CLH News #218 November 2018

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ISSUE 218

CLHNews

Editor's Viewpoint

NOVEMBER 2018

Falling Migrant Worker Numbers Will Undermine Hospitality Sector

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A new report has revealed an alarming fall in the number of both EU and non-EU migrants working in the UK, with experts warning that “the pendulum has swung away from the United Kingdom as an attractive place to live and work”. A report entitled Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and The Adecco Group, reveals that while the short-term outlook for employment remains strong, labour and skills shortages are accelerating.

The survey’s net employment balance – a measure of the difference between the proportion of employers who expect to increase staff levels and those who expect to decrease staff levels – has remained extremely positive at +22 (compared to +23 in Q3 2018).

However, among employers which currently have vacancies, seven in ten (70%) report that at least some

of their vacancies are proving hard-to-fill, higher than in Summer 2018 (66%) and Spring 2018 (61%).

In addition, over two in five of all employers (44%) report that it has become more difficult to fill vacancies over the past 12 months at their organisation, while over a third (34%) of employers say that retention pressures have risen during the same period.

This situation is being exacerbated by a relatively significant drop in the number of both EU and non-EU migrants that are employed in the UK. According to the latest official data, the number of non-UK-born workers in the UK decreased by 58,000 between Q2 2017 and Q2 2018, compared with an increase of more than a quarter of a million (+263,000) from Q2 2016 to Q2 2017. Contrary to the popular narrative, the labour supply shock is being driven primarily by falling interest

from migrants from outside the EU. The number of nonEU-born workers in the UK decreased by 40,000 between Q2 2017 and Q2 2018, compared with an increase of almost a quarter of a million (225,000) during the same period in the previous year.

Looking ahead, labour supply looks set to be further constrained from 2021 when migration restrictions for EU citizens are introduced, especially for lower-skilled workers.

In particular, employers express concern that the main route for recruiting EU citizens to fill lowerskilled roles that was recently proposed by the Migration Advisory Committee won’t be enough to satisfy their recruitment needs.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

Editor's Viewpoint

November 2018

Welcome to the October issue of CLH News, and welcome to any new readers, We are a free to trade hospitality and licensed publication and we very much hope that you find us interesting and useful!

“Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me! -Sorry I could not resist that!

It is, of course, a reference to the current political turmoil over Brexit. At the time of writing this six ministers have resigned, 37 letters attempting to EDITOR trigger a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister have been presented and “a gang of five ministers” had decided to stay put and try to change the course of the Brexit agreement.

It is creating turmoil, and things may have moved since I sat down and composed this article, but I’m speaking with respect to events as they stand today!

With less than six months to go before our departure, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) released a report ‘Open and Controlled: A New Approach to Immigration After Brexit’, outlining 18 key industries that will inevitably by impacted by Brexit. For the hospitality, tourism and food and drink industries, the CBI report found the sectors’ heavy reliance on EU migrants could be problematic for recruiters past 2021 – the end of the Brexit implementation period.

An estimated 442,000 EU migrants work in hotels and restaurants, accounting for 12% of the sectors’ total workforce. Recruiters have long benefitted from Free Movement as they filled vacancies in hotels, restaurants, bars, kitchens and head office with EU talent. The CBI estimate that 75% of severs are European, as is 37% of housekeepers, 24% of chefs, 21% of kitchen and catering assistants, 23% of housekeeping managers or supervisors and 13% of hotel managers or proprietors.

Furthermore, it was estimated the hospitality sector currently needs 62,000 EU migrants a year to maintain current levels and activities.

I have always believed an agreement will be struck regarding migrant labour, however an agreement might not “butter the parsnips”. Why? Well, a recent survey, conducted by YouGov, revealed that just over one in ten workers (11%, which is equivalent to around 330,000 staff nationally) working in UK restaurants, catering, bars and hotels are thinking about leaving the UK as a result of Brexit. This is in stark contrast to hospitality managers’ expectations that only around 4% of their workers are considering leaving the UK due to Brexit. 53% of workers surveyed believed that Brexit had made the UK a less welcoming place to live and work.

A very concerning statistic, I think we would all agree we are a welcoming country, and very welcoming to those who want to come here work hard and better themselves. And having spent many years in frontline operations in the hospitality industry I know only too well how much hard work it is. So it is very disappointing to hear concerns that our decision to leave the EU is making hard-working and contributing workers feel unwelcome.

For me the main concern is the priority suggested for “highly skilled workers” which, as has rightly been pointed out exacerbates the skills shortage in the hospitality industry. The majority of overseas workers in the hospitality industry would be considered low skills and therefore excluded. The hospitality sector employs 3 million people and generates £350 million each week to the public purse. It would be utter madness to implement any policy which in any way compromises that.

Peter Adams

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Falling Migrant - Worker Numbers Will Undermine Hospitality Sector One in ten (10%) employers that currently employ EU citizens report that extending the Youth Mobility Scheme to EU nationals post-Brexit would meet their recruitment needs to a large extent for medium and low-skilled roles.

In addition, a third (33%) of employers who employ non-EU citizens say that the administrative burden of using the current points-based system for non-EU citizens system, which will most likely be adopted for EU citizens from 2021, is too great. Around a quarter (26%) say that the salary threshold is too high and a fifth (20%) of employers say that the cost implications of the current system are also too high.

No movement on pay except for new starters and key staff While demand for labour remains strong, overall, employers report median basic pay increase expectations for the 12 months to September 2019 of just 2%. However, the squeeze on skills is having a clear impact on many employers’ pay decisions:

Gerwyn Davies, Senior Labour Market Analyst for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development comments: “The data implies that the pendulum has swung away from the UK as an attractive place to live and work for non-UK born citizens, especially non-EU citizens, during a period of strong employment growth and low unemployment. This has heightened recruitment difficulties for some employers. It also underlines the risk that more non-UK-born citizens and employers will be discouraged from using the postBrexit system if more support is not provided and it is not made simpler, fairer and more affordable; especially for lower-skilled roles.

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“We have already voiced our concerns about the ability of employers to recruit post-Brexit, but the worrying reality is that numbers of non-UK workers are dwindling, and we haven’t even left the EU yet.

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“If the talent pool continues to shrink, then businesses will be unable to invest and grow their businesses.

“Even more concerning for hospitality businesses is the Government’s intention to implement an immigration policy that favours higher-skilled technical jobs at the expense of others. Restricting potential applicants into the hospitality sector further, when the number of non-UK born workers is already shrinking, will be a disaster for the sector.”

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UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The figures released by CIPD make alarming reading for hospitality businesses. With unemployment relatively low, businesses need to recruit from outside the UK to augment their home-grown teams and continue to grow.

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• Around half of organisations (48%) that have experienced increased difficulty recruiting staff during the past 12 months have increased starting salaries in response.

More than a quarter (27%) have done so for the majority of vacancies, while around a fifth (21%) have done so for a minority of vacancies.

• Among organisations that have experienced increased difficulty retaining staff over the past 12 months, just over half (51%) have increased salaries, with 28% raising salaries for the majority of staff and 23% doing so for key staff only. Almost half of employers (47%) have not raised salaries at all in response to rising retention difficulties, highlighting the wider productivity challenges and cost pressures facing many organisations.

“Against the backdrop of a tight labour market, failure to do this will heighten recruitment difficulties and could lead to negative consequences for existing staff, such as higher workloads, and loss of business or orders for firms. It’s vital that businesses understand the workforce challenges they face, and make the relevant investment in skills and adopt the right people management practices to boost productivity in their organisation.”

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

November 2018

Hospitality Industry Wages Already Outstripping the New NLW Thresholds The latest statistics from leisure and hospitality software provider Fourth has revealed that the average hourly pay of workers over 25 in the UK hospitality industry is currently £8.60 – 39p above the new £8.21 threshold for over 25s outlined in this month’s budget.

The statistics, which have been mined from Fourth Analytics data on the hourly pay of thousands of hospitality workers and is blended across the restaurant, QSR and pub sectors, also reveals that all age cohorts are currently earning higher than their respective new thresholds, which come into force in April 2019.

• The average pay of those aged between 21-24 is £8.35 (Sept 2018) – 65p higher than the new threshold of £7.70.

• The average pay of those aged between 18-20 is £7.37 (Sept 2018) – £1.22 higher than the new threshold of £6.15.

• The average pay for those under 18 sits at £6.52 (Sept 2018) – £2.32 higher than the new threshold of £4.35.

Commenting on the figures, Mike Shipley, Analytics & Insight Solutions Director at Fourth, said: “These statistics clearly reveal that hourly pay in the hospitality industry is currently significantly outstripping increases to the National Living Wage. Considering hourly wages of hospitality workers increased by 4.8% over the last six months, it’s likely the gap between real wages and the new thresholds will be further exacerbated between now

and April.

workers experienced a 4.7% increase from £7.89 to £8.26.

“Attracting and retaining quality employees is one of the biggest challenges hospitality operators now face and with a well-documented shortage of labour, particularly in skilled back-of-house roles, operators are offering competitive rates, alongside development programmes, incentives and other initiatives to attract the best employees, which are all driving up costs.

The data also reveals that front of house (FOH) workers received a higher percentage increase in wages (5.2%) than those working in back of house (BOH) roles (5%). However, they still earn a lower hourly rate of £8.05 than BOH workers who earn £8.75.

“To combat this era of aggressive labour inflation, we are working closely with our customers on productivity programmes and initiatives, such as smarter rota scheduling to improve both sales and service levels, as well as driving the amount of revenue generated per worker per labour hour.”

Digging deeper, the statistics reveal that EU workers’ average hourly wage is higher than workers from the UK, but lower than those from the rest of the world (ROW). Over the period March 2018 to September 2018, EU workers’ wages rose 5.2% from £8.08 to £8.50; while UK workers’ wages rose 5% from £7.73 to £8.12; and ROW workers’ wages rose 4.2% from £8.52 to £8.86.

“With our industry’s heavy reliance on skilled workers from the EU, a reduction in the supply of labour from these countries – which we are already experiencing with new EU workers entering the industry decreasing by 3% to 38% of all new starters over the past year – will continue to drive up wage inflation, further impacting hospitality margins.

Analysing wage levels by sector, the results show that workers in quick service restaurants receive the highest hourly wage, which rose 4.7% from £8.80 in March 2018 to £9.08 in September 2018. Over the same period, pub workers’ wages rose 5.6% from £7.98 to £8.43; while restaurant

“To mitigate this, we are increasingly seeing companies turn to technology to gain greater transparency on all aspects of their business, including the make-up of workforce, in addition to improving efficiency through smarter scheduling and forecasting.”

New Veggie Training For Catering Staff – We’ll Come To You cover menu planning and develop recipes, using ontrend ingredients focusing on flavour and texture.

Sam Platt, Cookery School Manager said, “With the growing demand for meat-free meals caterers need to keep a competitive edge to attract new customers. Our Veggie Training for Catering Staff will give you the head-start you need. As well as nutrition and practical sessions we’ll also look at your menus and how they can be adapted to give more choice to all your customers.”

Need help sorting out your vegetarian and vegan options? When you run a busy café, restaurant, or inhouse kitchen, there are always a million things to do. This is why the Vegetarian Society Cookery School’s new Veggie Training for Catering Staff is delivered to your team in your workplace. The halfday bespoke course focuses on your menus, procedures and equipment to develop vegetarian and vegan options, giving you fresh ideas and your customers more choice.

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Shipley added: “While the statistics reveal that EU and ROW workers earn more than workers from the UK, the large numbers of EU and ROW workers in skilled back of house chef roles in the quick service and restaurant industries has significantly driven up their average wage per hour, particularly with the ROW where a number of specialist overseas chefs command higher wages, impacting the figures.

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Father Riitmaas is KP of the Year Aleks Riitmaa, known affectionately as Father Riitmaas, has beaten off strong opposition to claim the KP of the Year crown for 2018. The award is the brainchild of warewashing specialist Winterhalter and is judged by a panel of top names from the foodservice industry. Aleks has been a kitchen porter at the Crathorne Hall Hotel in North Yorkshire for over eleven years and was nominated by Alan Robinson, the hotel’s executive head chef. “Father Riitmaas is thoughtful, generous, does the most thorough job and makes the whole team smile,” says Alan.

“He cleans and scrubs areas that other KPs didn’t even know existed!

He gets involved in the upkeep of everything, from the deep fat fryer to the compost bins and our bees.

“He’s also the unbeatable king of the dancefloor at every staff party!”

Stephen Kinkead is the managing

director of Winterhalter UK. “We had a really tough time sorting out the runners up in this year’s competition, because the level of entries was so high,” he says. “However, picking the overall winner was relatively easy – Aleks was the unanimous choice, right from the get go.

At one point Alan described him as ‘a unique inspiration’, and as judges we could really see why.

“On behalf of everyone at Winterhalter, I’d like to offer huge congratulations to Father Riitmaas.”

Along with his trophy, Aleks wins £1,000 in cash, plus a celebratory dinner for family and friends. For the Crathorne Hotel his win means they receive a brand new Winterhalter warewasher.

“The judging was so tough that we couldn’t pick just two runners ups – so for 2018 we had to have three,” says Stephen Kinkead. They are Suheil Ahmed, of Social Pantry, London; Martyn Dickers, of the Cardiff Marriott Hotel; and David Gadsby who is a relief kitchen porter for BaxterStorey. Each receives a trophy and £250.

In addition, every single KP who was entered for the award receives an exclusive KP of the Year apron in a special presentation tin.

For the latest news about the KP of the Year awards visit www.kpoftheyear.com

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UK’s Hotel Sector Stands Firm in Tough Year, says HVS Chairman The UK’s hotel sector has stood firm in what is proving a tough trading year, with overall occupancy in London slightly up and the provinces remaining flat in the year to date.

Speaking to an audience of HOSPA members (the Hospitality Professionals Association) in London today [1 November 2018] HVS chairman Russell Kett said that average room rates had also shown little change, leading to a minimal impact on RevPAR [rooms revenue per available room, the standard performance measurement], which now sits at £121* for London and £57 in the regions for the year to September.

London has fared better than the provinces over the past three months with hotel occupancy up 3% to 88.2%, boosting RevPAR by 4%. Intense competition, however, meant that room rates rose just 1% to £158.03 in London, compared with 2% in the provinces to £77.69.

The sector does continue to attract strong investor interest whenever anything comes onto the market, particularly in London, said Kett, citing £5.2bn-worth of sales in the last 12 months of trading. A strong 2017 meant that the volume of comparable transactions in London were down 33% over the past 12 months at £1.8bn, although up 31% in the regions to a value of

£3.4bn.

Transaction activity over the past 12 months has included both portfolio and single asset deals such as the sale of Principal’s 14 hotels for £750m and the 76-hotel deal by Travelodge worth £246m. In London most notable sales over the past 12 months include that of the Beaumont hotel for £130m, and the Hilton Kensington for £260m.

“Hotel operators have stood firm in what has been a difficult climate. Unfortunately we are unlikely to see any immediate relief in the first half of 2019 particularly with the Brexit agreement as yet unresolved. This has the potential to reduce business travel and therefore corporate demand. The weak pound will benefit incoming travellers and while this may improve occupancy, is unlikely to lift average rates and RevPAR.” Kett told the audience that occupancy in UK hotels is likely to be heavily impacted by future openings as London is set to see an 8% rooms supply increase next year**, with a 5% increase in the regions – a rise on this year’s 2% growth in both London and the regions.

November 2018

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“With such a strong pipeline of hotels due to come on stream, we will need a healthy demand growth to avoid a drop in occupancy percentages,” he warned.

sobering reading for eating and drinking-out businesses. Costs continue to rise for pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

“At a time of political and economic uncertainty, the Government must provide support to help address spiralling costs that threaten the future of the hospitality industry in the UK. Additionally, 40% cent of businesses surveyed reported a hike in their business rates and 20% have reported that they have had to cut staff numbers to address cost rises.

The Government must immediately commit to reform of a broken business rates system.”

Ramzi Qattan, Director at Christie & Co and report author comments, “This year’s results reflect the continuing evolution of both the UK consumer and investor landscapes.

Food sales have reached a new highwater mark, and room revenues continue to grow at a strong pace as more operators are attracted to high margin letting rooms.

“From an investor perspective, we

are well past the peak of the investment cycle, with capital expenditure now more subdued. Structural issues such as oversupply of restaurant space on the back of Private-Equityfunded brand rollouts have created further challenges, although thankfully rent levels on the high street are now also well past their peak.”

The report also canvasses business confidence ahead of Brexit, with 40% of businesses believing that Brexit will have a negative impact on business. Respondents have stated that recruitment has already become more difficult, with 1-in-5 employers reporting that EU nationals have already left the businesses as a direct result of Brexit.

Kate said: “Brexit continues to cause concern for many businesses in the hospitality sector. The effects of leaving the EU are already beginning to be felt by some employers. If the Government wants to make a success of Brexit then action to reduce costs now, to mitigate the impacts of leaving, is absolutely necessary.”

5

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Hospitality Costs Hit 12-Year High Reveals New Report New data published by UKHospitality, and specialist business property adviser Christie & Co, show Government-implemented costs are taking a significant toll on businesses in the eating and drinking-out sector.

According to the 2018 UKHospitality Christie & Co Benchmarking Report, controllable costs have risen to an average of 52.5% of turnover, the highest in the twelve-year history of the report.

Payroll costs, the single largest cost for eating and drinking-out businesses, now stand at 29.4% of turnover, an increase of 1.5 percentage points in 12 months.

The report also shows a real term shrinking of like-for-like sales that have risen 1.1%, below inflation.

Margins for food sales remain flat while margins for drinks sales have declined since last year.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The results of this year’s UKHospitality Christie & Co Benchmarking Report make for

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0800 44 44 43 The Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News Group is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, Suite 4, Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained.

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

November 2018

Food Safety at Christmas - Don’t Fall Foul of the Law Hospitality operators are being reminded to monitor food safety procedures during the festive period. With the busiest period for the hospitality calendar almost upon us with operators often at full stretch ,this is also the season where food poisoning cases peak. And while many cases of food poisoning can be attributed to mistakes at home, they can also go hand-in-hand as caterers operate at full stretch outside the scope of their normal day-to-day operations. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), cross-contamination is one of the most common causes of food poisoning.

Consequences of not following food safety procedures can be catastrophic, a pub manageress and her chef were both jailed after a diner tragically died and 31 people suffered food poisoning after eating a four-course Christmas lunch at a pub/hotel in Hornchurch. The pub group was fined £1.5 million for having 'manifestly inadequate' food safety measures in place. Imposing the fine the judge said that the amount recognises the 'seriousness of the offence' and so its management and shareholders recognise the need to 'operate within the law,' the judge said.

The chef had failed to follow food safety procedures in preparation and storage, and both the manager and the chef then attempted to cover their tracks by falsifying records.

The tragic incident emphasises that effective management and regular food hygiene checks are imperative for food safety. All hospitality and catering businesses there-

fore need to maintain up-to-date and accurate safety records.

“Maintaining strict temperature parameters is vital to ensure safe fresh tasting produce says wireless temperature monitoring specialists Logicall, “Our robust data loggers are small enough to fit into any cold storage unit ensuring temperature data is recorded, monitored and analysed throughout the entire cold chain. All records comply to HACCP procedures and are accessible from anywhere, anytime. Perfect for a catering establishment with a clear view on food safety. Once installed our system will automatically record temperature data at intervals chosen by you. All the data is fully EHO compliant and will save you the constant headache of manually recording the temperature of each of your fridges and freezers. Live email or text alerts will be sent should a unit’s parameters be breached, meaning no matter where you are, you will have the time to eliminate any stock losses. Saving you both time and money.”

Fiona Sinclair, director of food safety consultancy STS provides insight on how to ensure that you have a trouble-free festive period 1 Staphylococcus (the party bug) This naturally occurring food poisoning bacteria is present in about 40% of foodhandlers’ noses, mouths and throats, and on 15% of the population’s skin. Food that is handled closely during preparation, such as salads, sandwiches and canapés, can easily become contaminated if you have a food-handler with sloppy personal hygiene (unwashed hands, coughing and sneezing while preparing food, or uncovered cuts).

The key to avoiding contamination is good personal

hygiene, alongside safe temperature and time control to limit the production of toxins. Points to consider include:

• Catering for larger-than-usual volumes of party buffets will require sufficient capacity of chilled storage space.

• Create additional space using extra shelves, trolleys in walk-in fridges or even hired units.

• Once food is on display or out for service, the law states that it can be kept out of chilled temperature control only once and for a maximum of four hours.We would strongly advise reducing this time as, not only has the food been in the temperature danger zone, it could also have been exposed to the risk of bugs, such as norovirus from guests’ hands.

• It’s not just chilled storage that needs attention; you should also ensure that here is adequate capacity for other temperature control, such as hot holding.

2 Proactive allergen management Caterers have come a long way since the allergen laws were introduced in December 2014. However, collating allergen information for new and seasonal menus can be more of a reactive process than a proactive one.

Suppliers can often be slow at providing allergen information, so make sure you get started early.

Another thing to consider is ensuring that you encourage guests and customers who have allergies to tell you.

If you can capture their allergy information during the booking process – whether that’s on a booking form for functions, website booking or verbally over the phone – then you can prepare all the necessary precautions ahead of their visit.

3 Casual staff – avoiding ‘loose cannons’ Even when waiters are hired as socalled low-risk food

Partnering With Celebrity Chefs: How To Get It Right First Time Hotels have long recognised the value that on-site restaurants can bring to their offering. They are increasingly joining forces with celebrity chefs to forge partnerships aiming to run restaurants of distinction and culinary sophistication.

Such ventures work best when they are framed as a genuine partnership, designed to ensure that the joint brand is worth more than the sum of its constituent parts.

Of course, this is easier said than done.

In our experience forged from assisting clients on both sides of the fence in negotiating these deals, it pays to think carefully about what the venture is designed to achieve and to structure the arrangements accordingly.

But, it is also well known that celebrity chefs are notoriously independently minded and used to running things in their own image. This creates an obvious tension between the need of the hotel to oversee the running of the restaurant facilities and the wish of the chef to maintain their creative independence.

The best and most successful partnerships tackle these issues head on, in particular by making sure that the contractual arrangements are carefully constructed and provide for all eventualities. From the hotelier’s perspective, this means in particular:

• Detailing each party’s duties: a well prepared contract should be as specific as possible in laying out the respective duties of the hotelier and the chef. Clearly defining and setting out the chef ’s responsibilities is crucial to avoid future disagreements and, ultimately, protect one’s right to terminate if things don’t go according to plan.

• IP protection and usage: each side will want to make sure they protect ownership rights in their IP. Celebrity chefs are understandably protective of their image and brand and will want to have oversight as to how they are used in conjunction with the hotel’s own brand. The key issue here for the hotelier will be to ensure that they are granted sufficient rights to be able fully to exploit the chef ’s brand in conjunction with their own, in particular in advertising and other such materials.

• Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst: from the outset of any partnership between a hotel and chef, the two sides will be looking forward to a fruitful relationship. In general, one can expect reality to match those expectations, but

handlers, the law for suitable food safety instruction, training and supervision still applies, whether or not they are directly handling food. Make sure you clearly set the standards and give straightforward, relevant instructions to casual food handlers on all the essential hygiene rules that they need to follow.

Take into consideration any language barriers and focus on what they really need to know. Retain written confirmation that each person has received this instruction for due-diligence purposes.

4 Law for temporary premises/equipment Party catering may involve temporary kitchens in marquees, mobile stands, pop-ups or Christmas market stalls.

Arrangements such as the removal of waste and effective temperature control will need to be considered, as will the supply of hot water Where high-risk, open food is to be handled, merely using hand sanitiser is not an adequate substitute for the correct handwashing facilities – even if the source is the hot-water urn.

5 Campylobacter (Christmas bug) Research shows that about 70% of chickens are contaminated with campylobacter, and as another member of the poultry family, turkey may also be naturally contaminated with the so-called ‘Christmas bug’.

There are two main threats from campylobacter. The first is cross-contamination, so ensure you use separate areas and equipment for handling raw poultry. You should also follow cooking times closely.

Christmas food safety is all about the planning, the gift that nobody wants is poisoning. Keep the spirit of the festive season alive and well, review your food safety management systems and putting suitable controls and monitoring in place. This will leave you free to enjoy the party with complete peace of mind. www.logicall.co (See advert page 26)

unfortunately this is not always going to be the case. Recognising this and accounting for the prospect that things might go wrong is paramount. As with any endorsement deal involving celebrity, protection is needed as much from what happens “off-site” as during the performance of any contractual obligations. There are various options to consider here, including termination provisions that can be triggered if the chef is unable to perform for any significant period and/or becomes embroiled in any scandal. It is important to try and define where the line is to be drawn and, in particular, at what point a hotel can simply walk away and on what terms. If termination is not an option, both sides should have a discussion about insurance and whether this can be used to help cover any gaps between them.

• Above all else, understand each other’s business realities: disputes often arise out of well-intentioned commercial contracts because one or other party fails fully to understand the business realties of the other. Hotel-chef agreements are no different. Both parties need to be realistic about what they can reasonably expect from a deal and to document it accordingly.

With the above in mind, hotels can approach contractual negotiations with celebrity chefs and those who represent them confident that they will be better able to maximise their return from the relationship, whilst also being protected from adverse eventualities.

By Alex Haffner Commercial Partner, Fladgate LLP

Craft Beer Boom Sees Trade Marks Jump 20% To Record High The craft beer boom has seen the number of new trade marks registered in the UK for beer brands rise by 20%, to a record high of 2,372 in 2017, up from 1,983 the previous year, reveals research from RPC, the Cityheadquartered law firm.

RPC says that the number of trade marks registered for beer has more than doubled since 2010, when only 1,072 trade marks for beer were registered.

Consumer demand for ‘limited edition’ and ‘small batch’ beers means that breweries are launching far more products lines, with their own trade marks. This is a radical change from the pre-craft beer model which saw brewers consolidate their products lines and promote just a few “global brands”.

BrewDog, for example, now lists 20 different beers on its website. Heineken, on the other hand, only advertises two beers in the UK under the Heineken brand.

Some of the major breweries are following the craft beer model of having a larger range of trademark protected products, not just by buying craft brands through M&A deals but launching more products under their own marque. For example, Diageo owned Guinness now produces a range of lagers and pale ales.

Supermarkets are also encouraging the trend by allowing more beer companies onto their shelves and selling their own craft beer products. For example, Marks & Spencer now stocks craft beer from UK microbrewers

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which it labels as its own products, such as Battersea Rye and British Clipper IPA. The craft beer industry in the UK has followed the explosive growth of the sector in the US. The market for beer trade marks is so active in the US that there are now boutique law firms focused on beer trade marks.

Ben Mark, Legal Director at RPC, says: “The craft beer market has grown to a scale where some of the IP behind the brands is extremely valuable. Protecting the value of those brands is becoming increasingly important.”

RPC says that the rise in the number of beer trade marks has inevitably led to a host of trade mark disputes in the sector. This has emphasised the need for businesses to protect their brands from the outset.

Ciara Cullen, Partner at RPC, comments: “The enormous range of products now available means that beer brands are likely to overlap.”

“By ensuring that the business’ IP is protected and actively monitored and enforced from the outset this gives the business an edge on the competition in an increasingly saturated market. It can also alleviate the risk of lengthy legal battles down the road that inevitably distract from the more exciting business of innovation and growth.”

Concerns Over Children Playing On 18+ Pub Gaming Machines

Tests on a sample of pubs in England indicate that almost 90% failed to prevent children accessing 18+ gaming machines.

The Gambling Commission has worked with licensing authorities and local police to test compliance with laws in place to protect children from the risks gambling can pose.

Children are not permitted to play Category C gaming machines in pubs, and staff are expected to stop children playing on the machines and there should be clear signage

indicating the age restriction says the commission.

Announcing the results at the Institute of Licensing National Conference, Helen Rhodes, Programme Director at the Gambling Commission, said: “We are extremely concerned that pubs across England are failing to stop children playing gaming machines designed for adults. We urgently call on the pub sector to take action immediately to enforce the laws in place to protect children and young people.”

“We expect to see significant improvement in further tests and will continue to work with licensing authorities to support any action required against those failing to adhere to the requirements.”

The current failure rate (89%) compares to an average failure rate of 15% to 30% for other age restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco2.

The Commission has written to the pub industry outlining the findings of our work and calling for urgent improvements.

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No Reservations Around Risk Assessment When It Comes To Managing The Legionella Threat Deadly Legionella bacteria can spread quickly in any water system. SafeCare’s Jamie Tranter shares his tips for safely and responsibly controlling the risk in catering and hospitality environments Food regulation and compliance present round-theclock challenges for catering and hospitality businesses.

Health and safety regulations and codes of practice are designed to protect your workers, site visitors and the general public from the evident risks in every working building and facility across every sector.

However, recent cases of Legionella outbreaks present a major cause for concern considering the fatal nature of Legionnaires’ disease. It’s easy for businesses to become overwhelmed by keeping up with every piece of compliance that they must adhere to, yet losing focus can lead to disastrous consequences.

Controlling the Legionella risk and achieving compliance needn’t be a headache. With the right procedures and protocols in place, businesses can achieve round-theclock compliance with added peace of mind.

By following these four steps, catering and hospitality businesses can successfully reduce the risks:

1. SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES Managing compliance can be the responsibility of any number of people in a hospitality establishment, but being accountable for keeping up with every piece of

compliance and regulation is a challenging job for one person to master.

Factors such as updates to regulations, changing production processes all contribute to the challenge of ensuring continuous compliance. While helpful guidelines are made available to assist businesses in keeping compliance in check, the fact is that often, factors that compromise compliance can be hard to detect. While facilities managers are without doubt the experts in their own organisations, they can’t always be expected to demonstrate expertise in every area of compliance.

Assigning key responsibilities to competent individuals will ensure compliance-based tasks such as assessments and log-book management are fulfilled with utmost care and detail. Where there is a lack of experience within the existing team, external consultancy firms can provide the skills and experience, from assessments to remedial work resulting from assessment findings.

2. INVEST IN TRAINING Any individual tasked with managing compliance should have undergone the relevant City and Guilds accredited training. This can be provided on-site or a specialist training facility by an external firm. If opting to enlist an external firm to take on the management of compliance in your building or facility, it is crucial to ensure that the firm’s engineers are City and Guilds accredited and have plenty of relevant sector experience.

LittlePod Receive Queens Award for Sustainable Development LittlePod Ltd is one of eight companies in the UK to win the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development 2018. The LittlePod Company provides natural ingredients to home cooks, professional chefs and manufacturers. The company was launched in 2010. The unique vanilla paste in an innovative tube has been hailed as an essential store-cupboard ingredient.

97% of vanillin used in the West is artificial. In 2010 LittlePod realised that people had lost touch with the story of vanilla, and that real vanilla could be lost within a generation. It was important to educate and raise awareness of the plight of the vanilla farmers on the Equatorial Belt who cultivate the orchid and whose livelihoods are threatened.

Therefore LittlePod initiated:

• A #CampaignForRealVanilla, • A National Real Vanilla Day (17th October) • A book - “Vanilla, Cooking With One Of The World’s Finest Ingredients” by LittlePod MD Janet Sawyer (pub. RPS) • An innovative tube of vanilla paste - selected as essential store-cupboard ingredient by Speciality Food Magazine (2018)

Over 8 years LittlePod’s determination to provide natural real vanilla has led to a collaborative community project with their own vanilla farmer for reforestation, to ensure a sustainable future for vanilla.

On presenting the Queen’s Award, David Fursdon, Lord Lieutenant of Devon said; “Isn’t it fantastic, that a small company in a village in East Devon can reach out and impact on the world whilst doing social good at home.”

See the LittlePod advert on page 19 for further details.

3. ONGOING ASSESSMENT Frequent risk assessments are key to running a compliant business. Following official assessment guidelines, facilities managers must undertake regular risk assessments because staying compliant is a continual process.

Legionella bacteria emitted from an ‘out of control’ cooling towers can travel several miles in the breeze, potentially affecting the wider neighbouring communities as well as you and your workers.

If these vital pieces of plant equipment are not regularly assessed in accordance with official Legionella regulations that ensure the safe control of Legionella risk, dangers are posed to guests, staff and even people within close proximity of the building.

Hostile elements such as scale or corrosion in a poorly maintained cooling tower can result in the growth of Legionella bacteria which can quickly spread throughout the water system, creating a potentially fatal risk to anyone who breathes in the Legionella bacteria contaminated aerosol (water spray).

When it comes to Legionella risk assessment, different elements of the entire water system – beyond cooling towers – need to be assessed on individual cycles. Cold water tanks are evident in most buildings but only need to be assessed on an annual basis whereas hot water heaters (calorifiers) must be monitored monthly.

Infrequently used outlets such as taps and shower heads must be flushed on a weekly basis to ensure that there is no opportunity for Legionella bacteria to breed in stagnant water that has built up between uses.

This is just a snapshot from an extensive list of requirements that must take place at different intervals and remember, these only reference Legionella compliance.

When you think about each of the different areas of compliances and regulations that your business must adhere, the importance of keeping it consistent becomes clear.

4. STAY ONE STEP AHEAD While the challenge of maintaining compliance may seem overwhelming, businesses can move beyond the challenge and find peace of mind by investing in the right expertise. This could be in the form of internal personnel trained to be the experts on specific pieces of compliance or this could be in the form of external consultants who have extensive experience and expertise in assessment and remedial action.

By investing in training such as City and Guilds accredited courses that will bring your nominated internal experts up to speed with compliance, or by enlisting the right consultants and working with either to develop a set of policies and procedures your business can remove the stress of consistent compliance. In doing so, you will be safeguarding your workers, your customers, your reputation and your bottom line.

Williams Restructures Sales Team To Work More Closely With Distributor Partners

Williams Refrigeration has restructured its sales team following the promotion of some key personnel and the recruitment of new people. One of the key changes will be the refocusing of Williams’ relationship with its distributor network.

The new team includes Garry Allitt, who has been promoted to National Sales Manager, and Kaj Sandom, who joins Williams as National Account Manager including responsibility for foodservice consultants. Another new recruit, Tony Prince, is Williams’ new Business Development Manager. Steven Grahamslaw has been appointed as Area Sales Manager for Scotland and Haydon Hendry, who joined Williams from sister company Falcon, is Area Sales Manager for the Midlands and North East.

“The current economic climate make

these unpredictable times for foodservice equipment manufacturers and distributors,” says Malcom Harling, Sales and Marketing Director of Williams.

“At the same time we’ve made extensive changes to our product portfolio over the past couple of years, with several new developments and solutions.

We believe these new products give us a real opportunity, especially in a challenging market. Our new sales structure is designed to help our team work

even more closely with our business partner distributors, to help them (and us) maximise the business potential.”

Amongst those latest products is the new G Series Multideck merchandiser, which uses eco-friendly refrigerant and is designed to be the most energy efficient on the market. “Effective collaboration with our distributors is the best way to ensure that the market is fully aware of the capabilities of products like the G Series,” says Harling.

Williams Refrigeration offers a comprehensive range of commercial refrigeration including gastronorm cabinets and counters, specialist bakery equipment, coldrooms, merchandisers and blast chillers.

To learn more about Williams extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk.

Hospitality VAT - Time for the Chancellor to “Think the Unthinkable”?

At a time of tough trading conditions and ongoing Brexit uncertainty, a review of the current VAT situation is high on the Budget ‘wish list’ of many hospitality and leisure businesses.

However, given the current unstable economic climate, whether the Government will be in favour of implementing a reduced VAT rate remains to be seen, says Robert Facer, VAT director at accountancy firm Menzies LLP.

“The issue of VAT rates on hospitality and leisure services is a controversial and much-debated one but the financial struggles facing the sector have brought this into even greater focus. In recent years, the industry has been calling for a VAT reduction, to level the playing field with other parts of the EU, where lower VAT rates apply to hotel accommodation and restaurant services. In France, VAT on tourist accommodation is 10 per cent – just half that charged in the UK (20 per cent).

“Northern Ireland has been adversely affected by the Republic of Ireland’s lower 9 per cent VAT rate on

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some tourism-related goods and services. Last year, the Government announced it would launch a consultation into differing VAT rates, the outcome of which is likely to be reported in the 2018 Budget.

“Whilst the discrepancy between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland must be addressed, many hospitality and leisure businesses would like to see a lower VAT rate extended across the entire United Kingdom.

“Lowering the VAT rate would certainly be welcomed by businesses in the industry, helping them to overcome the challenge of an increasing cost base and boosting profitability. However, it is important to bear in mind that consumers won’t necessarily see the benefits of any rate change, if suppliers choose not to adjust their prices. Prior to introducing a rate change, the Government will want to consider whether the objective is to stimulate trade and boost tourism through more competitive prices, or simply to improve profit margins.

“With Brexit on the horizon, a reduced VAT rate could prove extremely valuable to hospitality and leisure businesses; levelling the playing field with other European tourist hubs and alleviating some of the financial pressures they are facing”.

Profits at Top 100 UK Restaurant Groups Plummet 80% in The Last Year

The total pre-tax profits at the UK’s Top 100 restaurants have plunged 80% in the last year to just £37 million, down from £194 million twelve months ago according to market analysis from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.

The drop means that pre-tax profits at the UK’s Top 100 restaurant groups have now fallen 89% from £345 million since the first quarter of 2017.

outlets in recent months as the casual dining sector deals with overcapacity.

Business restructuring, such as closing restaurants, can be an expensive operation even if it delivers longer-term cost savings. The shortterm cost of terminating employee contracts and exiting tenancy agreements early can be substantial.

The fall in profits also highlights the on-going challenges faced by the The cost of closing struggling sites casual dining sector, including higher has weighed heavily on the profits business rates, a rising minimum of restaurant groups over the past wage and increasing utility costs. two years. Household-name groups Of the UK’s Top 100 restaurant including Gaucho, Strada, and Prezzo have all shut a number of groups, 37 are now loss making.

Examples of restaurant groups suffering financial woes include:

• Gourmet Burger Kitchen posted a £2.6 million operating loss for the first six months of 2018 and is rumoured to be considering a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) • Harry Ramsden’s, the fish and chip shop chain, has reported a £5m loss following its exit from six sites owned by the company and a further three franchise locations • Jamie’s Italiansaw sales plummet 11% in 2017 to £101m. Jamie Oliver injected £13m of his own capital into the business to prevent it from going into liquidation

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Restaurant Insolvencies at Highest Level Since 2010 The number of UK restaurant closures has reached a record high since 2010, according to research by accountancy firm Price Bailey, which has revealed that 1,123 restaurants across England, Wales and Scotland have closed so far this year, up by 35% from last year.

Price Bailey insolvency and recovery head Paul Pittman said: “Chain restaurants are particularly vulnerable to changing consumer fads. What was once flavour of the month can quickly go out of fashion. The cost of acquiring leases and outfitting restaurants can run into the millions per site in prime city centre locations. You need a sustainable customer base to absorb that risk. The upper end of the sector in London is facing less pressure than the mid-range casual dining market. There was a huge private equity fuelled expansion in the mid-market, which led to over-saturation, leaving too many restaurants competing for customers. With margins still being squeezed we will continue to see the less viable businesses and sites in the sector under threat of closure.”

Several high street restaurant chains including Prezzo, Jamie’s Italian, Strada, Gaucho, Carluccio’s and Byron closed sites this year , with some seeking creditors voluntary arrangements (CVA’s).

Price Bailey’s data identifies that 1,123 restaurants across England, Wales and Scotland have closed so far this year, up by 35% from last year.

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The report cites a number of contributing factors to the casual dining crunch, including changing social media trends.

Price Bailey insolvency and recovery head Paul Pittman said: “Chain restaurants are particularly vulnerable to changing consumer fads. What was once flavour of the month can quickly go out of fashion. The cost of acquiring leases and outfitting restaurants can run into the millions per site in prime city centre locations. You need a sustainable customer base to absorb that risk.”

ONS figures from earlier this year revealed that consumer spending on restaurants and hotels fell by 3.5% between 2016 and 2017, which has also contributed to the rising cost of running a restaurant chain.

Pittman added: “The upper end of the sector in London is facing less pressure than the mid-range casual dining market. There was a huge private equity fuelled expansion in the mid-market, which led to over-saturation, leaving too many restaurants competing for customers. With margins still being squeezed we will continue to see the less viable businesses and sites in the sector under threat of closure.”

Chancellor Philip Hammond has recently announced a business rates cuts, which he claims could help 90% of on and off-trade establishments save up to £8,000 a year.

The business rates cut will be reevaluated in 2021.

Report Reveals London Nightlife ‘Too Pricey’ for a Third Londoners

A report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq entitled “London at night” has revealed that London is becoming too expensive for a night out for a third of the city’s dwellers.

The report says that last year there were: 3,530 pubs, down from 4,835 in 2001; 570 clubs, down from 880 in 2001; and 53 LGBTQ+ venues, down from 125 in 2006.

Centring on the 6pm-6am period the report also reveals that London has fewer cultural venues per head of population than many other European capitals. Some town centres do not have a cinema or theatre, and there has been a fall in pubs, clubs and music venues.

36 per cent of Londoners say it is too expensive to go out at night.

Between 2006 and 2017 across the UK, the cost of visiting a restaurant rose by 40 per cent and cultural activities by 43 per cent, while inflation has risen just 27 per cent.

Two-thirds of Londoners are regu-

larly active at night, including looking after children, shopping, socialising or going to the gym. Night workers most typically work in the health sector (191,000 people), professional services (178,000) and culture or leisure (168,000).

The Mayor said: “there is no doubt that the night-time economy is a key part of the success of our capital but this world leading research shows that hugely significant role it plays in the lives of Londoners and visitors. We live in the greatest city in the world but as jobs and demand for services at night grows, we have to make sure London is a city that works for all Londoners at all hours we are working hard to create a life at night that meets the needs of everyone, but we need employers to step up and ensure the welfare of their employees by paying them the London living wage every Londoner is entitled to a decent standard of living no matter what time of the day or night they work.

UKHospitality has welcomed the

launch of the London at Night report. The trade body has also reiterated the importance of the latenight hospitality sector to London’s night-time economy.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Mayor is determined to promote London as a world-class 24-hour city and UKHospitality is keen to support his efforts. We understand the importance of a vibrant and flourishing late-night sector and the positive, knock-on effect is has on the wider hospitality industry.

“It is vital that policy-makers have clear and reliable information with which to make evidence-based decisions. This report will provide the Mayor’s Office and the Night Time Commission with the insight needed to act to promote London’s night life.

“I am very proud to be involved as Chair of the Night Time Commission and UKHospitality will be working hard to support the fantastic late-night hospitality businesses in London.”

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Consumer Spending Grows 4.4% With EU Rules Could ‘Thwart’ Chancellor’s Business Rates Pledge Pubs & Restaurants “Driving Force” Chancellor Philip Hammond’s plan to help the beleaguered high street through a near £1bn, two year business rates reduction, may be thwarted by European Union state aid rules, real estate agents Altus Group have claimed.

The chancellor will slash business rates next April by discounting bills by a third for those retail occupied properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000 for 2019/20 and 2020/21 until the next revaluation comes into effect in April 2021, which equates to a tax cut of roughly £450m in each of these years.

The chancellor has said this will provide an annual saving of up to £8,000 for each property eligible.

However, the discount will be subject to EU rules which limit state aid to €200,000 (£174,265) per business over a three year period, and the Altus Group say this means shops, pubs and restaurants that were part of large chains would likely miss out.

Robert Hayton, head of UK business rates at real estate advisor Altus Group, analysed over 6,700 retail sites in England and Wales occupied by large shop,

pub and restaurant chains.

Hayton said of the retail sites operated by large chains that he analysed, over one in five, 1,487 out of the 6,728 in total, had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and were eligible to the new retail relief announced at the budget. He added that “most large chains will reach the de minimis regulation limit pretty quickly one way or another and will be precluded.”

Hayton cited the £1,000 discount which was handed to pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000 during the first two financial years after the revaluation and said: “Whilst nearly 25,000 pubs met the criteria for that discount, less than 18,000 actually received it”.

While the UK officially exits the European Union on 29 March 2019, before the start of the next financial year, after the transition period, the UK has proposed to maintain a “common rulebook” on state aid that would “mirror” the EU’s current legal regime and would apply throughout the UK and across all sectors of the economy.

Kelly Tolhurst Takes Over Responsibility for Pubs Code Kelly Tolhurst Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood has taken on responsibility for the Pubs Code as part of her ministerial role, overseeing the relationship between large pub companies in England and Wales and their tenants, and takes over the role from Richard Harrington MP The principles of the Code are to ensure: – fair and lawful dealing by pub companies in their dealing with tied tenants – tied tenants are no worse off than if they were free of tie The Code imposes information and transparency obligations on the pub companies. An important element of the Code is the introduction of the option for tied tenants in certain circumstances to request a Market Rent

Only (or MRO) option.

Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Chief Campaigns and Communications Officer, said, ‘The Campaign for Real Ale welcomes the announcement that responsibility for the Pubs Code has passed to Kelly Tolhurst MP, and would like to thank Richard Harrington for the work he’s carried out during his time in the role.

‘CAMRA is confident Tolhurst will listen to the views of our members in calling for a public consultation into reviewing the Pubs Code to ensure that it is fit for purpose and helping to rebalance the relationship between pub owning companies and their tenants – and offering a true market-rent only option.

British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds said “congratulations to Kelly Tolhurst MP will be taking responsibility for the pubs code. Kelly has shown a strong interest in the pub sector since entering Parliament and has been an active member of the beer group. We look forward to working with her in the future. We’d also like to thank Richard Harrington for his work during his time in the role”

Consumer spending grew 4.4 per cent year-on-year in October, maintaining a modest level of growth, as the retail sector continues to face challenges.

Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, shows that essential spending rose 4.8 per cent year-on-year, as petrol expenditure remained high with 10.3 per cent growth.

Non-essential expenditure, meanwhile, demonstrated a reasonable increase of 4.1 per cent. Entertainment was the driving force behind this, rising 10.8 per cent – powered by strong performances from pubs (11.7 per cent) and restaurants (8.6 per cent).

Entertainment was also boosted by ticket sales which performed particularly well at 22.1 per cent growth. This follows Glastonbury Festival tickets going on sale after the festival’s fallow year, alongside blockbuster film releases such as Venom and A Star is Born.

The retail sector, however, continued to struggle.

Department store spending contracted by 5.9 per cent amidst high profile store closures, while spending on electronics reached just 1.8 per cent growth, below the rate of inflation. Clothing spending also declined by 2.4 per cent – the biggest dip since October 2017.

This slowdown in clothing spending could be due to

the warmer-than-usual weather experienced during much of October, as a fifth (19 per cent) of consumers say they have postponed making winter wardrobe purchases this year.

More broadly, stronger average earnings growth in the UK helps explain why one fifth (19 per cent) say their wages have gone up enough for them to have a little more money to spend each month. Yet Brits remain cautious with their money. Of those with more money to spend following a pay rise, half (49 per cent) are saving their extra money or paying off debt, and a third (36 per cent) are currently putting it towards Christmas.

This caution reflects wider opinion of the nation’s economy. Just 28 per cent of UK consumers now say that they have confidence in the UK economy – the joint lowest level since Barclaycard started monitoring consumer confidence in 2014.

Esme Harwood, Director at Barclaycard, said: “While the retail sector has continued to face challenges, the experience economy provided a welcome boost to overall spending in October with consumers going for meals out and purchasing tickets to events and shows.

“Ongoing economic and political uncertainty has led to a decline in confidence, with consumers remaining cautious with their spend in the run-up to Christmas.”

Bristol Chefs and FareShare South West Call on City to Tackle Child Hunger Ten of Bristol’s best chefs and members of the food scene are collaborating to support our work tackling child hunger in Bristol.

Top chefs, including Michelinstarred Josh Eggleton of the Pony and Trap, Adrian Kirikmaa, Toby Gritten and Luke Hawkins joined together at a fundraiser breakfast on Monday 12th November, along with business leaders in the city, to support our Big Breakfast Week.

The week aims to raise awareness of the need for additional food provision in schools where children are regularly arriving hungry, undernourished and unable to learn.

The fundraiser breakfast is just the beginning of activities, as the chefs will then go out into the city throughout the week to run smoothie making workshops at

Breakfast Clubs in schools in the most deprived areas of Bristol.

Julian Mines, CEO of FareShare South West, said “Child hunger is a city-wide problem, and we are calling on Bristol for support in providing a city-wide solution. Our charity’s aim is to get as much food

as we can into the networks that matter, from Breakfast Clubs to children’s centres, to ensure no child goes hungry. With support, we can really change the picture on food poverty.”

According to a report by the 5K Partnership, one in four Bristol children are at risk of hunger. In response to this, we now provide food to 20 primary schools in Bristol’s most deprived areas, in addition to extra provision over the holidays.

Our volunteers pack and deliver food for Breakfast Clubs, emergency food parcels for struggling parents and more, providing food for around 1,500 Bristol children every school day and 2,000 children over the summer holidays

Country Coolers

November 2018

CAMRA Launches Three Point Plan to Save The Great British Pub with Mass Lobby Day Hundreds of CAMRA members descended on Westminster last week to send a message to MPs about the very serious threats facing pubs.

All agreed there must be urgent reform to business rates, Beer Duty and the Pubs Code to save the Great British pub from extinction.

The Lobby Day day saw the launch of CAMRA’s three point plan to save the Great British pub, and encouraged MPs to commit to.

1. Introducing a preferential rate of duty for draught beer.

2. Reforming the business rates system to address the unfair burden on pubs.

3. Conducting an urgent review of the Pubs Code so that the Market Rent Only option becomes a genuine choice for tenants.

CAMRA members held meetings with MPs throughout the day, which culminated in a rally with speeches from the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, Mike Wood MP, as well as Ruth Smeeth MP and Alan Brown MP. The Lobby came the day after the Budget, which contained the very welcome decision to freeze duty on beer and cider, and the announcement of a new package of business rate relief that will help smaller pubs.

While this change will see annual savings of up to £8,000 for some pubs, CAMRA is

extremely disappointed that pub-specific rate relief has been scrapped, meaning that pubs with a rateable value of over £51,000 will lose out. Many of these pubs saw the largest rates increases after the last revaluation, and are struggling under sky-high bills that threaten them with extinction.

CAMRA’s National Chairman, Jackie Parker, said: “While welcome, the Budget measures are just a sticking plaster which doesn’t tackle the root issue. There must be longterm change and reform to business rates, Beer Duty and the Pubs Code to stop the decline of pubs closing which is currently 18 per week.

“The Lobby Day has been a huge success. It gave members an opportunity to speak to their MPs direct about tackling the root causes of pub closures, need for fundamental reform to ensure that pubs remain at the heart of communities and continue to make a valuable contribution to our society, culture and economy.”

The decision to launch a statutory consultation follows a review by the Adjudicator, Paul Newby and Fiona Dickie, Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator over how pub companies regulated by the Pubs Code disclose the quantity of alcohol on which duty has been paid and how they calculate the saleable volume of draught products supplied under their tied agreements. These calculations can affect both achievable turnover and expected profit margins, and they are therefore important factors for tenants when considering the fairness of their tied rent.

The consultation, which will run until 11 January 2019, sets out proposed guidance in relation to pub companies’ statutory obligations to accurately account when proposing a new tied rent for both the duty paid on alcohol that will be supplied under the tenancy and the volume of draught beer and cider that will be saleable after allowing for waste. In particular, the PCA will be expecting pub companies to account for sediment and operational waste separately.

Paul Newby said: “This issue of compliance has been discussed at length with the pub companies and

the PCA’s approach will not come as a surprise.

Fiona Dickie and I have decided to launch a consultation because these cover complex and technical areas of the Pubs Code and we want to ensure that all industry stakeholders have the opportunity to comment on what we are proposing.”

Fiona Dickie said: “Historically, all pub companies have dealt with waste in different ways. The Pubs Code requires them to give tied tenants a clear explanation of how waste is calculated, and this consultation sets out our proposals for delivering fairness for tenants by ensuring greater consistency and transparency in the way these calculations are set out.”

The consultation also sets out proposed guidance on how the PCA will expect pub companies to ensure that all their tied tenants have access to training on cellar management and dispensing best practice, as well as to ongoing cellar management support, so that they can realise the levels of business on which their rent is based.

Business Development Managers employed by the regulated pub companies should also be trained to understand and explain to tenants how waste has been calculated.

The PCA is working towards publishing statutory guidance for the industry during Spring of next year.

Fuller’s Get Together Celebrating 173 Years of Brewing Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC celebrated 173 years of brewing history on Monday 19 November by recognising the exact day that John Bird Fuller, Henry Smith and John Turner came together as business partners to create Fuller, Smith and Turner.

Fuller’s marked the day with the Fuller’s Get Together – celebrating with customers offering three Fuller’s beers and ciders for £1.73 per pint in its Managed Estate.

Customers, who registered on the Fuller’s email database, received an invite to join a Get Togetherat their

local Fuller’s pub where for one day only all Fuller’s beers and ciders was £1.73 a pint.

Nick Corden, Head of Retail Marketing, said: “The Fuller’s Get Together was a fantastic way of celebrating 173 years of outstanding beer and cider with our customers. Fuller’s pubs have always been at the heart of the community they are in, our beers are award winning and world renowned so what better way to celebrate the anniversary than by asking our customers to Get Together at their favourite pub with their favourite Fuller’s beers and celebrate 173 years with pints at £1.73”.

Greene King Receives Royal Recognition for Commitment to Learning and Development Greene King, the pub retailer and brewer, has been commended for its commitment to upskilling its workforce at the 2018 Princess Royal Training Awards.

The prestigious awards honour UK employers for their outstanding training and development programmes, which have directly resulted in measurable success.

HRH Princess Anne personally presented the award to Greene King at an awards ceremony in St James’ Palace on 31 October.

Greene King, the only pub company to achieve a 2018 Princess Royal Training Award, was recognised for the development of its apprenticeship programme, investment in its training support, retaining and developing its people and the introduction of its e-learning platforms.

Rooney Anand, chief executive of Greene King, said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive Royal recognition for our investment in our people’s learning and development. We are really proud of the learning opportunities we are able

to give our people, from our apprenticeship scheme to our Get into Hospitality programme with The Prince’s Trust and the new elearning platform which is available to all of our 39,000 employees.

“Our team members are at the heart of Greene King so naturally their learning is integral to our business and we have seen great results in retention through our investment in their training. We are continuously looking at ways we can improve the learning offer for our people and will strive to build on our successful apprenticeship programme which has now seen 11,000 people take part.”

Chris Jones, chief executive of the City & Guilds Group, added: “In an ever changing world, it continues to

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Emergency Cold Storage for Butchers, Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs etc

Speaking at the Members’ Rally, Mike Wood MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group added: “We need to make sure that we have a proper review of local business taxation which goes beyond what was announced (in the Budget) on business rates, so that pubs of all sizes are actually taxed at a fair rate and we have a taxation system fit for the 21st century rather than the 1950s, and one that recognises the economy as it is now rather than one that was based solely on land values.”

PCA Launches Waste and Beer Duty Consultations The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has launched a statutory consultation designed to provide more clarity on beer and cider duty and waste for pub tenants when they are negotiating their tied rents.

CLH News

be critical for Britain’s businesses to invest in training to boost their productivity, address skills gaps and further develop their teams. We are delighted that Greene King is among a diverse group of organisations achieving the Princess Royal Training Award standard in 2018. I congratulate them, and all of the organisations who presented examples of the innovative, inspiring and impactful training. They are truly worthy recipients of this rigorously assessed royal award and it is fitting that their achievements have been rewarded.”

The Princess Royal Training Awards, delivered by the City & Guilds Group, are now in their third year. Each of the applications was assessed against three Hallmarks of Excellence by the Princess Royal Training Commission, which comprised of HRH The Princess Royal and seven leading figures in the business and training community. Forty eight UK businesses, from a wide range of sectors, have achieved the Princess Royal Training Awards standard of excellence in training.

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

November 2018

NE-1878BPQ

PROFESSIONAL INVERTER MICROWAVE

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Inverter microwaves are equipped with a compact and efficient power supply that weights only 500g. This makes the overall unit lighter, more portable and easier to move around for cleaning, as the total unit weight is brought down to approx.

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The NE-1878 has been programmed to not operate when the ceiling plate is not in place.

Also available from Regale is the Panasonic authorized Microsave CPS3A Cavity Liner. The Cavity Liner protects the microwave’s interior base, ceiling plate and the lens light cover and is dishwasher safe, making cleaning at the end of service, a breeze.

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The world’s first all-metal door professional microwave with Inverter technology. An innovative design, specifically intended for the UK market. A fullmetal door microwave that looks like a conventional oven. It adapts to every environment and you can even install it in your open kitchen. Most importantly the inside of the metal door has no ridges, seals or film to clean around, it’s totally smooth. This makes the inside of the unit very easy to clean and increases the lifespan of the oven.

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16

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

November 2018

Restaurant Leaders Call For “Peoples Vote” Amid Brexit Fears Brighton Pub Closes as Rent Triples

Leading figures from the restaurant industry have signed a letter calling for a People’s vote on Brexit as staffing fears in the hospitality industry following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union grow.

The letter has been co-signed by figures including Fergus Henderson of St John Restaurant; Jeremy King of Corbin & King; Jon Knight of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group; Ruthie Rogers of the River Café; Robin Hutson of Lime Wood Group and Home Grown Hotels; and David Gleave of Liberty Wines.

The letter is urging people within the hospitality industry to contact their local MP highlighting the damage the industry faces whether it is a hard or soft bricks it.

Highlighting the importance of foreign talent within the industry, the letter expresses concerns that the restriction in the free movement of labour post bricks it would have a devastating effect and says : “the last few decades has seen this coun-

try’s restaurants, hotels and wine importing business thrive as the UK has become one of the best places to eat and drink in the world. We have done this by attracting to our industry a winning mixture of British and foreign talent. The threat posed by barriers slamming down after bracket and the huge pool of European talent upon which our industry relies cannot be underestimated”

UKHospitality’s Trevor Gulliver said “bricks it is the most fundamental and important thing to happen to our industry in living memory. It is about getting the best deal rather than doing something that is just foolish. If bricks it was to happen we need freedom of movement and we want to stay within the trading group. It will fundamentally hurt us if we do not the truth is people will go out of business. The great thing about freedom of movement is that people come and now they are not coming the tap has been turned off.”

Up To 90% Of Diners Often “Confused” By Menu Ingredients Over 90% of diners acknowledge that they don’t always recognise ingredients on menus, according to research by ‘Food for Thought’.

The research, commissioned byBarclaycard, has found that nine in ten diners (91 per cent) don’t always recognise items on restaurant menus. So much so, that only 10 per cent can identify every ingredient on the menu each time they eat out, despite a third (33 per cent) considering themselves to be a ‘foodie’.

The majority of British restaurant-goers have never heard of Guajillo Chilli (73 per cent), Girolles (62 per cent) or Kimchi (50 per cent) even though these foods are becoming popular additions to many restaurant dishes. Similarly, although Brits tend to be known as a nation of cheese lovers, around half of diners get into a pickle with the different varieties, not recognising Burrata (57 per cent), Manchego (49 per cent) or Pecorino (48 per cent).

Brits are eating out on average three times a month.

However, stewing over ingredients results in misinformed choices for more than half (55 per cent) of

diners who have been left disappointed by a dish when it arrived because it wasn’t as they expected. It’s a matter of pride though for a quarter (25 per cent) of restaurant-goers who admit they are too embarrassed to ask waiters to explain ingredients or dishes to them. Almost one in five (19 per cent) even shy away from asking their friends.

When it comes to solving diners’ dish-stress, restaurant-goers are calling for menus to include images and descriptions so they can find out what ingredients are without having to ask. Almost half (45 per cent) would also like to see an app created that can provide this information for them.

Proving just how important it is for restauranteurs to get menu descriptions right, Barclaycard’s research found that over two fifths of diners (42 per cent) are unlikely to return to a restaurant if an order arrived which was not as they’d first expected.

But diners don’t want a menu with too much choice – 31 per cent say they are overwhelmed by too many options with four in ten (39 per cent) believing that

fewer dishes would be sent back to the kitchen if menus included more explanation around ingredients and dishes.

Technology is at the head of the table for restaurants of the future with customers wanting apps that allow them to pay via phone or tablet so they don’t have to wait for the bill (44 per cent). Interactive digital menus built into restaurant table tops (38 per cent), and menus that use Augmented Reality to help visualise food items before ordering (27 per cent) are also popular requests.

Matt Segal, Owner of Frederick’s, said: “Our customers welcome trying new and varied dishes so we frequently introduce interesting ingredients while ensuring classic favourites that they know and love are also on the menu. We’re very excited to test Transplater, it would be a great innovation to see in the future to encourage customers to be more adventurous when ordering and try different foods. It would be a menu winner for us.”

Gove Set to Introduce New Food Labelling Rules to Following Allergy Tragedy Environment secretary Michael Gove has pledged to introduce a change in allergen labelling rules after meeting the parents of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an extreme allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette, well done Dave a much despite receiving two EpiPen injections from her father.

Legislation requiring restaurants and takeaways to provide more detailed information on food products looks set to be in place by next summer, the Environment Secretary said.

During an inquest into her death last month, coroner Dr Sean Cummings said that allergen information relating to the baguette was “inadequate in terms of visibility”. Following the high-profile inquest, the sandwich chain announced plans to list all ingredients, including allergens on its freshly made products, which is not presently required by law.

The teenager’s parents are campaigning for a change in the law that will see consumers given more information about the ingredients in freshly made products.

Following the meeting the environment secretary said: “Natasha’s parents have suffered a terrible loss and yet have shown such tremendous strength and grace in their push for change. It was an honour to meet them.

“Since receiving the coroner’s report, we have been working at pace with the Food Standards Agency and businesses to review the current allergen labelling rules. We are aiming to bring forward concrete proposals to change the law around the turn of the year.

“I also want to make clear that businesses do not need to wait for the law to change to do the right thing. They should be doing all they can now to make sure consumers have the information they need to stay safe.”

One of Brighton’s most popular pubs Doctor Brighton’s, in King’s Road, following a decision by the landlords not to renew the lease after a huge hike in rent was imposed.

Landlord Charles Child, 37, said: “I have been the landlord there for the last ten years and it has been amazing.

“I’ve loved every minute. All walks of life went in there and I’m sure it will be missed massively.”

Doctor Brighton’s sub-leased the property from Enterprise Inns, which was leasing it from the council, for the last ten years, however after negotiations between the three parties, the pub decided not to renew the lease.

Charles said: “After a two year battle with Enterprise Inns and the council I was forced to go into a bidding process with no rights to stay and the rent was going to be triple what I was paying.”

A council spokesman said: “We have a legal duty to maximise revenues from our property portfolio in order to help fund council services. We had previously let the property to Enterprise Inns and this lease came to an end in the summer, we therefore instructed our agents to seek bids on a new lease.”

He said the rise in rent was due to competition for the location, adding: “This was an open bidding process and the rent was not set by the council, it was determined by the bids that came in.

“We had originally agreed a deal with the person who had previously sub-leased the property from Enterprise Inns, but that person then chose to withdraw from that deal and we have now agreed a deal with a different bidder at a comparable rent.”

The pub was dubbed Doctor Brighton’s in the 19th century, and has won Gscene gay magazine’s Golden Handbag award for “favourite mixed venue” for the last three years.

Karaoke UK

Karaoke UK have been major suppliers of Karaoke machine's to the Home & Leisure industry since 1981.

Back in the early 80's, karaoke would be on cassette tape and the lyrics would be read from a sheet of paper.

How things can change.

30 years on we are now singing from the cd+g Discs usb or sd downloads reading the lyrics on the TV screen, and also Touch screen or app operated hard drive karaoke machines keeping up with the latest technology.

Products and Services karaoke, PA systems, radio microphones, speakers, powered and unpowered mixers made by huge karaoke manufactures Audio2000 Emerson Acesonic, Vocopro and our own brand Bluelaser.

We also stock a huge range of karaoke discs in formats of cdg dvd divx and vcd or why not try custom burn which lets you pick your own tracks. We also have a great range of hire equipment ideal for pubs or home partys in the greater Manchester area.

For further details see advert on page 4 or visit www.karaoke-uk.com

Play Area Hygiene Services based (PAHS) are a provider of indoor and outdoor soft play installation, maintenance and cleaning services to customers throughout the South West and in recent years has expanded along the South Coast and now offers a wider range of services.

We have recently completed projects at Hendra Holiday Park, the largest holiday park in the county, a family run, premier holiday destination since 1945 and is set in 80 acres of landscaped parkland located in Newquay, Cornwall.

Hendra was crowned Winner of Winners at Cornwall Tourism Awards, awarded gold for Sustainable Tourism, gold for Holiday Parks, and a silver for Caravan and Camping. Additionally, they were awarded gold for South West Holiday Park of the year, silver for Caravan & Camping and bronze for Sustainable Tourism.

Appealing to families and children in particular, Hendra Holiday Park was looking to install a brand new indoor adventure and soft play area for all children from birth to age twelve

TORMAX Automatic Access For Top Hotel and Spa

Specifically designed to deliver reliable operation even in high moisture environments, four TORMAX iMotion 2301.IP65 sliding door operators give visitors automatic access to the pool areas. Meeting

the most stringent requirements for resistance to dust and water penetration as well as corrosion, all components of IP65-rated door drives are housed within a stainless-steel casing, allowing automatic entrances to be installed in a wide range of locations including cruise ships, commercial kitchens and even hospital operating theatres which require regular deep cleaning.

TORMAX was contracted to deliver automatic access solutions by aluminium glazing experts, HW Architectural.

Elsewhere in the hotel, TORMAX iMotion 2202 bi-parting and single sliding doors were specified, offering discrete, unobtrusive automation for a minimalist solution.

For further information, please visit www.tormax.co.uk

Commercial Kitchen and Ductwork Cleaning E & D Ventilation Services has been established since 1996, our Managing Director has 20 years hands on experience and involves himself in the day to day running of the business at all times. Here at E&D Ventilation Cleaning, we have a team that is dedicated to providing 24/7 services to ensure that we have a flexible approach to business and can work around you.

Some of the sectors we work in:

• • • • • • • • •

Restaurants Pubs Hotels Golf Clubs Care Homes Garden Centres Schools / Colleges Holiday Parks Leisure Centres Our team of hygiene experts understand how important your kitchen is to you. Everyone who works for us knows to treat your kitchen with the utmost care and respect, cleaning your system to the highest industry

standards.

Don’t take our word for it! Here is what one of our many satisfied customers has said: "E & D Ventilation has carried out my duct cleaning for the last 7 years. They always make a damn good job and carry out their work in a very professional manner and never cut corners. In our line of work we have to trust people and they will open and close sites as not to waste time on people locking up, I sometimes have to force them to have a soft drink from me but they always supply their own. I have to make sure they have a cappuccino when they are here.

Eddie thank you and your guys for a great job and look forward to many years to come."

Colin Wiltshire – Bottelinos restaurants "For the last 5 years E&D Ventilation has carried out ventilation clean in our main kitchen/ Brasserie kitchen and laundry. Their work has always been of the highest standards, providing an efficient and courteous service."

Mark Creek – Woolacombe Bay Hotel Call 0845 072 2997, email: www.edventilation.co.uk or see the advert on page 4 for further details.

Festive Cheer from Props4Shows It’s that time of year again when we prepare to surround ourselves with some festive cheer. Here at Props4Shows we have a lovely range of winter flowers and foliage, ideal for adorning tables and waiting areas. We also have access to many more winter and Christmas decorations, so contact us with your requirements. To add to this, we have a new range of snow carpets and scatter snow, as well as our snowballs and snowflakes, for you to create wintry scenes and displays. This year we are featuring our little pink alpaca to add a bit of fun to the festivities, but if you are looking for

PVC Banners – Buy 2 Get 1 FREE As we speedily approach the festive season things are really hotting up at HFE Signs, being the UK’s preferred supplier for Signs, Banners & Flags they are well stocked and well-staffed ready to hit the ground running. On the 10th October HFE Signs took delivery of a 20ft container load of their custom specification raw banner material, this product is designed and coated to their very own specification and manufactured in Shanghai. Production time on such a quantity is typically 4 weeks with a further 4 weeks on the water.

HFE import several containers each year and always maintain a healthy stock level, with current stock in the region of 32,800 Square Metres they are certainly ready to sell some banners! Just to put that into context – the most popular banner size is 8ft x 3ft and with this stock they have enough banner to print

something more traditional, we have some handsome nutcrackers and very realistic looking candy canes, plus a number of other fake festive sweets. As always, we have our extensive range of fake foods available from stock if you need to create a fake feast! Our new Artificial Food Catalogue is now available to order on our website, where you can also pre-order our winter brochure.

Contact us on Tel: 03333 440078, Email: sales@props4shows.com Or visit www.props4shows.com See the advert on page 7 for further details. a staggering 14,775 banners!

HFE have earnt their position as the UK’s preferred supplier by offering the best service possible at the best prices. HFE have been in the business since 1996 and have tens of thousands of happy customers nationwide, their TrustPilot score reflects on their customer commitment and level of care. Offering FREE design on all products along with some great special offers and rapid turnaround it’s no wonder they are considered to be the UK’s number 1.

Looking for a deal? Ok, sure with this much material in stock and the busy festive season on the way, now is a perfect time to grab a bargain, so HFE Signs are currently offering Buy 2 get 1 FREE on all PVC Banners! And with two banners you get FREE UK Delivery – Good deal or what? FREE Design – FREE Delivery and a FREE Banner!

Visit www.hfe-signs.co.uk or see the advert on page 5 to find out more!

CLH News

17

New Build of Indoor Soft Play Areas by Play Specialists PAHS

We sell touch screen karaoke player systems, for home

Following a significant re-development, Rudding Park Spa near Harrogate was recently voted Best UK Spa Hotel by the Sunday Times. The impressive facilities, which include a rooftop spa and garden with hydrotherapy infinity pool and panoramic sauna, are accessed via state-of-the TORMAX fully automatic sliding doors. The contemporary glass doors are all powered by in-house designed iMotion drives, delivering unsurpassed reliability with whisper-quiet operation that reflects the luxurious environment of this outstanding spa hotel.

November 2018

Candi Gifts

These fabulous, sturdy, top quality Gift Hamper Trays and Gable Boxes are the latest addition to our ranges.

We’ve long had requests for plain white, and here they are! Great for teaming up with our complete accessory kits in red, gold, green, cream, pink and blue and available in 3 sizes to give you maximum versatility. For a sophisticated Christmas sparkle we’ve introduced the Black and Gold Swirl design, incorporating gold, red and orange.

Prices start at just £1.46 each.

Gable boxes measure 17 x 14 x 10cm high and are

to complement their existing play-based activities.

We have also recently completed another successful project at Whitehill country Park who were finalists in the 2015 ‘Visit Devon’ Tourism Awards, and is a familyowned holiday park located in 30 acres near the South Devon town of Paignton.

Appealing to families and children in particular, Whitehill Country Park was looking to install a brand new small-framed soft play area for all children from birth to age twelve to complement their existing playbased facilities.

Our team provide a professional, modern and fresh approach, maintaining the family run way of things which the existing customers have been accustomed to. Pahs has engaged in new working partners & can now provide an extensive range of 100% recycled play equipment.

These products can be used in an outdoor area and also within an existing indoor play area.

For further details visit www.pahs.co.uk or Tel 01548 521197

available already in a selection of Christmas, Valentines and Baby designs - and now you have the options of Glossy Black, White and Red which are in stock and ready to ship. Packed in 10’s and priced from £6.18 per pack.

All designs are in our latest brochure. If you’d like a copy, just get in touch!

Website – www.candigifts.co.uk Email – salesdesk@candigifts.co.uk

Leading UK Touchscreen Entertainment Provider to Offer Free Consultations and Heavy Discounts Ahead of the Festive Season The UK pioneer in touchscreen entertainment is offering an early Christmas present in the form of free consultations and a £500 discount to prospective customers ahead of the festive period.

Mediatheme is offering the special packages to those in the pub, entertainment, hospitality and holiday sectors in the build-up to Christmas and New Year.

The Oakham-based company’s touchscreen entertainment system, ‘The Entertainer’, provides instant access to an array of games, music and quizzes, as well as bingo and Karaoke.

Murray Rorison, head of operations at Mediatheme, said: “We want to give an early Christmas gift to businesses that would benefit from our services. Our free consultations will provide prospective customers with the chance to learn more about us and how The Entertainer can make their businesses stand out from the crowd this winter.

“This is a great opportunity to take advantage of our innovative system – one that meets the constantly changing market requirements as technology, social habits and tastes evolve.”

Founded in 2002, Mediatheme is backed by an experienced team of product development engineers, who ensure the range of features in its entertainment and jukebox systems remain innovative business propositions.

Murray concluded: “By using one of our systems, licensees and leisure venue operators cannot only achieve considerable improvements in footfall, but also benefit from increased advertising revenue.”

To take advantage of the special £500 discount promotion, which runs from now until Christmas Eve, call 01572 771363 or email info@mediatheme.com.

See the advert on page 11 for details.

Are you maximising bar snack opportunities? Did you know over 30% of purchases are made on impulse when people visit a bar. So that all saying “eye level is buy level” could not be more true.

Snacks are one of the most dynamic categories in the industry, and with the hospitality and licensed on trade industry entering its busiest period hugely increased footfall it pays to make sure that your snack offerings are visible and in plain sight and backed up with prominent marketing support.

Our flavoured pork crackling is very popular with customers, and we’ve sold more than 60,000 portions to customers across the country. We only use the very best pork rind and have spent hundreds of hours perfecting our flavours. There are lots of flavours to choose from, including the ever-popular Extreme Chilli. Call us today to find out more.

Increasing Profits with Bar Snacks

Selling to retail and trade clients, SCT & SCT LIMITED offers some of the very best gluten-free snacks in the UK. • • • • • •

Proper pork crackling fabulous fudge yummy peanuts amazing almonds lovely walnuts delicious cashews

Each pot comes in a tamperproof clip seal pot to keep the crackling fresh at all times. We make and pot each flavour daily to so that you receive a fresh product every day. This then has a shelf life of 6 months.

And we are working more to be environmentally friendly by reducing plastic and have now produced foil pouches for all nine flavours!

See the advert on page 18 for further details.

November 2018

CLH News

Festive Preparation and Ordering 18

Looking to a Happy, Successful & Profitable Christmas?- It Starts Now! comes to booking their Christmas party. The results show that guests:

The season is almost upon us, and “any operator with his/her salt” will have been planning for Christmas months in advance. Others perhaps will not be so organised, but there is still time!

December is the key part of the UK hospitality and on trade sector calendar. From office parties to friends and family consumers flock to bars pubs and restaurants, and with what has now become a popular “dry January”, the festive season is an opportunity to capitalise and help operators through a lean January.

In fact last year’s Christmas period was a joyous one for the hospitality sector, with revellers boosting the coffers of pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK as:

• Like to plan ahead - when organising a Christmas party, over half (56%) prefer to book at least 3 months in advance, with early December being the ideal time to celebrate for 74% of guests. When searching for the perfect venue online, 75% of guests specifically look for Christmas adverts and menus, 50% actually revealed they would leave a website if they couldn’t see a Christmas menu rather than call to enquire. Simply providing a festive menu online, in advance, could save operators from losing out on business.

• When choosing a venue, 60% of guests rate food options as the most important factor, this is over price and a festive atmosphere. When it comes to the menu, of guests organising a Christmas party for family and friends, 40% prefer to order food on the day, with options from both the set and standard menu. Yet, when organising a Christmas party for work colleagues, 44% prefer to pre-order from a set menu, indicating that ease on the day is essential for these guests where perhaps the party size is significantly bigger than when dining with family and friends.

• During a telephone enquiry, an unfriendly tone was rated as most off-putting over feeling rushed, which could result in a lost opportunity to convert to a booking. Guests also anticipate an efficient booking process, with 58% expecting the call to take 2-5 minutes, emphasising the need for team members to be prepared with relevant information for a seamless process. As the majority (81%) of guests expect to be asked to pay a deposit as standard, operators should avoid focusing on this and instead use the call to provide detailed and engaging information about their offering.

The residents of Bristol & Brighton are prime examples of getting into the Christmas spirit – restaurants and bars in these cities recorded the biggest increases in hospitality related spend – up 23.1% and 22.0% respec• Spending increased 13.2% year-on-year. tively. North of the border, Edinburgh was not far • The busiest day of the festive period was 22nd December, with spending up behind, with an increase of 18.4%. almost a quarter on 2016 figures at 23.1%.

Notably, on Christmas Day itself, hospitality spend was up by 5.3% com• Total hospitality spending across the pre and post-Christmas period was £491 pared to 2016, as more Brits than ever ditched the kitchen, opting to eat out million, with £8.1 million spent on Christmas Day. on 25th December.

• Over £400 million in pubs alone will be drunk during the month of December James Frost, UK CMO, Worldpay, said: “This was a really interesting and a • 260 million more pints consumed in December versus any other month positive Christmas season for the hospitality sector (2017). The fact that the • The Treasury Corrects an extra £137 million in beer duty pre-Christmas working week ended on Friday the 22nd is a likely reaand VAT over the festive period son for the surge in bar and restaurant spending on that day, as revellers finished work and embraced the festive spirit. We • Some 6 million people visit the pub on Christmas Day Why did Santa's also saw increased hospitality spending on Christmas Day, alone helper se e the which is evidence of the trend towards more people eating With this month’s turmoil over Brexit, (it can only get doctor? out on the day. It might also indicate that many people chose worse) Christmas can’t come fast enough to help bring a Because he had to take some of the stress out of the day with pre-lunch pint bit of cheer! low "elf" esteem! at the local pub.”

The latest research from guest experience manageSo there you have it people like to make the most of the fesment experts HGEM has revealed guests’ views when it tive season!

And if you get it right not only will you end 2018 on a high, your happy customers some of whom will visit you for the very es Santa first time in more likely to pay repeat What do m if he fro r visits and spread the word. e ff su uck in a gets st So what will be top of the hospitality chimney? industry’s list for this Christmas? phobia!

Claustro Alice Bexon and Claire O’Brien Food & Drink purchasing managers at Beacon said “it essential for operators to consider the latest trends for the busy Christmas period sooner rather than later.

Whether it is exploring delicious traditional dishes or finding new festive flavours, it is important to think about all factors when it comes to creating an appealing seasonal offering to stand out in a very competitive market”

• STEPPING AWAY FROM TRADITIONS - is arguably the highest profile and busiest celebration of the year within the foodservice sector, it’s vital for all establishments to offer a dedicated festive menu foods such as festive themed burgers are becoming more commonplace, whilst a twist on the typical Turkey tradition sees smoked and barbecue options increasing in popularity • BOOZE INFUSED DINING - mulled wines and cider, port brandy run and gin, and fruity flavours including pomegranate orange and mulled cranberries are all expected to perform well satisfying customers festive cravings this Christmas • SHARING - smaller plates and sharer portions are becoming more commonplace with many people moving away from traditional three course Christmas meals in favour of a more socialstyle event. Bite -sized foods such as stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, festive skewers are great examples of how this can be achieved simply while retaining seasonal favourites.

• TIPPLES WITH TURKEY - with the number of adults becoming teetotal increasing, and more than 25% of 16-24-year-olds not drinking at all Christmas is not just a time for cocktails but also mocktails. Flavours such as peach and rhubarb make a delicious and versatile cocktail base and at the same time add variety and something different to drinks menus, and with regard to seasonal flavours there is often a rise in the sale of traditional cranberry and red berry flavours around Christmas • PREMIUM PRICING - it’s not just the offering that needs to be attractive to consumers but also the pricing. Celebration menus can be priced higher than every day menus however this can be harnessed even further by simply and cheaply including some added extra items into Christmas packages. This includes fun and festive party accessories like crackers, balloons, hats and streamers, as well as celebrate three drinks such as champagne sparkling wine or cocktails. These additions can all help justify a higher price while keeping costs low the caterer

Festive Preparation and Ordering

November 2018

(...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE.)

VEGETARIAN OPTIONS

gence and fun festive flavours, there’s more of a call than ever for products that reflect wider market trends from world flavour influences, to vegan and free from options this year’s collection is about catering for everyone.

With a significant jump in the UK vegan population we are keen to ensure that we have a strong choices for this area of the market, particularly when it comes to desserts. Christmas is all about everyone being able to come together and enjoy without the need for restrictions and limitations”

More and more diners are opting to go meat free, and it is vital that they are not left out, you run the risk of not only losing one customer but an entire party if you’re not catering adequately for vegetarians and/or vegans. Diners will avoid restaurants and pubs who do not provide vegetarian options.

The good news is gross profit NEW TWISTS margins are typically greater if you get Emphasising the importance of combining traWhat do ta and vegetarian dishes than on ss San you cro ditional and at the same time incorporating new meat dishes which can make an ck? u d a h wit twists, Sean Melville, Executive Head Chef, even more profitable Christmas. mas A Christ Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa comments: The millennial age group are the quacker!

“Preparing the Christmas Party Nights and most vocal about the need for Christmas Fayre menus for the Hotel always vegetarian options. gives me a lot of pleasure, however each year brings By ditching the turkey new challenges. I think it is important to maintain the Christmas dinner can be as varied as your imagination comforting traditions of Christmas food, whilst incorposays the Vegetarian Society. A recent report revealed that rating subtle twists to give your party offering a real one-third of UK adults had reduced or stopped their edge.“ meat consumption. This report follows other recent This year at the Hotel we have found that guests are studies showing the growing demand from shoppers for now so much more conscious of what they are eating, vegetarian and vegan food. and it is quite fashionable for people to incorporate Lynne Elliot, Chief Executive at the Vegetarian Society, ‘meat free’ days into their diets. As such we have cersaid: “This demonstrates the growing interest we’ve seen tainly seen a rise in requests for vegetarian, plant based in plant-based food. By working closely with food comand other restricted dietary options, and this is reflected panies and restaurants we’ve helped to bring about the in our Christmas bookings too. tipping point we are now seeing. There has been a seis“Dietary requirements are of course very important mic shift in attitude. This has led to a huge jump in interto cater for and the team and I have spent a lot of time est from dedicated vegetarian and vegan menus across experimenting with new meat-free dishes to elevate our chain restaurants to the vegan week on the Great menus. Creating strong flavours, colours and textures, is British Bake Off. key to a great vegetarian dish – on our list of starters for Christmas this year we have salt-baked baby beets with a goats’ cheese crumb, served with butternut purée, toasted pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil. These extraordinary flavours of the Why was season work so well in t he p the tu r op together and progrou key Bec p? ause vide the perfect the only he wa start to any fess one dru w mst tive feast. Many icks ith ! of our vegetarian Earlier this year food service supplier Bidfood released dishes can also be adaptdetails of its Christmas range which included a strong ed to suit the dietary requirements selection of festive vegan dishes in response to research of vegans.” revealing that there are now 3 ½ million vegans in the UK. Commenting on the range campaign manager Laura SHELLFISH Mason said “we are really excited to reveal this year’s Ever thought of lobster at Christmas? At this time of Christmas range. We worked hard to expand the variety year, it is more popular than you think and what’s more of foods we offer to meet demand we’ve seen from our it is so versatile, from a classy alternative to prawn customers for more than just the traditional Christmas cocktail, to traditional boiled lobster, served with horsefare. While the holiday season will always be about indul-

CLH News

19

radish or mayonnaise, grilled in half with garlic butter, served cold with a salad or the classic favourite lobster thermidor. David Pirouet specialist supplier of life systems for crustaceans says “At this time of year lobster is not as expensive as people think. In our chilled and filtered, closed watercircuit systems the animals are stored in optimal conditions in a fresh- or seawater environment. In many restaurants and fishshops, you will find a homarium. On the continent it is even a common tradition to pick the lobster of your choice out of the homarium tank! Not only lobsters feel ‘at home' in a homarium, also crab, langoustine, crayfish, crawfish, spiny lobster and rock lobster. Even fish as trout, eel, turbot can be held in a perfect condition in a homarium.” boost business performance significantly. This is not to be ignored."

Long-standing CLH advertiser Peeks believe it’s now the time for “Peeks and goodwill to all men” managing director Nick Peek says “We have always believed that first impressions count, and we’ve been helping the hospitality and on trade sector have festive fun by supplying all their yuletide seasoned necessities for the past 70 years.

We have more than 3 million crackers waiting to be pulled and that’s no joke, a bit like Furthermore, David adds : “Lobsters are a great source the contents! We also have all of selenium and also contain omega-3 fatty acids. They the traditional products and the have many health benefits and according to studies help tinsel boxes of baubles loads of lights protect against thyroid disease, depression, and anemia. packs of hats and a veritable arboretum Lobster can serve as the main source of protein in of trees. We believe it is vitally important a meal. We think lobster makes a for operators not to underestimate the cracking alternative to traditional e impact a seasonally decorated premises Christmas lunch!” es in th Who hid can have, and not to underestimate how at ry e ak b DECORATE-TO long it takes to put up decorations we as? m st ri h C ACCUMULATE would urge operators to consider this y! sp e c A min is important as menu planning . Don’t Scrimping on the Christmas decoraforget We are a one-stop shop for all tions? Bah Humbug! That tired old Christmas needs.”! cliché you never get a second chance.

According to Stephen Evans managing director of Christmas Tree World 59 per cent of conwww.empirebespokefoods.com sumers surveyed would spend £21 more on average per www.candigifts.co.uk head if the venue had impressive Christmas decorations and displays, with 45 percent also citing decorations as www.peeks.co.uk the second-most important part of their Christmas visit www.littlepod.co.uk experience, after food.

The research also shows that striking decorations also www.littlepod.co.uk increase dwell time, with consumers saying they would www.homarium.com spend 54 minutes longer if a venue had great festive (See advert page 10) decorations.

"Spending even a small amount on Christmas decorations which can be re-used year after year can ultimately

www.bidfood.co.uk/christmas

November 2018

CLH News

Festive Preparation and Ordering 20

“Editor Pete’s” Bloody Mary Recipe Walnut & Spiced Plum Christmas Cob It comes as no surprise that the great “Bloody Mary” is one of the world’s most famous cocktails. While it has its “base ingredients”, the blend of flavours, according to the American Chemical Society, make it the most complex drink on the entire planet!

“It’s a very complicated drink,” explains Neil Da Costa, a expert on the chemical analysis of flavors at International Flavors & Fragrances. “From the standpoint of flavor chemistry, you’ve got a blend of hundreds of flavor compounds that act on the taste senses. The Bloody Mary covers almost the entire range of human taste sensations — sweet, salty, sour, and savory — but not bitter.”

I’m very pleased to say that when I had my wine bar here in Bournemouth many years ago (you kept that quiet I hear you say) I was famed for my Bloody Mary’s, and did gain the accolade one year of being the best in Bournemouth! (Okay it was only a competition sponsored by one of our suppliers but it still counts!)

So, my simple take on bloody Mary: A good shot of vodka About 4-5 ounces tomato juice (using Clamato Tomato Juice from Empire Bespoke Foods) 1 lemon wedge 2 dashes tabasco sauce 2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch celery salt, plus more to rim glass 1 pinch ground black pepper Small dash of dry sherry Celery stalk lemon wedge, for garnish Ice Pour some celery salt onto a small plate. Use a lemon wedge, wet the rim of a pint glass and dip it into the celery salt until it’s fully coated.

Fill the glass with ice add vodka and set aside.

Add Clamato tomato juice Add a squeeze of lemon, dashes of tabasco (if you, like me like it spicy add four dashes) and worcestershire sauce and some black pepper, pinch of celery salt

Ingredients: 1 round cob loaf or boule 2 tbsp olive oil For Spiced Plum Sauce: 10 ripe plums, roughly chopped (use tinned if fresh not available) 6 tbsp full bodied vegetarian red wine (*use vegan red wine) 4 star anise 8 cloves 6 allspice berries For the Rough Walnut Pate: 2 tbsp olive oil 150g walnuts 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic crushed 50g of the bread from hollowed out loaf 10g Flat leaf (Italian) parsley 1 chilli – deseeded (optional) 1 tbsp soya sauce 150g vegetarian brie or camembert (*do not use for vegan cob) Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. To hollow out cob loaf: place cob loaf on its side and cut off a lid. Using your hands hollow out centre leaving just a little bread on the crust – do the same for the lid. Reserve 50g of the bread for later. Brush inside of hollowed out loaf and lid with olive oil.

3. For spiced plum sauce: Place all ingredients in medium pan and cook on low heat until plums have softened – you may need to add a little water to prevent plums sticking – the end mixture should be soft and moist (not wet).

Remove spices and discard. Allow sauce to cool.

4. For walnut pate: sauté both the shallot and celery in oil until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for further 2 minutes.

5. Add remaining ingredients (except 50g of walnuts) to a food processor and process until walnut mixture comes together but is still rough and not quite a paste. Roughly chop remaining 50g of walnuts and add to mixture.

7. To assemble and cook: Divide the walnut pate in half and place one half in bottom of hollowed out cob loaf ensuring mixture goes right into edges. Press down well.

8. Spoon half the plum sauce on top, then add slices of cheese (*omit for vegan recipe). Top this with the remaining walnut pate and lastly the rest of the plum sauce. Press down well. Place the bread lid back on top.

9. Wrap whole loaf in tin foil and bake in oven for 1 hour – to test if the loaf is ready, take out of oven remove the lid and place a knife in the centre. If the knife comes out very hot the loaf is ready.

10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.

Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients: 4 Live lobster, about 750 g each (place in freezer for about one hour first, or consider a crustastun) 1 onion 100g finely chopped shallots 1 bay leaf 8 black peppercorns, whole 200 ml milk 25 g unsalted butter 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp English mustard 1 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 shot of Brandy Handful of fresh tarragon leaves, chopped Sea salt and pepper 40g Gruyère, finely grated (optional)

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the live lobsters head first, and cook for between 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the water and allow to cool and then cut in half lengthways from the head to the tail, twist off claws and crack them, then remove meat. tail meat. Cut all lobster meat into ¼-inch pieces. Discard any remaining lobster innards, then rinse and dry shells to used for serving 2. Make the sauce base by placing the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and milk into a pan and bringing to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat set aside for 10-15 minutes to infuse. In another pan gently melt half the butter and stir in the flour, remove from heat and slowly whisk the cooled infused milk. Return to the heat and gently warm to cook out the flour and let the sauce allow to thicken to a consistency of thick cream. Add mustard, stir and set aside. Make sure sauce has no lumps!

3. While sauce is simmering, use a separate pan add the rest of the butter and gently fry the shallot until soft (but not brown), add crushed garlic. Add the lobster meat, stir to ensure meat is becomes glazed in the garlic and butter. Add the brandy and carefully flame until the alcohol is burned off. Add in the sauce base and add the tarragon. Stir around and season to taste. Divide mixture equally into cleaned shells add grated cheese (optional) and place under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes until golden & bubbling on top.

4. Serve, with new potatoes and a light green salad!

Chocolate & Guinness Cake

Ingredients: 250ml (9 fl.oz) Guinness 250g (9oz) unsalted butter 80g (3oz) unsweetened cocoa powder 400g (14oz) caster sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp LittlePod vanilla paste 140ml (5 fl.oz) buttermilk 280g (10oz) plain flour 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the icing: 50g (1&3/4oz) unsalted butter, softened add a little vanilla paste 300g (10&1/2oz) icing sugar 125g (4&1/2oz) full-fat cream cheese Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F)/gas mark 3, then line the base of a 23cm (9inch) spring form cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Pour the Guinness into a saucepan, add the butter and gently heat until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the cocoa powder and sugar into the warm liquid. Mix together the eggs, vanilla paste and buttermilk by hand in a jug or bowl, and then add this to the mixture in the pan.

3. Sift together the remaining sponge ingredients into a large bowl or into the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer. Using a hand-held electric whisk or mixer with paddle attachment, set on a low speed and pour in the contents of the pan.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the pre-prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool, and then remove from the tin on to a wire rack, making sure the cake is cold to the touch before you frost it.

5. Using the electric whisk/freestanding mixer with paddle attachment, combine the butter and icing sugar together until there are no large lumps of butter and it is fully combined with the sugar in a sandy mixture. Add the cream cheese and mix at a low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

6. Place the cooled cake on a plate or cake card and top generously with the cream cheese frosting. The cake can be decorated with a light dusting of cocoa powder. I also added white chocolate buttons and a little extra frosting but decorate how you wish!

How to Increase Sales with Craft and Premium Brand Beer

November 2018

CLH News

22

been been purloined by large brewing corporations as a marketing term.

Originally craft was beer brewed by small independent producers developing full flavoured beers that had no resemblance to the brews produced by the established brewing companies.

Craft beers by small indie brewers are often packed with hops, they are revived styles of beer from the past such as Gose, they are aged in oak barrels, they are often high ABV, they often include adjuncts such as Earl Grey tea leaves in addition to the 4 core ingredients of beer. They are not the beers that some people might describe as traditional.

Beer is the world’s most popular alcoholic drink by far and is arguably the most perfect libation. Not only is beer refreshing, delicious, fantastic with food, convivial, it also has a supernatural ability to unite people and make them happy. Beer tastes so much better when consumed in company. It is the liquid that lubricates the best social occasions. Seven out of 10 drinks sold in a pub are beer. Without beer pubs would be wine bars.

Beer has been brewed for millennia but right now is the golden era for beer. There has never been more choice, more variety or styles, more imagination in brewing, and more excitement. This is a result of the craft beer revolution which began in the USA in the 1980s and has travelled around the world. Social media is

buzzing with the beer conversation.

Craft beer in the UK punches way above it weight, taking marginally less of the on-trade market share (4.9% ) than a very popular traditional ale brand (John Smith Extra Smooth at 5%) but accounting for at least 5% of the off-trade market share and growing. On-trade operators should take heed – if off-trade sales of craft beer are growing, that means people are drinking at home and each off-trade sale is an on-trade loss. Why are people increasingly drinking craft beer at home and not in the pub? Because most pubs do not sell the types of beer that these affluent, social media savvy people want to drink and when it comes to restaurants and hotels the beer choice is so often paltry that the big spending beer drinking customers do not patronise those businesses.

There is no legal definition for craft beer and consequently the term has

The biggest trend in craft beer has been and continues to be the popularity of India Pale Ale (IPA). There are a number of iterations of this venerable 18th century style of beer including West Coast (USA) IPA, Session IPA (low abv), Double or Imperial IPA (high ABV), Milkshake IPA (brewed with lactose sugar), Brut IPA (very dry on the palate), New England IPA (low bitterness), Black IPA (made with dark malts). In countries across the world, IPA-mania exists in the craft brewing sector. Sour beers are currently popu-

lar in the UK – even Tesco stocks Bakewell Tart by Thornbridge, proof if it were needed that sour beers are now mainstream. Another trend in craft brewing is the number of independent breweries producing pilsner and helles lager. Both of those pale lagers are very difficult to brew well because they need to be clean, crisp and well balanced. They have a low hop character and because hops can conceal the fact that a beer may not be brewed very well there is nowhere to hide. This trend for pale lagers is surprising given that the craft beer revolution happened because drinkers spurned low flavoured pale lagers brewed by huge corporations.

Craft beer can command a premium price. For a small independent brewery it costs much more to produce the beer than it does for a large brewery not least because craft beers tend to contain large amounts of expensive hops. But people are increasingly willing to pay if they are getting good, well-made beer by their local brewery.

They are also paying more for what they perceive as a premium beer.

International brewing corporations have lost market share to craft beer so they have developed a marketing term called ‘premiumisation’ in reference to some of their pale lager brands. They have designed specific glassware and new modern font dispensers. It has worked very well for brands such as Peroni and Hop House 13, owned by Asahi and Diageo respectively, and customers are paying may much more for those beers than the equivalent that are not marketed as premium despite there being little to differentiate the taste of the beer.

On-trade operators can capitalise on the trend for craft and premium beer in several ways (depending on customer base and buying policies such as tied houses) including:

• Ask your customers what craft beers they want to drink and stock them.

• Educate staff in beer knowledge, encourage them to engage with customers who want to talk about beer, and encourage them to upsell.

• Know what craft breweries and premium brands are popular • Know what beer styles are popular and stock them.

• Stock at least one beer from a local craft brewery and highlight the localism.

• Have a blackboard listing the beers with explanation of style and brief description of taste • Offer a range of styles of beer – not a range of brands of the same style. Why waste bar space on 4 pale lagers or traditional bitters that each taste virtually the same?

• People tend to buy lager by brand so stock a well-known premium brand and serve it in the branded glass from the branded font.

• Change the range of beers regularly if customers want it.

• Stock beer bottles and cans and highlight them to customers so they know what is in the fridge.

• Engage with customers via social media and tell them about what beers are coming on the bar next. It’s free marketing!

Jane Peyton is an award-winning drinks educator, beer sommelier, writer and founder of the School of Booze. She recently became the world’s first accredited Pommelier (cider sommelier). Jane is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in beer.

Think While You Drink ®

Our award winning sommeliers and pommeliers deliver drinks training and education across the country

ENLIGHTENING DRINKS TRAINING Drinks education for pubs, restaurants, retailers and brand owners

Pubs, bars, restaurants, brand owners – do your staff need training in any of the following?

• Beer or Cider Tasting • General Beer or Cider knowledge • Beer or Cider Styles • Beer or Cider & Food Matching • How To Devise The Essential Beer Or Cider List

We offer 1-2 hour group sessions at your premises tailored to what you need.

"I loved the passion and enthusiasm you demonstrated and it’s a reminder to all of us about bringing some of your infectious enthusiasm and pride to our communications about beer and pubs. I learned lots of nuggets along the way which was no doubt due to both your knowledge and storytelling."

DH, Heineken

Please contact us to discuss your training requirements.

info@school-of-booze.com + 44 (0)7729 601 590 www.school-of-booze.com

Let’s get fizzical rising rates and the living wage.

Improving the quality of beer, along with food and the pub environment, is one way of reducing the impact of challenges facing the licensed trade. If you train your bar managers and staff in the correct (and safe) use of food-grade dispense gases from BOC Sureserve, you can ramp up quality and increase cost savings.

IT’S NOT JUST DIRT THAT HURTS When you teach bar staff how to pull a pint, you’ll probably cover the importance of clean glassware, chilling and the 45 degree pour.

You might also explain why glasses are etched to nucleate the gas and generate better bubbles and which glasses are right for a Guinness versus a cider. These are all essential lessons if you want to create draught masters in pouring perfect pints – and happy customers.

Dispensing gas is one of many factors that influence the quality of beer, cider and soft drinks in a pub or club. Yet it’s often left out of training about the perfect pour. Carl Goode, Product Manager at BOC Sureserve, explains why ‘fizzical training’ can prevent you losing customers through poor quality products – and save money in the long run.

Remember the carbon dioxide shortages of June this year? Suddenly everyone from manufacturers to customers began to appreciate the importance of dispense gases.

Yet they’re still overlooked as a factor in the perfect pour.

Dispense gases put the fizz in a pint of beer, cider or soft drinks like Coca-Cola and are essential for serving drinks the way the brands intended. This benefits licensees as well. With the correct food-grade gas and the right mixture, bar staff will pull a great pint and customers will order another. Get the mix wrong, or use poor quality gas, and drinkers will feel as flat about your pub or club as they do about your beer. They may not come back.

That’s the last thing a cost-conscious landlord wants to happen as margins continue to be squeezed by increased competition from other leisure activities, more consumption of alcohol in the home, and pressures such as

However, all that hard work can be undermined if you don’t get the gas mixture right or fail to use food-grade gas. Customers don’t much care for bubbles in a Guinness, a frothy head of beer or a flat Coke – all consequences of using the wrong gas or bad gas.

That’s why the gas needs to underpin all other training, whether your staff have 20 years’ experience or two hours’. Trained correctly, they’ll be able to use the right dispensing gas in the correct way, which has several benefits.

• Only with a good dispense gas do you get a stable head, carbonation at the right

level, clarity, great flavour and no bitter after-taste – the perfect pour that brings customers back.

• The wrong mixture wastes beer, because it fobs and foams and isn’t servable. Given that there’s about 2.5p of gas in every pint, gas is pretty inexpensive. But if you’re throwing away four pints each time it fobs, the costs mount up.

In today’s trading climate, it’s tempting to try and save money by using cheaper products than food-grade gas from a reputable supplier. But it doesn’t save money in the long run.

24

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

November 2018

London Pride-Rich in Taste Rich in History

Brewed since the 1950’s, London Pride was officially launched in 1959. A beer of the people, this famous ale even found its name on the streets of the capital. 'London Pride' was a suggestion by a member of the public in the 50s, inspired by the flower of the same name. London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium to be precise) was the first flower to grow up through the rubble after the Blitz.

Original, Authentic and full of character, London Pride is unmistakably London’s beer. Brewed with a rich, distinctive base of British malt and a diverse blend of Target, Challenger and Northdown hops to give vibrancy and balance to the beer. It is the essence of our capital city and the people who call it home.

London Pride is a supremely balanced premium real ale. We take time, using the best ingredients to ensure every pint is of the highest quality & our brewers carefully craft each batch at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London to ensure consistency and depth of flavour.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

New Recipe Yardbird Pale Ale from Greene King Greene King has relaunched Yardbird into its permanent calendar, revising the recipe by adding four times more hops to pack a real punch. The beer which has been crafted by Greene King’s brewer Ross O’Hara allows the hops to take centre stage. Using American hops Citra, Centennial and Simcoe, Yardbird has a zesty and tropical aroma, packs a real citrus punch to entice the taste buds and results in a clean bitter finish, leaving you wanting more. Speaking about Yardbird Dom South, Marketing Director said “This moreish pale ale with its fresh blue and white logo is already creating a stir amongst our customer base convinced it is the beer that will challenge lager drinkers into the pale ale category.”” www.greenekingbrewery.co.uk

The Return of Hofmeister Don’t Forget The Pipes Following a 13-year hibernation, the Hofmeister brand was purchased in 2015 from Heineken who saw no future for it. The founders saw a brand with a strong nostalgic presence which needed a great quality product to back it up and set about sourcing the best ingredients and brewing mastery to create a beer worthy of the brand.

Hofmeister is now a genuine Bavarian Helles lager, made using only the finest ingredients - natural mineral water, locally grown barley that the brewery malts itself and hops from the Hallertau region.

Brewed by a small, 4th generation family brewery, one of only 4 brewers in Bavaria to be certified slow brewing, Hofmeister Helles is lagered at zero degrees centigrade for up to seven weeks to achieve a refreshingly crisp clean Helles lager.

An established brand that people have fond memories of, coupled with a new recipe with a brilliant provenance has created a product that delivers the best qualities of craft beer in an approachable format.

Awarded IWSC 2018 Best Lager, and more recently Best Lager at the Quality Drinks Awards, the industry is swiftly recognising Hofmeister as a premium brand and product to get behind.

See the advert on page 22 for details.

Skimping on cleaning and hygiene results in lost beer sales and reduced profits . The key to a good clean refreshing pint is cellar discipline to ensure that beer reaches the customer in first-class condition .LineClenze believe they have the answer, with a waste reduction device that has been taking the bar and pub industry by storm. This clever piece of technology helps bar managers save money by reducing the frequency that they have to clean their beer lines. This means less beer poured down the drain and more to sell.

By installing a Lineclenze device customers are reported that line cleaning can be reduced to once every 28 days or less providing a quick return on investment and additional income that goes straight to the bottom line. Don’t take our word for it, Paul McManus a director of McManus managed pub company says “the idea is simple and effective saving a substantial amount of time and revenue, way more than the initial investment. The Lineclenze device works by reducing the frequency of cleans, not only do I save pouring good beer down the drain but my staff freed up for other tasks by not having to clean every week. I was very impressed with what Lineclenze has achieved and would recommend the device to anyone in the industry” See the advert on this page for details.

“Well over half of all 7-day beer line cleaning is not achieving a good enough result”, says Amanda Thomson, MD of Avani Solutions. Admittedly, Avani is known for its rescue cleans so you might expect their statistics to exaggerate the negative. But this figure reflects a crosssection of well-run pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK, so the cause isn’t wilful neglect.

So what’s going wrong, and does it matter?

“Pub teams don’t set out to do a bad job and I think some forget that beer is a food. Any beer, yeast and bacteria left from one week’s clean will provide all the fuel that’s necessary to cause quality problems in the next.”

Cleaning the inside of a long pipe that is 3/8 of an inch wide and hundreds of feet long isn’t easy. The only guaranteed outcome of cutting corners is poor quality. Poor beer quality equates to lost sales and lost profits. That’s why it matters. So not getting it right costs you money.

Venues should establish a robust cleaning procedure

and stick to it - the industry states a 7-day cleaning schedule and Avani Solutions support this, but also recognise that it's a guideline, not a rule. What’s more important is that the process is done well. If there’s any doubt about the process, training for the team could be the answer. There’s plenty of training programmes available and Avani have their own Beerista workshop which you can have delivered on your own premises.

Avani also provide a 4-weekly cleaning solution called ProClean, and the principle is that the condition of the beer should be as good on day 28 as it is on day 1 of the cycle. Professional technicians take care of the entire beer dispense system, monitoring equipment and helping you to keep on top of issues before they become a cost to your business. Of course, the 4-weekly ProClean service saves you 75% of the beer wasted due to 7-day line cleaning, but by far the greatest saving is due to the dramatic improvement in beer quality.

See the advert on page 9 for details.

64% Of Beer Line Cleaning Is 'Ineffective'

“Talking Tech”- Keep Them Coming, Keep Them Loyal

November 2018

CLH News

26

desired tech solution was the ability to book a table through a social media platform.

“This tech is already widely available in many restaurants – but perhaps they aren’t publicising it well enough,” he added.

ADDICTION TO SMARTPHONES

There was a time when hospitality and a night out was just about the food, or drink, or the company, or the ambience. Not any more! One of the most significant changes the industry has faced comes from behind the scenes and has changed the hospitality landscape. It is pretty safe to say that technology and hospitality have never been more connected, with an array of new developments changing how both customers and operators connect to each other. Customers are DEMANDING a technological experience.

From cloud-based Epos solutions, apps, tablets and smart phones and other gadgets customers are interacting increasingly using technology in particular technology designed to create efficiencies in ordering and service.

First, food service outlets swapped the traditional pen and paper with mobile devices, allowing waiting staff to send orders straight through to the kitchen as soon as they were taken. And when that wasn’t efficient enough, some outlets further reduced the role of waiting staff, building ordering systems directly into fixtures or tables. These locations effectively operate in part on a self-service basis, with customers seating themselves, placing their own orders via a tablet or kiosk, connecting directly through to the kitchen with very little involvement from waiting staff.

MILLENIALS Recent research has revealed that pioneering technology could encourage millennials to eat out more. More than one-third (34%) of millennials are eating out less than they did a year ago, according to a YouGov study commissioned by technology company Flyt which also revealed three in five (60%) have cut down to save money, while one in eight (14%) are worried about Brexit.

The research adds that “Pivotal” technology solutions could encourage millennials to dine out more and save Britain’s restaurant industry.

London-based Flyt says introducing pivotal tech solutions could be the “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Two-fifths (40%) of those surveyed want to be able to book a table via an app or social media, while almost onethird (32%) want to be able to use their smartphones to receive more accurate wait times for a table. More than one-quarter (26%) want to order food on their own tablet or a device provided by the restaurant. Almost another quarter (24%) would like to see technology introduced at their favourite pub or restaurant that enables them to confirm their order on their smartphone to guarantee it’s correct. More than one in five (22%) would like to see technology that enables direct tipping into a waiter’s bank account and the same amount want to see personalised menus based on dietary requirements.

Almost one in five (18%) want technology that gives them the same amount of ingredient information with delivery companies as they would at a restaurant.

Meanwhile, fewer than one-fifth (17%) want to be able to leave detailed feedback easily online, 15% would like technology that helps them discover the source of ingredients in a dish, and 11% want technology to streamline operations so they can eat out quicker. The statistics showed one-fifth (17%) of 18 to 34-year-olds don’t have enough spare time to eat out in restaurants.

Flyt chief executive Tom Weaver said, “Restaurants can no longer look at technology as optional – integrating it in the right way is now critical to attract diners.”

Weaver said he was surprised that millennials’ most

Research published by SMS marketing platform Textlocal, highlights how a third of consumers feel they are addicted to their smartphones, often having them to hand more than 16 hours a day.

Hoteliers can utilise our love affair with smart phones and can streamline guests’ journeys online through the device they are using the most the smart phone – from booking information and reminders, to in-hotel updates and passwords, through to guest satisfaction surveys at the end of their stay and repeat-booking offers, all sent straight to guests’ mobile phones.

Of the consumers surveyed within the report, 85% welcomed appointment or booking reminders via SMS, nearly two thirds (60%) liked receiving discounts and half were open to receiving targeted promotions. 50% of customers were also happy to complete and return online surveys via their mobile phones.

Some businesses have been quick to capitalise on the fact that smartphones have become an intrinsic part of everyday life by using the platform to build relationships and market promotions to customers via their mobile, with 60% of consumers saying they have received offers and two thirds (67%) claiming to have received booking reminders.

The benefit to hoteliers is clear as more than 42% of people who receive a SMS responded when requested – a higher rate than other communication mediums. The report also highlights that more than a third of people (37%) have made a purchase or booking as a direct result of receiving a message from a business.

“The possibilities for hoteliers are endless,” says Jason Palgrave-Jones, Managing Director of Textlocal. “Not only can businesses send welcomed offers, vouchers and booking reminders, but hotels can also engage with guests during and after their stay. Wi-Fi passwords can be sent to guests after check-in; hotel information such as meal times and restaurant availability can keep guests updated and allow those who wish to avoid busy times to do so; and incentives can be sent to past guests to encourage repeat bookings – all managed through their mobile handsets that we know are never far from their sides.”

With customer experience being the number one priori-

ty CLH News is delighted to recommend a selection of regular advertisers who have been providing payment systems and providing a wide range of technology solutions whether you are a small single branch business or a multisite group, which will, as we approach the busiest time of the year reduce queues and improve speed and efficiency of service. Not to mention help you promote yourself to ensure customers make repeat visits.

3R EPOS SYSTEMS 3R Telecom established in 2001, when three independent retailers joined together has become one of the largest distributor of Prepaid Mobile Top up vouchers and International calling cards. The key, they say, to their ongoing success has been the determination to cherish relationships with customers, developing a friendship rather than a working relationship and working alongside them at each stage providing you with high levels of support and guidance.

Their State-of-the-art EPoS systems are designed to become an essential part of your business. Assembled with detailed reporting functionalities which will help to minimize your cost whilst maximizing profits, they are excellent for both multi-sites and single-site businesses.

Built on over 16 years of experience, 3R EPoS reporting facilities safely stores information regarding your business and can be uniquely tailored to suit your needs. Whether you own a convenience store, restaurant or a bar, the 3R EPoS system can integrate products that are unique to your business. This can include the ability to store new promotions, daily specials as well as adding local dishes to the menu.

3R EPoS systems will contribute to the success of your on-going business as it includes the ability to inform managers when your stock is reaching minimum levels thus allowing you to re-order stock accordingly. Furthermore, 3R EPoS systems will calculate and suggest what should be ordered based on current and archived sales, recent orders and current stock level thus saving time and money.

In order to also boost your sales and gain customer satisfaction, 3R EPoS systems also offer a range of handheld touch screen devices. Such benefits can contribute to your cost savings and enhance your purchasing ability across your business.

C.C.R SYSTEMS LTD Specialist EPOS supplier CCR Systems have been supplying, installing and maintaining Retail and Hospitality EPOS systems for over 34 years, and are a ISO-9001 registered company with a diamond award for customer satisfaction.

Our Powersuite software package that includes Total Control Premier/Stock, Instant Loyalty and Drilldown is the ideal package for all types of Hospitality & Retail outlets.

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“Talking Tech”- Keep Them Coming, Keep Them Loyal November 2018

(...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) Their hardware is a choice of top of the range touch screen terminals from selected quality manufacturers. The ORDERMAN Restaurant table ordering system is without doubt the best of it's kind, utilising the latest Oderman 7 hand held terminal and Kitchen Monitors or printers. Have a look at our web site on 'ccrsystems.co.uk' and view the ORDERMAN video.

CCR also cater for the client that needs a low cost system that easily compares with the box shifters. Please contact GEORGE GUNNERY on 0151-644 8296 for a quotation for your establishment, or email to: epos@ccrsystems.co.uk.

WACR CASH REGISTER WACR specialise in touch screens and cash register,tills sales and hire in the Wiltshire South West Area. Headed by John and Martin we have personally handed over thousands of epos and till solutions to satisfied customers over three decades. We are also able to undertake repairs and servicing for business throughout Avon,Wiltshire,Gloucestershire,Somereset,South Wales,Berkshire,Hampshire and Oxfordshire. We have over 36 years experience of supplying and mantaining EPOS systems and Touch screen systems to pubs, clubs,restaurants and retail scanning. Our reputation has been built on high quality customer service and product reliability. We offer a very realible backup service for our customers. We offer a contract and support contract for most makes of cash registers and touch screens.

NFS HOSPITALITY Cloud-based Silver EPOS gives restaurants competitive edge – even at the festive season With the festive season upon us, bars and restaurants across the UK are at their busiest – and many are relying on the innovative Silver cloud-based EPOS system from NFS Technology Group for help.

Streamlining operations to keep costs at a minimum, while maintaining excellent customer service, is more important now than ever. And the pioneering EPOS app is providing restaurateurs and bar owners with the power stay on top.

Silver gives managers a complete online end-to-end view of their business – from wherever they are.

It’s simple to use on an iPad and provides all the features you need to boost sales and improve efficiency, with comprehensive reporting and forecasting capabilities that help you control labour costs and improve stock control.

Its easy-to-use interface means staff are up and running on Silver in hours, and it also provides marketing and loyalty-promoting capabilities.

Silver works for both independent or multi-site operators, and provides immediate ROI because it’s available at an affordable monthly cost including integrated loyalty, email marketing and inventory control – backed by 24/7 support.

CHATBOX A CHATBOT called Feebi is being used to book restaurant tables and answer customers’ queries.

The artificial intelligence (AI) software is in use at Jenkins & Sons, the Penn Hill restaurant run by Urban Guild among others such as Ojo Rojo, Banque & Bohem, Creams in Bournemouth town centre and 2Taps Winebar in Belfast.

Mr Santana said: “It’s always learning. The more restaurants we have, the better the AI becomes. We aim to answer at least 95 per cent of questions. “You want to be talking to your customers in the restaurant while Feebi handles the queries outside the restaurant.”

Users sign up for a free trial and begin by asking a series of questions about their business, its opening hours, menus and policies.

He added: “We built it on a SaaS – software as a service – based model. A restaurant can put in their information within 15 minutes and, for £30 a month after a 30-day free trial, it runs on their social media and website.”

Matt Lawrence, group marketing manager at Urban Guild, said a trial was going well at Jenkins & Sons.

“Customers are able to ask questions like opening hours and menus. They get instant replies and the instant gratification of finding out if we’re open tonight and what’s on the specials menu,” he said.

MICROTEK UK LIMITED Microtek UK Limited are a Yorkshire based company specialising in the distribution, supply and service of EPOS equipment. As the UK distributor of Uniwell Point of Sales Microtek support a National dealer network of fully trained and approved Uniwell re-sellers.

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The South West's leading suppliers of Cash Register & EPOS systems to the Hospitality Trade

We supply: Bar / Restaurant Preset Cash Registers, Touch Screen and Hand Held Systems, Full Back Office Stock Control Solutions.

If you are looking to upgrade or replace your current EPOS system then don't until you receive a no-obligation demonstration from WACR!

POS Systems from £1550 +VAT and Reconditioned POS Systems from £850 +VAT

Freephone 0800 328 3492 www.wacr.co.uk

to discuss your requirements or visit Email: sales@wacr.co.uk

CLH News

Areas covered:Wilts, Avon, Glos, Oxford, Somerset, Berks, Hants & South Wales

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

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“Talking Tech”- Keep Them Coming, Keep Them Loyal

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(...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) Microtek UK Limited employ 17 experienced electronic engineers in our repair centre and our technical laboratory enables repairs to be done on electronic boards at component level. This enables the repair of EPOS equipment at very competitive rates.

Our sister company MSD UK Limited has 25 years of experience in developing and providing back office management software and front end point of sale software. Specialist sales and reporting software enables EPOS and sales management. Full stock control is available for all hospitality outlets via EPOS Office software and Multisite management is encompassed in EPOS Central.

MSD’s front end software MSD Touch gives sales control for restaurants, bars and takeaway outlets.

Both Uniwell and MSD Touch integrate with the some of the best names in the hospitality industry to offer the end user a complete solution including, card payment services and mobile phone payments. On-line ordering, allergy and menu management, hotel bookings and leasing facilities.

So are you utilising technology to keep them coming and keep them loyal? CLH News spoke with Eloise Sheppard, managing director of call systems technology who shares top tips for driving customer loyalty

RINGING A BELL: TOP TIPS TO DRIVING CUSTOMER LOYALTY With new restaurants opening what seems like every other day and more and more shoppers going online, customer loyalty is becoming increasingly important. Eloise Sheppard, Managing Director of Call Systems Technology, has been getting to the heart of what really matters to consumers and offers her top tips on driving customer loyalty in this technological age.

PLAYING YOUR CARDS RIGHT

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

The key to getting a loyalty scheme right is by making sure it’s one customers deem worthwhile without compromising profits. Operators should keep away from schemes that give users a percentage discount every time they dine or shop and instead focus on giving customers an incentive to come back. Loyalty cards are an easy place to start but operators need to be careful: many people

don’t want a wallet full of plastic and I would advise investing in an online system for customers who want to participate but don’t want the clutter. The reward also needs to be more substantial than earning a free drink or collecting points that don’t ever seem to amount to much. Burger restaurants, for example, could offer diners one free burger for every five that are purchased.

Chances are also high that consumers will pay for side orders and drinks when they return to redeem the offer.

BUILDING BRAND IDENTITY Presence online and within the local community is an important factor in encouraging customer loyalty. This element becomes more difficult for large restaurant and retail chains to achieve because communication channels such as the website and social media accounts are managed by head offices. Businesses should consider microsites for the regions or even for individual outlets, and local social media streams, managed on the ground at each location to notify nearby customers about what matters to them.

Independent stores and eateries, including pubs, can more easily ensure they’re active online and encouraging engagement from local customers. Running competitions on social media and advertising events online is a great way to remind people about the business and inspire them to visit again. With so many different store and eatery options available, consumers need these little digital reminders to stay loyal.

KEEPING IN TOUCH Most retailers and restaurants accumulate a substantial database of customer details, including birthdays, shopping and eating preferences, email addresses and phone numbers. As long as customers have opted in for marketing purposes, there’s no reason why restaurant operators and retailers shouldn’t be putting this data to work. Businesses should offer discounts around birthdays and anniversaries, or send a more personalised email now and again, showing relevant new dishes or products. Marketing components of CRM systems are designed to automate this process and make it easier to connect with the customer and encourage repeat visits.

www.3rtelecom.com www.microtekuk.com www.uniwelluk.com www.msduk.com www.psconnect.com www.completeleasing.com www.getfeebi.com www.nfs-hospitality.com www.wacr.co.uk www.ccrsystems.co.uk www.call-systems.com

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The Vandal Resistant Toilet Door Is Your Kitchen Equipment Slowing Down Your Monthly Turnover?

Lock From Burstcatch

As the hospitality gears up for its busiest time of the year, bars and restaurants will be welcoming people for office parties and family gatherings for the first time.

As the saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." Toilet facilities are often the first and the last impression clientele will remember. It is vital to not only ensure your facilities are clean, fresh, smelling and bright, but more importantly secure.

People sometimes behave out of character at Christmas/New Year parties, and can find themselves in vulnerable situations. Having facilities that are secure, not only providing privacy, but safety and security as well is vital.

Burstcatch ensures both privacy and security of your bathroom cubicles with its unique, patented vandal resistant design.

Weatherspoon, Yates, Mitchell & Butler, Stonegate and Missoula Bars Burstcatch ensures their washrooms are always 100% operational, reaping the financial benefits everyday.

• Privacy with unique anti-vandal door lock design • Works with all types of toilet cubicle doors • Built strong. Built to last. Built to save you money.

• Guaranteed to save your toilet cubicle doors and locks from vandals.

In the high traffic pub and club environment it's essential your toilet doors stay operational. Burstcatch will give you the piece of mind that once fitted you no longer have to call out service engineers to repair your toilet cubicle doors.

Generally a call out would be £60 plus per call, so its a simple calculation to see Burstcatch is a valuable investment.

Customer safety is ensured with our unique design. Burstcatch will allow standard privacy but if you are required to access a cubicle during an emergency situation you can easily force the door open without causing any damage to the toilet door hardware or to the door.

Safety without the expense!

Built to last in the most extreme of environments, Burstcatch is designed to operate flawlessly in the washroom environment. Suitable for extreme high traffic commercial toilet areas such as night clubs, bars and restaurants.

Burstcatch is the standard fitting in the UK’s largest pub chains JD

CFB Boilers Gets Energy Bills Out of Hot Water Round-the-clock demand for heating and hot water in hotels and catering facilities can create significant financial burdens. But it doesn’t have to be this way – CFB Boilers’ high efficiency GB 162 hot water boiler range not only reduces energy consumption, therefore slashing bills, but as a Carbon Trust ECA registered product, also allows businesses to claim 100% of the first year capital allowance.

The 80kW and 100kW gas or oil hot water boilers can be fitted individually or combined (from two to eight boilers) using CFB Boilers’ cascade kits, thus providing condensing outputs of up to 800kW. To pre-

GETTING OLD - Nothing lasts forever. Even if you think you’re meticulous about maintaining your kitchen perfectly, there comes a point where a replacement is inevitable. Maybe your commercial refrigerator isn’t sealing properly, or your cooker has gathered rust, equipment that is passed it could not only be slowing down your operations but putting you at risk of safety issues too.

cisely match heat demand, single boilers can automatically modulate output down to 19kW or less, while multi-boiler cascade systems can modulate down to 2.5% of total output. Consequently, system efficiency is always high – even when heat demand is low – and fuel consumption is significantly reduced. Wear and tear is also minimised.

CFB Boilers’ renowned 24/7 technical support covers everything from system layout design to installation. For more information about the GB 162 hot water boiler range, please contact CFB Boilers on 01255 224500 or visit www.steamboilers.co.uk.

WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Nottingham’s ever-expanding restaurant industry seems to have taken a bit of a knock recently, with companies like the Handmade Burger Co chain collapsing into administration. In less than a year, three restaurants in the intu Victoria Centre’s new Clocktower dining area have closed, leaving empty spaces where once thriving restaurants once stood.

Though reasons behind restaurant’s cash flow problems are questionable, a kitchen which isn’t running at its optimum levels could be a major contributing factor to why a business ultimately fails. With insight into the commercial kitchen equipment industry, Dishwasher’s Direct CEO, David Teasdale, shares his top tips for maintaining your equipment, to ensure your business efforts don’t end up down the drain.

IS YOUR RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT FAILING? REPAIR COSTS - A big mistake people often make is buying something of high value without a warranty to match. The higher the relative value of the equipment the greater the confidence of the manufacturer should be, meaning the sale should come with a longer warranty than standard. Commercial dishwashers, for example, should come with a five-year warranty, though many often don’t and leave owners with hefty repair costs that eat into profits. If you reach a time when doing a repair to keep your unit running has cost you more than getting a new one would have, it could be a sign your initial equipment choice wasn’t right for your business.

INEFFICIENCY - The lifespan of each piece of restaurant equipment is unique and directly correlated to how you maintain it. Simply buying your equipment isn’t the only task you need to complete. Keeping an eye on your commercial equipment effectivity, including cost to run, could determine if you are wasting money away on unnecessary bills.

Your restaurant’s equipment needs to be suitable to your business needs and well maintained when chosen. If it isn’t, you run the risk of operating poorly, and as a result you may lose customers and money. Costs of broken down kitchen equipment could be detrimental to the running of a business, with many having to close their doors after unexpected repairs or replacements have eaten into overall turnover.

DAVID’S TOP 5 TIPS FOR AN EFFICIENT KITCHEN 1. Shop around for equipment that is suitable for your needs. Commercial equipment is very different to domestic equipment and should be built to deal with the demands of a busy kitchen.

2. Think about your existing space and how your appliances should work alongside your current layout. There are many options available to suit smaller spaces including units that fit underneath surfaces, which will increase your kitchen’s efficiency and speed.

3. Consider leasing equipment. Leasing options may make long-term sense for your business as they allow you to upgrade with the needs of your business and often come with a maintenance package ideal for any repairs needed.

4. Look after your kitchen. As well as keeping your business working efficiently, you should also make sure you are making decisions that keep it to a high level of safety and cleanliness. Do not overload your equipment more than the recommended as this can damage the product or prevent it from cleaning correctly.

5. Ask about your warranty. As previously mentioned, high value equipment should come with a relative warranty package. For example, you should be demanding a 5year warranty when paying £5000 or more for a passthrough dishwasher.

Our range of hot water boilers can provide a suirable system to meet your requirements.

We can cater for a low temperature heating system for smaller applications right through to larger, high temperature and pressure process heating requirements.

Benefits: • Effective thermal insulating materials with a high degree of efficiency • Fully hinged boiler front door allows for easy maintenance • Robust and reliable due to high construction quality • High permissible temperature spread of up to 50 K • Approved for low return flow temperatures from 50 OC on UT-L and UT-M Models

UT-L

UT-M

UT-H

Heat Transfer Medium

Low Pressure Hot Water

High Pressure Hot Water

High Pressure Hot Water

Design

3-Pass Flame Tube / Smoke Tube Technology

Capacity in kW

650 to 19,200

750 to 19,200

820 to 18,300

Safety Design Overpressure (bar)

Up to 16

Up to 16

Up to 30

Max Temperature (OC)

110 (120 in Europe)

Up to 190

Up to 240

Fuel

3-Pass Single-Flame Tube / Smoke Tube Technology

MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS OF STEAM BOILERS & ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT Brunel Road, Gorse Lane Industrial Estate, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 4LU

Natural Gas, Light Fuel Oil, Dual-Fuel

01255 224500

www.steamboilers.co.uk

November 2018

CLH News

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Design and Refit Capricorn Contract Furnishings Capricorn Contract Furnishings are now firmly established as one of the country’s largest stockist and supplier of quality contract furniture to cafes, bars, bistro's, restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels.

Capricorn Contract Furnishings are based in an 85,000 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 throughout the UK on hundreds of products including outdoor dining tables, tub chairs, bar stools, lounge furniture, conference stacking chairs.

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.

Capricorn Contract Furnishings are in the enviable position of being a sole UK importer of quality furniture which means that you the customer, will be dealing direct with manufacturers from around the world at very competitive prices.

For further details, please see the advert on this page.

Imagine Your Restaurant Running Perfectly!

Imagine your restaurant running as night, and that your staff will want perfectly and joyously as you want to light them because they won’t it. How would it look and feel? cause any hassle.

What would the ambience be like?

How would the staff feel? How busy would it be? Every table rammed, or maybe three quarters full and every customer completely satisfied. Maybe, you would like it to have a warm cosy glow, with twinkling candles drawing customers in, safe in the knowledge that you won’t be clearing up messy wax all

You may now be imagining your restaurant with oil candles! If you want to know more about oil candles and would like a free one to try out for yourself, go to our website at www.clearcraftcatering.co.uk, choose a candle and I will send it to you, with some oil so you can try it out. Or even better, ring me for a chat.

Email mike@clearcraftltd.co.uk or Tel: 01279 731621

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

Contract Furniture Group has been set up to offer quality contract dining furniture to the hotel, restaurant, pub trades and leisure industries at realistic prices.

We carry a lot of our range in stock so we can help you to meet your deadlines. We also offer a unique source and supply service; if you send us a picture of an item we will do our up most to supply to you at the best price.

All our furniture is manufactured to the highest standards, we only use hardwood frames which are glued screwed and dowelled for strength. crib5 interliner (if required) sprung seat areas or webbing and top quality Italian leathers and fabrics.

For further information, call 0115 965 9030, visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk or email info@contractfurniture.co.uk

Catering Resources Here at Catering Resources we aim to provide your catering establishment with a range of catering equipment to suit every budget.

We are delighted, therefore, to be able to offer Foster’s Zero range which comprises single and double door fridges and freezer cabinets, slim line cabinets and 3 sizes of blast chillers. Best of all we are offering you 12 months interest free credit (subject to T&Cs). So don’t hesitate to contact us ASAP to take advantage of this great offer which of

Design and Refit

November 2018

CLH News

course includes 2 years P&L warranty.

Aside from the above, we also offer over 22,000 items of commercial catering equipment, most available for next day delivery.

Some of our brands include Atosa; Polar; Hobart; Blue Seal; Moffat; Dps; Olympia; Bolero; Instanta; Fracino; Dualit; Unox; Rubbermaid; Murco & Middleby Do you have a need to get rid of redundant equipment? We are especially interested in prep tables, sinks, ovens, refrigeration for which we pay upfront just send us some images and an inventory to: Graham@cateringresources.co.uk or call 0121 729 7143 or 07889 464583

Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience.

Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality.

Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size,

then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the walls in a period setting.

Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set

size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Manufactured and delivered to your doorstep ready for you to layout. Made to the same high standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Saving you up to 50% on competitors seating.

Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com Web www.simscf.com

Contract Chairs and Bar Stools from Mayfair Furniture Welcome to Mayfair Furniture, we supply a range of contract furniture including restaurant furniture & hotel furniture to the hospitality and leisure industries across all areas of the United Kingdom, Ireland, & Europe.

We stock a fantastic range of commercial seating in a variety of styles to suit all kinds of establishments.

Including B&B, Restaurant seating, Café seating, Pub, Bar, Spa, Leisure Clubs and many more.

We have a range of services that enable us to fulfil a variety of bespoke furniture orders including custom table sizes, specific colours in furniture

chosen by you and bespoke handmade premium quality contract furniture and upholstery.

As well as our huge variety of new contract commercial furniture, Mayfair Furniture is also a leading full service clearance company to the hospitality industry.

We buy used furniture from hotels and restaurants, which our professional refurbishment team and upholsterers will restore. We give you the opportunity to buy high quality, often bespoke items at a heavily marked down prices from our used furniture range.

See the advert on page 35 for details or visit www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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Design and Refit

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 out-

door 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

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.

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.

In a busy environment high backed seating can create quieter sections for a restaurant, bar or club. While in a working mans club or sports club for example it

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.

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can maximise the space around a wall allowing for easy access in and out and the ability to use the rest of the venue for larger events which might include dancing.

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.

Design and Refit

November 2018

CLH News

EAIS - The IDEAL Solution

EAIS is a leading Manufacture and Supplier of products supplied both to the Foodservice and Healthcare industries.

Renowned for their innovation and ability to offer solutions which meet not only the customer’s demands, but their expectations as well.

EAIS supply fully welded preparation tables and sinks manufactured from quality stainless steel to polymer vegetable storage bins and dolly’s through to plated meal trolleys.

Our “E-Z Store” range is available in 10 different finishes (chrome, nylon, galvenised, epoxy coated, wine, nylon sub-frame polymer lift-out, st/steel sub-frame polymer lift-out, st/steel solid, st/steel perforated and st/steel wire) ensuring that it can be used in any environment as well as fitting into any budget. Within 7 of the 10 finishes the bays are available in 28 different sizes.

EAIS also supply fully welded pot sinks and dishwasher inlet and outlet tables as wells as a wide range of storage and transportation solutions specifically designed for use within a warewash area.

Along with wide range of wall storage systems EAIS supply solutions for even the busiest preparation area. In addition bespoke units are also available.

See the advert on this page for further details.

Stop the Waste - Cistermiser Streamlines Hydraulic Valve Range Cistermiser is streamlining its market-leading range of hydraulic urinal flushing control valves.

The High Sensitivity Low Pressure (HSLP) valve, suitable for tank-fed systems with a 0.5 to 3 metre head of water, is being withdrawn to slim down the range. Cistermiser will continue to supply the popular Standard (STD) and Low Pressure (LP) valves, which are colour-coded blue and green respectively.

Cistermiser hydraulic valves, fitted on the supply pipe to the urinal cistern, use a unique mechanism that

prevents water waste by ensuring an auto-flush cistern is only filled and can only flush when the washroom is used. The valves operate in response to short-term pressure drops created by the use of taps or WCs on the same supply.

“In recent years our best-selling IRC2 infrared urinal flushing control has become the solution of choice for high sensitivity low pressure applications” says Mark Schlotel, Marketing Manager for Cistermiser. “Our Trade merchant partners readily stock the IRC2, so they can supply this product alongside our STD and LP hydraulic valves for future projects, to offer installers and clients a complete range of solutions.”

For further information contact T: +44 (0) 118 969 1611 E: sales@cistermiser.co.uk or www.cistermiser.co.uk

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33

November 2018

CLH News

34

Design and Refit

Pro Auction Valuers & Auctioneers

through our world-wide bidding platform.

Pro Auction runs both traditional and online auctions throughout Europe, using the latest auction platforms and software, developed to meet the demands and needs of both Pro Auction Limited are one of the leading specialist valuers & auctioneers. Providing a the seller and purchaser. comprehensive range of services to ensure that the full value of surplus or redundant The company provides expert advice to insolvency practitionassets are realised, to maximum value, be that by a private ers, corporate recovery specialists and turnaround professionals. treaty, tender or auction.

It is widely acknowledged as a leading provider of machinery and business asset advice – from initial valuation to exit strategy Auctions are conducted on a regular basis, throughout planning and implementation – helping clients through the whole Europe in the Hospitality, Catering & Leisure sectors. We proprocess. vide valuation and sale advice on all classes of industrial and commercial business assets.

Contact Pro Auction Limited on 01761 414000 or email info@proauction.ltd.uk Auction sales are conducted both on site and webcast

Your Outdoor Space Can Make You Money With one of our great canopies you can turn outdoor space into somewhere usable no matter the weather.

In addition to the structure there are options for the roof and the walls – solid, retractable, clear, opaque and more. Then there are the lights, speakers and heating!

The choice is vast – marquee-style with a clear roof (very funky) or a lightweight retractable. High-end rotatFor more help and information visit our website or ing louver roof or fixed polycarbonate. Jumbo umbrella give us a call. We are specialists in shade and shelter and or garden gazebo. It is entirely up to you what you we are ready to help. choose, however we will help with advice and options to To get in touch, call 0844 561 7679 or email make sure you make the most of your structure and your space. sales@outsidestructures.co.uk

The Seven Tuns, Chedworth Is Refurbished by Warner Contracts Ltd. As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of indoor & outdoor commercial furniture Warner Contracts Ltd. have recently furbished The Sevon Tuns, Chedworth.

Tom Conway, of Nobu, Criterion on Piccadilly and The Potting Shed fame, and Simon Willson-White, formally of The Ivy and The Ritz, together have converted this charming 17th century Cotswold pub into a mecca for fine dining, wholesome pub grub with an impressive selection of international wines to suit all budgets as well as palettes.

Tom’s passion for sustainability and sourcing seasonal produce will see him working with local suppliers, using

every part of the animal with a genuine ‘field to fork’ ethic.

Coupled with an extensive wine and spirit list the aim is to bring a little bit of London to the heart of the Cotswolds.The Seven Tuns pub will impress lock stock and barrel so book now to avoid disappointment.

Warner Contracts Ltd. now have a full manufacturing setup in Manchester where we produce bespoke upholstery for hotels, bars and restaurants. So if you are looking for something a little different please feel free to get in touch and discuss your requirements with our sales team on 0161 408 2390, email sales@warnercontracts.com or visit our updated website at www.warnercontractfurniture.co.uk

November 2018

CLH News

36

Design and Refit

Add A Splash Of Colour To Your Seating

Sometimes, a splash of colour is all you need.

Colour doesn’t have to come from your four walls, though. Furniture can play a big part in giving your bar, restaurant or café a colourful lift.

Accent furniture is an easy way to add a selection of colours to your establishment. The Bella Chair, which comes in six different colours, is a super stylish way to do just that. The only trouble you’ll have is choosing between the possible red, white, yellow, blue, black and silver colours.

Trent Furniture’s Bella chairs are based on the famous Tolix design.

Originally found in bistros across France, the Tolix was designed by Xavier Pauchard in the early 1930s and has since become popular in a range of

hospitality providers.

As if the stylish design and unique retro appeal of the Bella Chair weren’t enough, over the years the design has been tweaked and the chair is now stackable and water-resistant, meaning it can be used indoors and outdoors.

The Bella chair is available from just £25.90 (exc VAT). The colourful chair is also available in a stool version for those wanting a mixture of taller seating to match with poseur tables.

View the full range of Bella chairs as well as other contemporary and traditional furniture at www.trentfurniture.co.uk. Call 0116 2985 852 for more information.

Woodman Chairs

Woodman Chairs is a long established, dedicated chair manufacturer and wholesaler who make most of their own chairs.

We offer a wide and varied choice of solid oak and beech chair and table styles – both modern and contemporary – with many finish and seat options. Included in our range is an exciting choice of sturdy bar stools and bar tables.

manufacturers looking for their own design or seeking to create a unique range or theme, again in both oak and beech, raw or finished.

The fact that we make gives us greater control and flexibility. It also enables us to offer bespoke chair and chair frame or component production to end customers or other suppliers and

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Always keen to innovate, Woodman are constantly introducing new styles and have recently added Carver options to their more popular dining chairs and have further expanded their range of bar stools to include rush seated and fabric pad options. Here is a simple decision that won’t require a Referendum!

If you want your customers to have the best choice, with honest quality, at affordable prices, with decent lead times and no minimum order, then you need only vote Woodman for your chairs.

For further details call 01884 841789, visit www.woodmanchairs.co.uk or email sales@woodmanchairs.co.uk

Caterquip Ventilation Caterquip Ventilation, based in Warwick with nationwide coverage, offer a complete ‘one-stop shop’ service.

With over 20 years experience in the catering / ventilation industry they are independent and have accounts with all the major equipment suppliers. Specialists in Extract Canopy systems to DW172 spec & BSEN:6173:2001( interlocks), Odour / Sound Reduction , Input Air Systems, Fan Replacements / Upgrades. Suppliers of catering equipment with a free CAD kitchen planning service.

Design and Refit

November 2018

CLH News

Their manufacturing facility offers bespoke fabrications, benches , counters, dishwash tabling & service spines All at completive prices while retaining their renowned quality and attention to detail St /St or UPVC Wall Cladding, Flooring etc all brought together by the Project Management Team.

The commercial caterer’s ever-growing demands met by one common source, on time, on budget – suppliers to Hotel & Public House Chains, Schools, Community Projects, Restaurants & Hospitals.

Caterquip Ventilation are CHAS, Constructionline and B&ES accredited members.

Whatever your needs, Caterquip Ventilation is the simple solution.

Call 01926 887167 to make further

CaterFair - Commercial Catering Equipment

CaterFair supply used catering equipment to the hospitality & leisure industries. With over forty years of experience in the hospitality industry, we are passionate about supplying high quality used catering equipment at excellent value for money. Distribution throughout the UK via pallet courier service.

Commercial catering equipment is built to last and for the price conscious, used catering equipment is an excellent way to save money on items that are a

fraction of the price of their new counterparts.

Not just a supplier; not only do we supply catering equipment, we also buy and collect used catering equipment too with our clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove catering equipment whether fitted or unfitted, and logistics.

The Bar Specialists We design and manufacture bars for many of the top hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés and clubs - our clients, big and small, have one thing in common, they want a great working bar that looks fabulous! We continuously innovate how bars perform and have created many of the features now considered as industry standard. Our unique set of skills and experience ensures Cantilever continues to lead the market in the innovation and delivery of the world's best bars.

We recognise that decor as well as atmosphere are the most important factors when consumers are choosing a night out. We work with architects and interior designers to deliver the aesthetics of the bar, using our vast knowledge and experience in a range of materials. Our

See the advert on page 35 for details.

in-house designers work closely with each of our clients from the initial bar design, through procurement and manufacture to installation. We have a huge wealth of experience and expertise to deliver challenging operational briefs within the existing or intended architectural context.

It's not all about what we do-it’s about what we can do for you!

We have patented products to solve particular needs such as the Cantilever bar system and the Calabrese® Sink. To find out how we can help you with your bar project please call us today on 01453 732 040 visit www.cantileverbars.com See the advert on page 12 for further details.

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37

Property and Professional How To Prevent Pay Becoming The Hot Potato In The Kitchen November 2018

CLH News

38

Government intervention over workers’ gratuities and walkouts over backpay are hampering the hospitality sector’s efforts to fill the growing skills gap. Hastee Pay’s Sharon Dickinson explains how on-demand pay will increase recruitment and retention for hospitality businesses while easing financial burden among the sector’s workers.

Workers’ pay has become a burning issue in the hospitality sector following recent criticism of big-name restaurants withholding tips and service charges from workers’ pay. The government has since announced plans via a consultation paper that aim to ensure workers get the wages they’re owed, but in a sector already facing a sizeable skills gap, hospitality organisations should be doing everything they can to attract and retain staff.

The consultation recommends making it statutory for employers to provide workers with tips and service charges. The paper also proposes to increase transparency for consumers to make it clearer that suggested payments for service are discretionary and aims to prevent or limit any employer deduction from those discretionary payments for service (unless required for

tax purposes).

With more than half of people working in hospitality stating that they do not see it is an appealing sector for a long term career, more needs to be done to improve the industry’s image in the eyes of prospective workers. According to a 2017 forecast from the British Hospitality Association, there could be demand for up to 500,000 additional jobs over the next five years, yet the sector is currently struggling to fill an estimated 100,000 positions. This is without the Brexit effect.

Earlier this year, the British Hospitality Association (BHA), Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) launched a campaign to attract jobseekers to the industry through taster visits and work experience opportunities. While such initiatives are a step in the right direction, they fall short of addressing issues such as pay.

FINANCIAL BURDEN BOILING OVER Further disputes around pay have entered the public consciousness, dealing another blow to the sector’s reputation. In October, staff at a high end Dundee restaurant staged a walkout over an alleged £20,000 of

backpay. Keeping on top of loans and leases is a common challenge for hospitality businesses, therefore it is not out of the ordinary for hospitality businesses to experience cashflow problems. However, maintaining a loyal, happy workforce should be one of the top priorities in a sector that relies so heavily on customer experience.

Financial stress is having a disastrous impact on the UK’s workers. In turn, this is impacting businesses too.

According to a 2018 YouGov survey for The Times, one third of the UK’s middle classes could be unable to pay an unanticipated bill of £500 or more without resorting to borrowing. Another 2018 study by the Money Advice Service found that 63 percent of UK adults have seen stress over money affect mental health and wellbeing.

If the hospitality sector can change the way it is currently perceived and reinvent itself as the sector that provides jobseekers with the best possible pay conditions, it could quickly begin to thrive through an abundance of eager and ambitious workers filling the expansive skills gap and kickstarting sustained careers in the sector.

PAYING IT FORWARD Solutions are readily available that enable workers to access their pay as soon as they have earned it without any impact on the cashflow of the business. This doesn’t necessarily mean handing workers all the power over their pay because employers can set responsible withdrawal limits while workers will only access wages they have already earned. Expecting workers to wait until the end of each month to get paid makes little sense when we’re living in an ‘on-demand’ world.

For employers, there are clear advantages, from increased attendance and punctuality to greater productivity and retention. Where hospitality businesses rely heavily on casual or seasonal workers, the ability to provide immediate payment after the first shift will provide a significant competitive advantage against other businesses recruiting for temporary staff.

While the government is making positive moves to protect workers from losing out on gratuities and industry bodies have made efforts to attract more workers to the industry, it is down to individual businesses to attract and retain staff. By providing flexible, on-demand pay, hospitality businesses can do just that.

Sold: Well Established Traditional Tea Rooms The Mermaid, Ellington, Nr Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

Property specialists Stonesmith are delighted to have sold The Cosy Teapot, a thriving and well-regarded traditional tea rooms and tea garden. The business occupies a prominent trading position, close to the seafront, in the main street of the popular and attractive East Devon resort of Budleigh Salterton. This extremely affluent town is situated on the Jurassic Coast in an area officially designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The business occupies a delightful brookside setting just 100m from the main beach within the town centre. Budleigh Salterton is a popular coastal resort town situated in an area much renowned for its picturesque countryside, coves and beaches.

The ground floor lockup premises, occupying a prominent trading position, briefly comprise of a main Tea Room seating area comfortably seating 26 customers (with space for more if required), and the Brookside Trade Terrace to the front which provides al fresco seating for a further 18 customers.

New owner, Anthony Bird, com-

mented: “Deborah and I are pleased to have acquired The Cosy Teapot and to join the business community in Budleigh Salterton. We look forward to welcoming customers old and new.”

Mike Phillips, Director of selling agents Stonesmith said: “The sale of The Cosy Teapot generated significant levels of interest and we were able to swiftly agree terms with Anthony and Deborah. We wish them every success with their new venture.”

The leasehold business was sold off an asking price of £99,950. Full details of our current properties are available from the website www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

Leading National Licensed Property Agents Guy Simmonds have been instructed to sell this extremely popular and well established country inn and restaurant in an enviable central position in the affluent and sought after village of Ellington near Huntingdon in rural Cambridgeshire.

Senior Valuer, Geoff Bryan said this most impressive freehouse and restaurant is full of charm and character with a wealth of exposed beams and brickwork and has been well maintained to a high standard throughout. This thriving business has an excellent reputation for high quality dining from the local community and surrounding area, also drawing trade from the nearby towns of Huntingdon, St. Neots and

St. Ives, whilst maintaining a good and loyal wet trade. With the added benefits of the en-suite letting rooms and excellent and versatile facilities inside and out make this establishment not only the hub of the village but also very popular with the many visitors to the area all year round.

There is further growth potential for new owner operators to build

on this already successful business by promoting the letting rooms and holding more family event days and festivals etc.

This excellent freehouse has a welcoming bar (circa 30) with designated dining area (circa 16), two separate restaurants (circa 12 and 14), one family and one double ensuite letting rooms, two bedroom owners accommodation, outstanding enclosed garden with patio areas and a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

Price: £549,500. Tenure: Freehold.

Sales Criteria: £486,805 (Inc. VAT) excluding revenue from letting accommodation year ending January 2018. Trade Split: 35% wet, 65% food.

Contact the sales agent, Guy Simmonds, on 01332 865112

NE W

T H E W E S T C O U N T RY S P E C I A L I S T S

W! NE

LOOE, CORNWALL

BRIXHAM, DEVON

WOOLACOMBE, NORTH DEVON

Attractive and Well Presented Licensed Bistro Currently Trading on Evening Only Basis Tremendous Potential for Increased Trading Presented to High Standard Throughout Opportunity To Develop Own Trading Style

Impressive Award Winning Guest House Offering 7 Quality Letting Bedrooms Car Parking for 10 Vehicles Flexible 3 Bed Owners Accommodation Well Established with Impressive Trading Figures

Superior & Highly Desirable Coastal Restaurant Overlooking Woolacombe Beach with Stunning Views Restaurant (100+), Alfresco Seating Area, Car Park 3 Separate Apartments Profits of £233,440 from 7 months

NE W

LH £59,950

2084

FH £565,000

5972

LH £225,000

2085

EAST DEVON

MID DEVON

EAST DEVON

High Quality Day Time Only Cafe/Coffee Shop Occupying a Prime & Prominent Trading Position Main Cafe/Restaurant Seating 52 Customers Commercial Catering Kitchens 2 Double Bedroom Owners Apartment

Delightful 17th Century Destination Pub

High Quality Daytime Only Cafe & Coffee Shop Occupying a Town Centre Trading Position Cafe/Restaurant (55), Al Fresco Seating (40+) Impressive Levels of Trade With Much Potential Stylish & Extremely Well Equipped Premises

Patio Trade Terrace (60+) 2 Bedroom Owners Accommodation Impressive Turnover

FH £295,000

4642F

LH £89,500

2069

W! NE

PRICE: £69,999

W! NE

2087

NE W

LH £150,000

Bar, Function & Dining Areas (70+)

PRICE: £775,000

PRICE: £32,500

• Fabulous Hotel & Coaching Inn, situated in the Heart of Exmoor National Park • Substantial Piece of Real Estate with Character Trading Areas • 12 En-suite Letting Rooms, Separate Holiday Cottage, Owner’s Flat and Outhouses • Beautiful Position and Plot of Circa 1.8 Acres • Viewing is Essential to Appreciate this Unique Property and Business

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

FREEHOLD

REF 3304

• Beautifully Presented Italian Restaurant in Central Location • Superior Owner’s Accommodation with Views Across the Teign Estuary • Successfully Trading Throughout the Year • Strong Net Profits Off Only 5 Evenings Trading • Suitable for a Variety of Catering Uses

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3301

• Well Known & Popular, Free of Tie, Town Centre Pub • Central Position Located Opposite Asda Superstore • Main Character Trading Area Arranged in 2 Sections Plus Dining Room • Well Presented 3 Bed owners Accommodation • Retirement Sale - Viewing Highly Recommended

NEWTON ABBOT, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 2789

STRATTON-ON-THE-FOSSE, SOMERSET

• Well Located & Beautifully Presented Character Freehouse • 3 Interconnecting, Charming Trading Areas • 3 En suite Letting Rooms Plus Owners 1 Bed Flat • Outside Trading Area & Car Park • Fabulous Pub & Business in First Class Location

PRICE: £39,950

W! NE

PRICE: £59,950

CE PRI EN W

PRICE: £395,000

CREDITON, DEVON

SOMERSET TOWN

MANACCAN, CORNWALL

Well Regarded Licensed Restaurant

Exceptionally Well Presented Free of Tie Inn Situated Close to South Cornish Coast Family Sized 3 Bed Owners Accom Fully Equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen Extensive Lawned Beer Garden & Patio Areas

Bar Area (12), Dining Rooms (45) Impressive Spacious 4/5 Bed Pvt Accom Private Walled Patio Garden Area First Time on Market for Over 30 Years

FH £390,000

2074

LH £49,950

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

4764

TOTNES, DEVON Prominent & Well Presented Licensed Restaurant Much Sought After South Hams Market Town Restaurant (50), Restaurant/Function Room (30+) Commercial Catering Kitchen/Al Fresco Seating (20) Excellent Catering Opportunity

LH £25,000

2073

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

• Delightful Traditional Café with Strong Local Following • Well-Equipped and Maintained with New 5 Year Lease • Low Establishment Costs and 100% Business Rates Relief • Trading Quietly with Scope to Increase Hours • Located within Shopping Arcade on Main High Street

PRICE: £27,000

LEASEHOLD

REF 3207

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3088

• Delightful Licensed Deli in Sought After Town of Dartmouth • Successfully Trading Throughout the Year • Charming Outside Seating for 34 with Enclosed Canopy • Promoting Homemade Local Produce & Beverages • Associated Business ‘The Picnic Boat’ Available via Separate Negotiation

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3167

• Charming Village Inn Situated in Desirable and Picturesque Location • Character Main Bar (70 Covers), Purpose Built Function Room (120) • Spacious and Well Appointed 4 Bed Family Accommodation • Very Successful Business, on the Market for the First Time in 17 Years • Turnover Y/E March 2018 £333,000 ex VAT with Very Impressive Net Profit

NR EXETER, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF 2571

• Popular American Wild West Themed Steakhouse & Smokehouse • Prime Trading Location Amongst Torquay’s Best Known Restaurants • Covers for 120+ Over Two Themed Trade Floors • Well-Equipped Commercial Kitchen & Staff Facilities • Net Turnover for Year Ending 31st March 2018 was circa £311,000 ex VAT

TORQUAY, DEVON

PRICE: £67,500

LEASEHOLD

REF 3232

Property and Professional

Sprosen – New Name In Hospitality Business Sales Sprosen opened in October of this year and has enjoyed a great start with around half a dozen Freehold and Leasehold deals agreed over the first few weeks.

“We have a different approach to selling businesses” explains Bruce Sprosen the firms Managing Director, “our specialist marketing team use all forms of modern technology to promote our client’s businesses”. Judging by the positive results reported – it works!

Bruce is keen to stress that the business has a blend of old with new, “when it comes down to customer

service and professionalism our ethos is quite old fashioned” he says, “100% customer satisfaction is a minimum requirement”.

In the Sprosen team there’s over 100 years of experience of selling, valuing and advising hospitality business owners.

With offices in Bath and London they are well equipped to provide national coverage. For sale valuations are free and its always “no sale – no fee”.

Sprosen can be contacted on 01225 720393 or 0203 967 8374 office@sprosen.com www.sprosen.com

The Hospitality Business Mentor from The Bowden Group David Hunter is the Hospitality Business Mentor – he works with owners and investors in hotels, restaurants and catering businesses.

Ensuring the business performs and makes the required profit, is what David does, and he does this by:

Other areas that David advises on include:

• Marketing – general and specific (ie promotions etc) • Human Resources (HR) - including all the legislation, and disciplinary

1. Setting realistic targets for the business, and creating budgets and forecasts 2. Monitoring Sales, Gross Margins and Labour costs very closely 3. Mentoring the owners and/or managers of the business to help them achieve their objectives

positions.

• Reward and Bonus schemes – always linked to achievement of objectives • Customer Service - including Hospitality skills training Do contact David for an informal chat, or make an appointment to meet with him.

Call David direct on: Mobile 07831 407984 or by email on davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk Visit the website at www.bowdengroup.co.uk or the Blogsite at www.hunterbowden.co.uk

Is Your Business In Trouble? Are You Having Sleepless Nights?

Do you have serious money problems, are you facing legal threats, are you avoiding the post, your phone and your emails ? We can sort out all your financial and legal problems no matter how severe they are, our success rate is 100% Let us take control of all your problems and shield you completely from all the pressure you are facing. We will

deal with all your creditors and their litigators allowing you to concentrate on your customers and the business. We promise to identify effective solutions and options to keep you trading, or if you prefer, a seamless and managed exit with no adverse effects on you for your future plans.

Every problem has an answer! Call us today without delay on 01183 800949 / 07538 161544.

Hotel & Pub Rescue Ltd www.hotelandpubrescue.co.uk enquiries@hotelandpubrescue.co.uk

The Grill House South Street, Gillingham For Sale The Grill House is situated in the heart of Gillingham, close to the main town centre and shopping areas. The area is surrounded by a vibrant mix of complementary businesses and Gillingham itself is a busy and growing market town situated in North Dorset between Sherborne and Shaftesbury and is approximately 4 miles from the A303 which links the South West and the M3 to London. The town has a mainline railway station with connections to London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.

Originally a rugby clubhouse, the premises underwent a complete refurbishment to exceptionally high standard throughout approximately 4 years ago, and The Grill House is a thriving and well regarded licensed restaurant which has benefited from considerable investment and expendi-

ture. The premises, which are in a character filled building, offer an eclectic blend of both modern and contemporary finishings and décor and occupy a sought after town centre trading location.

The Grill House is to be sold as a freehold investment, providing an opportunity to acquire an investment property with experienced tenants in place. The building is currently let on a free of tie lease with a rent of £24,000 plus VAT per annum. Full details available upon request.

This exceptional business proposition is for sale for £300,000 plus VAT, for the valuable freehold interest as an investment opportunity. Full property details are available from the website www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262.

Den House, Teignmouth On The Market Award winning Commercial Estate Agents Bettesworths are delighted to announce the availability of Den House, a fabulous mix used investment property on Teignmouth seafront.

Bettesworths have been instructed by regional pub giant St Austell Brewery and are guiding the sale at an asking price of £650,000 to £700,000, freehold.

Den House is situated right on the Seafront at Teignmouth in a popular area referred to as ‘The Den’. The property enjoys far reaching panoramic sea views along the South Devon Coast towards Torbay one way, and East Devon and Lyme Bay the other. Den House is all of 100 yards from the town centre and 50 yards from the Beach; making this a prime piece of Real Estate.

The property comprises the

Cellars Bar and large Patio ‘Beer Garden’ at Lower Ground Floor with five residential flats over the three floors above. All of the residential flats are let on individual Assured Shorthold Tenancies at market rents.

Flat 2 is currently let to the operators of the Public House and is included in their rent, currently held under a short term flexible tenancy.

The property has the potential to comfortably generate rental receipts

in the region of £40,000 - £45,000 per annum.

The property has further potential for owner occupiers or investors who may seek a longer lease of the Cellars Bar, or possibly consider a change of use of this part of the building to create further residential accommodation (subject to planning).

Matt Bettesworth, Managing Director of Bettesworths commented ‘Den House is a diverse property and a fine piece of real estate situated right on the seafront. The property would make a solid investment given its location and mixed use and an early viewing is recommended.’

For further information please contact Matt Bettesworth on 01803 212021 or email: matt@bettesworths.co.uk

November 2018

CLH News

The Trout ‘n’ Tipple For Sale

A Freehold Inn has been brought to the market by Leading National Licensed Property Agent Guy Simmonds: - The Trout ‘n’ Tipple, Parkwood Rd, Tavistock, Devon.

This beautiful and thriving Inn & Restaurant is prominently positioned within the Dartmoor National Park just outside Tavistock on the main A386 Tavistock to Okehampton Road, just before Mount Kelly Public School and opposite Tavistock Trout Fishery.

Tavistock is a bustling market town with a population of approx. 11,000 residents.

The area attracts thousands of annual tourists with many campsites, caravan parks and holidays cottages close by.

This characterful and traditional freehold business consists of a Lounge Bar/Dining Area (circa 30), Function Room/Games Room (circa 30),

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FOR ACCOUNTING SERVICES

T E L E P H ON E 020 86 73 2 255 TAX PAYE

VAT Conservatory Restaurant (circa 50), Courtyard Garden (circa 30), Large Car Park and well equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen. To complete the property is excellent 3 Bedroom Living Accommodation.

Asking Price £425,000 Freehold. Last years Turnover circa £298,687 (incl.).

Trade Split 40% Wet & 60% Dry. Contact the Sales Agent, Guy Simmonds, on 01332 865112.

ACCOUNTS A comprehensive, specialised service whether you are starting up or run an established business

H D BUSINESS SERVICES LTD enquiries@hudsondeane.co.uk www.hudsondeane.co.uk

• Emergency rescue & debt management • • Creditor problems & legal actions • • HMRC, utilities & business rates arrears • • Secured & unsecured financing • • Cash-flow funding & Investor finance • • Business & appraisal plans • • Planning consents & redevelopment • Ca ll us • Project management • toda y • Business purchase • witho ut For Hotels, Pubs & Restaurants delay (Leasehold, Freehold, single & multi-unit) www.hotelandpubrescue.co.uk

01183 800949

enquiries@hotelandpubrescue.co.uk

07538 161544

CK DIRECT SETS LUXURY STANDARD MANUFACTURER’S VENTILATION TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES THREE MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT IN LONDON. The high efficiency of Air Jet kitchen ventilation systems reduces the effective net exhaust volumes, whilst improving extraction efficiency and minimising fan and ductwork size.

Air Jet hoods prevent the heat and impurities produced by cooking appliances from spreading to the work area. The hoods deliver a small air flow to push the upwardflowing thermal current toward the filters.

Included inside CK Direct’s hoods are unique Franke Cascade filters, which remove 95% of grease particles sized eight microns and above. These save on energy and maintenance, as the pressure loss is low, and the stainlesssteel filters are easy to clean.

CK Direct senior design engineer Martin

CK

Direct has had the

amazing opportunity to implement brand new ventilated ceilings and air jet canopies in a three Michelin Star restaurant.

The London-based restaurant was the perfect candidate for the latest additions to CK Direct’s product range. During the restaurant’s 8-week refurbishment, the existing extract systems within the kitchen and rooftop were stripped out and replaced.

Roof mounted air handling units, extract and supply fans, air conditioning and toilet ventilation were all fitted to service the launch of the showpiece ventilated ceiling, Air Jet canopy system and the new Air Jet extract hood.

How do these new installations improve the restaurant?

Culham was thrilled to see the new products in action at such a highprofile establishment.

“In this, and also past cases where CK Direct has had the opportunity to introduce its services to a renowned restaurant, we’ve relished the chance to show what we’re capable of. Time and again we’ve seen that our innovations in ventilation are exactly what these establishments are seeking.”

Martin continued and explained that refurbishments like this one will not only benefit the restaurant’s employees, but their customers too. Cleaner and safer kitchens are a win-win!

You can find out more about CK Direct’s commercial kitchen ventilation and extraction systems on its website:

www.ckdirect.co.uk

Ventilated ceiling

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The modular ventilated ceiling system is perfect for kitchens with an extensive range of cooking surfaces. It’s recommended for kitchens where natural points of extraction such as windows cannot be utilised – in other words, places like a residential area in London.

The three Michelin star restaurant in London features CK Direct Air Jet canopies.

The ceiling system is ideal for cooking areas that are viewable to the public. The consumer can see the staff hard at work, whilst the staff retain a safe and clean environment.

2

Air Jet canopy system

is suitable for

CK Direct’s Air Jet canopy system allows the kitchen ventilation system to provide sufficient capture and containment at a minimal exhaust flow rate. It creates negative pressure along the front edge and side of the hood, assisting in containment of heat and effluents in the critical work area.

kitchens with an

CK Direct’s ventilated ceiling

extensive range of cooking surfaces.