Monday 14/11/16
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Beer prices could soar by 30p a pint
By Michelle Perrett , 14-Nov-2016
The price of a pint of beer could be set to soar by 30p as pub companies face a “triple whammy” of pressures in the New Year, The Sunday Times has reported. Read More
Morningadvertisr.co.uk – Young’s to open new pubs in Bristol and Cambridge
By Daniel Woolfson, 11-Nov-2016
London-based pub company Young’s has set its sights on opening further pubs outside the capital with acquisitions in Bristol and Cambridge. Read More
Costsectorcatering.co.uk – VAT cut could plough billions into hospitality sector: The hospitality sector could benefit from a £10.3bn spending boost if a reduction in VAT is announced as part of the Autumn Statement. The research by commercial insurer NFU Mutual found that over half of consumers (53%) said they would increase spend on eating out, weekend breaks and leisure. Darren Seward, hospitality sector specialist at commercial insurer NFU Mutual, said: “The encouraging sign is that there is clearly an appetite for increased spending in the UK hospitality industry amongst consumers. “With consumer spending coming under some pressure from rising inflation, the Chancellor’s decision to ‘reset’ fiscal policy could possibly include the option of cutting VAT by as much as 5% to support growth. “Our research suggests that even in a more probable situation of a 1% cut, up to £2.1bn*** could be ploughed into British hospitality sector businesses. With other announcements such as increased infrastructure spending seen as more likely, whether this opportunity can be delivered to customers and benefit UK businesses remains to be seen.” A cut in VAT by 5% could provide the average UK adult with extra spending power of £547 per year, according to NFU. 18-24 year olds are the age group most likely to spend in general (78%).
Tuesday 15/11/16
Kentlive.news – Restaurants could be selling illegally hunted meat, warn police: Restaurants are being urged to check they are not buying illegal meat which has been killed and sold by poachers. The warning has been made by Sussex Police as Autumn heralds a seasonal rise in poaching across the county, especially for deer, both shot and coursed and also hares, again coursed illegally by poachers with dogs. Wildlife crime officer PCSO Daryl Holter said: “The cosy, traditional image of a local countryman taking ‘one for the pot’ is far removed from the gruesome reality of modern day poaching carried out on an all but commercial basis, often by gangs travelling into the countryside from towns and cities, sometimes from quite a distance. “We have worked closely with rural communities and partner agencies to tackle the problem in the county for a number of years. We are preparing for an increase in reports due to the time of year and would like to raise awareness around poaching and associated activities early on.” Read more
Thecaterer.com – Survey reveals F&B decline in regional hotels: Profit per available room in the food and beverage department has dropped by 19.6% in regional UK hotels due to declining revenues and increasing costs, according to a new study by hospitality intelligence firm HotStats. The study, Benchmarking Beyond Revpar, which polled hotels with a combined total of nearly 45,000 bedrooms over a 15-year period, revealed that the food and beverage department now accounts for 34.3% of total revenue in the regions and 22% in London. Food and beverage revenue per available room (revpar) at regional UK hotels was £31.65 in 2015. For regional hoteliers, the growing cost of labour in the food and beverage department has been a key challenge, with an 11.8% increase in payroll recorded over the past 15 years on a per available room basis. In contrast, there has been a 7% decline in revenue. While hotels in London have seen a similar pay increase (11.7%), it has also seen a 6.2% increase in food and beverage revenue. However, with food and beverage revpar recorded at £24.85 last year, it was still equivalent to just 22% of total revenue. Pablo Alonso, Hotstats CEO said: “The growth in food and beverage revenue over the past 15 years has been well behind the growth in rooms revenue. While the current regional picture is slightly more bleak, as it appears the food and beverage department has been somewhat neglected in recent years, refocusing resources on this key department presents a strong opportunity to increase its contribution to overall revenue and profitability.”
Propelinfonews.com – Restaurant owners open second site: The owners of a restaurant on Rutland Water have opened a second site in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Ben and Roberto Ladjimi and Carlos Goncalves, who currently operate L’Oliveto, have converted the White Lion pub in Nottingham Street into their new venue. The pub had been closed for almost a year, with owners Punch putting it on the market in April. The new restaurant offers traditional Italian cuisine but has retained the old pub name. Ben Ladjimi told the Melton Times: “I have lived in Melton for 25 years and this was my dream to open a restaurant here. I came to this country with nothing and we have made a success of our restaurant at Rutland Water. Customers can come and eat here and then, at 10pm, they can go through to the room at the back to listen to live music.”
Wednesday 16/11/16
Bighospitality.co.uk – Chef shortage to worsen this Christmas and beyond
By Emma Eversham+, 15-Nov-2016
Restaurants face a ‘real headache’ this Christmas with recruitment agencies warning that they will not be able to provide enough chefs to meet demand due to the industry’s ongoing skills shortage. Read More
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – 94 Enterprise licensees request MRO quote
By James Wallin, MCA, 15-Nov-2016
Almost a third of Enterprise licensees that have had an MRO trigger since the legislation came into force have requested a quote for the market rent-only option. Read More
Golfclubmanagement.net – This man has become golf’s first accredited coach for deaf people: A PGA professional in Lincolnshire has become the first person who works in golf in England to achieve the DEAFinitely Inclusive Mark, the accreditation scheme that was launched last year. Darren Game teaches at his indoor Bourne Golf Centre and his Lincolnshire Junior Academy at Toft Golf Club, and has been recognised for making golf more accessible to deaf people. UK Deaf Sport launched the quality kite mark, supported by Sport England’s Inclusive Sport Fund, for all sports clubs and leisure facilities to improve the provision of deaf sport across the country last November. According to research, only 10 per cent of deaf adults take part in sport once a week, compared to 40 per cent of non-disabled adults. The mark means that deaf and hard of hearing people can be assured that Game will provide a good service and is a coach trained in deaf awareness. Game said: “Golf is a great sport for deaf and disabled people, whether it’s developing your own skills and etiquette or playing as part of a team. “Making the game accessible to all within the local community is a passion of mine and obtaining the DEAFinitely Inclusive Mark will open up the game to more people.” Becoming DEAFinitely Inclusive was a key aim for Game as he continued to develop his skills and make his existing coaching and playing opportunities more inclusive for deaf and hard of hearing people. He is a keen advocate that golf can be a game for all and has worked hard to develop links in his local area. These include Willoughby School where pupils with a range of impairments have benefitted from being involved in golf. Two of the pupils are continuing their golf at Toft, where Game has a junior development role. Jamie Blair, disability manager for England Golf commented: “It is really pleasing to see a coach and a facility make a strong commitment to including deaf participants in their golfing activity. “England Golf will continue to encourage more facilities to adopt the mark and engage with their local deaf networks in partnership with UK Deaf Sport and England Deaf Golf.” Clive Breedon, national participation officer from UK Deaf Sport commented: “UK Deaf Sport are very pleased to accredit Bourne Golf Centre and their work with The Lincolnshire Junior Golf Academy as DEAFinitely Inclusive. Darren is keen to make golf accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing so we look forward to supporting him to do so.”
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Licensees could face struggle over code of practice rights
By Michelle Perrett, 16-Nov-2016
Licensees could face a battle to retain their code of practice rights if their pubs are sold, leading campaigners have warned. Read More
Thursday 17/11/16
Propelinfonews.com – Lincolnshire-based restaurateur to open third site: Lincolnshire-based restaurateur Jax Hussein is to open his third site, in Waltham. Hussein is launching Italian Affair at the end of the month on the site of the former Fourteen restaurant in High Street. Italian Affair revives the name of a former Lincolnshire venue that was run by Mario and Vito Cataffo. Vito achieved national acclaim in Channel 4 series Dolce Vito, in which he established a restaurant serving British food in Bologna in 2009. He passed away at his Lincoln home the following year. The business will be led by operations manager Theo Lacatus, a chef with 35 years’ experience who has been working in Italy for the past decade. The venue will feature an outdoor terrace and separate bar and offer a range of traditional Italian and local food. A spokesman for the new Italian Affair told the Grimsby Telegraph: “Everyone still talks about Italian Affair and we want the legacy of Mario and Vito to carry on. We want to bring back memories. We put 100% behind everything we do and everything we have done up to now has been well supported. We have been working with local people who have been crying out for a good Italian.” Hussein also operates Indian restaurant Mumbai Blues in Waltham and bar restaurant Lids Tapas and Cocktails in Grimsby.
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Operators urged to ‘check, challenge and appeal’ business rates
By Nicole Sutton, 17-Nov-2016
BNP Paribas Real Estate urged delegates at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailer’s (ALMR) Autumn Conference to be aware of their rights when it comes to business rates. Read More