Which cafes and restaurants are reopening as the coronavirus lockdown lifts? June 10, 2020 After two months of coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s high streets are waking up again. From Pret to Pizza Express, cafes and restaurants across the country are working out how to restart their businesses. So what chains can customers expect to open up again on Monday, when so-called non-essential businesses are allowed to make their long-awaited return? [...]
UK needs 10m tests a week, says Premier League’s coronavirus adviser August 17, 2020 The company behind the Premier League’s coronavirus testing efforts has backed calls for the government to introduce a UK-wide testing scheme by the end of the year. Avi Lasarow, chief executive of testing firm Prenetics, has called on the government to swap its half-price restaurant scheme for a universal testing service across the UK. He [...]
15 incredible Londoners in the New Year’s Honours List January 2, 2021 In a list that was largely dominated by health staff and civil servants this year, Christopher Woolard, who served as interim Chief Exec of the FCA in 2020, became a Commander of the British Empire, while Kate Nicholls, a vocal advocate for the hospitality industry throughout this terrible year for bars, pubs and restaurants, received [...]
London’s businesses still need more help May 22, 2020 More than two months since lockdown began, large parts of the capital’s vibrant and thriving economy remain on ice. In particular, the leisure, cultural and hospitality sectors, which are a cornerstone of our city’s success, are at the sharp end of the crisis. Our buzzing night-time economy is on hold: the pubs, clubs and restaurants [...]
Coronavirus: Elderly should stay away from Mother’s Day lunch March 17, 2020 The over-70s should avoid Mother’s Day lunch with their children and grandchildren the chief scientific adviser has said today, as he warns that 20,000 coronavirus-related deaths would be “a good outcome”. Sir Patrick Vallance, who has been one of the two chief medical experts to appear alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson during recent press conferences, [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe hit with legal claims over North Sea pipeline January 12, 2020 Britain’s third richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe is facing claims that he is looking to raise costs for a rival to use the main North Sea oil pipeline. American oil firm Apache has said that Ineos, which Ratcliffe owns, wants to double the price of using the Forties pipeline which it bought from BP in [...]
Business on the brink: Airlines, hospitality and train operators in line for state support March 16, 2020 The existential threat to business posed by the Covid-19 pandemic became crystal clear this weekend as a host of industries warned of a potentially fatal cash crunch in the coming weeks. The aviation industry led calls for targeted government support, with train operators struggling with lower passenger numbers and the hospitality industry not far behind. [...]
Greene King posts robust sales growth despite fall in profit after summer washout June 27, 2019 Pub chain operator Greene King has posted a robust rise in sales for the full year, despite a slump in profit and the impact of unseasonable weather in the first eight weeks. The figures Group revenue rose 1.8 per cent to £2.2bn in the 52 weeks to the end of April. Pre-tax profit dropped 12.5 [...]
Experts slam business rates appeals system February 6, 2020 Property experts today said the business rate appeals system is a “time bomb” as the backlog of claims and challenges spiked. Businesses could be waiting years for their challenges to be addressed due to the backlog of appeals, experts said. Data from HM Revenue and Customs’ Valuation Office Agency (VOA) showed that in the 33 [...]
Coronavirus: Pursue profit at all costs or stand by your staff? The world has its eye on business March 26, 2020 How times have changed. It is remarkable to think that it was just eight weeks ago that business and political leaders from around the world gathered in the Alpine town of Davos. The 50th World Economic Forum was dominated by discussion of the climate crisis, global trade and artificial intelligence. US President Donald Trump declared [...]