Casual Dining

Sports Bar & Grill opens 5th venue in Piccadilly

26-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Sports Bar & grill is opening its fifth London site near Piccadilly Circus this September.

Planning for Christmas 2014: Enticing customers in

22-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

It’s the time of year that the hospitality industry starts putting together its festive plans for Christmas, with a number of bigger venues already taking bookings. BigHospitality is starting our special feature on planning for Christmas with a look at...

BHA partners with European tourism association

22-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has partnered with the European tourism association (ETOA) to promote the merits of UK tourism to international visitors.

Marylebone Leisure Group to launch Barsmith

22-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

The Marylebone Leisure Group is to open Barsmith this September, a new cocktail bar concept in London’s Farringdon.

Hi-Spirits expands Tails cocktail range

22-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hi-Spirits has reformulated, expanded and redesigned its Tails cocktail range, available for the on-trade.

London top ‘staycation’ destination for August bank holiday

21-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Hotel search website Trivago has also released data showing London to be the most popular city to visit for the 5.2m Brits taking 'staycations' this August bank holiday, while Edinburgh is the most expensive.

Chef apprenticeship standards approved by government

20-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

The first industry-developed apprenticeship standards for hospitality have been approved by the government.

Tourism to enjoy £2.1bn boost over bank holiday

20-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Domestic tourism is set to soar over the August bank holiday, with a quarter of the British population considering an overnight trip during the long weekend, according to the latest data from VisitEngland.

Wi-Fi accreditation scheme open to hospitality businesses

19-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Hotels, restaurants and cafes can now sign up to a government supported scheme that aims to recognise businesses that take responsibility for protecting children and young people using their public Wi-Fi.

Imported egg warning in wake of salmonella outbreak

19-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Caterers have been urged to avoid imported eggs in the wake of a national Salmonella outbreak that has so far been linked to a restaurant, takeaway and hospital.

Eclectic to re-launch two venues

19-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Eclectic Bar Group has announced the major refurbishment and rebranding of two of its venues.

Fewer burgers on menus as operators widen range of American-style foods

18-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Burger popularity has peaked in the UK, with branded operators serving increasingly innovative American and street food inspired dishes, according to the latest Menurama study from Horizons.

London Village Inns to open sixth pub

15-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Pub operator London Village Inns has taken over the franchise of Punch Taverns’ Westbury in Wood Green, and will reopen it in October after a £400k refurbishment.

Overseas visits to the UK hit record in H1 2014

14-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Visits to the UK by overseas residents hit a record 16.4m between January and June 2014, up 8 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Continued growth for pubs and restaurant chains

14-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Average like-for-like sales for restaurant and pubs in July were up 2.2 per cent – the 16th consecutive month of growth for the sector.

Pensions Regulator warns hospitality industry to act

13-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

The Pensions Regulator is urging hotels and restaurants to act now to ready themselves for automatic enrolment, following the publication of the regulator’s first quarterly compliance bulletin.

Great British Pub Awards finalists revealed

11-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Judges have revealed the names of 100 regional winners that will be running for the finals of the Great British Pub Awards, taking place in London on 11 September.

60-Second Skill with Nigel Haworth: finely chopped onion

08-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Being able to chop finely is an essential skill if you want to make sauces or stocks with an onion base. Here Nigel Haworth, chef patron of the Michelin-starred Northcote hotel, gives BigHospitality the 60-second lowdown on the best way to finely chop...

Seventh opening for The Stable

07-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Craft cider and pizza venue The Stable will be opening a site in Falmouth on 28 August.

Five tips to cut the cost of regulatory compliance

07-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

The Forum for Private Business has published advice which could help small- and medium-sized hospitality businesses cut the cost of complying with regulatory changes.

Jamie’s Italian FY turnover passes £100m

06-Aug-2014 By Mark Wingett

Turnover for Jamie’s Italian passed the £100m milestone in the year to 5 January, although EBITDA fell 9% to £11.9m as the management invested in infrastructure for International expansion, as well as the new Jamie’s Italian Trattoria brand and the rollout...

Foodservice market enjoys rapid growth

06-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

The foodservice market is outpacing grocery in terms of growth, with new food to go and all-day dining concepts helping satisfy consumer demand for out-of-home experiences, according to CGA Strategy.

Migrants and jobless youth key to stemming the hospitality skills gap

06-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

As the hospitality sector moves closer to the impending skills crisis, new research has shown migrants and unemployed young people could play an important role in helping tackle the industry's recruitment woes.

Ask the Experts

How to serve great beer

06-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Whether a hotel, restaurant or pub, the quality of beer served can have an impact on customer satisfaction, profits, sales and waste. Here, Steve Lakin of drinks dispense service Innserve gives his tips on good cellar management for great beer.

The Hideaway bar reopens under Suga Gunam ownership

05-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Former Draft House operations director Suga Gunam has acquired and reopened The Hideaway Bar in north London after refurbishment.

TwoRuba Bar to open by Tower Bridge

04-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

New TwoRuba bar is to open at the Hilton London Tower Bridge this September, running as a standalone venture.

Roka taps into quick dining market

01-Aug-2014 By Ruth Williams

Roka, Rainer Becker’s contemporary Japanese robatayaki restaurant brand, is entering the casual dining market with a new concept called Shochu Kanteen housed in the basement of its Charlotte Street restaurant.

WEST Brewery owner launches new Glasgow pub

01-Aug-2014 By Lauren Houghton

New Glasgow pub WEST on the Corner is being launched this November by Petra Wetzel, owner of the city’s WEST Brewery in the Templeton building.

Sector’s GDP contribution drops due to lack of funding

30-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

The hospitality sector’s contribution to Britain’s GDP dropped 0.2 per cent (£1.5bn) between 2007 and 2013, partly due to the lack of bank funding for SMEs, according to a report by Boost Capital.

Matthew Fort to advise on food and drink at St Pancras International

30-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

British food critic and writer Matthew Fort has been appointed as food curator of London railway station, St Pancras International.

Eating out up 4%

29-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Consumers ate out more often this past June than in the same month in 2013, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Horizons.

Meantime Brewery launches container bar BeerBox

25-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Meantime Brewery has signed a three-year contract with Knight Dragon to open a shipping container bar called BeerBox on the Greenwich Peninsula.

BOBO Social to bring burgers and bohemia to Charlotte Street

25-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

A new high-end burger and small plate concept is set to launch in London’s Charlotte Street next month.

Allergens: Half of venues still unaware of law

25-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Almost half (44 per cent) of foodservice operators are still unaware of the allergen laws due to be implemented this coming December, according to research by Unilever Food Solutions.

Tom's Kitchen to open at St Katharine Docks in August

24-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

The fifth Tom’s Kitchen Restaurant and Deli will open in the newly developed Commodity Quay development at London’s St Katharine Docks next month.

Bad lighting drives a third of Brits out of restaurants

24-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

A third (29 per cent) of British people have admitted walking out of a restaurant because of bad lighting, according to an npower survey released today.

Pop-up retailers contribute £2.1bn to UK economy

24-Jul-2014 By Mark Wingett

Pop-up retailers contribute £2.1bn to the UK economy each year and the sector is expected to grow by 8.4% over the next 12 months, according to a new study from economists CEBR and EE, the digital communications company.

Independent restaurants could suffer as eating out market grows

23-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

The total UK eating out market will reach £82.8bn this year, but independent restaurants are set to struggle as consumers switch to branded chains, according to Allegra Foodservice strategy director Simon Stenning.

Brasserie Bar Co begins brand roll-out

22-Jul-2014 By Lauren Houghton

The Brasserie Bar Co has begun rolling out its White Brasserie pub brand after receiving funding from ESO Capital, with aims to open 20 pubs in three years.

Young’s to open two new hotels

22-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Young’s has announced the acquisition of The Fox and Anchor in Smithfield Market and The Lamb in Hindon, Wiltshire, as part of its hotel portfolio expansion.

Chicken and gluten-free star on menu trends

22-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

‘Chickenisation’ and the rise of gluten-free labelling are some of the menu trends outlined in Allegra Foodservice’s latest report.

Warning over employment checks as government doubles fines for illegal workers

22-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

As the government cracks down on illegal workers, hospitality employers have been urged to carry out stringent right-to-work checks on potential staff.

Recruitment: A 5-step legal guide

21-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Aside from the challenge of attracting, selecting and keeping the right candidates, recruitment brings a range of legal risks hospitality businesses should be aware of.

Recruitment: Improving staff retention through training and incentives

21-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

At 20 per cent, staff turnaround in hospitality is one of the highest in the UK. Though this is an improvement on the 30 per cent recorded in 2008, continued retention efforts are needed to relieve the sector’s recruitment burden.

Recruitment: Selecting the right candidates

21-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Once the challenge of attracting applicants has been overcome, hospitality recruiters find themselves with the task of selecting the right candidates for their brand - ultimately aiming for improved staff retention.

Recruitment: Making hospitality an attractive career option

21-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

With the continued growth of the hospitality sector, combined with the lowest unemployment rate since 2008, finding new recruits is set to become more and more challenging. So where can restaurants, hotels and pubs find potential candidates, and what...

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