A quarter of chefs working in the UK are EU nationals – leaving restaurants facing a kitchen skills crisis if leaked immigration proposals are implemented, the British Hospitality Association has warned. Leaked document from the Home Office last week exposed draft plans to end freedom of movement immediately after Brexit and offer low-skilled EU migrants…
Restaurant chains breathe sigh of relief over PM’s worker pledge
The industry largest representative body for restaurant and pub chains has welcomed Theresa May’s pledge to offer EU citizens living in the UK ‘settled status’ once Brexit has been completed. The Prime Minister yesterday set out her plans on employment rights for EU citizens in the context of Brexit negotiations. The statement was positively received…
No excuses for operators that fall foul of new kitchen regs
Foodservice operators are responsible for the reduction of F-Gas emissions from their refrigeration units rather than equipment suppliers, according to new guidelines on EU regulations. CESA’s latest guidelines state that the responsibility of F-Gases leak reduction, repair, containment and recovery on kitchen equipment lies with caterers, operators and users of catering refrigeration rather than those…
363k small businesses ‘at risk of closure’ in next five years
More than 1.4 million jobs are at risk as 363,000 small businesses plan to stop trading in the next five years, according to a new survey. A further 510,000 business owners plan on selling in the next five years, according to the findings, commissioned by business for sale marketplace Bizdaq. 35% of young (18-34 year…
Brexit has driven up cost of catering equipment parts by ‘10% to 15%’, says manufacturer
British catering equipment manufacturer GDPA says it has seen a spike in component prices of between 10% and 15% following last week’s EU referendum result. GDPA, which owns brands such as Burco and Lec, and operates a huge manufacturing facility in Prescot, Merseyside, is adamant it won’t have to raise prices as a result of…
Hospitality chiefs set for Brexit showdown talks
Top dogs from the wider British hospitality industry will have their first chance to collectively discuss the repercussions of Britain’s exit from the EU today when they gather for the BHA’s annual summit in London. Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of the BHA, which represents more than 40,000 businesses, including restaurants, hotels and foodservice operators, confirmed that…
Brexit leaves catering equipment industry with plenty to ponder
The industry – and indeed the whole country – was this morning waking up to the news that Great Britain has voted to exit the European Union after one of the most dramatic nights in political history. Like every other sector, the UK’s £1 billion a year catering equipment industry will today be pondering what…
EDITOR’S VIEW: The curious case of the referendum and kitchen fridges
The creation of minimum energy performance standards (MEPs) for refrigeration cabinets threatens to be a genuine game-changer for catering equipment buyers, especially as work is already underway to develop similar frameworks for product categories such as cooking and warewashing. Rather than rely solely on sales literature, or manufacturer rhetoric, purchasers will be able to…
Kitchen waste innovator wins EU grant
The creator of a kitchen management system that helps some of the biggest hotel and restaurant operators in the UK cut food waste has been awarded an EU grant to further its work. Kitchen CUT, which sells a restaurant management system used by the likes of Accore, Mecure and Whiting & Hammond, was developed by…
Equipment energy labelling will ‘drag industry into 21st century’
Those in the commercial refrigeration industry have become familiar with the intricacies of EU law-making over the past few years as Brussels officials have taken on the task of developing minimum energy performance ratings. But at times it has also created considerable confusion within the market due to the complexities involved in agreeing a test…
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