Hospitality hiring grant unlikely to offset rising employment costs
Employment Hero’s platform data shows employment growth in retail and hospitality has slowed sharply, from around 10% in May 2025 to just 0.4% a year later, as businesses absorb higher employer NICs, minimum wage increases and wider employment legislation changes. Kevin Fitzgerald, UK Managing Director at Employment Hero, said: “According to our platform data, which …
Meeting the Moment
Russell Campbell, Head of On-Trade at Damm UK, discusses how Estrella Damm is adapting to evolving consumer expectations in the beer category through premiumisation, moderation trends and the growing demand for alcohol-free and lifestyle-led drinking options in the on-trade. How is Damm UK responding to changing consumer expectations within today’s evolving beer category? Over the …
COYA’s New Bar Story
COYA Restaurant & Bar has unveiled The Spirits of Peru: Madre Tierra, a new storytelling-led cocktail programme debuting at COYA Mayfair and COYA City at the beginning of the year. The 16-drink menu journeys through Peru’s coast, Andes and Amazon, blending bold regional flavours with COYA’s signature pisco craft. COYA Restaurant & Bar has launched …
The Taste of Colour
At cato, Co-founder Angelos Bafas is rethinking what a cocktail menu can be – using synesthesia-inspired ideas to turn colour into flavour, and stripping drinks back to their purest expression. He explains how the venue’s minimalist approach, from naming to presentation, is designed to make each cocktail instantly readable yet deeply considered, while championing UK-sourced …
Facing the Pressure
As rising costs continue to squeeze margins and increase pressure across hospitality, we explore how pubs and bars can navigate challenging trading conditions through smarter operations, stronger teams and the support available across the sector. Margins are tightening, labour costs are rising and confidence remains fragile. Across the UK hospitality sector, operators are navigating a …
Matchday Menus
Leigh Baker, Customer Proposition Director, Foodservice at Booker, explains how the UK’s leading food and drink wholesaler is helping bars maximise one of the biggest trading moments of the year, the World Cup, with expert support, on-trend solutions and scalable, crowd-pleasing menus. How is Booker supporting bar operators in preparing for major events like the …
RON MATUSALEM UNVEILS SUBLIME KIKU IN TOKYO, A RUM SHAPED BY THE INFLUENCE OF JAPANESE JUNMAI SAKE
Limited to just 600 bottles worldwide, Sublime Kiku represents the second chapter of the exclusive Sublime Collection, a sensory journey connecting Spain, the Americas, France and Japan through an exceptional ageing process. Ron Matusalem has chosen Tokyo as the setting to unveil Sublime Kiku, one of the most exclusive and sophisticated rum expressions ever created …
Meet Aidy
Aidy Smith brought star quality to this year’s Bar Magazine Awards, setting the tone for a night that celebrated not just excellence in drinks, but the voices reshaping the industry’s future. In this interview, he reflects on how living with Tourette syndrome and ADHD has shaped his journey through the industry, and why neurodivergent thinkers …
The Next Round for Beer
With the help of category experts, we shine a spotlight on beer and explore how one of the on-trade’s most important categories is evolving. From premiumisation and moderation to flavour trends and experience-led drinking, brewers reveal the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of every pint poured. Beer has always occupied a unique position within …
The Big Bite
With the help of industry experts, we reveal how bar snacks are evolving from a simple side offering into a major revenue driver and a key part of the customer experience. Bar snacks have long been considered a secondary concern in the hospitality sector – small bites that accompany drinks, often overlooked and underutilised. Today, …
