Here is our weekly round-up of what the national and local restaurant critics are writing about, for the week ending 21 February 2021. England remains in national lockdown, with restaurants and pubs closed (many are operating a takeaway or delivery service): https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions. All of Wales is at alert level 4, with similar restrictions to full […]
A new report on the safe reopening of hospitality, commissioned by UKHospitality from analysts CGA, shows that businesses in the sector were not significant areas of Covid transmission in 2020 and argues they should be central to reopening plans in 2021. Details issued by UKHospitality, according to the study: The UK hospitality market saw a staggering […]
More than 160 CEOs from the UK’s leading hospitality businesses, employing hundreds of thousands of people, have written to the Chancellor ahead of next month’s Budget. They call for decisive support to help the sector survive, rebuild and drive the economic recovery of the country as it emerges from the Covid-19 crisis. The letter, co-ordinated […]
The Hummingbird Bakery business and brand have been saved by a family investment firm, securing three London sites and protecting more than 60 jobs, The Caterer reported. Acropolis Capital, a London-based group, acquired the business through a pre-pack administration, and has reportedly “committed to supporting the cake chain’s recovery and future growth”. Cameron Chartouni, chief […]
You might think that London is oversaturated as far as fried chicken is concerned, but no: the Brighton-born chain Bok Shop is planning an expansion of more than 10 sites after securing £1.2 million of funding from a private equity backer. Apparently people think there are legs in chicken drumsticks yet. The brand serves chicken […]
Restaurants in the City have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic in an industry disproportionately hit overall. Which is why it is a dose of good news to learn the City of London Corporation has agreed to continue issuing pavement licences free of charge to suitable premises until the end of September. The six-month licences […]
Unpaid rent is possibly the single biggest financial threat to many restaurants right now as they prepare to fight themselves out of the coronavirus pandemic. Lack of government legislation or, indeed, any kind of lead on this issue, looks set to risk a ripple of business failures as the post-pandemic dust settles. “For many sadly […]
Here is our weekly round-up of what the national and local restaurant critics are writing about, for the week ending 14 February 2021. England remains in national lockdown, with restaurants and pubs closed (many are operating a takeaway or delivery service): https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions. All of Wales is at alert level 4, with similar restrictions to full […]
A group of chefs has launched Restaurant Kits, a new meal kit platform with a growing roster of restaurants. Unlike delivery services catering to separate restaurants, the service creates DIY ‘makeaways’ for them, and specialises in ‘experiences’ beyond simply warming up prepared food. Mac & Wild’s Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon run Restaurant Kits, and […]
Fitzrovia’s Mortimer House Kitchen has launched ‘friends of Mortimer House’, a guest chef takeover reimagined for delivery only. Pidgin is first on the billing, bringing its European-inspired ‘Homing Pidgin’ to the takeaway table. For two months, James Ramsden, Sam Herlihy and the rest of the Pidgin team will move to Mortimer House, partnering with Modal […]
