11/10/2021
Government extends £3,000 apprentice bonus and Kickstart scheme
The goverment is to extend the Kickstart scheme and cash incentives for hiring new apprentices until next year, advises The Caterer. The Kickstart scheme, which subsidises new job placements for 16 to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit, will now run until March 2022 and will be open to applications from employers until 17 December. The programme launched in September 2020 in a bid to tackle the impact of the pandemic on jobs, with hospitality groups including PizzaExpress, Greene King and KFC signing up to take part. Under the scheme, the government pays 100% of the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 25 hours per week for a total of six months, alongside employer National Insurance contributions and automatic pension contributions.
UKHospitality launches #VATsEnough campaign
UKHospitality has launched a campaign calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to make the current 12.5% VAT rate for hospitality permanent and thus help bolster the sector's post-Covid recovery, reports Big Hospitality. Under its new #VATsEnough campaign, the trade body is urging customers, suppliers, hospitality venues and employees to lobby their MPs on the need to lock in the 12.5% VAT rate for local pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and other sector businesses.
McDonald's announces net-zero restaurants to 'save planet'
McDonald's will open its first "net-zero" restaurant in the UK next month as part of ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, reports the Evening Standard. The new branch, located in Shropshire, will act as a blueprint for all of the chain's new freehold restaurants from 2022. As part of their Plan for Change programme, the fast food giant is also investing in 'sector-leading' research, customer packaging that will be compostable and have even considered the energy consumed by light bulbs in their restaurants.
Greggs vows to open 150 new stores per year as bakery eyes international expansion
Bakery chain Greggs has revealed it is planning to open 150 new sites by 2023, with the capacity to eventually operate 3,000 shops across the UK, reports iNews. Greggs said it is continuing to recover following the end of lockdown and revealed sales are up by 3.5 per cent in the second half of the year, despite staffing and supply chain disruption. "In the long-term we think there could also be potential for Greggs internationally. We are conducting some very early analysis to help better understand the possible opportunity."
Nightlife sector loses 86,000 workers since the start of the pandemic
Research commissioned by the Night Time Industries Association has found that the UK's cultural nightlife sector has lost approximately 86,000 jobs since the pandemic first hit. The research also showed that the night-time economy which encompasses restaurants, bars, casinos and more had been steadily growing over the last decade, reaching a peak in 2019. It had been projected to continue growing at 9% over the period 2020-2024, but has instead suffered job losses as venues were forced to close during the coronavirus crisis reports the Guardian.
And Finally...
Fancy yourself a bit of a thrill seeker? A trip to The Icelandic Adventure Bar might be just for you. Running from 21st - 23rd October, the immersive experience has a fun storyline, wild obstacle course and more advises Secret London.