Figures released by Home Office Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach in the House of Lords last week revealed that almost all the major supermarkets are selling large volumes of alcohol below cost. 220 million litres of alcohol sold below cost Commenting on the finding in the latest available figures (for 2008) that 6 out of 7 supermarkets sold alcohol below cost, with a … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2013
James Martin goes racing at Ascot this September
We’ve enjoyed watching him from the comfort of our homes, cooking a variety of culinary delights. Now, much loved TV celebrity chef James Martin will be at Ascot on Saturday 7 September for the Festival of Food and Wine Raceday where he will not only create a menu for one of the racecourse’s premier restaurants, but also take part in an exclusive cooking … [Read more...]
Lighting for hospitality: take a closer look with Lighting magazine
Hospitality operators are fully aware of the difference that well-designed lighting makes to their business, and the positive impact that it can have on guests, revenues and profits. But it’s not easy to achieve, so readers may like to refresh their ideas and click onto the August issue of Lighting magazine, which takes a closer look at lighting in the hospitality … [Read more...]
Orchid Group integrates loyalty and till data
Orchid Group has launched an industry first with a loyalty, reservations and till data integration system that could transform its approach to marketing and sales opportunities. Piloted at the company’s Pizza Kitchen & Bar pubs across the country, the purpose-built, integrated database system is the first of its kind to be comprehensively rolled out and will allow … [Read more...]
Consumers in a rush to pay – tech at the heart of transactions in future
Hospitality operations should take note of the implications of slow payment processing for their business, as is made clear by the findings of new research examining the public's attitudes to and usage of emerging payment technologies. According to new research from WorldPay, the global leader in payments processing, UK shoppers are now driven by an acute need for speed and … [Read more...]
Brewers blossom in the sunshine
Fast on the heels of Wetherspoon’s recent results – like-for-like sales up 3.5% and total sales up 6.2% in the 11 weeks to 14 July, and no doubt still enjoying the effects of the sun on trading – have come (mostly) positive trading reports from other major brewers. Perhaps the slowly improving economy, combined with Wimbledon and the Ashes, is encouraging customers to loosen … [Read more...]
Jamie Porter to head up St Moritz Kitchens
Jamie Porter, one of the UK´s brightest young culinary talents, has taken up the position of head chef at the St Moritz Hotel in Cornwall. At the age of just 26, he has amassed a wealth of experience, much of it alongside some of the nation’s best known chefs. One of his mentors is Cornish legend Rick Stein, under whom Jamie trained at St Petroc’s Bistro, before he went on … [Read more...]
Tom Ross appointed Hotel Director at The Pig-Near Bath
THE PIG-near Bath, the latest addition to Home Grown Hotel’s popular litter of Pigs, announces the appointment of Tom Ross as Hotel Director. Tom, who will take over when the hotel opens this winter, brings with him years of experience in the hospitality industry - he was actually born into it, with his parents Stephen and Penny Ross owning and running the award-winning … [Read more...]
UK beer sales down 4.8 per cent in Q2
UK beer sales fell by 4.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2013, according to the British Beer & Pub Association’s quarterly Beer Barometer. Losses in the on-trade (pubs, bars and restaurants) were higher at 5.8 per cent. Off-trade sales also fell, but the 3.6 per cent fall was the lowest second quarter fall since 2005. The BBPA is pointing out that these latest figures … [Read more...]
UK hotels report strong June results
The U.K. hotel industry reported positive results in the three key performance metrics during June 2013, according to data from STR Global. Occupancy + 4.6%, ADR + 5.2%, RevPAR + 10.1% In year-over-year comparisons, nationwide occupancy during the month grew 4.6 percent to 81.4 percent, average daily rate increased 5.2 percent to GBP89.07 and revenue per available room … [Read more...]
Consumers more optimistic but still hesitant on spending
Consumer confidence is growing and behaviour is beginning to change, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. Optimistic about disposable income Consumers feel the most optimistic about their disposable income since the Tracker began in 2011. The sentiment index rose by 7 points to -29%, compared to -36% this time last year. Confidence has been bolstered by an … [Read more...]
Work starts on Greenwich Peninsula £121 million ‘InterContinental London The O2’
Balfour Beatty and its partners have started work to regenerate 7.6 acres of the Greenwich Peninsula in London with a prestigious hotel and residential scheme. The centrepiece of the development being carried out for Grove Developments Limited will be ‘The InterContinental London The O2’, a 19-storey, 452-room five-star hotel. Containing a massive 4,800 sq metres of space for … [Read more...]
Blackpool: EMRO could be disastrous for town’s economy
Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) has made representations to Blackpool Council Licensing Service over its planned Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Order (EMRO). BISL, which represents more than 70 private sector companies and organisations, believes the introduction of the EMRO will have a negative effect for all aspects of the leisure industry in … [Read more...]
Bournemouth’s Nautilus project finally set to build
It’s reported locally that work on the long-heralded £50 million “leisure hub” in Bournemouth town centre is finally set to begin early in 2014. The Nautilus development will contain a nine-screen cinema, 14 restaurants and 350 car parking spaces. And the developers are said to have more applications to take up restaurant leases than there are restaurants planned for the … [Read more...]
London hotels thrive in June
In June, hoteliers in London grew TrevPar by 10.9% year-on-year, bouncing back from revenue and profit declines in the same month last year, according to the latest HotStats survey of approximately 625 full- service hotels across the UK. Pre-Olympic effects, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and governmental warnings around transport led to a decline in total revenues per available … [Read more...]
