How to eat well during a pandemic, from pre-mixed cocktails to Michelin home delivery November 11, 2020 Another endless week approaches its inglorious mid-season finale. But what do we have to look forward to in the barren cultural landscape of November 2020? Well, restaurants may be closed but many canny entrepreneurs have turned their empty kitchens into home delivery hubs, allowing you to feast like it’s 1999, or indeed 2019. Each week [...]
‘A horror story’: Brexit and Covid halt international trade for UK SMEs November 11, 2020 Already suffering from the impact of a domestic lockdown, the UK’s SMEs have also been forced to halt international trade this year. The dual hit of Brexit and Covid uncertainty has seen 1.5m small businesses pause international imports and exports in 2020, according to research by fintech Currensea. For many SMEs international trade is the [...]
Confusion reigns ahead of introduction of Bounce Back Loan top-ups November 9, 2020 Businesses that took out Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) from non-bank lenders may struggle to access further funds as alternative lenders scramble to secure financing. The Treasury was forced to introduce top-ups and extend the application deadline for the 100 per cent state-backed loans to January after England was placed into another lockdown last week. From [...]
Why Congham Hall in Norfolk should be your next staycation November 9, 2020 We all need something to look forward to right now, and with foreign travel likely to be a risky business for the foreseeable future, staycations should be at the forefront of your plans. Here’s a perfect country retreat just a couple of hours from London. The weekend If you’re looking for a getaway just outside [...]
The best home delivery kits, from prepare-at-home gourmet meals to chocolates and whisky tasting November 6, 2020 The prospect of another month without restaurants is frankly too much to bear, especially with the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping. The hospitality sector was already on its knees and now it needs our help more than ever. Thankfully you can kill two birds with one stone – supporting your favourite chefs and [...]
London tops list of The World’s 50 Best Bars… But who won? November 6, 2020 Today of all days, as the UK enters its second lockdown, seems like a strange time to celebrate the world’s finest bars. But Londoners were today given a reminder of exactly what we’re missing, with the capital being crowned the undisputed champion of the drinking world in the new list of the 50 best bars [...]
Government extends coronavirus business loans ahead of Thursday’s England lockdown November 3, 2020 The government has extended applications for its coronavirus business support loan schemes ahead of England entering a second lockdown on Thursday.
How to make the most of the last pre-lockdown days, from a US election party pack to a prohibition jazz night November 2, 2020 During any other year, this would have been among the busiest weeks of the social calendar. Halloween parties would have spilled into US election parties, which would have led into Bonfire night, and before you know it, the weekend is upon you again. Instead, we have the bleak prospect of yet another lockdown. But try [...]
What Nutshell’s Mohammad Paknejad has learned from Covid October 31, 2020 Who are you and what do you do? I am Mohammad Paknejad, director of Nutshell, a modern Iranian Restaurant in Covent Garden. My wife, Marwa Alkhalaf and I have been operating the restaurant since we opened last July. How are things? The last six months have changed a lot at Nutshell. It’s our first restaurant, [...]
FSB: banks must ‘step up’ support for new Bounce Back Loan applications October 30, 2020 The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for the government to introduce further support measures and for banks to “step up” to ensure small businesses can access the financing they need. The organisation said it was “particularly concerned” by the number of small businesses that were struggling to access government-backed Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) [...]