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Opinion
Is this the tipping point for tech?
Hospitality is at a tipping point when it comes to next generation technology, but while the prospect of increased labour costs is worrying, cutting back on front-line teams is as dangerous as trying to impose blanket price rises. Peter Martin writes
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Opinion
A new emerging trend within the UK’s pubs
Shelley Sandzer’s Ted Schama foresees a trend where consumers will have difficulty in differentiating their favourite restaurant or their favourite pub, as both will blend seamlessly together, having broken the shackles of tradition
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Opinion
We need to go beyond the traditional crisis playbook
Operational efficiency can mitigate profit impacts of the recent Budget, but the easy wins are mostly already gone, David Read, founder and chairman of Prestige Purchasing argues
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Opinion
Budget risks loss of human connection in hospitality, warns Dame Karen Jones
Great customer care comes down to “exceptional communication and training”, which risks being compromised if operators look too much to automation, she wrote in The Sunday Times
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Opinion
Can going retro reverse Starbucks’ slump?
Dominic Walsh examines the coffee company’s bid to reconnect with its community ethos, while he reflects on a career reporting on the sector following his retirement from The Times
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Opinion
Labour: the balance of cost vs business growth
Pressure on labour costs is leading many operators to close sites early during quieter off-peak trading periods. Yet this inconsistency plays havoc with guest and team expectations, with a better balance needed between labour costs and business target, writes operations specialist Jay Heathcote
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Opinion
Why men need to lean in
While progress on has been made on the percentage of women on boards at FTSE 350 companies, if you look a little deeper the picture is far hazier, Peter Martin writes
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Opinion
Competing for oxygen with the board
UKHospitality’s recent Environmental Sustainability Seminar once again highlighted the need for more board engagement, David Read, founder and chairman of Prestige Purchasing, says
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Opinion
The Sussex village that remains fiercely independent
Dominic Walsh takes a look at well-heeled Forest Row which has eschewed chains on its high street, as well the nearby vineyards which are in need of new capital to remain competitive with their neighbours in Champagne
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Opinion
Infected Punk IPA highlights ongoing issues at BrewDog
In another woe for Britain’s biggest craft brewer, BrewDog has been forced to throw away millions of pounds worth of Punk IPA impacted by hygiene issues
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Opinion
How to create long-lasting change in a hospitality business
Change is part of the hospitality industry’s DNA. But to truly adopt a change mindset, the sector should look at how transformation is approached in the world of tech, writes Vita Mojo co-founder Nick Popovici
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Opinion
Bristol is buzzing
London may still have some of the best bars and restaurants around but these days Bristol is not far behind, Dominic Walsh finds on a rare trip outside the capital
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Opinion
A word in your ear, minister
Public nervousness in the wake of the government’s warnings of tougher times ahead is hitting home – and it’s a problem of the cabinet’s own making, Peter Martin, MCA’s contributing editor, warns
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Opinion
Finding the right questions is the key to agility
When leaders are pressured to have all the answers, they can all too easily stay within the bounds of what they know, David Read, founder and chairman of Prestige Purchasing warns
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Opinion
People want experiences – but not at the cost of good food and drink
While the allure of delivering a unique experience might get diners through the door, it’s the quality of food, drink, and genuine hospitality that will keep them coming back, writes Harrison chairman Philip Harrison
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Opinion
Don’t take it personally…
A business that one day is lauded as an iconoclastic, entrepreneurial disruptor can switch almost overnight into being an unwelcome corporate intruder - at least in the eyes of a portion of the public, Peter Martin writes
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Opinion
The outlook for hospitality M&A
The improvement in trading and financial performance over past months has increased the likelihood that we will see more M&A. Dominic Walsh explores the outlook for Oakman Group and Amber Taverns among others
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Opinion
The way we produce food is stuck in a deep furrow
Hospitality needs to play an important role in a new narrative on the food we ask our customers to eat, argues David Read, founder and chairman of Prestige Purchasing
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Opinion
Is Gail’s Bakery having a Tesla moment?
Like Elon Musk, Gail’s chairman and investor Luke Johnson is enthusiastically contrarian in railing against the liberal consensus. But as a campaign mobilises in Walthamstow against a new bakery, at what point does an outspoken entrepreneur prove a turn off for consumers?
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Opinion
An agile rethink of labour costs
As restaurateurs face a perfect storm of spiralling labour costs and continuing operational expenses, labour allocation is becoming the most expensive decision they make each week, Vita Mojo co-founder Stefan Catoiu writes