Hospitality insolvencies persist with rise seen for February

Consultancy firm RSM UK has analysed the latest company insolvency statistics, with February 2026 seeing a 22% month-on-month rise to 270 in terms of accommodation and food services insolvencies. This compared to the 222 insolvencies seen for hospitality in January of this year.

Cocktail festival to return to Brighton with 50 bars announced

Brighton Cocktail Festival has announced that it is returning for its second year of city-wide celebrations, running from 18 to 27 September.

On-trade outlook: Spring visits up but volumes down

New on-trade data for March 2026 from market intelligence company The Oxford Partnership shows improving average occupancy and dwell time year on year compared to March last year. In terms of the former this rose +1.1% to 65.4%, while the latter saw visit length rise +3.4% to 153 minutes.

Chorus of industry bodies laments April price hikes

Fresh survey data from four leading hospitality trade bodies reveals that as a result of the government’s 1 April cost hikes 64% of on-trade businesses will cut jobs.

Survey: 93% of workers would recommend a career in hospitality

Software provider Access Hospitality has said that belief in hospitality remains strong, despite “short-term morale” falling.

Pub and bar closures hit five-year high as macroeconomic pressures bite

Economic outlook: UK shows no growth in January as hospitality takes a hit

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the UK showed no GDP growth in January 2026. During the month, ‘food and beverage activities’ fell a concerning 2.7%.

Drake & Morgan raises £500k for cancer charity Maggie’s

Bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan has raised £500,000 for Maggie’s cancer charity.

Report: Widening gap between on-trade engagement and consumption

Market intelligence firm The Oxford Partnership has released its ‘snapshot’ of January 2026 for hospitality venues, which highlights what it called a “widening gap between engagement and consumption”.

Hospitality insolvencies lowest in two years

Released today (18 February), new figures from The Insolvency Service show that accommodation and food services insolvencies fell to their lowest level in two years in December 2025.

Michelin stars for Top 50 somms

Five restaurants associated with Harpers’ Top 50 Sommeliers 2025 have earned their first Michelin Star at the Michelin Guide Ceremony Great Britain & Ireland in Dublin this week.

One-in-eight pubs now at imminent risk of insolvency

One-in-eight pubs in the UK are in “severe financial distress” and at imminent risk of insolvency, according to accountancy firm Price Bailey.

Hopsitality: Pursuing work-life balance

The hospitality industry is well known for its tricky work-life balance. Whether it be long, demanding shifts, unpredictable and irregular hours or excessive workloads, the trade’s reputation is that its demands often eat into employees’ personal lives, impacting their mental and physical health.

Two thirds of consumers believe pubs and bars good for local communities

New consumer research from Zonal in partnership with NIQ has revealed that 69% of consumers believe that pubs, bars and restaurants play an important role in their communities.

Calls for business rates pub relief to extend to all hospitality

Last week’s reports that pubs will see great business rates support has been followed by a chorus of industry figures urging the government to extend the relief to all of hospitality.

Redefining glassware: how sommeliers select vessels

Given that it’s been in use for wine consumption since about 1500BC, glassware has had plenty of time to evolve, and today’s manufacturers have the restaurant world spoilt for choice when it comes to sizes, shapes and colours. But how far are today’s top sommeliers prepared to go outside the traditionally accepted vessels when it comes to providing the best experience for diners in their food-matching choices – and what do diners expect?

Business rates: Hospitality venues to be hit with £32k hike

Fresh analysis from trade body UK Hospitality (UKH) can reveal that over the next three years hospitality venues in England can expect to see an average increase in business rates of over £32k.

Bibendum and Matthew Clark unveil their 2026 on-trade predictions

Drinks distributors Bibendum and Matthew Clark (both under the C&C Group umbrella) have unveiled their 2026 predictions for the on-trade – both in terms of overall and wine-specific trends.

SIBA issues open letter on Budget concerns

The Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) has sent an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, expressing its “deep concern” that the hospitality sector was facing a “crisis of survival” after the recent Budget.

Report: Signs of stabilisation in the restaurant market

Lumina Intelligence – an insights company for food and drink brands – has released its Restaurant Market Report for 2025, revealing signs of increasing stability in the restaurant market after years of turmoil.