Labour warned that hospitality ‘is being taxed out of existence’ July 2, 2025 The government faced serious warnings from MPs about the state of the hospitality sector during an afternoon debate in the Commons on July 1. Representatives from across the UK warned the government that high taxes were suffocating the sector – particularly for small businesses – putting ‘insurmountable burdens’ on businesses. “Hospitality is being taxed out [...]
The Ivy: Jobs continue to be cut as Richard Caring nears £1bn sale June 26, 2025 Jobs have continued to be lost at the group behind restaurant chain The Ivy as billionaire owner Richard Caring edges closer to a £1bn sale. Troia (UK) Restaurants cut more than 100 roles during its latest financial year as its pre-tax profit also declined despite a rise in revenue, new accounts filed with Companies House [...]
Bella Italia owner slashes losses after shedding 700 jobs June 25, 2025 Losses at the owner of Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Frankie & Benny’s have been slashed after shedding 700 jobs during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The Big Table cut its headcount from 4,236 to 3,531 in the 12 months to 27 October, 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. Over [...]
Key streets are closing to allow outdoor dining in London this summer June 20, 2025 Londoners have a new way to enjoy this year’s summer heatwave. The mayor has announced that some of the capital’s streets will go car-free to provide more space for outdoor dining and drinks. The new Summer Streets scheme will pedestrianise roads in Westminster, Shoreditch, Brixton and Leyton. This project is being funded with £300,000 from [...]
Gino D’Acampo: Restaurant empire’s huge debts revealed before rescue June 9, 2025 The company behind TV chef Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant empire owed more than £11m as it collapsed into administration, it has been revealed. Upmarket Leisure Ltd, which controlled the former This Morning star’s venues, was served with a wind-up petition by HMRC in March and moved to appoint an administrator before being saved in a £5m [...]
Toast the City: Galvin La Chapelle brothers on Michelin success and 20 years in business May 31, 2025 In a new series celebrating the people and places nominated for our Toast the City awards, Adam Bloodworth visits Galvin La Chapelle, a Michelin starred restaurant in a Victorian chapel in the Square Mile Half of all restaurants that open in London close within two years. It’s a bleak truth, and yet the upside is that [...]
La Môme at The Berkeley review: a splash of high camp May 28, 2025 The Berkeley’s newest restaurant, La Môme, is best when it leans into eccentricity, but the food needs work, says Adam Bloodworth The Maybourne Group run the very plushest London hotels. Their newest, The Emory – London’s first and only all-suite hotel – charges north of a grand for an entry-level room. It opened last year [...]
Spending in pubs surges as Brits flock to beer gardens May 28, 2025 Pubs enjoyed a boost in April during the sunny spring weather as Brits opted for outdoor beer gardens over indoor restaurants. Like-for-like sales growth at pubs reached 9.1 per cent year on year, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Sales across all hospitality outlets were 4.2 per cent ahead of April 2024 [...]
Sexy Fish: Billionaire Richard Caring’s restaurant empire reveals losses May 23, 2025 Losses have been revealed for part of billionaire Richard Caring’s high-end restaurant empire, which includes the likes of Sexy Fish, as talks over a potential £1bn sale continue. The 2023 results for Caprice Holding, which also owns Scott’s and Bacchanalia, have only just been published, eight months after the Companies House deadline. The documents show [...]
Pizza Hut: The fortune owed by firm behind UK restaurants before rescue May 12, 2025 The company behind Pizza Hut’s restaurants in Britain owed more than £50m as it collapsed before being rescued, it has been revealed. Heart With Smart (HWS) was saved in January by an entity controlled by investment firm Directional Capital in a deal which salvaged all but one Pizza Hut location. Its new owner was the [...]