The UK’s ‘licensed’ venues saw virtually no change in total numbers last year, with 4078 closures and 4085 openings, according to the Hospitality Market Monitor, from CGA by NIQ and Alix Partners. The total number of venues, including pubs, bars, restaurant, nightclubs and hotels, sat at 99,120 operating in December 2024.
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Few followers of Harpers newsfeed could have missed the massive drive by Hallgarten & Novum Wines to bring aboard new agencies and staff in the wake of its acquisition by Coterie Holdings in December 2023. In the past 12 months alone, some 30 producers, along with 300 wines, have been added to the portfolio, backed by 30 new faces that have joined the team. And the upshot is a strengthened import and distribution business that is a serious force to be reckoned with, anchored by the investment and stability that Coterie has been able to provide.
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New figures from CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker shows year-on-year growth of 3.2% for December 2024, reflecting a month of boosted sales for hospitality.
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The changes to employer national insurance contributions (NICs) will see more than 774,000 workers newly eligible for the contributions. This figure represents almost 63% of workers who were previously ineligible. UKHospitality predicts this could cost the hospitality sector up to £1bn.
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The introduction of 40% business rates relief for hospitality venues in Scotland with a rateable value of up to £51,000 will be a welcome introduction for many but could see more than 2,500 businesses ineligible for the scheme.
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Opening with former executive chef at The Ritz Spencer Metzger and Roxane Dupuy as executive sommelier, chef-proprietor Jason Atherton has tailored a dream team for this sister outpost to Dubai’s Row on 45, where Metzger’s input helped deliver two Michelin stars. With just 28 covers and a 15-course ‘best of British’ tasting menu on offer, to be complemented by the 4,000-odd bottles in the cellar, Atherton says Row on 5 is to be his legacy from a lifetime’s cheffing. Expect a frenzy on the one booking day a month.
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Tamarind Mayfair has celebrated 30 years as one of London’s top Indian restaurants by launching a standout, 50-cover year-round dining terrace with its own central bar. The new terrace gives extra oomph to the venue in terms of design and also the drinks menu, where a new list has been designed by cocktail maestro Carole Brown in collaboration with Boatyard Distillery. A truly well-thought-out extension to the Tamarind brand, which should bring in fans both old and new.
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The food and drinks sector was the largest contributor to the 0.1% growth seen in the overall services industry during November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The services industry itself was the largest contributor to growth in the British GDP during the month.
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February is to see the opening of a restaurant and bar at Hambledon, backed by a team studded with well-respected names. Head chef Nick Edgar, who won a Michelin star at Samling in the Lake District, will ply his trademark seasonal cuisine, rooted in kitchen garden and local produce. James Osborn, formerly MD at Squerryes Wine Estate in Kent, brings wine expertise, and Katherine Fromm, out of The Pig, Limewood and Portetta, comes aboard as head of hospitality. And, as you might expect from this Berry Bros & Rudd-owned estate, there’s a private St James Tasting Room available for bookings, overlooking Hambledon’s oldest vines.
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With one in three visits to UK pubs now alcohol-free, the onus is on hospitality to create a winning low & no menu. Jo Gilbert discovers more.
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Rounding off our end of year talking heads is Erik Simonics, head of wine & beverage UK for Sunset Hospitality Group, as he reflects on remaining competitive in a challenging environment.
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Jo Gilbert set out to discover if December will be haunted by the ghosts of Covid and Brexit past and, if so, what the sector can learn from them.
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Leading restaurateur Neville Abraham CBE is encouraging applicants of all backgrounds to apply for his innovative F&B Manager Development Programme, initially launched in October last year.
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London-based South African restaurant Vivat Bacchus has unveiled a new partnership with the charity Africa College Foundation, forging a pact to “support education for disadvantaged youth in South Africa”.
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A new report from CGA by NIQ, the first of 2025, contains some good news for the UK’s beleaguered hospitality industry, as bar sales surged by 20.5% over the pre-Christmas week.
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Next up in our end of year trade talking heads is Duncan Gammie, sommelier and founder of The Wee Vinoteca, as he reflects on remaining competitive in a challenging environment.
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Next up in our end of year trade talking heads is Vanessa Stoltz, head sommelier at Restaurant Pine, as she reflects on remaining competitive in a challenging environment.
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Next up in our end of year trade talking heads is Elton Muco, deputy head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall, as he reflects on remaining competitive in a challenging environment.
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Britain’s leading hospitality groups recorded year-on-year sales growth of 2.7% in November 2024, marking the first ‘real-terms growth’ since June this year.
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The Mason’s Arms provides a warm, historic setting with a strong emphasis on traditional British pub drinks.
The bar, crafted from reclaimed church panels, offers a range of local ales and ciders, served through specially designed taps that reflect the pub’s heritage. Guests can enjoy outdoor drinks in the summer, with service provided through a garden hatch. The drinks menu includes tankards of Black Velvet served from a 1920s pewter oyster bar, sourced from an antiques market in the south of France.
