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There has been a lot of discussion this week about relaxing working rules for 16 and 17-year-olds, particularly around evening and weekend work. UKHospitality has backed the idea, and so do I. Somewhere along the way, I think we have become so focused on protecting young people from anything remotely difficult that we are in danger of protecting them from the very experiences that help them grow up. And work is one of those experiences, if not the most important to future pro

Image By Andrew Ward Photography A year ago, Foxxy Foods did its very first event at Deva Fest 2025. At the time, none of us really knew exactly where the business would go. We had a van, a concept, a lot of enthusiasm and, most importantly, two people who were willing to get stuck in and make it work: my son Scott and Dill, who is our Head Chef at The Chester Townhouse. They are the ones who run the van day to day, prep the food, travel to the events, deal with the customers

In my opinion breakfast can make or break a hotel stay. You can have a comfortable bed, a spotless room and brilliant service, but if the final experience before checking out is a disappointing breakfast, that is often what the guest remembers. It is the last proper interaction many guests have with the hotel. It can influence the review they leave, whether they recommend you and, ultimately, whether they choose to return. So why is breakfast still treated like an afterthough

Andy Burnham’s government has announced a further 20% reduction in business-rates bills for pubs, social clubs and eligible live music venues in England from April 2027. The measure is expected to benefit almost 32,000 properties and save a typical pub around £1,100 a year. For an industry that has spent years calling for reform, this is a welcome announcement. Pubs and live music venues are more than places to buy a drink or watch a performance. They are employers, community

Private sector wage growth has fallen below 3%, reaching its lowest level since 2020. Meanwhile, annual wage growth across the public sector stands at 5.5%, although the figures have been influenced partly by the timing of NHS pay awards. Let me be clear: this is not an argument against public-sector workers receiving better pay. Nurses, teachers, carers, and emergency-service workers deserve to be paid properly. But the growing gap between the two sectors raises an uncomfort

For most of the year, we spend our time hoping for sunshine. Then it finally arrives… and suddenly hospitality has a whole new set of challenges to deal with. On paper, hot weather should be fantastic for our industry. Beer gardens are full, ice cream sales soar, festivals are packed and everyone wants to be outside enjoying themselves. But the reality is far more complicated. Analysis by hospitality data platform Tenzo, looking at more than 20,000 trading days across five UK