Devon’s Sandridge Barton winery will gain a new cellar door restaurant this month with Roam opening on 9 July. Spearheaded by Ian Alexander, the restaurant will adopt a farm-to-fork ethos, making the most of hyper-seasonal and ethically sourced ingredients. This includes meat sourced from the estate as well as vegetables from the kitchen garden. Head chef Sean Blood will channel his love for European bistro and taverna culture to deliver thoughtful, seasonal fare which will evolve throughout the year. The venue is retaining the patina and charm of its former agricultural life, with pale timber and weathered planks highlighting the rural charm of the wine estate. Expect dishes to be served alongside tipples drawn from the estate’s own vines.
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Nine new Master Sommeliers have joined The Court of Master Sommeliers following a two-day tasting and theory exam at Vienna’s Grand Hotel Wien in June.
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UK Hospitality has warned the Prime Minister that hospitality is in danger of being taxed out, with the sector having lost 69,000 jobs since the Budget.
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The Sommelier Wine Awards 2025 results for the Merchant Awards and Producer Awards categories are now revealed, both online and in this month’s print edition of Harpers.
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It is not, to paraphrase P. G. Wodehouse, difficult to distinguish between the current world of hospitality and a ray of sunshine. Many businesses have never fully recovered post Covid; inflation (and short vintages) have sent prices skyrocketing, and customers are feeling the pinch. They eat out less, spend less and grumble more.
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French wine on-trade sales have taken a hit over the past year, though bright spots are present, with a strong showing in the off-trade for Gallic labels by contrast. Off-trade performance is partly spurred by French sparkling – according to Kantar’s Take Home Purchase Panel the category grew 24% and 4.6% in terms of volume and value respectively over the past five years – the diverging figures potentially illustrating the promise of categories such as Crémant.
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At KAM’s Low & No: Drinking Differently conference yesterday (24 June), data from their latest insights report revealed that 37% of people have left on-trade venues early due to poor low and no options.
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Fresh data from the UK Government’s company insolvency statistics can reveal that insolvencies in the accommodation and food services sector were down 12% year on year for April, with 275 going bust during the month.
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The government’s announcement of its new Industrial Strategy has been met with frustration from figures inside the hospitality trade. UKHospitality has noted that the sector is among the industries not included in the Strategy’s energy bill reduction plan.
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Birmingham’s nightlife scene is set to see several high profile venues close their doors in the space of one month in an ominous trend for the UK’s second city.
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The 2025 Pedalling to Pubs bike ride has raised a record-breaking total of over £100,000 for hospitality charities the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) and Only A Pavement Away.
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A wine-oriented culinary reinvention will always prick the ears of the Harpers team, and news of the relaunch of Boxcar Bar & Grill as Boxcar Fire & Wine did just this. A stone’s throw from Hyde Park, the reinvigorated restaurant, with a revamped interior to boot, is led by head chef Zisis Gkalmpenis. Hailing from Greece, his experience incorporates time at top London restaurants including the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre. Central to the kitchen’s creations is the use of an open grill, with direct, elemental cooking its MO. Expect inventiveness, from Galician blonde beef rib to brill with asparagus and wild garlic. Wine takes centre stage too with an emphasis on small-scale, sustainable producers from the world over. Included in the restaurant’s wine list will be its own-label rosé, Tinted Glasses, created in collaboration with Château Saint-Maur in Provence.
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New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) can reveal that the number of payrolled employees decreased by 109,000 in May compared to the previous month. The employment drop comes after April’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) policy changes.
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African distilling is by no means a new phenomenon, but spirits from the continent are continuing to gain traction in the UK market. At the Signature Serve theatre at this year’s London Wine Fair, a panel hosted by Carly Foxwell of Fox in the Well consultancy, alongside three founders of African spirits brands, demonstrated the heady potential of spirits from the continent. Damola Timeyin of Spearhead Spirits, Eileen Twum of Asoro and Rohan Shah of Imizi rum highlighted the exciting proposition of their brands for the British market.
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London’s Marylebone is already spoilt for top restaurants, with new Middle Eastern venue Noreen adding to this culinary grandeur. Diners at the new eatery can expect recipes taking inspiration from across the region. The menu, steered by ex-Dorchester chef Mehdi Hani, will includes mezzes to share, complimented by Tannour-oven fired flatbreads as well as selections from the Minqala grill for carnivorous diners. The drinks menu will include cocktails from Mr Lyan Studio, taking inspiration from the Middle Eastern ingredients including the distilled spirit arak, as well as hibiscus, za’atar and tahini. The wine list will spotlight a number of emerging regions, including Lebanon and Turkey.
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Be Inclusive Hospitality has announced that nominations for its BIH Spotlight Awards are now open.
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Nestled beneath Covent Garden Market, Courtyard Wine Cellars will bring an expansive wine offering to the central London tourist hotspot. The venue, which opened in May, touts itself as the capital’s largest wine bar, offering everything from reasonably priced Provence rosé by the glass to bottles of claret approaching the grand mark. The 1,000-strong wine list will cater to the diverse array of shoppers in the market, as will the gastronomic options, with a hearty lunch menu complementing more relaxed, pizza-oriented evening fare.
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After 25 years in the wine and hospitality trade across the UK and Australia, I’ve come to learn this: the wine list should never be an afterthought. A wine list isn’t just about what’s in the glass – it’s a reflection of how well your whole business is thinking.
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Restaurateur Jeremy King has been announced as the headliner for the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) 2025 Industry Summit.
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A third of hospitality businesses are operating at a loss and are at risk of failure, according to a survey carried out by UK Hospitality, The British Institute of Innkeeping, the British Beer & Pub Association and Hospitality Ulster.
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