Last May, a few months into the Covid pandemic we sat down with Ian Thomas, CEO, Bartlett Mitchell to get his view on all things Covid and catering. Since then the world of catering has continued to adapt within a previously unseen business landscape, and Bartlett Mitchell was acquired by WSH. So, we arranged to sit down with Ian again to get an update. Firstly, … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2021
Improved second half performance required from Rishi, aided by heeding doves
Boris Johnson’s roadmap on Monday was an exercise in trying to keep most of the people happy most of the time. With doves urging greater caution, alongside hawks including the ERG, whoops CRG, demanding Covid be let rip through society. The roadmap is only the first half if we use a football analogy, and the second half is now wholly dependent upon a sterling performance from … [Read more...]
Call on Chancellor to set hospitality VAT rate permanently at 5% in budget
An exchange of views on twitter earlier this week relating to the Chancellor's upcoming budget next Wednesday, led us to invite Nicholas Russell, MD Balbirnie House in Fife, Scotland to air his view's with our readership. We hope you find Nicholas Russell's view of how VAT could be applied to hospitality as compelling as we have. Nicholas Russell: So here we are, spring 2021. … [Read more...]
An Invitation to accompany your KP to play golf at The Belfry this summer
Meiko UK have always been champions of Kitchen Porters by manufacturing the warewashers KP’s like to use most. Also, through running The Kitchen Porters Club, the twitter page dedicated to KP’s. The Kitchen Porters Club highlights jobs for Kitchen Porters across the UK, alongside news and just about anything related to KP’ing, as well as some fun stuff too. Meiko UK and The … [Read more...]
Roux Scholarship 2021 set to resume this autumn
After the 2020 Roux Scholarship was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Roux Family have set new dates for the competition to take place in autumn 2021: the regional finals will take place in London and Birmingham on 9th September and the national final will take place on 25th October. The 18 regional finalists, as well as the first reserve, selected at the … [Read more...]
Accor reports global revenues down 62% in 2020
Against the backdrop of the global Covid-19 pandemic Accor in 2020 reports RevPAR down 62%. The 2020 report is attributed by Accor to a decline in revenues reflecting the business downturn in the global hospitality industry linked to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In positive tone, Accor is seeing signs of ‘significant recovery’ in all regions in the third quarter, … [Read more...]
£2 Billion loss at Heathrow prompts CEO to call on the chancellor for budget support
Heathrow Airport’s latest financial report shows the travel hub suffering a £2 Billion loss in 2020 as a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Heathrow reported 2020 as its worst year in 75 years of trading, seeing passenger numbers decline by circa 72%. The reduction in passenger numbers led to a reduction in revenue of 62%. Despite ongoing travel restrictions … [Read more...]
Chefs and Restaurateurs’ react to roadmap
Boris Johnson’s roadmap on Monday may not have contained many surprises, but the timelines are not what many had hoped for. Restaurateurs have told us, it does at least provide a framework around their planning to reopen, but the concern for many is cash flow. All are now eagerly waiting on the chancellor next Wednesday, to deliver further extended and increased fiscal and … [Read more...]
Two new Trustees appointed by the Gold Service Scholarship
The Gold Service Scholarship has announced that it has strengthened its group of Trustees with two prestigious new appointments this month. Knut Wylde, General Manager of The Berkeley in London, and Alessandro Fasoli, Director of The Woodspeen in Berkshire and The Clockspire in Somerset, will join the Trustee roster of other senior industry figures. Both have impressive … [Read more...]
The House of Commons honours caterer Julia Clifford
The Members’ Tea Room at the House of Commons will be renamed ‘Julie’s Tea Room' in honour of a popular member of the parliamentary catering team, Julia Clifford, who passed away recently after contracting Covid-19. Earlier this week in a statement made prior to parliamentary questions, Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle led a tribute to “friend and colleague” Julia … [Read more...]
Caterers’ react to roadmap
Boris Johnson has delivered his roadmap for reopening, the timelines are not what some had hoped for, but do provide a framework to start planning the reopening process, alongside defined guidelines. With preparations for reopening now starting in earnest, we spoke with some of the UK’s leading caterers to gauge their initial reactions to the roadmap, and what follows on from … [Read more...]
Hoteliers’ react to roadmap
Boris Johnson’s roadmap did not contain many surprises yesterday. The timelines are not what many had hoped for, but do at last provide a framework around planning to reopen. Preparation for reopening can now start in earnest, so we have spoken with some of the UK’s leading hoteliers to reflect and gauge their reactions to the roadmap, and what is next. Brenda Collin FIH, … [Read more...]
New VAT Deferral Payment Scheme Service opens online today
HMRC has today announced that over half a million businesses who deferred VAT payments last year can now join the new online VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme to pay it in smaller monthly instalments. In order to take advantage of the new payment scheme businesses will need to have deferred VAT payments between March and June 2020, under the VAT Payment Deferral Scheme. They … [Read more...]
Boris’ roadmap straight down the middle of the road, now needs Rishi’s full backing
The roadmap announced by Boris Johnson yesterday is as expected, a cautious one. It is also as we predicted, one that he steered straight down the middle of the road. Anyone expecting or hoping that a roadmap with less caution would be unveiled was being optimistic, as the runes were there to be read for weeks in the run up to it. There were no surprises, and that in a … [Read more...]
Roadmap and timelines deliver two key dates for hospitality reopening
Boris Johnson earlier this afternoon in the House of Commons unveiled detailed plans of his roadmap and timetable for unlocking England. The Prime Minister emphasised that following the first step, all subsequent stages of his roadmap could and would be subject to delay if required to do so, and that the programme would be delivered via “data rather than dates”. The rollout … [Read more...]
Mitchells & Butlers suspends pension fund payments ahead of £350 million share call
Mitchells & Butlers has suspended payments to its staff pension fund ahead of seeking £350 million in liquidity through emergency fundraising. Monthly pension contributions of circa £4 million per month are being ceased for three months. The revelation comes alongside the group reporting current cash reserves of £113 million, and a cash burn rate of £30 - £35 million per … [Read more...]
Four key reopening timelines set for today’s roadmap
Boris Johnson will set out his roadmap this afternoon in Parliament and again this evening from Downing Street, the addresses being the most hotly anticipated since the pandemic started. A broad picture of what to expect has already been set alongside two key caveats, caution and sustainability. There will be four key timelines set and we expect them to be as follows... Four … [Read more...]
