Sadiq Khan launches £6m campaign to get people back to central London March 20, 2021 Sadiq Khan has begun a £6m campaign to get workers and tourists back into central London, after a new report found the capital’s economy could be £36bn smaller in 2031 than pre-Covid projections. The new initiative will see City Hall encourage domestic and international tourists come back to the capital by putting on events that [...]
Fiery Sri Lankan and 36 other restaurant-in-a-box delivery kits March 19, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some of the very [...]
Last orders: 21 pubs closed every day during coronavirus pandemic March 19, 2021 Almost 21 pubs and bars have closed each day since the first coronavirus lockdown was imposed last year, according to figures published today. Britain has 7,592 fewer licensed premises than it did before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, with independent pubs and bars hit the hardest by the restrictions on trading. Closures accelerated in January and [...]
Covid-19 vaccine shortage: India manufacturing shortfall will delay 1.7m doses to the UK March 18, 2021 A spike in demand for vaccines from a manufacturer in India will leave a hole of more than 1.7m vaccine doses in the UK’s vaccine supplies over the coming months. A shipment of 1.7m doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine expected from the Serum Institute of India has been held up by four weeks, the health [...]
Enjoy a day at the races from your own living room with Fitzdares March 18, 2021 If you’ve already turned a pile of pocket change into a sizable slice of pie at Cheltenham this week, bookmaker-cum-luxury members’ club Fitzdares has a perfect way to treat yourself, while emulating the experience of being at the races. The Cheltenham At Home Hamper is filled with goodies usually available at the iconic races, including [...]
Fever Tree maintains fizz as home sales bubble up March 18, 2021 A very strong performance from its off-trade division prevented mixer maker Fever Tree’s revenues going flat this year, the firm said this morning. With the collapse of its hospitality sales – or “on-trade” – division, which historically accounted for 45 per cent of the firm’s revenues, due to the pandemic, the company may have been [...]
UK on course to meet vaccine targets despite ‘lumps and bumps’ in supply, says minister March 18, 2021 Britain is on course to meet its vaccination targets despite major “lumps and bumps” in supplies expected over the next few months, the housing minister has said. The UK will see a “significant reduction” in Covid-19 vaccine supplies from 29 March onward, a letter from the NHS to local vaccination centres revealed yesterday. The NHS [...]
Best of travel: Why Toronto beats New York for a city break March 17, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Siobhan Grogan’s trip to the premier North American city break destination: Toronto. ••• As the cab from the airport inched forward in nose to tail traffic towards the distinctive skyline in the distance, I [...]
Insolvencies fell to two-year low in February March 17, 2021 The number of company insolvencies last month stood at 686, the lowest monthly number recorded since January 2019. Figures released by the government’s Insolvency Service found the number of company insolvencies in February 2021 was 49 per cent lower than the same month in the previous year. February 2020 marked the month before the UK [...]
Begbies Traynor boss on pandemic insolvencies: ‘The worst is yet to come’ March 16, 2021 Begbies Traynor boss on pandemic insolvencies: 'The worst is yet to come'