Hospitality sector ‘bleeding out’ with looming £1.5bn Christmas Eve rent bill December 21, 2021 A £1.5bn rent bill and the sudden drop in seasonal shopping means the hospitality sector faces a flood of bankruptcies in the new year, according to reports. The £1.5bn payment for rent is due on Christmas Eve, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the news. But a third of pubs, bars and restaurants have [...]
Travel shares tank as lockdown concerns mount December 20, 2021 Shares of airlines such as British Airways’ (BA) owner IAG as well as Easyjet have tanked today as concerns over a possible strengthening of restrictions – including a potential Christmas lockdown – mount. IAG went down 3.35 per cent to 127.62p, while Easyjet registered a 2.11 per cent decline to 497.70p. According to Francesco Ragni, [...]
City’s new Lord Mayor will be a much-needed Square Mile champion November 15, 2021 As we move towards guarded optimism that we really might be over the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, that cheery outlook is increasingly not being matched by economic data. Today two surveys suggest confidence is faltering, as supply chain issues and staffing shortages begin to be felt. Another look at pub takings suggest we’re not [...]
Raab says there are ‘no guarantees’ over Christmas Covid restrictions December 20, 2021 Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said the government "can't make hard, fast guarantees" that there will not be a Christmas lockdown.
Restaurants banned from taking staff tips under new legislation September 24, 2021 Pub and restaurant workers will be entitled to all of their tips under fresh government plans, impacting 2m employees. The government set out new legislation that would overhaul tipping practices on Friday, in a show of support for workers after their sector was hit hard by the pandemic. Employers will be banned from withholding tips [...]
Losses at UK’s top restaurants jump to £151m June 1, 2020 Losses at the UK’s top 100 restaurants increased to £151m last year, a figure that will only worsen as the industry grapples with the impact of the coronavirus. Figures from accountancy group UHY Hacker Young show a 94 per cent increase in losses, from £78m the year before. The government has tentatively set out plans [...]
London venues warn they will haemorrhage sales if rail strikes go ahead this Christmas December 5, 2022 London restaurants have warned they will haemorrhage sales should planned railway strikes go ahead this month, as union bosses rejected a new pay offer over the week. Searcys champagne bar and restaurant chain, which has venues at the Gherkin and St Pancras International station, said it was worried it would take a 30 per cent [...]
Who is Sue Gray and when will her report hit Westminster? January 27, 2022 Westminster continues to be gripped by the coming publication of the Sue Gray report, with speculation that it may now not arrive until next week. Boris Johnson’s political career could be riding on the results of the report, with even some of his allies on the Tory backbenches ready to turn against him if the [...]
Social distancing makes UK pubs ‘unviable’, industry chiefs warn June 5, 2021 Ongoing social distancing measures are making British pubs unviable as businesses, industry bosses have warned, as boozers continue to suffer a hit to trade. UK pubs traded 20 per cent lower in the first week of reopening indoors compared to the same period in 2019 before the pandemic hit. This was despite 95 per cent [...]
Is chess a sport? It soon may be chasing the Olympic Holy Grail August 10, 2023 Columnist Ed Warner discusses chess, funding fringe sports and what makes a solid sporting body chief executive. Where do you draw the line between games and sports? Mine is at the door of the pub, so ruling dominos, bar billiards, space invaders and darts out of the sporting firmament. I realise of course that this [...]