flat and may have a chill haze. If too warm, beer may develop a fob which causes wastage. Inexperienced bar staff can pour good beer into the drip tray when there is too much fobbing, which affects yields and increases operational costs for your business.

• Ensure that, where possible, only one member of staff should enter the cellar per session as long as restrictions are in place, to facilitate social distancing – washing their hands thoroughly before and afterwards. Consider having a dedicated person or couple of people for cellar management throughout the week.

• Create more serving spaces where possible. If space allows, relieve pressure from the main bar and help the customer journey by installing a second bar that serves your most popular drinks, ideally outdoors. Make use of countertop draught systems such as BLADE, or think about renting moveable SmartDispense™ BarPro systems, to help you serve more quality pints during busier seasons, ultimately putting more money in your till.

• Focus on quality. It’s clear what consumers have missed during lockdown, and that’s the unbeatable pub experience and the quality of a perfectly poured pint. To deliver on quality, upskill bartenders on beer and cider service with staff training such as Hello BEER, covering everything from cellar to glass care, as well as safety and hygiene.

• Review your venue’s capacity with the latest restrictions and manage your range accordingly to maintain quality.

It’s important to maintain throughput of at least 1 keg per week per tap so you continue to offer a great standard of beer and cider service. Upon reopening, consider starting with a smaller draught range, particularly if your capacity is restricted. For those with outdoor spaces, remember to allow to restrictions such as the rule of six and social distancing. As government restrictions phase out and capacity returns to normal, look to expand your range accordingly.

• Be particularly mindful of your cask range. Taking the time to organise your cask offering according to throughput will be crucial to maintaining the beers’ good quality.

Consider reducing your range during the week when trade is quieter – perhaps offering just one well-known brand to satisfy the majority of cask ale drinkers. We would recommend starting your range with an Amber ale as these hold a 67% volume share of the category and are preferred by 41% of ale drinkers . When trade picks up at the weekend or over time, look at expand your range to include Golden ale which is the second most popular, then a second Amber followed by Dark ale.

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CLH News

Drinks Dispense and Cellar Management

Apr/May 2021

Cellartech Solutions

Cellartech Solutions Ltd have been supplying the independent pubs clubs and restaurants of the Midlands region since 2010.

We are a dedicated one stop shop for all bar and cellar needs, including cellar cooling systems and drinks dispense set ups.

With the current lockdown coming to an end it is vital that your drinks dispense equipment is clean and sanitised and ready to serve your waiting customers.

Cellartech Solutions can offer a one-off Deep Line Clean and Cellar Services to help with this.

Please contact our office on (01572) 739364 or email office@sallytechsolutions.com.

Clear Brew - Helping Hospitality To Get Back On Its Feet We reduce your wasted ullage, meaning you have more beer to sell at full retail price to increase your profits

NO CHEMICALS TO BUY & STORE We bring all cleaning equipment and chemicals with us so you don't need to buy or store them

THE PERFECT PINT We enable you to dispense the perfect pint to your customers time and time again, improving sales and yields

LOCALLY BASED TECHNICIANS

Book your FREE No Obligation cellar equipment check and Free Beer Line Clean

SAVE WATER, GAS & ELECTRICITY

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

By only using a third of the water, no gas and no electricity our system doesn’t only reduce waste, it helps reduce your bills

REDUCE BEER WASTAGE

Our nationwide coverage means that will you be helping keep local people in work and in doing so keeping transport emissions down through reduced fuel miles

THE HIGHEST STANDARDS We build ongoing relationships with you to ensure you save money, reduce waste, mitigate risk and ultimately ensuring the beer you serve tastes as it should Call the Professionals 0800 7810 577 freeclean@clearbrew.co.uk

Outdoor Spaces

Apr/May 2021

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

operator.

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

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

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

R H Hall offer the full package...

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

Crown Verity Professional Barbecues offer a high quality, adaptable cooking solution, with a wide range of add-on accessories for a varied menu.

From the compact MCB30 to the MCB72 'King of the Grill', there is a model for every

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

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

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

Despite the frustration our whole industry is feeling at the moment, Contract Furniture Group encourage

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

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

For further information visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk

Making the most of your outdoor areas with Tempus solutions The Manhat Manhattan tan P Pergola ergola fr from om T Tempus empus is a simple and cost effective effective w way ay of e xtending the comf or t of your your indoor spaces int o yyour our outdoor patios extending comfort into patios..

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£1,40 0

• A vailable with or without rretractable etractable sides ffor or wind shielding Available • Quic k and eas y tto o use louv ered rroof oof kkeeps eeps out the rrain ain and lets in the sunshine Quick easy louvered • Lighting and heating pac ks mak e the shelt ered spaces usab le all yyear ear rround ound – what ever the w eather packs make sheltered usable whatever weather • F ull ffitting itting ser vice a vailable thr ough pr oduct tr ained Contr act F urniture Gr oup inst allation tteam eam Full service available through product trained Contract Furniture Group installation A wide range of complementar y outdoor heating, lighting and fur niture is available to view on our website. complementary furniture

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0115 965 9030 info@contractfurniture.co.uk 0115 info@contractfurnitur ure e.co.uk www .contractfurniture.co.uk www.contractfurniture.co.uk

FOLLOW FOLL OW US

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35

Boost Your Restart Grant with Black Rock Grill's GET BACK TO BUSINESS 10% DISCOUNT Consumers are craving for Pub & Restaurant hospitality NOW! An overwhelming number of punters will be heading for the pub, restaurant & cafe experience to get their lives back to some kind of normal.

Will you be ready? Restart with the Black Rock Grill WOW factor ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Get ahead of your competition Serve customers within 5 mins of ordering Turn tables quickly Serve meals indoors & out Fewer staff needed to operate No meals returned Hygienic safe sizzling hot meals Rebound quickly and profitably Restart with something new and exciting for you and your guests

Hot stone cooking allows your customer to live dine at the table and cook their meal exactly how they like it, sizzling hot till the very last bite! It will create a great atmosphere within the restaurant and give you a USP for your business.

We are offering:

GET BACK TO BUSINESS 10% DISCOUNT on all Commercial Set-ups (Valid till 30th April '21, while stocks last)

Please give us a call or email to find out more information.

We have lots of guidance on set-up size, menu ideas, and relaunch ideas

sales@blackrockgrill.com | 01256 359858 | www.blackrockgrill.com

Outdoor Spaces Herald Adds More To The Mix FOOD SERVICES SUPPLIER INTRODUCES DISPOSABLE SOUP CUPS, CHICKEN BOXES AND SMOOTHIE CUPS Quality disposables manufacturer and supplier, Herald has launched three new packaging products to meet increased demand from the catering and food to go sectors as the market for take outs increases.

Other new products include a wider selection of single, double and triple wall cups and a choice of eco sip lids made from CPLA, a renewable material created from plants. These lids complement Herald’s 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz hot paper cups, which have long been a market favourite based on quality and price.

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

See the advert on page 9 for details.

The products consist of 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz kraft and white, lined, paper soup cups with lids; small, medium and large paper, recyclable chicken boxes; and 8 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz and 20 oz PET smoothie cups with flat, domed or domed with hole for a straw lids.

Competitively priced, all three lines have already earned themselves a loyal customer base and Herald is expecting sales to increase going into 2021.

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

We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to buy budget as the continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods

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

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

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

Discover How a Canopy Can Increase your Profits licensee will own it outright. It is also very tax efficient.

Ian Manners went on to say, “for example, you can seat 50-60 customers under 2 x 5m x 5m (50m²) Airone Tipo 150 structures from as little as £315 (ex VAT) per month over a 5-year period. Essentially your customers are paying for the canopy as they use it” Pubs, Restaurants and the Leisure Industry will have a golden opportunity to make the most of their gardens to increase Summer trade when lockdown is over.

By installing a Zenith Canopy Structure, Licensees and owners will have the opportunity to re-appraise their business and re-market their outdoor facilities to encourage customers to use their establishments.

Ian Manners of Zenith said “The benefits of canopy structures to Licensees is that they can be used all year round, by adding heating, lighting and sidewalls” The soft PVC walls slide like curtains, can be easily removed or be fixed in position. Alternatively, terrace screens can be fitted.

James Bishop is the Proprietor of The Longcross Hotel in Trelights, near Port Isaac in Cornwall. James purchased three of Zenith’s Airone Tipo 150 canopies and installed glazed walls and doors.

James said, “Since installation business has boomed and we now have an extra outdoor function room for up to 150 people when not being used as a day to day eating area”.

Many of Zenith’s customers have opted to fund their canopy project by LEASE RENTAL. This is a financially efficient way of installing a canopy because it allows the Licensee/owner to budget on a monthly basis without a large capital outlay. After a 4- or 5-year period the

Simon Vale of Drayton Manor Theme Park purchased 165 square metres of Zenith’s canopies and said, “we received a very quick return on our investment and our customers are now able to benefit from an outdoor covered area in all weathers”.

Zenith’s canopies are available in a variety of modular, shapes, sizes and colours.

For further information contact Zenith Canopy Structures Limited, T: 0118 978 9072 E: info@zenithcsl.com or visit www.zenithcsl.com

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

37

38

CLH News

Apr/May 2021

Outdoor Spaces

LeisureBench Announce New Exciting Comprehensive Website

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

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

All our range represents excellent value for money.

We also have an extensive choice of parasols and gazebos.

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

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

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

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

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

CambridgeStyle Canopies

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

Our product range includes:

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

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

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

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

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

Our product range includes:

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

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

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

Previous Clients Include:

Outdoor Spaces

Apr/May 2021

CLH News

Space-Ray - We Know Heat ments, making sure your heaters stay in top working condition no matter the weather conditions.

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

Our heaters are popular for large open areas and buildings such as patios, restaurants, outdoor and indoor bars, sports facilities etc. Space-Ray heaters can help to maximize the revenue potential of outside areas by providing targeted heat where you need it. Many of our heaters are IP55 rated to protect against the ele-

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

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

Contact us now: info@spaceray.co.uk spaceray.co.uk 01473 830551

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

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

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

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

Why not contact us on 01293 783783 or send an email to:- terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

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

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Products and Services

Simpleas Mince: The UK’s First Retail Meat Snacking Sorted with the Tayto Group Substitute Made From 100% Peas The product ticks all the “good” boxes: vegan, glutenfree, high in fibre, high in protein, non-GMO, soy-free.

At a time of growing consumer demand for nonsoya, sustainable meat substitutes, Norfolk company Novo Farina Ltd is launching Simpleas Mince, the UK’s first retail meat substitute made entirely from peas.

In trials, consumers have been excited by the great texture and endless recipe possibilities: Simpleas Mince can be used in family meal favourites including Bolognese sauce, chilli, lasagne and cottage pie. They also responded positively to the single ingredient labelling (100% peas) and the long shelf-life - a bonus for consumers in these times of retail stock uncertainty. Simpleas Mince has a RRP of £3.99 for a 150g pack. It is also available in bulk direct from Novo Farina Ltd. Please email Vicki.Myhill@novofarina.com for more information and pricing. www.simpleasplantbased.co.uk

Super Quick, Free Range, Super Easy Range Farm Liquid Egg products are ready to use, easy to handle, and provide convenience for those working in foodservice. All products are free range, 100% pasteurised and meet British Lion standards.

Available in Whole Egg, Egg Whites and Yolks, with no product waste or mess - all your eggs in one carton!

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

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

We provide a range of sizes and packaging according to the needs of our customers, with all Range Farm Liquid Egg products available in pallecons, BIB and cartons. To start cooking with ease and find out how we can meet your requirements, call 01249 732221 or email Adrian.Blyth@stonegate.co.uk See the advert on page 19.

As Britain’s largest family-owned snacks business, Tayto Group has Snacking Sorted with our award-winning range of premium snacks including REAL Handcooked crisps and the market leading pork scratchings brands – Midland Snacks and Mr Porky.

- REAL Handcooked Crisps are a foodservice exclusive range specifically developed for the hospitality sector with distinctive, punchy flavours made with locally sourced potatoes.

- Midland Snacks Traditional Scratchings is our best-selling pubcard – award-wining hand cooked scratchings using a recipe that has stood the test of time.

- Mr Porky is the most recognised name in scratchings with a complete range of Great Taste award-winning pork snacks including Mr Porky Crispy Strips which offers a lighter bite, more akin to crispy bacon rind than a traditional scratching As experts in snacks, our ranges are tailored for the hospitality sector with formats such as pubcards and clipstrips, that show off your range and drive sales.

Contact the Tayto Group Limited on Tel: 01536 204200 or visit www.taytogroup.com See the advert on page 17 for further details.

The Infusion Solution Hospitality and catering companies looking to provide the most cost-effective service for tea and other infusions can try out the doublepatented TEAPY T-4-1 free. Check out TEAPY Ltd’s claims of at least 40% reduction in labour cost and 70% reduction in storage space by obtaining a free trial set from with guidance on how to compare with your existing service(s) for tagged or untagged bags or loose leaf tea, fruit, herbal or other infusions.

With over 3 years proven performance and success in four industry awards, many have called it the biggest invention, or rather two inventions, since the tea bag.

tions of a conventional teapot but with better, visible brew control, then flips and “docks” snugly to the mug as a disposal “tidy”. A complete TEAPY T-4-1 tea service with TEAPY, mug, teaspoon, milk jug and optional loose leaf infuser can be carried in one hand, or with more sets on a single tray, more safely, than any comparable service. Operators can build their own sets, by matching their own mugs and spoons to the right TEAPY. It can also be used with hot chocolate (try mini-marshmallows served in the jug), mulled wine and coffee bags, for example from Taylor’s of York, in fact TEAPY T-4-1 is so good they patented it twice!

JURA - Speciality Coffee Anything’s Possible with Saniflo The TEAPY mug lid keeps the infusion hot, providing the brewing condi-

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

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

Recommended maximum daily output 40 cups per day.

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

Visit www,teapy.co.uk or see the advert on page 5.

include grease traps and water salvage pumps.

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

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

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

Helping Hotels and Restaurants New Cuts to NEW YORK BAR Collection to Bounce Back The GIGA X3c / X3 G2 allows JURA to impressively demon-

German glassware manufacturer Stölzle Lausitz has added two new design cuts to its cosmopolitaninspired New York Bar collection. The design language of the collection focuses on elegant understatement in combination with high-quality crystal glasses to create a sophisticated bar atmosphere reminiscent of New York City’s buzzing nightlife. Drawing upon the skylines and bar culture of New York, the decorative ‘Manhattan’ cut

Photos WE8 in chrome, GIGA X3 in aluminium.

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

picks up on the up-andcoming straight lines of the district of the same name, while ‘Club’, a diagonal cut, gives the glasses a stimulating dynamic. As with the design itself, the brand’s execution of the matt finish has been carefully executed and the lines of the straight ‘Manhattan’ cut and the diagonal ‘Club’ cut take the lead in the eye of those drinking from the glasses, while the clear crystal glass casually corresponds with the opaque cut. Depending on the beverage in the glass and the colour of the drink, the light is playfully refracted along the individual lines, creating a unique point of difference that the eye is naturally drawn to. Made from high-quality, scratchproof glass and well-weighted for a comfortable hold, hosts are able to easily impress with the premium brilliance of the glass. www.stoelzle-lausitz.com or see the advert on page 5.

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

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

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

One of their latest products to take the hospitality

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

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

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

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

See the advert on page 13.

Design and Refit

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

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

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

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

“We are working hard to keep the British hospitality industry going through these difficult times and we have invested heavily in new equipment to ensure that we can answer the increasing demand for our engraved prod-

ucts”, 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: 01275 871720 Email: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

CardsSafe - 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 + a one off admin charge.

• 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 with minimal training and quick to install • 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 Please visit our website and create your own account quickly and securely. Or for more information, please contact the CardsSafe Customer Service Team.

WEB: www.cardssafe.com, Phone: 0845 500 1040 Email: sales@cardssafe.com

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Compact Comfort with Tub Chairs & Small Sofas When creating a convivial space for people to eat, drink and be merry in your bar or café, comfort is key.

However, making the most of the floorspace available is also an important consideration, particularly when social distancing rules still need to be adhered to. Tub chairs and small sofas are the perfect solution as they are stylish and comfortable but won’t overwhelm your space.

Trent Furniture supply a wide variety of tub chairs cleverly designed to provide the comfort of a traditional armchair, whilst taking up significantly less room. The

Portobello Tub Chair in brown faux leather or chic Autumn or Cappuccino upholstery is a perennially popular choice.

Alternatively, the Geneva Tub Chair and Kansas Tub Chair draw on vintage design for a cool and contemporary look.

Trent’s durable and versatile small sofas pair beautifully with our great range of tub chairs. The Cuban Brown Faux Leather Two Seater Sofa delivers in the style stakes and is perfectly in proportion with our chic tub chairs.

To find out more about Trent Furniture’s great-value range of compact furniture including tub chairs starting at just £64.90, please visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call 0116 2864 911.

Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating

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

We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience. Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality.

Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size, then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the walls in a period setting.

Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating.

Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com Web www.simscf.com

WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN’T. SANIVITE ® + CAN.

OUT OF SIGHT, NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. Where conventional plumbing fails, Sanivite®+ delivers the possibilities.

With a powerful pump, four inlets and clever, compact dimensions, Sanivite®+ can connect to sinks and appliances from any concealed unit.

So don’t dash your dreams of a kitchen island, make it a reality with Sanivite®+.

Anything’s possible. Visit saniflo.co.uk to see how.

Design and Refit How Hotels Can Really Profit From Sustainability Hotels are continually fighting with their competition to offer the most affordable rates, the best amenities, and the most outstanding guest services — all while making a profit. Now more than ever green, or sustainable tourism is becoming a deciding factor when choosing a holiday. For the hotel industry this means achieving a sustainable business model that can offer considerable marketing advantage. But what if we took this activity and reclaimed valuable indoor space to provide for additional or larger rooms, or extend dining space?

And what if you could also improve building services and reduce operational costs?

From boutique to national chains,

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CLH News

Adveco specialises in creating bespoke hot water and heating applications for the hotel industry that leverages all the advantages of renewable technologies, from air source heat pumps, and solar thermal to heat recovery.

We can also smartly combine these with existing gasfired systems or new all electric appliances to drive sustainability and greater efficiency to support improved guest amenities while reducing both CO emissions and operational costs. This can all be brought together in prefabricated structures that relocate heating and hot water plant to ‘dead spaces’ such as yards, alleys and in particular roof tops to maximise space and profit. https://systems.adveco.co/

Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier

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.

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

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Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers Celebrating 40 years of experience in the sale and manufacture of wooden trolleys for the catering trade, Euroservice trolley manufacturers have now acquired a worldwide reputation and still offer an extensive /comprehensive range of top quality wooden trol-

leys manufactured in the UK. Top quality is a priority in the production of all of our products and Euroservice are specialists in the manufacture of sturdy and beautiful looking trolleys which will grace any environment from the small privately owned restau-

Square One Interiors Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furniture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years.

Having had a history in 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 found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as well as several different wood finishes which would compliment

rant to the splendid 3 to 5 star hotels, resorts and Residential homes.

Euroservice’s excellence in the manufacture of wooden trolleys is backed by a personal, efficient and friendly service second to none. We are always busy researching the needs of the market and launch new ranges according to market demands.

Whatever your needs you can be assured that Euroservice can cater for them and we look forward to your call.

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com See the advert on page 2 for further information.

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.

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

Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture companies and high street names.

Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space!

For more information visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk 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.

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LSS and Kickstart Scheme Helping To Support Hospitality The LSS Group has become a Kickstart Gateway to help the hospitality sector place young people in jobs at a true zero net cost to employers. With over 30yrs experience in the Hospitality and Leisure sectors, LSS Group is aware that employing staff, in a cost-effective way, is an issue as the sector begins to open up.

Potential employers will receive bespoke support from LSS Group to enable them to take part, and LSS Group will handle the application process and provide ongoing support.

LSS Group provides comprehensive wrap-around support to the young people taking part throughout their six-month placement including mentoring, a dedicated placement manager, skills development, help with CV-building and job applications, and post-placement support towards future employment.

Andy Merricks, CEO of LSS Group said ”Covid-19 has had a profound impact on the Hospitality and Leisure sectors as well as employment and young people entering the labour market are among the worst affected. We are pleased to be able to support the sectors and believe that our experience will enable businesses to scale up recruitment in a manageable way as well as help young people to enter the industry and gain valuable experience and earnings. It also provides an opportunity to nurture some much needed ’home grown’ talent.”

The process from application to interviewing potential placements can take around 6 weeks so now is a good time to contact LSS Group either by visiting their website – www.thelssgroup.co.uk or email kickstart@thelssgroup.co.uk

This will take the stress away from placement providers and allow them to focus on providing a high-quality work placement experience.

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 advert on the inside back cover or visit www.phoenixsrs.co.uk

7 (of the Most Important) Ways to Control Labour Costs…

By David Hunter of the Bowden Group

Straight from the horse’s mouth … but the order of importance and significance will vary according to your particular business.

The most important ways to control Labour costs would be … in Summary: 1. Match more closely the number of staff you put on duty with the Sales that you are expecting to do at that time.

Use your business’s trading history … previous years’ business numbers, to predict what your sales are hopefully going to be in any one week, and then put onto the Rota the number of staff at any one time that you think are right for that predicted level of business.

Break it down to the number of staff on duty (ie being paid) on an hour-by-hour basis … and try very hard not to have on duty any more than you need at any one time.

This will certainly mean employing more people working less hours each …. But that will pay dividends as you have more to call on when you need extra help.

2. Think not just about Wages cost as a % of Sales … but also think about Wages cost in Money terms … how much £££ money is it costing you.

And don’t forget that Employer’s N.I. and Employers’ Pension Costs are all part of that overall cost.

Lots of operators have the idea that it is JUST all about Wages % … ie what your total wags cost represents as a % of your Total Nett Sales (nett of VAT … ie after the VAT has been take out). It is NOT just about that.

3. Train your staff on an ongoing basis …

Despite belief to the contrary, staff do like being trained, as it gives them the ability to do a better job, which usu-

ally means higher earnings … AND it enables them to aspire to an ever better job next time they make a change … whether still with you, or with a new employer.

4. Think laterally about how much to pay people.

Incentives and commissions always work well in Motivating staff.

The rate per hour, or the salary that you pay a person depends on so many things.

Yes there is the Minimum Wage, and the Living Wage, as a guide, but it will always be worth paying a bit more if staff are not that easy to replace.

It will almost always be better to pay someone what they are worth, rather than what you can get away with.

This is especially true with the younger staff. If they are doing the same job, and as good a job, as a person who is over 18 … pay them as it they WERE over 18 … because … if YOU don’t, someone else WILL pay them more … and you will lose them.

5. Look after your staff … it is better to retain the ones that you have spent time and money training than needing to replace them too often. Be a good employer … be nice to work for … and CARE about your staff.

The best employer in Hospitality that I know actually puts his staff before even himself.

When the Covid 19 Virus hit hard, both he and his wife took the biggest pay cuts, to show solidarity with staff.

The kind of Loyalty that that behaviour earns just cannot be bought anywhere.

6. Induct your new staff fully … don’t just throw them in the deep end.

How many times do we see it … a waiting person explaining to us that this is their first shift ever and that they don’t know what they are doing yet.

Try getting them to work WITH a more experienced team member who can ‘’show them the ropes’’ … and who can answer the many inevitable questions that will arise in their first week or two.

7. Try to stick to a Wages Budget … which means doing up a full Budget of course.

So many people think they can run a business without a Budget, Yes, you CAN … but it IS foolhardy to try and do that.

Firstly … it is incredibly helpful to know what Sales you are expecting to take, and how much you might spend … and what the ‘’bottom line’’ might look like. Train your staff on an ongoing basis too … make that a very part of the culture of the organisation.

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

But secondly and even more importantly … for a Bank or an Investor in that business, their confidence in you will soar, if they can see that you are ‘’on the ball’’ and have done your homework in advance.

David Hunter of The Bowden Group, on 07831 407984.

You can call me any time, but preferably 09.00 am – 09.00 pm on any day, weekends included.

If you want to talk through any aspects of this article or discuss how it affects you and your business, just call me:

Or just send me a text message asking me to call you.

KICKSTART SCHEME HELPING TO SUPPORT HOSPITALITY Your Hospitality business can benefit from a FREE 6-month work placement from a 16-24yr old.

Funding for each role covers: 100% of age-appropriate national minimum wage for 25 hours a week All associated employer national insurance contributions Employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions LSS Group will provide a ‘wrap around’ service, managing the whole process on your behalf

Go to

www.thelssgroup.co.uk/a-kickstart-gateway/ or call 0333 444 0630 for a ‘no obligation’ chat

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Roxburgh Milkins Help Healthy Fast Food Restaurant Chain

have advised them through the various steps of their fund raising - initially funding from friends and family, then angel investment and most recently private equity.

Roxburgh Milkins are a business law firm with a personal approach.

Recently they have aided Friska, a fresh food company:

Company bio: Founded in Bristol but expanding nationally, Friska offers seasonal, ethically sourced fresh food to eat in, take away or for office catering. The company received £3m of investment in 2017 from YFM equity Partners to finance its planned roll out.

Founders: With previous experience in food retail, economics and technology, Ed Brown and Griff Holland have been able to create an exceptional restaurant chain: great, healthy food backed up by impressive proprietary technology to run things efficiently and engage successfully with their customers.

How Roxburgh Milkins helped: Roxburgh Milkins have worked with Ed and Griff since shortly after they founded Friska in 2009. Since then Roxburgh Milkins

What they say about Roxburgh Milkins: "Working with the team at Roxburgh Milkins was an absolute blast; they also added a great deal of value throughout the whole fund-raising process.

"They are commercially astute, professionally accomplished and extremely personable.

"As a team they are straight forward to work with and pragmatic, which removes a lot of the tit-for-tat that is often associated with legal wrangling towards the end of the deal process."

For further information visit www.roxburghmilkins.com

Anzac Bistro and Bed & Breakfast in Dartmouth Sold Leading Licensed & Leisure Commercial Estate Agents Bettesworths are delighted to announce the sale of Anzac Bistro and Bed & Breakfast in Dartmouth. This superb life style business, with its enviable location in the pretty Anzac Square, has been purchased by Mr & Mrs Sharpe.

Mitch and Nicky have moved back to England after 15 years of life in the Dordogne, France. Alongside raising their two daughters, they set up a small business renting out properties to holiday makers within the town of Sarlat.

Having made a success of their business, they decided to return to their roots in the

W! NE

UK and embrace the new challenge of running this lovely Bistro and B&B. This enviable life style business was sold off an asking price of £575,000 for the freehold interest. Genevieve Stringer, who handled the sale commented, ‘I’m sure Anzac will go from strength to strength, and all of us here at Bettesworths would like to take this opportunity to wish Mitch and Nicky every success with their latest venture in this fabulous waterfront town of Dartmouth located in the beautiful South Hams’.

For other properties available through Bettesworths, see the advert on this page.

• Substantial Freehold Property in Ashburton • Public House, Separate Cottage & Car Park with Potential for Redevelopment, Subject to Planning • Over 10,000 Sq Ft of Valuable Real Estate in Thriving Devon Town • Of Interest to Property Speculators, Developers, Investors or Operators • Viewing Highly Recommended

COMBE FLOREY, SOMERSET

ASHBURTON, DEVON

• Stunning Grade II Listed Thatched Country Inn • Very Successful Business with Far Reaching Catchment Area • Low Overheads & Two Trade Areas providing 36 Covers • Extensive Trading Areas Inside and Out • Viewing Essential

PRICE: OFFERS OVER £600,000 FREEHOLD REF: 3971

PRICE: OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £400,000+ VAT FREEHOLD REF: 3883

• Attractive and Centrally Located Period Coaching Inn & Hotel • Successful Business with Strong Wet, Food and Letting Accommodation Revenue • Well Presented Character Trading Areas Including Main Bar & Dining Room • 16 Beautifully Refurbished Letting Rooms • Owners Apartment & Customer Car Park with an Outside Smokers Area

• Character Grade II Listed 16th Century Coaching Inn • Situated in the Central Square of Historical North Devon Town of Great Torrington • Traditional Bar, Lounge Bar with Open Fire and Restaurant with 60 + Covers • 3 En-Suite Letting Rooms & 5 Bedroom Owners Accommodation • New Free of Tie Lease - Guide Rent of £35,000 Per Annum

W! NE

PRICE: £695,000

FREEHOLD

REF: 3955

KINGSWEAR, DEVON

• Newly Refurbished Coffee Shop in Fabulous Location • Rare Opportunity to Purchase a Long Leasehold Premises • Potential to Expand on Menu & Opening Hours • E Class Use Allowing for Alternative Business Uses • Viewing Highly Recommended

PRICE: £89,500

W! NE

PRICE: £330,000

TORRINGTON, DEVON

WIVELISCOMBE, SOMERSET

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3938

PRICE: NIL INGOING – NEW LEASE

W! NE

PRICE: £59,950

MORETONHAMPSTEAD, DEVON

• Fabulous Freehold Opportunity within Dartmoor National Park • Charming Café/Bistro with Shop Trading Daytimes Only • Superb 2 Bed Self-Contained Accommodation • Huge Potential to Expand on Current Trade • Suitable for a Range of Catering Styles

FREEHOLD

REF 3408

REF: 3803

TORQUAY, DEVON

• Lock Up Takeaway Premises in Sought After Harbourside • Currently Trading 6 Days a Week 9am-2pm Closed Sundays • Previously Trading Evenings with Valuable 4am Licence • Huge Potential to Increase Trade with Addition of Delivery Service • First Time in 16 Years Business has Come to the Market

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3249

EAST LOOE, CORNWALL

PRICE: £49,500

• Fabulous Quayside Bar/ Restaurant Overlooking the Estuary • Waterside Dining and Drinking for Circa 46 Internally and 30 Outside • Fully Refurbished Property with Stylish Nautical Theme • Strong Business with Booming Summer Trade • Rare Opportunity to Secure a Waterside Business in Looe

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3386

Weekly Figures Analysis & Reporting Service from David Hunter David Hunter has been in the business for over 30 years, and with his vast amount of experience has become an expert in ensuring that businesses reach their full financial potential.

For years he’s provided a bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service to a select few, and he has always provided with that, free-of-charge weekly figures analysis and reporting … yes, weekly.

David has now come up with a way of making his amazing Mentoring & Consultancy service more accessible to the wider market, and for a lower monthly fee.

Instead of being charged for monthly consultancy, you can now access David’s knowledge and expertise via his already-established and very well-used weekly 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.

For Sale: Impressive & Completely Renovated Coastal Holiday Accommodation/B&B, Beer, East Devon Property specialists Stonesmith are thrilled to marketing the freehold sale of Belmont House - an attractive period, end of terrace residence, with origins that reputably date back around 200 years. Constructed from the famous Beer Stone under a pitched slate roof and having been the subject of considerable investment and improvement by our client during 17 years of ownership, Belmont House is presented to an extremely high standard and is a ready to trade “turnkey” opportunity. This extremely flexible and versatile property briefly comprises:- 5 en-suite double bedrooms, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility room and cloakroom. Externally, to the front of the property is a small terrace providing a seating area and to the rear is an enclosed gravelled garden with a timber beach hut.

The sale of Belmont House represents an opportunity to purchase an extremely well

maintained and versatile property within a highly sought after and desirable East Devon coastal village, coupled with a lucrative business opportunity. It also offers all the flexibility of a lifestyle business and investment opportunity, either as a bed and breakfast or alternatively as it is currently trading as a holiday let.

Belmont House is situated in the heart of Beer, just off Fore Street, the main thoroughfare of the village, and is opposite the main village centre car park.

The sale of Belmont House is reluctantly offered for sale, due to retirement.

The freehold property is on the market for offers over £450,000.

Full property details can be found on our website: www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.