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  Confidence is increasing, but business rates must be dealt with

  Wednesday, November 22, 2023

  Almost half (49%) of hospitality company leaders is confident that the hospitality market will recover in the next 12 months, up four percentage points from the 45% it recorded in August
  Over a quarter (29 per cent) of managers say they have seen holiday bookings fall around this time in the past year - twice the percentage (15 per cent) who say bookings have fallen.
  Employers have increased pay levels by an average of 10% during the last 12 months, even though better wage levels have helped to reduce the number of jobs that remain open from 11% in their last survey to 8%.

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  Irish group to take 95-bed hotel in Glasgow city centre to open

  Wednesday, November 22, 2023

  The family-run Irish hotel group, The Address Collective, is expanding to Scotland with its new location in the centre of Glasgow.
  The Address Glasgow is the first Scottish hotel, and the first business outside Ireland to provide guest accommodations by The Address Collective. It is the fifth Address Collective accommodation set in the bustling heart of Glasgow on Renfield Street.

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  Hunt plans to extend UK tax breaks for hospitality, small businesses

  Monday, November 20, 2023

  Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt is considering plans to extend tax breaks for hospitality and small firms in next week's Autumn Statement as part of efforts to stimulate economic growth.
  Among the plans being looked at today will be the launch of a combined cash Isas and shares Isa in an effort to encourage more investment in the UK stock market.
  Mr Hunt is to make final decisions on his plans after receiving the most recent Office for Budget Responsibility budget forecasts on Friday.

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  Mars concludes £534m deal to buy Hotel Chocolat at enormous premium

  Friday, November 17, 2023

  US food giant Mars said on Thursday it was to buy British chocolatier Resort Chocolat for £534m as it sought to revamp its global presence following its foster the spread of inexpensive luxury milk chocolate 534 years ago.
  "The cash offer is… a ridiculous premium for what is fundamentally a business with limited future growth in the UK, and questionable performance internationally," - Jonathan De Mello.
  Launched twenty years ago, Hotel Chocolat's mission is to make chocolate exciting and it has successfully brought ethically affordable luxury to the UK High Street with more than 130 shops.

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  FAO's report for October shows global food prices falling

  Wednesday, November 8, 2023

  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)"s price index, which covers the world's most traded food commodities, fell in October to its lowest score in more than two years, driven by declines in sugar, cereals, plant oils and meat.
  The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said its food price index had fallen in October to its lowest level in more than two years.

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  Edinburgh hotels:'Ambitious' Apex wants hotel group to be expanded

  Monday, November 6, 2023

  Apex, which owns hotels in Bath, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Pitlochry, returned to full-profit profit for the first time since the pandemic began at the end of April 2022, a time when commerce had been rampant without rules Operational profit of £14.5m was up on last year's £2.9m.
  "experienced a significant increase in demand across all our hotels, from both the corporate and leisure markets" - Angela Vickers

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  Fifty jobs on offer as restaurant chain opens its first Scottish site

  Wednesday, November 1, 2023

  Caribbean Bar and Restaurant Turtle Bay is planning a recruiting day in a bid to recruit 50 new staff to the start of its first Scottish site.
  Most of them (approx. 50) will feature on a special recruitment day.
  The day includes face to face interviews and group activities as well as a short online evaluation.

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  Hospitality and culture leaders call for 'massive' changes to Brexit deal

  Monday, October 30, 2023

  Politicians should now set ideology aside, and take practical steps to facilitate the trade relations with the European Union and boost Scottish hospitality in return
  Leaders also said they want visa exemptions for touring artists to be lifted and insisted it must become simplier and cheaper for Scottish artists to work in the EU.
  Reducing VAT and providing fiscal incentives to companies and wealthy individuals that favour the cultural activities have also been discussed.

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  Tourist tax under scrutiny as Edinburgh's festivals request exemption

  Wednesday, October 25, 2023

  Holyrood's Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee began examining the plans on Tuesday with an announcement that councils could start charging for a fee on
  overnight visitors.
  David Weston, chairman of the Scottish Bed and Breakfast Association, warned that the charges - as they now stand - could "skew the way it behaves."

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  Warning that £864m hospitality bill will be "final nail in coffin"

  Monday, October 23, 2023

  Hospitality industry could face a 'staggering' bill of £864million next April, UKHospitality has warned.
  "Clobbering high streets, retail parks, office blocks and logistics firms with these sky-high rises will create a significant blow to the economic recovery that everyone wants to see." - Simon Green.
  Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the consumer price index (CPI) was a paltry 6.7% in September, above the 6.6% expected by most economists.