Food

Knorr® Professional Great British Roast winners revealed

14-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Victoria Inn, Penzance, was crowned the Best Meat Roast in this year’s competition while King Street Tavern, Southsea, was named the Best Vegetarian Roast.

Making the most of your roast!

14-Feb-2023 By Ed Bedington

A great roast dinner is the cornerstone of many pub operations, and a cultural touchstone for many - but why is that? And what we are getting right or wrong when it comes to the classic dish. The Lock In team take a deep dive into the world of roasts,...

Fewer than 1 in 5 to dine out for Valentine’s

13-Feb-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Under a fifth of customers (17%) are looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day by dining out, research by guest experience management expert HGEM has revealed.

Great Sausage Roll Off 2023 winner revealed

10-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Previous Masterchef winner Mat Follas, from Bramble Restaurant in Sherborne, Dorset, has been crowned the winner of the 2023 Great Sausage Roll Off.

De Keyser: Gov must do more to help sector

09-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Head chef at the Hand & Flowers gastropub Tom De Keyser acknowledges he is in a lucky position but believes the Government could help the sector more as a whole.

How much of your food sales comes from burgers?

07-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Last week saw burgers crowned the most popular new addition to pub menus in Lumina Intelligence’s latest Menu Tracker Tool, accounting for more than half (57%) of new dishes added to menus in Q4 of 2022, while chips/wedges/fries were crowned the most...

Keanu Reeves visits Hertfordshire pub

06-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Film star Keanu Reeves has been spotted enjoying some quintessentially British cuisine at a Fuller, Smith & Turner pub in Hertfordshire.

Burgers most popular new main dish on pub menus

03-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Main course dishes accounted for the largest proportion of new items introduced onto pub and bar menus in Q4 of 2022, the latest Menu Tracker Tool from Lumina Intelligence has revealed.

69% firms have hiked menu prices

01-Feb-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Rising food and supply costs are causing major issues for operators, but staffing shortages causing fewer problems than expected, new research has revealed.

Secrets behind #1 Gastropubs success

01-Feb-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Aspiring chefs need to cook for themselves and never for their ego, according to chef-patron of the 2023 number one Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Stosie Madi.

Gov support 'important' to reduce inflation

25-Jan-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Current levels of food inflation “underline the importance” of Government investment in the hospitality sector, trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has stated.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Brook House wins top service award

25-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Brook House in Fulham, west London was presented with the Front of House Team of the Year Award at the 2023 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

Top 50 Gastropubs

The Oarsman named Newcomer of the Year

25-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Marlow-based bistropub and wine bar the Oarsman was awarded the title of Newcomer of the Year at the 2023 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

Food inflation hits record high 24% at year end

25-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) ended 2022 at record highs, with the food basket almost one quarter higher than December 2021 but including drinks, it ended slightly lower at 22.9%.

Community pub hosts MBE awarding ceremony

24-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

A former dentist who became a leading light in funding research into vasculitis has been honoured in what is believed to be a first for the pub industry.

Top 50 Gastropubs

New number one Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub

23-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The 2023 number one Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub is the Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland, Lancashire, a prestigious ceremony revealed on Monday 23 January.

Events & Occasions feature

FEATURE: Think ahead to get the punters in

23-Jan-2023 By Stuart Stone

Make King Charles III’s coronation your crowning achievement, convert the Rugby World Cup into bums on seats and win roaring trade from the Lionesses’ next major tournament with these golden rules for building a diverse events schedule.

1 in 10 of UK’s top restaurants are pubs

18-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Ten gastropubs have been credited in SquareMeal’s list of the UK’s best 100 restaurants, heralding from Kent, to Norfolk to Northern Ireland.

Judging panel for Great Sausage Roll Off revealed

18-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The judges for this year’s Great Sausage Roll Off have been unveiled for the competition, which is taking place on Wednesday 8 February at the Red Lion in Barnes, south London.

Fuller’s to hand out 100 free burgers & pints

17-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Free cheeseburgers and pints are up for grabs for 100 guests at a Fuller’s pub this January to celebrate the launch of the pubco’s new burger.

Plastic ban: sustainability sector’s ‘key priority’

16-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and bowls offers time for alternate markets of sustainable packaging to develop, but there are concerns about its practicality according to UKHospitality.

Healthier eating trend helping operators manage costs

16-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators are capitalising on healthier eating and sustainability food trends in a bid to help mitigate rising costs, a report has found.

Fewer sites on sale pushes freehold prices up 41%

11-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Fewer pub sites have come to the market than expected because of sector resilience and Government support schemes while the average freehold sale price has risen by 41%.

Simon Bonwick takes on the Dew Drop Inn

10-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Simon Bonwick has left the Princess of Shoreditch to take on 16th century pub the Dew Drop Inn, Hurley, Berkshire.

The MA Energy Focus in partnership with Heineken

How food-led pubs are fighting rising energy costs

10-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators have been taking a number of steps to reduce energy consumption around their food offer including changing kitchen equipment, menu adaptions and a focus on sustainability.

Fuller's and Made in Hackney partnership raises £5,000

09-Jan-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Pub operator and brewer Fuller, Smith and Turner has raised £5,000 with plant-based burger sales through its partnership with cookery school and emergency food support service, Made in Hackney.

Single-use plastic plates and cutlery to be banned

09-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Single-use items like plastic plates, cutlery and trays will be banned in England, the Government has confirmed.

Xmas worse than predicted for 2 in 5 pubs

09-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The festive trading period was a mixed bag for pubs, with some struggling but others finding it better than expected.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list unveiled

09-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The 2023 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list will be announced in full later this month (Monday 23 January).

Gastropub chef-patron to mentor on Ramsay show

06-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth is “excited” to join celeb chef Gordon Ramsay as a mentor on reality TV show Next Level Chef.

APPG calls for evidence on energy crisis impact

06-Jan-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Food and Drink Supply Chain All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has called for food and drink businesses to provide information on how rocketing energy costs have impacted trade ahead of a meeting with food minister Mark Spencer.

How was trade at your pub over the festive period?

05-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Trade at gastropubs picked up in the Christmas ‘party period’ following a dire early December, but operators are now buckling down for tough months of trade.

JDW welcomes new year with 99p pints

03-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has launched a January sale across its portfolio with some pints priced at just 99p, despite cost pressures hitting the sector.

'Different world' forces pub to axe hours

23-Dec-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Rocketing food and energy costs on top of staff shortages have forced a Warwickshire based pub to reduce its trading hours and food service.

Chefs’ pay jumps by 20%

21-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Average hourly pay for temporary chefs has increased by up to 20% in some parts of the country amid staff shortages, data analysis has found.

Food inflation exceeds 20%

19-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Foodservice price inflation has reached inflation of 21.5% – a record rate and the 10th consecutive month of double-digit inflation.

Liberation Group merges with Cirrus Inns

16-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Liberation Group, the UK and Channel Islands brewer and pub operator has merged with Cirrus Inns – which runs 22 sites from south-west London across to the Cotswolds.

Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub awards finalists unveiled

15-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The finalists for the specialist awards at the 2023 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs have been revealed.

Phishing scam at Andrew Pern’s York site

14-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Andrew Pern-operated site the Star Inn The City has warned customers not to give their credit and debit card details to anyone after falling victim to a phishing scam.

Pub hits back at ‘watery gravy’ review

13-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

A London pub has responded to a one-star TripAdvisor review that criticised its ‘watery gravy’ and the fact it served cabbage rather than “a decent green vegetable”.

Snack provider workers end 11-week strike

09-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

More than 750 workers at the Jacob’s Cream Crackers factory have won a pay deal after ongoing strike action.

Inflation makes pricing xmas menus 'tricky'

08-Dec-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Managing soaring food prices is going to be “tricky” for operators this Christmas as festive menus announced months ago no longer reflect current costs.

'Communication' key as supply chain 'under threat'

07-Dec-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality businesses need “clear lines of communication” from suppliers to remain “prepared” as the National Farmers Union (NFU) warned British food supply was “under threat”.

Nigel Howarth discusses 'interesting and tricky year'

02-Dec-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The Morning Advertiser’s Ed Bedington caught with up Three Fishes at Mitton chef patron Nigel Howarth this week to discuss what’s been an “interesting and tricky year”.

Hospitality taking 'biggest hit' amid cost-of-living crisis

01-Dec-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The food and beverage industry is set to take the “biggest hit” as the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation forces consumers to cut back on discretionary spending.

Bird flu outbreak ‘worst in years’

01-Dec-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The outbreak of avian flu wiping out Christmas turkey stock is the worst seen in recent years, according to the British Poultry Council.

Winter looks 'bleak' as food prices rise

30-Nov-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Winter looks “increasingly bleak” as food inflation accelerated to 12.4% in November, the highest inflation rate in the food category on record, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) index.

New catering hygiene guide launched

30-Nov-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

An updated version of the industry guide for catering hygiene standards has been launched by UKHospitality (UKH), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Bird flu: Half of Xmas turkeys culled

30-Nov-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Half of the free range turkeys produced for Christmas in the UK have been culled or have died due to avian flu, an industry official told MPs.

Loungers secures fourth site for Brightside dining brand

23-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Loungers, multiple operator of café-bar and restaurants brands Lounge and Cosy Club, has secured a fourth site for its roadside dining concept Brightside.