25/01/2022
UK hospitality shows signs of recovery after Omicron-hit Christmas
Hospitality bosses have told the Guardian that takings have picked up pace lately and that the easing of Plan B Covid restrictions - including the dropping of work-from-home guidance - could further bolster the recovery. Early signs of recovery included a stock market update from Revolution Bars, which has 67 venues. It said many of the office parties that were cancelled in December due to concerns about Omicron had been rebooked for early 2022.
Robinsons will invest £12m to relocate brewery, staff and all operations to one site
Robinsons Brewery is set to invest more than £12m to relocate its Stockport town centre brewing and head office operations to its packaging centre site in Bredbury. The north-west-based brewer and pub operator's relocation will include the installation of a new Brewhouse and will mean all operations including brewing, cask racking, kegging, bottling lines, logistics and a new office facility will all be housed on one site - the first time since 1949. Wider plans include the acquisition of new pubs to add to the brewery's 23 managed houses and further investment in its 240 tenanted pubs, reports Morning Advertiser.
Government's VOA aggressively pursues fines to hospitality businesses
The Government Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has stepped up its demands to hotel & hospitality businesses and pubs by issuing and aggressively pursuing an increasing number of fines for late Valuation Forms of Return. This is despite that many such businesses were closed during the pandemic with no one in the office when the forms were issued and who are now struggling to get their businesses back on the road, reports CLH News.
The Restaurant Group upgrades 2021 earnings expectations
The Restaurant Group - which operates brands including Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Wagamama - has upgraded its financial expectations following strong trading, reports The Caterer. In the group's last market update on 16 November 2021, it provided guidance that it expected adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 2021 financial year to be between £73m-£79m and year-end net debt would be less than £190m.
Hospitality workforce numbers rise but remain well below pre-pandemic levels
The number of people working in hospitality has risen over the past year but the sector is still well behind on employment levels before the pandemic hit, new data has shown. The number of people working in hospitality in December 2021 was up 18.6% on the same month in 2020, figures from global software provider Fourth show, with the headcount of workers in December 2021 the highest since the summer of 2020, when the Government introduced the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, advises Big Hospitality.
And Finally...
A robot vacuum cleaner escaped from Travelodge in Orchard Park, Cambridge, having failed to stop at the front door. After being missing for a day and garnering a huge curiosity on social media, the robot was finally found under a hedge reports Express.