More than 250 hospitality bosses call for VAT freeze as diners hit by rising costs February 7, 2022 Restaurant bosses from big names including JD Wetherspoon and Greene King have signed a letter to the Chancellor calling for a VAT freeze at 12.5 per cent. In an open letter to Rishi Sunak, more than 250 hospitality businesses have called for a re-think of plans to hike the VAT rate back to 20 per [...]
Cobra chairman: ‘No running away’ from beer price increases February 7, 2022 Price hikes for beer are a “necessity” against a backdrop of spiralling costs faced by businesses, according to the founder of Cobra Beer. Firms have been hit with rising costs across the supply chain, including manufacturing, energy and labour with consumers facing rising food prices and utility costs. The food and drink industry faces a [...]
Tesco chief: ‘The worst is yet to come’ as energy crisis set to push food prices higher February 7, 2022 Tesco chairman John Allan issued a stark warning on rising food prices yesterday, cautioning “the worst is yet to come” in the coming months. While the supermarket boss said it was troubling people were facing heating or eating, Allan said Tesco had also been hit with soaring energy costs. The average amount of household income [...]
3,000 new UK jobs on the menu as German Doner Kebab plans to open 78 new restaurants this year February 7, 2022 In a dramatic expansion which will create almost 3,000 jobs, German Doner Kebab has said it plans to open 78 news restaurants this year across the UK. The kebab chain said it will grow to 170 restaurants across the UK this year as it continues to shrug off the challenging environment currently facing the casual [...]
Student work app Stint delivers Pizza Express nationwide deal February 7, 2022 Student work app Stint has inked a nationwide partnership with Pizza Express. The app connects students with hospitality venues in need of more hands on deck for a few hours. The partnership follows a trial in London and Edinburgh. More than 120 Pizza Express restaurants will partner with the app, which claims to offer hospitality [...]
Consumer confidence drops further as cost of living concerns intensify due to skyrocketing bills February 7, 2022 Consumer confidence dropped further in the fourth quarter of last year as Brits concerns about the cost of living intensified. Skyrocketing bills resulted in UK consumer confidence falling one percentage point at the end of last year, to minus 11 per cent, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. Cost increases for utilities and groceries [...]
Private equity firms circle embattled retailer THG February 6, 2022 Troubled e-commerce retailer THG is being circled by private equity firms for a potential buyout. Representatives from Advent International have reportedly visited the firm’s Manchester headquarters while LA-based Leonard Green is understood to have also expressed an interest. Shares leapt 16 per cent on Friday following speculation about private equity interest in a Betaville blog [...]
Ivy owner Richard Caring steps away from battle for Corbin & King February 6, 2022 Ivy owner Richard Caring has signalled he has given up the chase for beleaguered restaurant group Corbin & King. The group behind celebrity haunts including The Wolseley entered administration last month, amid icy relations between Corbin & King’s founders and its majority shareholder. Restauranter Caring has said “at this moment, I am not intending to [...]
Shoppers expected to cut back as country faces deepening cost of living squeeze February 4, 2022 January marked the eleventh consecutive monthly of like-for-like retail sales as shoppers have returned to London’s shopping hotspots. However, retail chiefs warned that the cost of living squeeze may soon curtail Brits’ spending habits. Total like-for-like sales, combined in-store and online, increased by +51.9 per cent in January, according to data from accountancy firm BDO. [...]
VAT freeze would create more than 286k new hospitality and tourism jobs, bosses say February 4, 2022 Hospitality bosses have urged ministers to halt a planned VAT rise this spring, claiming a retention could generate £7.7bn additional turnover in the next decade. Calls for a freeze have been reiterated by the British Beer and Pub Association, UKHospitality, the Tourism Alliance and the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions today. In a study organised [...]