New research highlights the impacts of the war on Ukraine on key food commodities.

Peach 20/20’s first ever Summer Meet Up, at Boxpark Wembley on 21 June, will bring together an exciting panel of industry thought-leaders to discuss the theme: ‘Scale it up; Shake it up’.

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.

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%.

A roundtable lunch discussion earlier this month brought together senior operators from across UK hospitality to share candid reflections and proven practices about employee wellbeing – and its critical impact on performance, retention and guest experience.

Investor confidence has taken a hit lately, but there’s still plenty of growth potential for hospitality’s best businesses - whether growth is measured by more sites, increased EBITDA or valuation. Here’s what five leaders and investors told the Peach 20/20 Leaders summit about the state of play in the markets.

Final spaces available for Atlantic Club London event available as more details announced.

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

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.

Registration is now open for Hospitality Kicks, the charity football tournament for hospitality brands. The event takes place in Manchester on Tuesday 27th June 2023, with the goal of raising £50,000 for three industry charities. The final amount raised will be distributed evenly between Only A Pavement Away, The Tim Bacon Foundation and the Licensed Trade Charity.

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.

Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie leads tens of thousands of hospitality professionals and is joining the debate at this year's Peach 20/20, and highlighting how the regional brewer and pub owner’s history has shaped its steadfast commitment to inclusion and driving change not just in its own organisation, but across the sector.

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

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieved an eighth consecutive month of year-on-year sales growth in May 2023, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Expansion is firmly on the agenda for ambitious UK bar and restaurant brands, despite the costs crisis facing businesses and consumers alike. As Peach 20/20 co-founder Peter Martin found when he met up with leaders in Glasgow, that growth is now as much about securing international destinations as the right locations in Britain.

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

2022 is set to be a big year for the on- premise in the US, as sales return to pre-COVID-19 levels and consumer confidence grows, new research from CGA suggests.

A research collaboration between Peach 20/20 partners Harri and CGA offers in-depth insight into hospitality workers’ views of the sector and their jobs

NEWS RELEASE - Harri, a market-leading employee experience platform, receives significant growth financing in response to enterprise momentum and transformation.

I’ve been going to the pub a lot lately - and not just because of the weather. I’ve been talking to a load of pub operators too - not least to test the theory that despite all the negative headlines about the health of the public house it is far from dying. But it is certainly changing.

Not that long ago ambitious Brits taking brands across the pond focussed on the great ‘European' American cities. Boston, New York, Washington DC were all hot favourites and for understandable reasons.
 

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.

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:

It’s great to see our old friend and industry icon John Barnes writing again. His Marketing Judo book was an entertaining and easy to use guide to marketing for entrepreneurial operators – and despite being published 19 years ago is still full of good advice for leveraging your position using brains rather than budget.

Peter Martin takes a look at the latest research on what lockdowns have done to people’s domestic diets, including an increasing taste for cheese

The latest ‘Top Cities’ report from On Premise consultancy CGA and Wireless Social, the leaders in guest wi-fi and data insight, combines sales and device log-in data to assess the performance of Britain’s 10 most populous cities over the four weeks to 12 March 2022.

Soaring costs and economic uncertainty have severely dented confidence in Britain’s hospitality sector. The October Business Confidence Survey shows that just 8% of leaders of multi-site businesses feel confident about the next 12 months for the eating and drinking out market. This is a sharp drop from the figure of 23% in the last survey in June - which in turn was a steep fall from 65% in March.

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.

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

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.

Technology is helping hospitality to improve staffing related challenges, such as retention and churn, but more investment is needed to maximise efficiencies.

The commercial, brand, customer and labour implications of climate change are increasingly evident - and progressive business leaders across hospitality are taking action. 

The optimism of Britain’s hospitality leaders has risen for the fourth quarter in a row, but they remain concerned about inflation in key inputs, and the challenge of business rates.

Hospitality Rising, the initiative to raise the profile of the hospitality sector with the public through an ambitious advertising campaign, is continuing to recruit new supporters, including Whitbread, Soho House and Maybourne Hotel Group, owner of Claridge's, The Connaught and The Berkeley.

Recruitment drives this month by holiday park operator Parkdean, with 550 staff vacancies open, and Travelodge looking to fill 600 jobs have only underlined the depth of the labour crisis facing hospitality. Hospitality Rising is one initiative now taking shape to change the public's perception of working in the sector.

The growing trend of ‘Greenhushing’ – failing to share progress on environmental initiatives – could stunt progress on sustainability in the hospitality sector, warns Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics, the market leader in food service technology. 

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.

Consumer spending in hospitality is holding up well despite the cost of living crisis, according to CGA by NIQ’s new BrandTrack Plus research.

Sustainability and the green agenda present real challenges for hospitality businesses – but ones that many are already embracing. The topic will feature prominently at this year’s Peach 20/20 conference on November 17.

Like-for-like sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups in May were just 0.1% ahead of the pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

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.

 

Hospitality is grappling with the effects of rising food costs, inflation, supply chain instability, and some customers feeling like they’re paying more for less, writes George Wetz, COO and co-founder of Yumpingo.

Technology and data are revolutionising operations in food and drink, and no-one knows more about the connected world than tech giant Google - which also happens to be one of the world’s biggest corporate caterers. James Shaw, its global design lead for kitchens and technology, gave the 2023 ceda Conference his expert thoughts on how harnessing digital solutions will make kitchens more efficient and sustainable. Here are six of the top takeaways.

Peach 20/20’s co-founder and leading commentator in the hospitality sector, Peter Martin joins NFU President Minette Batters on the latest episode of NFUTalk to discuss the relationship between farming, sourcing and the hospitality sectors, and how everyone can work together.

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and increased automation in the hospitality sector was a major talking point and theme at our Peach @ The Beach conference in Brighton in June.

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. 

Nando’s has always prided itself on its powers of re-invention - over the years keeping itself relevant for every new generation of consumers going out to eat.

Danny Meyer is a hero of the global restaurant industry, never afraid to be radical or provocative – but the decision of the legendary New York entrepreneur to require indoor diners and drinkers at his Union Square Hospitality Group establishments to show they have been vaccinated against Covid will divide opinion both sides of the Atlantic.

New research highlights five key factors that can influence consumer decision-making when going out to eat and drink

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

If there’s one constant in hospitality, it’s change. But how can businesses adapt and be sure they’re moving in the right directions? Three agile industry leaders joined Peter Martin at the Peach 20/20 Conference to discuss transformation and the lessons they’ve learned in five key areas. 

Unsociable hours, increased workload and pay not matching the job were the top reasons given by employees to explain current staff crisis in hospitality in a recent survey by Peach 20/20 partners Harri and CGA. They were also the key issues addressed in a special webinar with industry leaders hosted by Harri and chaired by Peach 20/20 founder Peter Martin.

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.

From costs to labour to supply, bars and restaurants face a sea of challenges at the moment. But as Revolution Bars’ commercial director Fiona Hall told Peach 20/20’s Top Table Podcast, agile brands that respond fast to changing conditions will thrive. Here are five insights from her chat with Peter Martin.

Neat Burger and Gail’s Bakery are two of the UK’s fastest growing brands, and their leaders shared the secrets of their success at the Peach 20/20 Summer Meet Up. Here are seven top takeaways from their session. 

As hospitality pushes back the digital frontiers, how can brands properly engage consumers and make the most of their data? Digital expert Olivia Fitzgerald, chief sales and marketing officer at Zonal, shared some of the secrets with Peter Martin on Peach 20/20’s Top Table Podcast. Here are just five of the top insights.

When the Italian restaurant brand Vapiano launched in 2002 its service style was considered cutting edge and a novelty in the industry. The guest journey was based on customers being given a RFID (Radio-frequency identification) card to order and eventually pay.

With 61% of British consumers being influenced by others about whether and where to go out when visiting pubs, bars and restaurants, identifying who these influential guests are will be key for operators looking to increase footfall, drive revenue and boost exposure to new groups of guests this year, as rising costs continue to squeeze consumer spending.

Peach 20/20 has introduced a new category for this year’s Hero & Icon awards, reflecting the importance of trust and reliability for consumers in the post-pandemic market.

No-one could ever accuse Incipio CEO and co-founder Ed Devenport of taking a cookie-approach to growing a business. His company is much more eclectic, operating everything from all-weather pub gardens, to rooftop bars, to ‘unpretentious’ clubs with late-night dancing to polished casual restaurants.  

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.

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. 

Plan B, the mentoring platform designed to accelerate women’s representation on boards, has announced the launch of its first conference on October 5th in central London.

Entrepreneurial stars of the restaurant, pub and bar world join the roll call of Icon Award recipients

Prestigious prizes recognise 15 leading brands and individuals across the eating and drinking out sector

New research from Peach 20/20 partners CGA and Fourth highlights widespread job vacancies and increased pressure on labour costs

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.

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.

Peach 20/20’s new Summer Meet Up event at Boxpark Wembley on June 21 is not to be missed by anyone looking to drive growth

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. 

This year our board of high-profile, industry change-makers will not only help us to develop this year’s conference agenda for our flagship event taking place in London in November but will also feed ...

The Atlantic Club intends to find out..

The live music. The sunshine. The great outdoors. The barbecue. The breakfast tacos. The craft breweries. The eclectic mix of cultures, food, drink and art. With affordable housing and a vibrant (tech-driven) economy, “ATX” boasts a growing young professional demographic and a regular slot in the ‘best places to live in the US’ charts. 

Ajith Jayawickrema hasn’t just launched one big restaurant brand—he’s created two. The Las Iguanas and Turtle Bay founder joined Peach 20/20’s Start-up Hub Podcast to share start-up stories and the ups and downs of entrepreneurialism.

Tortilla Mexican Grill’s dynamic leadership duo of CEO Richard Morris and Chair Emma Woods are the latest guests on the Top Table Podcast from Peach 20/20. From the opportunities and challenges of delivery to IPOs to turbocharging growth, here are some of the top takeaways from their chat with Peter Martin.

As all good business leaders know, you have to be all over your numbers if you want to succeed. These days, though, the figures that matter aren’t just those in the P&L or balance sheet.

Inflation means price increases are all but inevitable across all industries and hospitality leaders are bracing themselves for the challenge. So how do you raise your prices without frightening the horses, or indeed your customers, into the arms of cheaper competitors? 

CEO and founder of acclaimed US operator, 50 Eggs Hospitality Group, John Kunkel shares his incredible and hugely inspiring journey to becoming one of the United States’ most creative and successful restaurant and bars entrepreneurs.

We'll be attending Casual Dining from the 23 - 24 September in London. See you there?

The Tim Bacon Foundation is organising a major fundraising initiative on Thursday 8 September in memory of Peach Industry Icon and founder of the multi-award winning Living Ventures, Tim Bacon.

We get it. You have never been busier. Running a hospitality business has never been more challenging. Now is not the time to hop on a plane for a 3 day Atlantic Club trip to Texas. OR is it?

The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show takes place on 24-25 September at Excel London. The event gives senior decision-makers from group and independent restaurants, pubs, bars, and contract caterers the unique opportunity to discover something new and stay ahead of the competition. 

Labour shortages at Britain’s top managed hospitality groups may be starting to ease, the 2023 Business Leaders’ Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth shows—but rising wage bills are piling more pressure on some fragile businesses.

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.  

Britain’s leading managed pub, bar and restaurant groups achieved like-for-like sales growth of 10.9% in January 2023, the new edition of the Coffer CGA 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.

AI is all over the news headlines – for good and bad reasons. But what does it mean for hospitality?

Why do tourists visit Liverpool? Is it the football, or the music, or the architecture? For many out-of-towners the reason is to eat and drink - and that’s the experience they expect to spend more on in coming months.

How can eating and drinking out brands stay relevant, compelling and competitive in an increasingly digital-first world? From seamless delivery to delighting customers to winning the talent wars – technology is proving a crucial brand differentiator. Even investors are taking note.  

London might be Britain’s capital of hospitality, but some of the most dynamic concepts and exciting growth opportunities lie further afield. A stroll around Peach @ The Beach’s location in Brighton soon proved that, and four top operators joined a panel session to discuss the state of play and secrets of success away from the capital.

A new report from research consultancy CGA by NielsenIQ and live music booking platform GigRealmreveals that 78% of consumers are more likely to visit a pub, bar or similar venue if it offers live music. Nearly as many (73%) say they are likely to stay in a venue longer if there is live music, and 76% are likely to buy more drinks.

The Peach 20/20 Atlantic Club is back ‘live’ this September and heading for London, the beating heart of the UK restaurant, pub and bar market.

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieved modest sales growth in October amid mounting operational pressures, the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

As we move into 2024, businesses are looking for any advantages available to counteract the remaining challenges from last year and that may arise in this one. The cost of doing business will remain the key consideration for all senior teams; but whilst being over the detail is important an outside perspective is often as valuable.  

Categories that capitalise on this trend - focusing on low sugar, low calories, low ABV - are growing in value rapidly. Myles Doran discusses the trend and its impact on the wider industry.

The rise of tequila and a growing taste for no-and-low alcohol alternatives were just two of the developing trends in the US drinks scene picked out on the Atlantic Club’s tour of Austin, Texas

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?

Surveys tell us that business leaders are distinctly downbeat about the prospects for Britain’s restaurant and bar market. But bring together a group of the industry’s brightest and best over dinner and the conversation quickly turns to growth - and more often than not global growth.

How to navigate the here-and-how remains a major challenge for pub, bar and restaurant operators, but understanding the longer term implications of the new trading environment is just as vital.

Britain’s managed pub, bar and restaurant groups overcame poor summer weather to record collective like-for-like sales up 5.3% in August against the same month last year, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Britain’s managed restaurant, pub and bar groups marked 12 consecutive months of year-on-year sales growth in September, the new Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.