Insights
For owners of independent restaurants, pubs, bars, and cafés in the UK: what is changing, what it costs you, and what to do about it.
Policy pieces carry the date they were written. When the rules change, I update them and say so at the top.
30 October 2026 · 6 min read
Budget 2026: what changed for hospitality, and what to do now
No VAT cut, a wage rise to £13.21, more rates relief for small venues and pubs, and higher duty. What the 2026 Budget means for your venue, and what to do.
30 October 2026 · 5 min read
AI in hospitality: where it helps independents, and where it does not
Where AI genuinely helps an independent restaurant, pub, or café, what it costs, and where it should never have the final say.
30 October 2026 · 5 min read
How much money do you need to open a restaurant?
More than the fit-out. What to budget to open a restaurant, pub, or café, why the first six months need their own cash, and how to work out your runway.
30 October 2026 · 6 min read
How to price a menu, and the mistakes that cost independents money
Price from your own costs, not the place across the street. The seven menu pricing mistakes I see most in independent venues, and how to fix them.
30 October 2026 · 6 min read
What is cash margin? The number that pays your bills
Cash margin is the money a dish or drink leaves after its cost. Why it matters more than your GP percentage at the top of the menu, and how to use both.
18 September 2026 · 5 min read
The Netherlands has 9% VAT on restaurant food. It isn't saving its restaurants
Dutch restaurants pay 9% VAT on food, yet debt and closures are rising. A lower rate buys headroom, not a business model. Here is what decides survival.
16 September 2026 · 6 min read
The staffing cliff: why there are no chefs left, and what to do about it
The staff shortage is structural, not seasonal. Five ways to design a restaurant, pub, or café around the team you can actually recruit and keep.
9 September 2026 · 5 min read
Tips, troncs, and the new code: what hospitality employers need to know
What UK tipping law already requires, what the revised code adds when it comes into force, and how to write a fair tipping policy your team will trust.
7 September 2026 · 5 min read
The Hospitality Grant Scheme: who it is for, and how to prepare for the next round
The £10m Hospitality Grant Scheme funds new venues, empty premises, and training. Who it is for, what it will not pay for, and how to be ready next round.
16 July 2026 · 6 min read
Archaeology vs control: why a monthly stock count is too late
A monthly stock count tells you money has gone. A daily line check on your ten riskiest items tells you when, why, and on whose shift, while you can act.
15 July 2026 · 5 min read
The accountant, the builder, and the bistro: why only one apologises for its margin
Your plumber and your accountant never apologise for their margin. Why independents should stop apologising for theirs, and why profit is what keeps you open.
6 July 2026 · 5 min read
The Employment Rights Act: what hospitality employers must do, and when
What the Employment Rights Act means for restaurants, pubs, and cafés: what is already law, what starts now, what lands in January, and what to do.
2 July 2026 · 6 min read
Management by osmosis: why your best waiter may be your worst manager
Your best waiter will not become a good manager by watching. The five skills nobody teaches new managers, and a simple way to train them properly.
26 June 2026 · 5 min read
Surviving the heatwave: keeping your kitchen, team, and stock safe
A hot kitchen in a heatwave can pass 45°C. How to protect your team, your fridges, and your food safety as UK summers get hotter, and when to close early.
25 June 2026 · 5 min read
Beyond the spirit shelf: why alcohol-free drinks are worth taking seriously
Guests are drinking less, but not spending less, if you give them something worth ordering. How to build, price, and sell an alcohol-free drinks list.
8 June 2026 · 5 min read
Table for one: why your most loyal regular may be sitting alone
Solo diners are quick, spend well, and come back, if you treat them well. Why the dark corner costs you, and how to give a table for one the best seat.
24 May 2026 · 6 min read
How to stop being the only one who can run the shift
If your venue only runs well when you are there, the problem is structure, not effort. How to fix the basics and hand over in the right order.
1 May 2026 · 5 min read
Your team isn't the problem
When owners tell me their team is the problem, it rarely is. Why poor performance is usually a leadership gap, and the structure that fixes it.
28 April 2026 · 5 min read
Why losing one pub cost me three
How one lease clause cost me the Sun Inn, and the two pubs it was quietly carrying, and the question every owner should ask before opening another site.