Britain’s leading restaurant, pub and bar groups delivered fractional like-for-like sales growth of just 0.1% in February, signalling a challenging start to 2025 for the sector as consumers continue to remain watchful of their disposable income.
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Sky high have always been Gordon Ramsay’s ambitions, and his new Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High takes this vision quite literally. Based on floor 60 of the City of London’s tallest building, 22 Bishopsgate, the venue hopes to be a 12-seat chef’s table experience unlike any other. The three-sided dining table’s would-be fourth side takes in a stunning panorama of the capital. Diners can view the twinkling lights of Canary Wharf and the river traffic rounding the Isle of Dogs. The experience hopes to embody the legacy of Ramsay’s flagship three-Michelin-starred Chelsea restaurant while serving elevated neo-Nordic and Japanese-inspired dishes, guided by head chef James Goodyear. This venue is one of four new Gordon Ramsay Restaurants venues at 22 Bishopsgate.
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Unpretentious and welcoming is the MO of the new NoNo wine bar in Leeds. Opening in the Dark Arches at Leeds’ buzzy Granary Wharf, the venue hopes to attract wine lovers both new and experienced. The venue opens on 20 March and is the latest venture from the West Yorkshire-based wine merchant Barrique Fine Wines. The 60-seat venue hopes to champion quality, terroir-driven wines for a new audience, and in doing so making wine discovery a less intimidating prospect for its patrons. The venue’s proximity to Leeds train station should be a boon for footfall, while its location in Granary Wharf will allow it to seamlessly slot into a thriving hub of hospitality venues.
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The second iteration of ZIMA, whose flagship Soho restaurant has done much to enlighten intrepid foodies on the diversity and delectability of Russian and Eastern European cuisine, opened in Not-ting Hill on Valentine’s Day. The 45-cover venue will hope to further refine ZIMA’s contemporary take on the region’s food by collaborating with Eastern European chefs who will bring forth their own contemporary interpretations of the cuisine. The first chef to take on this challenge will be Michelin-starred chef Evgeny Vikentev, a pioneer of modern Russian gastronomy. Expect every-thing from royal Siberian black caviar to pirozhki buns stuffed with beef, along with a selection of Georgian wines, at the new west London venue.
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Anna Hamill, London MD for drinks brand specialist Denomination, explains how vodka can overcome its 'generic' European image.
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The Four Seasons Hotel at Tower Bridge has appointed top mixologist Michele Lombardi to lead the drinks offer at one of the group’s key London locations.
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Hospitality business confidence has hit a low not seen since October 2022, when inflation peaked at a 40-year high.
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The festive period is the most pivotal time of year for wine and spirits in the on-trade and a strong yuletide performance is an essential indicator of a venue’s financial health. The prospect of venue closures has been a concerning spectre for hospitality and a good Christmas showing can buoy operators for the year ahead.
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A new report by CGA by NIQ and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), the trade association representing the night time industry, shows that the total number of nightclubs, late-night bars and casinos fell by 2.8% to 2,264 venues as of December 2024.
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Reports of the terminal decline of the quintessential British boozer have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new survey by SumUp.
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Sales at managed venues edged up by a modest 0.1% in the week to Saturday 19 October, just surpassing the same week in 2023. However, figures soon declined, with sales finishing 5% lower in the following week to Saturday 26 October. Drinks sales have now fallen in four of the past five weeks.
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Long-time spirits industry commentator and MD of Mangrove Global, Nick Gillett, speaks out ahead of the new Labour government’s Autumn Statement, arguing that ‘the best hospitality can hope for is to be left well alone’.
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Britain’s leading hospitality groups recorded modest year-on-year sales growth in September, continuing a trend of like-for-like growth that has been in situ since the beginning of the year.
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New government data indicates a slight reprieve for the hospitality sector, as accommodation and food service insolvencies fell 16% month-on-month in August 2024.
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Hospitality leaders have sent an open letter to the Chancellor, imploring Rachel Reeves to “fix business rates and prevent bills quadrupling for high streets across the country”.
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As part of its drive to assist hospitality in meeting a Net Zero Commitment, The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership has released a new handbook to help food and drink businesses navigate sustainable progress.
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Recent findings from CGA by NIQ's latest BrandTrack survey indicate a significant interest in the upcoming Euro 2024 football tournament among British consumers, with nearly half (46%) planning to tune in. Among these viewers, two in five (40%) intend to watch matches in pubs and bars.
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A group of award-winning small distillers have penned an open letter to Jeremy Hunt calling for a cut to alcohol duty in the Spring Budget.
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With the festive season in full swing, police and businesses have joined forces to crack down on drink spiking across the UK.
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UKHospitality Wales has called on the Welsh government to boost beleaguered pubs, hotels and restaurants in Wales and provide vital business rates relief in next week’s Budget.
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