All Opinion articles – Page 2
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OpinionSummer VAT relief: ‘It’s not a lot really’
For a government that is desperately in need of some positive press, Rachel Reeves’ VAT relief for children’s meals and attractions is an attempt to seize control of the overwhelmingly negative narrative around the administration, and show it cares about the cost-of-living pressures on families
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OpinionWhitbread: Its next chapter as a pure-play hotel business
Less than two years since launching a new five-year plan for Premier Inn and Beefeater owner Whitbread, chief executive Dominic Paul has rolled out a fresh one. MCA columnist Dominic Walsh assesses the reasoning and impact of its latest strategy
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OpinionPickled passengers shouldn’t be allowed to take flight
Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin argues his airport pubs are are responsible and that drink restrictions are unworkable - but he may need to share some accountability for rising incidences of on-flight drunkenness
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OpinionBeefeater’s slide from market leader to samey follower
In its heyday Beefeater was an iconic best-in-class brand, its restaurant designs pivotal to its success. But in subsequent evolutions, the original ethos was lost and its core values completely eroded, Philip Harrison writes
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OpinionTrailblazing Beefeater faces the chop
With owner Whitbread long ago losing interest in branded restaurants in favour of more proftiable hotels, it was surprising Beefeater and Brewers Fayre lasted as long as they did, their dependency on Premier Inn maintaining the brands on terminal life support
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OpinionLessons in leadership: Prestige Purchasing’s journey from start-up to sale
From start-up creation to eventual sale, David Read, founder of Prestige Purchasing, shares his personal journey building a business, following the acquisition of the procurement consultants by Entegra
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OpinionMoment of Caring for missed M&A opportunity
Serial investor Luke Johnson, who sold The Ivy, J Sheekey and Le Caprice to Richard Caring in 2005 in a £31.5m deal, admitted he didn’t see the possibility of turning The Ivy into a chain
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OpinionStaycationers steer clear of Kernow
Cornwall’s stunning beaches and dramatic scenery has long made it a go-to destination for holidaymakers. But the region’s flagging visitor numbers and unpredictable weather is proving a cause for consternation for hospitality leaders in the South West region
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OpinionHeaven and the fault lines of the licensing system
An iconcic LGBTQ+ nightclub was nearly shut down due to a concocted campaign of AI-generated complaints, a case which demonstrates the vulnerable position of night-time businesses, and how shaky evidence can trigger a licensing review
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OpinionPeter Coulson: 6 August 1943 - 27 March 2026
A specialist licensing lawyer, journalist and publisher, Coulson founded what was then M&C Report with Peter Martin, the pair lending their initials to the title, which went on to become MCA after merging with Allegra Foodservice
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OpinionKids in pubs: the great divide
Nobody wants their well-deserved after work drink, or meal out with friends or family, to be disrupted by the shrieks of unruly children running amok in their local, but pub operators are walking a delicate tightrope over the issue of whether children should be allowed in pubs
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OpinionThe never-ending roller coaster of sector headwinds
It’s time for new paradigms about food and drink supply, David Read, founder of Prestige Purchasing, says
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OpinionLyndon Lea’s cosy Epstein connections are ‘no concern’ for Lion Capital
The private equity firm behind Gordon Ramsay’s expansion drive has told MCA it sees no conflict with co-founder Lyndon Lea’s close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and its stated position on slavery and human trafficking
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OpinionA celebration of the industry’s best
Whether a winner or runner-up, last night’s festivities at the MCA Hospitality Awards are very much deserved after so much hard work
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OpinionDreaming of global growth
From New York, to the Republic of Ireland, to the Middle East, ambitious British brands are looking outwards to international opportunties, MCA’s Food to Go conference heard
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OpinionThe hospitality hater urging investment in edgy tech start-ups
The Chancellor’s advisor Alexandra Depledge runs a loss-marking start-up, which is backed by the same private equity firm which has invested in Mowgli and Federal Cafe
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OpinionJeremy King unwittingly feeds the social media monster
The fabled restaurateur has taken aim at entitled social media influencers for causing a nuisance and ruining the dining experience for other guests. But did his keen sense of style and design, appeal to A-listers and cultivation of The Ivy lay the groundwork for the age of the vapid self-takers? ...
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OpinionThe phenomenon of the boomerang CEO
Dominic Walsh welcomes Brandon Stephens back to Tortilla, who he writes is now part of an elite group of hospitality leaders that have returned or been re-appointed to a business they have run before
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OpinionStop trying to nail jelly to the wall with our food system
David Read, chairman of Prestige Purchasing questions whether the current government will succeed with its plans for systemic change in our food system
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OpinionA pound off a pint is fantasy economics
Nigel Farage reckons Reform UK’s tax cutting pubs plan will see the cost of a pint fall by a whole pound, but it doesn’t take much scrutiny for these claims to look as wobbly as an old barstool