All Opinion articles – Page 4
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OpinionPeter Martin: Handle with care
Upon his return from a trip to Nashville, MCA’s contributing editor reflects on creating and nurturing a strong hospitality culture, and how London can strengthen its own hospitality ecosystem
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OpinionWhitbread’s restaurant conundrum
Whitbread is very good at throwing cash at its hotels, but very bad at chucking money at its pub-restaurants, Dominic Walsh argues as the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre operator embarks on an overhaul of its estate
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OpinionAre we responsible for what our diners choose to eat?
Hospitality operators are still reluctant to be seen to intervene when it comes to the foods and other ‘edible substances’ they serve customers, argues Prestige Purchasing chairman David Read
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OpinionThe visionary beer bro whose mercurial tendencies became a distraction
Outgoing BrewDog CEO James Watt created a global craft beer powerhouse which revelled in its outsider status, but his reluctance to grow up gracefully meant he was no longer the right man to lead an increasingly corporate company eyeing an IPO
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OpinionGet real: Labour’s coming and we all need a plan
While hospitality-specific issues - like VAT and immigration policy - will make the headlines, the big concerns Peter Martin hears from bosses are around investment, especially on infrastructure, and long-term economic planning
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OpinionWill reverse takeover give TGI that Friday feeling?
Dominic Walsh explores the background of the proposed Hostmore deal, and asks whether bulking up can arrest ailing consumer demand on both sides of the Atlantic
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OpinionThe race for Scope 3 outcomes
David Read, chairman of Prestige Purchasing, argues that hospitality operators need to get up close with farming if they are to hit their sustainability goals
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OpinionThe writing’s on the wall, literally
Peter Martin considers how wine in the on-trade can recapture the attention of younger customers amid a trend of falling consumption among millenialls and Gen Zs
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OpinionFrom coffeehouse to community hub: The Caffè Nero story
Founder Gerry Ford is more than a businessman - he’s also a family man, coffee aficionado, book lover and sponsor of culture and the arts, which reflects in his vision for Caffè Nero, writes Dominic Walsh
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OpinionIf you think restaurants and pubs are having a tough time, try being a farmer
At the heart of the problem is the balance between food security and environmental protection, writes Peter Martin
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OpinionWhose role is menu design?
David Read, founder and chairman of Prestige Purchasing, suggests that operators need a more collaborative approach to menu development to maintain future profitability
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OpinionBidding wars return at prime city sites
Ted Schama of Shelley Sandzer sees a polarized sector imbued with renewed confidence but tempered by cash flow issues
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OpinionChancellor must overhaul rates regime
Writing exclusively for MCA ahead of the Spring Budget next week, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls urges Jeremy Hunt to provide urgently needed support on business rates, VAT, and planning
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OpinionCare and attention: there’s no silver bullet
People don’t come cheap any more - so you’d better pay attention and look after them, Peter Martin writes
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OpinionHipster coffee shops – a global brand of individual operators
Philip Harrison, chairman at design agency Harrison, reflects on the global ‘hipster café’ phenomenon and considers whether Pinterest-inspired style trends are killing off individuality in the sector
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OpinionIs Diageo restless enough to return to its full potential?
Dominic Walsh speculates on what’s in store for Diageo following an underwhelming set of results and how boss Debra Crew can get the business back up and running at its full potential
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OpinionApprenticeships provide a secret weapon to address hospitality's challenges
Apprenticeships encourage those who may have never considered a career in our industries to give it a shot, Rebecca Whittaker, apprentice regional surveyor at Greene King, writes for MCA
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OpinionFlat, fickle, fierce - a universal truth?
During a New Year’s visit to Argentina, Peter Martin encounters a high inflationary environment but a thriving hospitality scene - a reminder of the universal appeal of eating and drinking out
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OpinionHow peachy is life on the public markets?
Dominic Walsh offers a mea culpa to Revolution Bars Group CEO Rob Pitcher over his acquisition of Peach Pubs - but questions the concept of continuing to run it as a public company
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OpinionIn defence of Brewdog
The Spectator on why the latest controversy over the craft beer company’s decision to withdraw from the real living wage is overblown