Monday 10/4/17
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Old chicken and a bloody, greasy fridge land pub with £7,000 bill
By Nikkie Sutton, 10-Apr-2017
A Hertfordshire licensee has been ordered to pay more than £7,000 after it was found serving chicken breasts two days out-of-date to customers.
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Pricey booze steadies wet sales in pubs
By Nicholas Robinson+, 10-Apr-2017
Expensive alcohol is helping pubs, bars and restaurants to increase or maintain profits from wet sales as consumers look for more premium experiences.
Propleinfo.com – Hospitality must be at forefront of discretionary rates relief, says ALMR: The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has warned licensed hospitality businesses ineligible for sector-specific relief, particularly restaurants, must be at the forefront of the government’s plans for discretionary business rates relief. The ALMR has also urged the government to finalise and implement the scheme at the earliest opportunity to provide clarity and support for businesses. Following the announcement of a £300m discretionary rates relief fund available to local authorities in the Spring Budget, the Department for Communities and Local Government has been consulting on administration and implementation of the scheme. The ALMR has submitted its response and chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The government took some much-needed steps to help support pubs with their rates bills, introducing sector-specific relief. There are still, however, a considerable number of licensed hospitality businesses, particularly restaurants, not eligible for relief. The ALMR has been urging its members to contact their local authorities and MPs to ensure restaurants are at the forefront of decision-makers’ minds when it comes to the discretionary relief. The ALMR’s submission has emphasised this and called on the government to follow up its positive initial support by providing relief for those other businesses that need it most. This is particularly important considering a massive number of appeal decisions remain outstanding, combined with the fact businesses have already received their bills but many will be unsure whether they will receive discretionary relief. The government needs to move quickly to bolster confidence for businesses and support those hard-working companies currently at a disadvantage.”
Propleinfo.com – JD Wetherspoon to open £2.5m Hull hotel in June: JD Wetherspoon is set to open its £2.5m hotel in Hull city centre on Friday, 23 June. Plans were submitted two years ago to build the hotel above the Admiral of the Humber in Anlaby Road by converting unused office space. The development will also see the pub refurbished with new carpets and decor. Wetherspoon has created 22 en-suite bedrooms, with the only external changes involving cladding and changing the windows from single to double glazing. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Hull Daily Mail: “The Admiral of the Humber is a well-established pub in the city and we believe the hotel will be a great addition. As well as being good for the pub, we also believe the new hotel will be a great asset to Hull too.”
Cityam.com – Clubbing the taxman: Golf courses eye billion-pound VAT rebate as row with clubs leaves taxman in the rough: Golf courses could enjoy a bumper billion-pound refund from the taxman, as a long-running battle over VAT payments escalates.Not-for-profit golf clubs won a legal fight with tax authorities last year over VAT charged on green fees since 1994. In 2013, European courts ruled 457 such UK member-owned clubs should be reimbursed £115m by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Although subsequently challenged in UK tax courts, the ruling was upheld last year such that 90 per cent of the amount was due back to the clubs. Read More
Tuesday 11/4/17
Propelinfo.com – Labour Party pledges to raise minimum wage to £10 an hour: The minimum wage will rise to £10 an hour if the Labour Party wins the next general election, leader Jeremy Corbyn has said. In a bid to win votes ahead of local polls in May, Corbyn has set out the details of the party’s longer-terms plans for a higher minimum wage, which would benefit nearly six million workers, including those in the hospitality industry. He said low pay blighted the lives of large and growing numbers in the UK and fuelled widening inequality. Corbyn added: “Labour’s real living wage will immediately boost the incomes and opportunities of more than 20% of the workforce, especially in sectors such as retail, care and hospitality. We know that where work pays, living standards rise and reliance on benefits falls. This is the right thing to do, and a Labour government will be committed to rebalancing our economy so that no-one and no community is left behind.” The policy would leave full-time employees on basic earnings better off by more than £2,500, while 21 to 24-year-olds on lower wage rates would be in line for a £4,500 hike. The government has begun to phase in its National Living Wage, with the aim of reaching 60% of median UK earnings by 2020. For over-25s, the wage rose from £7.20 an hour to £7.50 this month and is projected to rise to at least £9 an hour by April 2020.
Propelinfo.com – Paul UK introduces reusable cup discount: French artisan bakery and patisserie Paul UK has introduced a reusable cup discount. The “Paul Cares” policy gives customers a 10p discount every time they use any reusable cup when ordering a hot drink. The company has also relaunched its own range of reusable cups. Paul UK chief executive Jean-Michel Orieux said: “Paul Cares is our way of demonstrating our commitment to a passion we share with our customers, which goes beyond the cup, lightening the environmental footprint of all we welcome through our doors.”
Bighospitality.co.uk – Spending on restaurants rises 12% in March
By Sophie Witts, 11-Apr-2017
UK restaurants and pubs saw a double-digit rise in spending in March boosted by the warm weather, according to data from Barclaycard.
Propelinfo.com – Nottingham-based cat cafe to open second site, owners plan roll-out of concept across UK under franchise: Nottingham-based cat cafe Kitty Cafe is set to open its second site, in Leeds, with its owners planning to roll-out the concept across the UK under franchise. Kate Charles-Richards launched the concept with husband Oliver Richards in March 2015, with the cafe in Friar Lane doubling as a rehoming centre and attracting more than 80,000 visitors a year. It has about 30 cats at any one time roaming around diners, and finds new homes for between three and ten felines every week. A six-figure sum has been invested in the Leeds outlet, which will be in the city centre but in a location that has yet to be revealed. It will open between July and September, employing up to 30 staff and accommodating 40 cats. The cafe will be run as a company-owned franchise to show interested parties how it could work. Charles-Richards told the Nottingham Post: “Our aim is to have a franchise and Leeds is part of the pilot scheme. There are 69 cities in the UK and our aim is to have a Kitty Cafe in every one. We have a time-frame of more than 50 company-owned franchises in five years. There are other cat cafes but we’re considerably larger and the only one that rehomes at the moment.”
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Heineken pumps £20m into Star Pubs & Bars estate
By Liam Coleman, 11-Apr-2017
Heineken has announced that it will invest £20m in its Star Pubs & Bars estate during 2017 to keep up with changing consumer demands. Read More
Wednesday 12/4/17
Hospitalityandcateringnews.com – UK coffee shop sales enjoy a growth high: Visiting coffee shops is a ritual that many Brits routinely adhere to, as new research reveals Britain’s coffee shop culture is full of beans. According to Mintel research, the UK coffee shop market has enjoyed its biggest period of growth since 2008, when the market was valued at £2.2 billion. Over the last five years, the market rose by 37%, up from £2.4 billion in 2011 to reach an impressive £3.4 billion in 2016. What is more, between 2015 and 2016 sales increased a spectacular 10.4% – the biggest year-on-year boost witnessed in the last five years. It seems the market is brewing up for further success, as over the next five years coffee shop sales are forecast to jump a further 29%, reaching a heart-stopping £4.3 billion. Brits’ insatiable appetite for coffee is highlighted by the fact that two thirds (65%) of all Brits have visited a coffee shop in the past three months*. Coffee shop usage peaks among consumers aged 16-24 (73%). However, in a space traditionally dominated by specialist coffee retailers, it is notable that as many as 44% of Brits buy their hot drinks from non-specialists. Read More
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – People visiting pubs increases 12.5% on past year
By Finn Scott-Delany , 12-Apr-2017
People visiting the pub rose 12.5% year on year to March 2017, the latest data from Barclaycard has shown. Read More
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – 7 day beer line cleaning rule ‘not strictly true’
By Nicholas Robinson+, 12-Apr-2017
Cleaning beer lines every seven days is not necessarily the tell of good hygiene, on-trade cellar sanitisation firm Avani has claimed after a report outed the ‘dirtiest’ beer in Britain. Read More
Thursday 13/4/17
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Outdoor ordering: Time for licensees to think about their gardens
By Georgina Townshend, 13-Apr-2017
The days are getting longer, the barometer’s rising and the temperature is on the up. Summer’s on its way and it’s time for licensees with gardens to think about maximising that facility. And a new outdoor bar could be just the ticket. Read More