On-Trade - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Christmas strikes to cost hospitality £800m

Published: 17 November, 2023

ASLEF, the UK’s train drivers’ union, has announced a ‘rolling programme’ of strikes during the festive month.

Zonin1821 partners with the UK Sommelier Association

Published: 15 November, 2023

Zonin1821, one of Italy’s most important wineries, has partnered with the UK Sommelier Association (UKSA), to attract a greater number of young people to the profession.

Wet October softens growth for hospitality

Published: 15 November, 2023

Britain’s leading hospitality groups saw year-on-year growth slow to 3.2% in October amid widespread poor weather, the new CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Consumers seek affordable drink-only occasions Lumina finds

Published: 14 November, 2023

The latest Lumina research has revealed that consumers are opting for affordable drink-only occasions, with pubs and bars seeing the most notable share growth year-on-year, up 1.3% in Q3.

Hospitality scores big in Rugby World Cup

Published: 10 November, 2023

Bolstered by unfancied England’s route to the semi-finals, the Rugby World Cup generated double-digit growth in drinks sales for the on-trade.

Industry welcomes RMT breakthrough

Published: 09 November, 2023

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), has agreed a deal in principle with train operators to resolve the ongoing rail dispute, quelling fears of a repeat of last year’s Christmas strikes which were so damaging to the hospitality industry.

Hospitality closures fall in third quarter

Published: 07 November, 2023

The Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners has recorded a fall in licensed premises of 0.3% – the equivalent of three net closures a day, in the third quarter.

Louise Gordon joins Hand Picked Hotels

Published: 07 November, 2023

Hand Picked Hotels, the proprietor of 21 luxury country houses and coastal retreats across the UK, has announced sommelier Louise Gordon as its first-ever head of wine.

SLTA ‘bitterly disappointed’ over Glasgow LEZ legal challenge

Published: 06 November, 2023

The (SLTA) Scottish Licensed Trade Association has said it is “bitterly disappointed” that a long-established Glasgow family business has lost its court battle against the city’s low emission zone (LEZ).

The Pig launches first-ever English sparkling wines

Published: 06 November, 2023

The boutique hotel group, The Pig, will launch its first-ever bottles of English sparkling wine, with grapes from Bee Tree Vineyard in East Sussex, owned by Dermot and Ana Sugrue, of Sugrue South Downs.

SWA open for entries

Published: 02 November, 2023

After a Covid-delivered hiatus of several years, the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA), the UK’s premier on-trade wine competition, is back with a bang and ready to receive this year’s exciting entries.

Majestic expands on-trade ambitions with Craggy Range partnership

Published: 01 November, 2023

Majestic’s B2B division, Majestic Commercial, is continuing to build momentum in the UK on-trade by welcoming Craggy Range back to the company’s arsenal after a seven-year absence, by becoming its exclusive on-trade agent.

Insolvencies peak driven by hospitality and retail

Published: 01 November, 2023

Newly released figures from the Insolvency Service show that a higher rate of UK insolvencies over the 12 months have been driven by pressures in consumer facing industries such as leisure, hospitality and retail. However, research suggests the worst might now be in the rear-view mirror, with an easing now expected to follow as the industry works through some of its core challenges.

Customer loyalty reins supreme in cost-of-living crisis

Published: 31 October, 2023

New research has unveiled the importance of providing consistently good experiences in hospitality, with nearly half of consumers saying just one or two bad experiences at a hospitality venue would cause them to feel less loyal to a brand.

Licenced premises down by a third since 2003

Published: 30 October, 2023

The number of licenced premises in Britain has fallen below 100,000, marking a 31% decline in the two decades since 2003.

Enoteca Turi partners with David Gleave of Liberty Wines

Published: 23 October, 2023

Enoteca Turi, the Italian restaurant that has been a staple of the London dining scene for over three decades, has announced its acquisition by restaurateurs Dominic Ford and Krishan Katyal, in partnership with David Gleave of Liberty Wines.

No-shows in hospitality double

Published: 18 October, 2023

The latest research from Zonal and CGA by NIQ, reveals the number of consumers not showing up for reservations in pubs, bars and restaurants has doubled since September last year.

Consumers remain value-conscious when dining out

Published: 09 October, 2023

In its latest research project, Lumina Intelligence, a leader in food and drinks insights, has found that consumers remain cautious about discretionary spending in the on-trade.

Somms to be eligible for skilled worker visa

Published: 04 October, 2023

Following a review by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), sommeliers have been reclassified to be eligible for the skilled worker visa route.

Scotland’s call to government as hospitality faces ‘continued barrage of challenges’

Published: 03 October, 2023

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) is pleading for more support to help protect the hospitality sector, as venues report the crippling impact of staff vacancies and ‘a continued wave of cost increases’.