Casual Dining

Heads and Tales bar opens in Edinburgh’s Rutland hotel

16-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

New Scottish gin focused lounge bar Heads and Tails has opened in the basement of Edinburgh’s Rutland hotel on Rutland Place.

60-Second Skill: Pouring champagne

16-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

As demonstrated at the Moet UK Sommelier of the Year competition, champagne pouring requires skills and knowledge. BigHospitality gets top tips from this year's winner Kathrine Larsen.

Imbibe Live 2014: Wine events & activity

13-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

Imbibe Live 2014 will feature a programme packed full of wine-related events and activities for visiting sommeliers, wine buyers, operators and bartenders.

One third of Brits will watch #WorldCup2014 in pubs

13-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

One in three people will be watching the football World Cup in pubs and bars – prompting a 35 per cent beer sales boost.

Kathrine Larsen scoops Sommelier of the Year title

13-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Kathrine Larsen has become Moet’s UK Sommelier of the Year after a heated final at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Small Talk

Tom Peake, Mark Reynolds and Nick Fox on the expansion and diversification of Renaissance

12-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Renaissance Pubs recently opened its first hotel rooms above the Tommyfield in Kennington Cross. We caught up with the company’s founding trio to discuss this diversification, future plans for their pubs and their love for breathing new life into neglected...

Capital costs: London is most expensive city break destination in the world

12-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

London has overtaken Sydney, Paris, New York, Stockholm, Zurich and Oslo to claim the title of the most expensive city break destination in the world, according to new research from TripAdvisor.

Staycations to boost UK economy by £15bn

11-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Domestic tourism could give the UK’s economy a £15bn boost in 2014, as the number of Britons taking a holiday at home has more than doubled in three years.

Burgers and coffee shops lead strong 2013 chain performance

11-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Burger, coffee shops and Italian/pizza were the menu categories that registered the greatest sales among the 100 largest UK chains in 2013, according to data released by Technomic.

Fuller's buys 51% stake in cider and pizza restaurant business

11-Jun-2014 By John Harrington

Fuller’s, the London-based brewer and pub operator, has acquired a 51 per cent stake in The Stable, a six-strong craft cider and pizza restaurant business, for £7.3m.

Marcus Wareing replaces Michel Roux Jr as Masterchef: The Professionals judge

11-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

Chef Marcus Wareing is to replace Michel Roux Jr as judge and presenter on the seventh series of MasterChef:The Professionals, due to hit BBC Two this autumn.

Hot Diggidy Dog launches single-use bottles

10-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hot pepper sauce company Hot Diggidy Dog has launched a 5ml single-use glass bottle for its Hot Original Pepper Sauce.

Supply chain traceability critical for hospitality industry

10-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Operators should build closer relationships with their food and drink suppliers, as customers are giving more and more importance to traceability.

Regional tourism must build on London ‘strength’

09-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Unlocking Britain’s regional tourism potential requires playing on London’s popularity and promoting the country’s transport system, according to research by Olive insight.

Hospitality businesses 'named and shamed' for failing to pay minimum wage

09-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

A pub, a restaurant and two hotels were among 25 businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the government for paying staff less than the legal minimum wage.

Change your mindset to attract Generation Y, urges futurist

09-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

Attracting and retaining Generation Y as staff and customers will require a fundamental shift in the way hospitality businesses think and operate, according to futurist Dr Graeme Codrington.

Pan’Artisan rolls out Easy Stretch dough ball

09-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Pan’Artisan has launched an Easy Stretch dough ball allowing chefs to stretch their own dough and make quality pizzas to order.

Independents’ Day 2014 to celebrate small hospitality businesses

06-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Charity for the hospitality industry People 1st is running this year’s Independents’ Day campaign which celebrates the contribution small businesses make to the UK. Previously focusing on retail outlets, 2014 is the first year the hospitality industry...

Recruitment is the biggest barrier to hospitality growth, experts warn

06-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

The biggest challenge for hospitality businesses is not financing or regulation, but finding the right people, according to experts speaking at the Hospitality & Tourism Summit on 5 June.

Government sets up Tourism Council to boost growth

06-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

The government has announced the formation of a Tourism Council which will see regulators and industry work together for the growth of the UK hospitality and tourism trade.

£431m sales boost expected if England makes #WorldCup2014 final

05-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Consumers are expected to spend £431m in pubs, cafes and clubs if England plays in the World Cup final, according to research by VoucherCodes.co.uk.

Queen’s Speech: Hospitality round-up

04-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

BigHospitality looks at the key announcements made in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June and how they affect the hospitality industry.

Buddha-Bar Boutique to launch at Audi International Polo series

04-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

Exclusive London eatery Buddha-Bar Lounge has launched a new pop-up venture that will appear at high profile events around the UK this summer.

Awareness of pension changes in hospitality sector ‘concerning’

04-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hospitality businesses are being urged to ensure they are ready for the auto-enrolment reform as awareness surveys show concerning results.

Glendola Leisure Group to launch new site in the City

04-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

This summer Glendola Leisure is launching Silk & Grain, a British restaurant and aged cocktail concept in the Cornhill area of London.

Manifesto for change: ALMR outlines key policies to encourage growth and jobs

04-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

In the wake of the government's announcement on a new statutory code for pubs, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has called for more action to encourage growth and increase jobs in the licensed hospitality trade.

Michelin-starred chef takes over Berkshire pub

03-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Chef Dominic Chapman, who earned a Michelin star during his time as head chef at The Royal Oak, has signed a lease to take over The Beehive, an Enterprise Inns pub in White Waltham, Berkshire.

#WorldCup2014: Are you and your staff ready?

02-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

With less than two weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, operators should ensure they are prepared to avoid pitfalls – particularly when it comes to absences and temporary staff training.

The Meat Merchants launches pub snacks

02-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Norfolk-based company ‘The Meat Merchants’ has launched a range of four new meat snacks specifically targeted at the on-trade.

Rusty Nail nightclub comes to London

30-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Nightclub owner Nick House’s latest venture Rusty Nail opened yesterday (29 May) in London’s Mayfair.

Orchid deal: What is at stake for M&B

29-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) is now in exclusive talks to buy 170 food-led pubs from Orchid – a deal that, if completed, would help the firm get ahead of competition.

Industry gears up for BHA Hospitality and Tourism Summit

29-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

With the British Hospitality Association’s (BHA) annual summit just a few days away, speakers and delegates are preparing to discuss the future of the industry.

East Indian inspired coffee and cocktail bar to open in Tooting

29-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Brothers Nicholas and Alastair Heathcote are launching East Indian themed coffee and cocktail bar the Imperial Durbar, which will open in London’s Tooting on 9 June.

Hospitality businesses get generous on pensions to improve staff retention

28-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Small and medium-sized hospitality businesses are looking at increasing their contributions in employees’ pension schemes to help with recruitment and staff retention.

Wet weather hits eating out in Q1 2014

27-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

The wet weather dampened consumer’s enthusiasm for eating out in the first quarter of 2014, but pubs continued to enjoy growth, according to the latest report from Allegra Foodservice.

Five Guys UK reports £3.89m loss

27-May-2014 By Mark Wingett

Five Guys UK, the popular US burger chain, has reported a loss of £3.89m in the period to 29 December 2013, as the cost of launching in the country saw administrative expenses reach £4.58m.

D&D London buys Madison Bar and Restaurant

27-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Restaurant group D&D London has acquired the Madison Bar and Restaurant on top of the iconic One New Change building for £4.5m.

Alcoholic drinks: Expert tips on maximising sales

27-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

For the final part of our special feature on alcoholic drinks, BigHospitality asked some experts for their tips on maximising sales of wine, beer & cider, and cocktails.

Hilton aims to raise hospitality profile with young people

23-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hilton Worldwide has hosted 90 events in the UK this month to raise awareness on hospitality opportunities among young people.

Stay-at-home holidaymakers to boost UK economy by £108bn by 2017

23-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

A recent report from Barclays shows that Britons who holiday in the UK will contribute £108bn to the economy by 2017, which will help the hospitality and leisure sector to grow by more than a quarter in the next four years.

£30m alternative finance made available for hospitality

23-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Alternative finance firm Liberis has allocated £30m to lend to the hospitality sector, providing a flexible solution to an industry that struggles to obtain bank funding.

Young's sees revenue and profits soar

22-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Young’s enjoyed strong profit and revenue growth last year, with food and accommodation sales driving performance.

Great year for Luminar as capital investment starts to pay off

21-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Nightclub operator Luminar has posted a profit before tax of £3.4m for the year ended in February 2014 – a 34 per cent increase over the previous year.

Arc Inspirations to open its third ‘The Pit’ bar and restaurant

20-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Northern bar and restaurant business Arc Inspirations LLP is opening its third The Pit bar and restaurant in Harrogate on 28 June, in time for the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France from the town.

Reviews: Could asking for direct feedback cut the bad ones?

20-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Papa John’s introduction of a Rant & Rave text system has caused a decline in customer complaints, suggesting that asking customers for direct feedback in a simple manner could reduce the risk of getting bad reviews on dedicated websites.

UK’s traditional delights ‘at risk of extinction’

19-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Some of the UK’s traditional food could be at risk of extinction as British children prefer junk food and international dishes while on holiday, new research has found.

Restaurants seek to avoid voucher trap

19-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

A majority of UK restaurants are now refusing to get on the voucher bandwagon for fear of causing a permanent discount on their business.

Imbibe Live 2014

16-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Imbibe Live will return to Olympia on 1-2 July 2014, aimed at everyone who buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade.

Craft beer and good food lead pub revival

16-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

As the number of pubs in the country continues to decline, companies are diversifying their drinks offering and experimenting with food to retain their customer base – and it’s working.