Today’s news in brief – 19/01/24

Restaurants, pubs and bars saw sales rise 8.8% over the latest Christmas period compared with data from 2022, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. The tracker also revealed that like-for-like sales grew 9.6% for pubs in December, while restaurants enjoyed an 8.3% upswing. Meanwhile, bars bounced back from a long run of negative figures with growth of 5.6%.

Market Halls’ like-for-like sales were up 55% in December, a record for the company in the festive period. The company stated that sales were boosted by large corporate bookings, a high-profile appearance on BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals and an extensive Christmas campaign.

Lexington Catering partnered with Fat Macy’s to launch a café space at one of its client sites. Fat Macy’s is a social enterprise that aims to get Londoners out of hostels and into their own homes. As part of the scheme, trainees learn and master valuable culinary and hospitality skills from professional teams in real-life environments. The café specialises in Lebanese food based on the enterprise’s restaurant in Shoreditch, Sohaila. 

Liberation Group has appointed Cat Moseley as people director, following news that Julia Rosamond will be retiring from the role on 1 March. Moseley comes with an extensive career working for several hospitality groups including Casual Dining Group, Spirit Pub Company and Punch Taverns.