Dishoom warns that Brits’ low incomes pose risk for hospitality August 13, 2025 Dishoom has warned that the dual effects of still-low disposable income in the UK and tax rises in last autumn’s Budget present a short-term risk to British hospitality. The iconic restaurant business added that these factors may be exacerbated by “a possible slowdown in economic growth”. Confidence in the UK’s hospitality sector has been in [...]
Kensington Roof Gardens plunges to £26m loss August 13, 2025 The company behind the revamped Kensington Roof Gardens suffered a £26m loss after the venue reopened as a private members’ club, its latest accounts reveal. The grade-II listed former nightclub, situated on London’s swanky Kensington High Street, unveiled plans to launch as a members’ club in February last year, offering annual memberships of up to [...]
Hospitality sector on brink of claims crisis as Employment Bill looms August 12, 2025 The hospitality and leisure sector is already experiencing a rising number of Employment Tribunal claims, a situation likely to worsen further when the Bill becomes law.
Simmons: Bar chain owed millions to OakNorth, tax collectors before entering administration August 6, 2025 Simmons owed millions of pounds in debts to OakNorth bank and tax collectors before it was put into administration, fresh corporate documents have revealed. The London-based cocktail bar chain has made at least 30 staff redundant alongside closing several sites as founder Nick Campbell battled to secure rescue funding to buy the company in a [...]
We are governed by people who don’t know what they’re doing August 6, 2025 Almost 100,000 jobs in the hospitality sector have disappeared since the government unveiled its hike to employers’ National Insurance Contributions, and lowered the threshold at which it is paid. Employers have also had to contend with a rise in the minimum wage amid a storm of other headwinds including inflation, energy costs and generally weak [...]
London cocktail chain Simmons enters administration amid site closures August 5, 2025 London cocktail chain Simmons has entered administration after announcing plans to close at least four sites as it became the latest victim of the immense cost pressure facing hospitality firms. The upmarket bar group, which had operated more than 20 venues across the UK, has appointed advisory firm Kroll to oversee the administration, company filings [...]
Labour to introduce new licensing rules to boost high street venues July 26, 2025 The Labour government has pledged to simplify the opening process for new high street venues in a bid to ramp up British hospitality prospects. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said new licensing framework, which comes as part of Labour’s overhaul on planning, plans to fast-track permissions for al fresco dining, helping to “protect pavement pints”. The [...]
Compass: Catering giant buys Vermaat Groep in £1.3bn deal July 22, 2025 Compass has agreed to acquire European food services business Vermaat Groep for €1.5bn (£1.3bn). Shares in the hospitality giant rose by more than five per cent in early trades. Vermaat, which is a market leader in the Netherlands, will give Compass a “unique opportunity” for sustainable growth in Europe, the catering company told markets this [...]
The rise of slottification: Why can’t I have any fun in London without booking? July 22, 2025 When a boy cannot even go to a pond without booking it on a desktop app, something has gone wrong in London, writes Matt Waksman.
The Debate: Should we turn empty City office blocks into nightlife venues? July 16, 2025 A new report has imagined a future where ravers head to the disused office blocks of the City on the weekends. Is it madness or genius?