Asda boss: Government ‘more and more difficult’ to deal with March 4, 2026 The boss of supermarket chain Asda has said the government has become “more and more difficult” to deal with, claiming the pressures on business posed by policy have ballooned since he began his career. Allan Leighton, Asda’s chair, said businesses are increasingly facing obstacles to growth which are “not of their own making”. At Tuesday’s [...]
Spring Statement: Reeves’ pro-growth message ‘at odds’ with reality, say retailers March 4, 2026 The pro-growth message delivered by the Chancellor at the spring statement is at odds with the high-cost reality faced by businesses, retail and hospitality leaders have said. Leaders in the sector have called on the Labour government to deliver urgent reform to the business rates system and slash tax and policy barriers to hiring to [...]
It’s a sad story from brewery to pub February 26, 2026 It was a balmy 17 degrees in the Square Mile yesterday, drawing crowds out for a lunchtime pint in the sun. But in other parts of the country the hospitality sector is still in the grip of winter. Bad news came thick and fast from my native Cornwall yesterday, starting with confirmation that Sharp’s Brewery [...]
Graduate jobs crisis: Here’s who is actually still hiring in 2026 February 25, 2026 The job market is looking bleak. For recent graduates it’s not just a downturn, but a great big wall blocking off access to an early career. But in a vicious, Darwinian struggle for a meagre handful of jobs, there could still be advantages for grads. The whippersnapper hiring slowdown is a many-headed beast, but the [...]
Pubs to open late during World Cup – a life raft for hospitality? February 24, 2026 Though the Labour government and the country’s thousands of pub landlords have very rarely seen eye-to-eye in recent months, the World Cup could bring a summer truce to this fiery dispute. Hospitality trade bodies and one of the country’s biggest pub chains have told City AM they welcome the government’s move to allow pubs to [...]
Admiral pubs boss: business rates will ‘kill off the high street’ February 23, 2026 The boss of a northern-based pubs company has claimed business rates will “kill off” the high street as well as pubs unless the levy is fundamentally reformed. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told City AM the government must deliver on its pledge to overhaul the business rates system, which he said “penalises bricks [...]
Davey challenges Starmer on Trump tariffs February 21, 2026 The UK Government should sue US President Donald Trump for 100 billion dollars for the damage caused to the UK by trade tariffs, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has insisted. The Lib Dem branded Mr Trump the “most dangerous, damaging US president of modern times” as he welcomed a “brilliant” decision by the US [...]
Brewdog co-founder to plough millons into rescue bid for the struggling brewer February 21, 2026 James Watt, the co-founder and former boss of Brewdog is to plough £10m of his own money into the company in a rescue bid for the craft brewer. According to reports from Sky News, Watt, who stepped down as Brewdog’s chief executive in 2024, is assembling financial backing from external investors for the group. Insiders [...]
Franco Manca owner appoints advisers for possible sale February 20, 2026 The group which owns pizza chain Franco Manca and The Real Greek restaurants has hired advisers to review its strategic options in a possible first move of a sale or restructuring. Fulham Shore said on Friday it had appointed advisors Alvarez & Marsal, and reports say a sale could be on the table. The UK’s [...]
Surinder Arora: Hotels should not be excluded from tax relief February 19, 2026 Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has said he “fails to see” why the government has offered emergency tax support only to pubs, as hotels battle with “unprecedented” business rate hikes. This comes after Wednesday’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figures revealed that hotels and restaurants are facing far quicker price rises than the headline inflation rate. The [...]