In the age of “everything, everywhere,” success means no weak links

“Be the change you want to see” was something my nana always told me. At times that can actually be pretty scary, it could mean putting your head above the parapet to try and make a positive difference. 

Denver boasts 300 days of sunshine, stunning scenery, a rapidly growing, high-income millennial population – and a vibrant eating and drinking-out market that is attracting ambitious brands from across the US. And that’s exactly why Atlantic Club is heading there this June 4-6 for its latest tour. 

Hot weather helped Britain’s managed pub groups achieve 3.6% like-for-like sales growth in March - with drink-led pubs benefiting the most.

Save the date! This year’s Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit and Hero & Icon Awards returns to Convene Sancroft, St. Paul’s, London on Thursday 13th November 2025.
 

From Big Brother to the forefront of regenerative farming, former TV and radio presenter and Co-founder of Wildfarmed George Lamb’s transformative journey is challenging established food system thinking, disrupting supply chains and partnering with restaurant businesses along the way.

The latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) indicates a continued easing of inflationary pressures, with the Index remaining relatively flat in February, falling by a marginal 0.1 point from January 2025.

Philip Eeles didn’t get that memo, that’s for certain. Along with fellow Honest Burgers founder Dorian Waite, Eeles is backing Sebastian Vince, the creator of South London street-food stalwart Breadstall Pizza, in evolving his brand with a bricks’n’mortar site in Berwick Street in London’s Soho - and with plans for two or three more London sites in the offing.

There has been a measurable shift in mindset among hospitality leaders that has seen them embrace the potential of Artificial Intelligence in particular and technology in general. Only a few years ago, when asked about whether it was time to review their tech stacks CEOs were more likely than not to answer: “Do we really need to? Now?”

Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar groups saw collective like-for-like sales grow a mere 0.1% in February, according to the latest CGA Hospitality Business Tracker - in-line with the sluggish performance of the UK economy in general.

Nestlé recently released its 2024 ‘Creating Shared Value’ report - spotlighting its latest sustainability progress and impact. Creating Shared Value is Nestlé’s approach to connecting its business strategy with supporting people, planet and communities

The latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) reveals a 19th consecutive month of decelerating year-on-year inflation in January 2025. 

Next week, the doors to Excel London will open for HRC, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. This year’s edition of HRC puts game-changing hospitality tech in the spotlight, bringing you a showcase of the latest advancements in POS systems, AI-driven automation, digital ordering, smart kitchen solutions, and next-gen guest experience technology.

The Planet Peach Sustainability Summit brought hospitality leaders together to discuss why sustainability is not just the right thing to do but makes business sense too.

Sustainability considerations should be ingrained in the culture of any ethical hospitality business, but there is nonetheless an ongoing need for companies to review and update operating processes if they are to achieve specific ESG targets and goals, writes Bird & Bird partner Graeme Payne.

We recently hosted a roundtable with senior executives from the restaurant, pub, bar and contract catering sectors, to talk frankly about the challenges and opportunities in progressing their sustainability strategies. We wanted to understand where they see the biggest opportunities to move the dial on this, and what action needs to be taken both at head office and across the estates.

Be Inclusive Hospitality has launched its latest report, Careers in Hospitality: Removing Barriers to Progression, providing a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by ethnically diverse employees in the hospitality industry. The report draws on three years of Inside Hospitality survey data, along with newly conducted focus groups and interviews, to offer vital insights into industry perceptions, pay disparities, career barriers, and lived experiences.

Every year, the hospitality industry must adapt to new workforce legislation - and 2025 is no exception. Updates to National Minimum Wage (NMW), National Insurance Contributions (NIC), and also new policies like Neonatal Care and Leave will impact both employees and employers alike.

The debut State of Social report is the first industry-wide benchmarking report dedicated to social media metrics for UK hospitality brands. 

Britain’s pubs, restaurants and hotels overcame widespread challenges to end 2024 with virtually the same number of premises as 12 months earlier, the new Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ shows.

New research highlights a stark divide between larger hospitality companies and independent operators when it comes to sustainability progress, due to a lack of support. While 76% of leaders from larger companies believe their initiatives have significantly reduced their carbon footprint, only 31% of independents feel the same. 

Britain’s leading restaurant, pub and bar groups saw collective like-for-like sales up 3.2% in December compared to the same period in 2023, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

More than a third of leaders say AI will be ‘transformational’ for the hospitality sector and the vast majority are in favour of adoption, but education and addressing skills gap is key.

Four influential organisations in the hospitality and sustainability sectors Peach 20/20, Nutritics, Zero Carbon Forum and Fleet Street have joined forces to host ‘Planet Peach: The Sustainability Summit’ - an industry-defining conference for hospitality leaders seeking to unlock the commercial, brand and competitive advantages of carbon reduction.

The agenda for this year's Planet Peach Sustainability Summit will focus on the potential to deliver immediate as well as long-term efficiencies, cost-savings and stability whilst pursuing a sustainable agenda.

Year-on-year inflation in the hospitality sector fell to 2.2% in October, the latest Foodservice Price Index report from Prestige Purchasing and CGA by NIQ shows.

Last year Nutritics, partnered with CGA by NIQ, highlighted the importance of sustainability to consumers and its impact on their lives. A year on, that awareness has only deepened.

International openings can be a great route to growth for British restaurant and bar brands. But as an ‘International Rescue’ panel at the Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit said, it’s not always easy. Here are six of the top insights into the opportunities and challenges around the world.

Back in 2011 just 9.5% of board places at FTSE 350 companies were held by women. Today that figure is up to 42%. That’s a pretty significant shift in just over a decade, you would have thought.

There’s a lot for hospitality to grapple with as it looks forward to 2025. As a panel of CEOs and MDs told the Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit, businesses will have to rise to some big challenges on people, productivity, technology, sustainability, data and more. Here’s what they had to say.

The Planet Peach Sustainability Summit returns to 30 Euston Square, London on  4 March 2025 - it will bring together leaders and environmental experts from across hospitality and its supply-chain to share best-practice, success stories and the latest thinking - and to set the agenda for the next phase of sustainable action, innovation and collaboration.

New research shows that sustainability is emerging as a critical factor in employee retention, with over three quarters of hospitality staff (76%) – and 88% of those in management positions – saying they are more likely to stay in a job for longer if their employer makes a positive environmental impact.

Innovation was a big talking point at the Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit—but achieving meaningful change is easier said than done. A panel of leaders, chaired by Jane O’Riordan, shared their experiences of driving improvements through smart use of technology and data, revealing the paths for other hospitality businesses to follow. These are some of the top takeaways. 

Where are hospitality and the economy headed in 2025? The 20th edition of the Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit on 18 November pointed to ways forward – with costs, consumers, teams and tech the big talking points. Here are ten insights from the expert speakers.

Peach 20/20 is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 HERO Awards, the leading prizes for the best businesses and people in Britain’s out-of-home eating and drinking sector. They are:

Peach 20/20 has celebrated the achievements of three outstanding leaders of hospitality at its 2024 ICON Awards.

No-shows remain an ongoing challenge for the hospitality industry, costing UK hospitality a collective £17.6bn a year in lost sales.

Year-on-year food inflation in the foodservice sector continued its downward trend in September, falling to 2.4%, according to the latest Foodservice Price Index (FPI) from Prestige Purchasing and CGA by NIQ.

In the US, 96% of restaurant and foodservice leaders are eyeing unit expansion. That's a huge number. Further, brands with 250+ locations plan to open an average of 38 locations in the next 1.5 years.

Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) announced the winners of its third BIH Spotlight Awards at a glitzy ceremony at M Threadneedle Street, London, on 21 October.

 

Dismal weather in September made real-terms growth challenging for Britain's leading hospitality groups, according to the latest CGA Hospitality Business Tracker. But managed pub, restaurant and bar operators still achieved like-for-like sales 1.7% up on the same month last year.

From sustainability to immersive experiences, the future of dining is a blend of innovation, convenience, and premium quality.

The nominations for the Sustainability Champion, EDI Champion, Consumer Choice and Power Brand categories at this year’s Peach 20/20 Hero Awards have been revealed.

Moderation has been a key growth trend in the on-trade for several years now and shows no signs of slowing down, with 44% of GB adults saying that they’re actively moderating their alcohol consumption¹.

The 2024 Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit brings together expert and inspirational speakers to explore the need for growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive and polarised market.

Year-on-year inflation in foodservice eased to 2.8% in August 2024 the latest Foodservice Price Index (FPI) report from Prestige Purchasing and CGA by NIQ shows. It is the 14th straight month of decline, as prices continue to stabilise after a prolonged period of aggressive inflation. 

Britain's leading pub, bar and restaurant groups achieved like-for-like sales growth of in August.

A new report by Peach 20/20 partner Mapal explores how gamified learning can revolutionise training in the hospitality industry.

The front-runners for this year’s Peach 20/20 Hero & Icon Awards have been announced. The annual awards, now in their 20th year, celebrate the very best brands, businesses and leaders in the eating and drinking-out market.

With sustainability an increasing concern for many consumers, an exclusive new report from CGA by NIQ reveals how wine suppliers and venues can prove their commitment and win the eco-conscious spend.

Customer loyalty is fragile, and hospitality is no exception, with new figures from Zonal’s latest GO Technology report in partnership with CGA by NIQ, revealing that 31% of restaurant, pub and bar goers are very or somewhat likely to switch to a competitor.

Britain’s hospitality leaders are still cautious about the future, the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ reveals.

It’s a couple of decades since UK casual dining brands ventured Stateside with bold, creative concepts. But the going was tough and returns disappointing. 

First it was sales, then consumers, now it’s front-line teams. I’m talking about key industry metrics - the numbers that the best hospitality companies know they need to understand and compete on.

According to Feed it Back’s latest ‘Economic Outlook’ report, 58% of consumers reported that they are going out at about the same frequency as they were six months ago.

Loyalty is currently a hot topic in the hospitality industry, with Wagamama becoming the latest restaurant brand to launch its own loyalty programme, the Soul Club - just as Pret A Manger UK announces it is scrapping its five drinks a day subscription service from September. But how can the sector create and maintain customer loyalty? Is it the same as for other retail brands? Does it genuinely add value to the bottom line – or does it really just boil down to discounting?

Nominations are now open for the third Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Spotlight Awards. Taking place on 21 October 2024 at M Threadneedle Street, London, the awards will continue to amplify and celebrate the exceptional achievements of individuals and businesses from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds working within the hospitality, food, and drink sectors.

It’s undeniably true that the upheavals of recent years have taken a much greater toll on independent pub, bar and restaurant businesses than on multiple operators. 

In a cash-strapped market, brand loyalty can be precarious and operators can’t afford to rest on past successes. Recent research from Zonal, CGA by NIQ and UKHospitality highlights that the key to building a loyal customer base is the delivery of the fundamentals of hospitality – not just once, but every time.

 

A Labour victory in the coming General Election will mark a major shift in British politics - and in a way that many people have perhaps yet to anticipate.

Year-on-year food inflation for the hospitality sector fell to 4.6% in May, its lowest level for 28 months, according to the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI), suggesting a significant shift towards price stability across the foodservice sector.

Recent years have been tough going for casual dining groups, but there are signs that ambition is returning to the market.

Despite disappointing weather in many parts of Britain the latest CGA Hospitality Business Tracker reveals Britain’s leading hospitality groups achieved year-on-year sales growth of 3.6% in May 2024.

New insight from Zonal and CGA by NIQ, reveals the main reasons guests do not turn up for a reservation.

Jonathan Davies, MD at Levy, is on a mission - and he’s not alone.
 

Ecosystems are delicate mechanisms. Tamper with them at your peril.

The premium burger market will have a new player when Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer opens in London’s West End this autumn.

Britain’s hospitality leaders remain cautious amid tentative signs of improved consumer spending and relief on some costs, CGA by NIQ’s latest Business Confidence Survey reveals.

What are consumers' top frustrations in hospitality, and how can hospitality operators address them? Find out in this exclusive consumer research report from Zonal, in partnership with CGA by NIQ.

The punchy quote was attributed to one Jane O’Riordan – former strategy director for Nando’s, now chair of multiple hospitality brands, a Peach Icon (2022) and now leading the Innovation Working Group for the government’s Hospitality Sector Council.

The latest Foodservice Price Index report from Prestige Purchasing and CGA brings encouraging news for the foodservice industry, with inflation rates returning towards more normal levels.

It’s not exactly news that drink/‘wet’ sales are highly profitable (hospitality finance 101 anyone?), but our recent trip to Nashville was a stark reminder of the central role of beverage sales for restaurant, bar and hotel brands in US hospitality. 

Heartwood Collection is in growth mode - looking to buy freehold pubs and then invest, often heavily, in them. So, it was good to meet up with old friend, Peach 20/20 Icon and company chairman Mark Derry to see how the plan is progressing.

Rising wage costs are creating major headaches for hospitality boards on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Nashville may be Music City, but there’s much more to the town than live bands and Dolly Parton. It’s a thriving hub for innovative food and drink businesses, as the Atlantic Club tour discovered when it touched down in the Tennessee capital at the start of May.

There aren’t many card-carrying members of the Labour Party in the upper echelons of the hospitality sector. But the more senior leaders I speak to, the more I sense that there may actually be a small sigh of relief the day Sir Keir Starmer walks through the door of 10 Downing Street.

British consumers are cautiously increasing their visits and spending in pubs, bars and restaurants, CGA by NIQ's latest Cost of Living Pulse reveals.

Early evening on a Wednesday out in London with Young’s CEO Simon Dodd emphatically proves one thing - there’s plenty of life left in the local. 

Inflation as measured by the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI) fell below 10% in March for the first time in two years. This welcome milestone for the sector follows the largest month-on-month decline ever recorded by the Index of 1.4%.

Save the date! This year’s Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit  and Hero & Icon Awards will take place on Monday 18 November.

Co founder of LEON Restaurants and the Sustainable Restaurant Association Henry Dimbleby shares his robust views on the role hospitality can play in fixing the ‘broken’ global food system. Watch the video...

In March 2023, the level of food inflation in hospitality and retail briefly converged at 19%. However, while inflation in retail as measured by the Consumer Price Index has eased since then to 5%, wholesale price inflation for hospitality operators as measured by the Foodservice Price Index has only fallen to 12%. This means inflation in hospitality is currently 2.4 times higher than in retail.

Business leaders have a plethora of challenges in moving to a more sustainable future, from reputational and brand challenges, to creating opportunities for customer and employee loyalty, from reducing carbon, costs and waste to attracting investors.

In the not-so-distant past, the world of nightlife pulsated with energy, fuelled by the vibrant beats of high tempo drinks. However, a transformative shift is now unfolding. CGA by NIQ’s director of research and insight, Charlie Mitchell, explores the challenges and opportunities that this shift presents for operators and suppliers.

Britain’s top restaurant and pub groups achieved like-for-like sales growth of 2% in February, the latest CGA Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Hospitality leaders can get up close to one of the most dynamic food, drink and entertainment scenes in the US on an exclusive Atlantic Club tour to Nashville in Tennessee in May.

New consumer research by Zonal and CGA by Niq looks at guest loyalty towards hospitality brands, and how this has been affected by the rising cost of living.

As food campaigner and co-founder of Leon restaurants Henry Dimbleby succinctly said: “It will be unsustainable not to be sustainable by 2030.”

The CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index recorded year-on-year inflation of 12.6% in January—a drop of 1.2 percentage points from December's rate of 13.8%. It is the seventh successive month-on-month fall in inflation as markets adjust to falling commodity pricing.

If you think restaurants and pubs are having a tough time, try being a farmer. The plight of British agriculture was laid bare at the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham last month.

Nutritics has become the first food technology provider to integrate with Zero Carbon Forum’s Carbon Accounting Platform, as both organisations look to accelerate their shared vision to address the climate crisis.

Foodservice tech provider, Nutritics, has completed the acquisition of Good Food Talks, an innovative menu solution for visually impaired diners, which counts Nando’s, PizzaExpress and JD Wetherspoon among its customers.

Confidence among the leaders of Britain’s top hospitality businesses has been dampened down by severe cost pressures, the latest edition of the Business Confidence Survey reveals.

With just over 4 weeks to go to Arena’s Audience with Tom Aikens event now is the time to book your tickets if you haven’t already done so.  

The new initiative will see hospitality businesses join together to fundraise for the charity Prevent Breast Cancer.

Nashville may be the music capital of the US, but it’s also a booming business centre with one of the hottest eating and drinking out scenes in the country. And that’s exactly why Atlantic Club is heading there this May 1-3. 

So what do we have in store for the 30 senior execs and entrepreneurs from the UK and US who’ll be making the trip - and why you should be one of them?

 

The number of licensed premises in Britain fell by a net 803 sites in the fourth quarter of 2023, the latest Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners reveals. It also highlights the widening gap between the fortunes of managed groups and independent operators.

What we eat has a major impact on our health and also the health of the planet. They are two vital issues, and hospitality has an important role in helping to address both of them.

The CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index recorded an inflation rate of 13.8% in December, marking a sixth consecutive month of decline. However, the pace of deceleration is slower than anticipated, despite moderation in price rises and the market stabilising.
 

 

Britain’s top hospitality groups generated year-on-year sales growth of 8.8% in December, the latest CGA Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.