Out of Home News Analysis

Covid-19: Year dot for CSR

The way in which businesses respond to the crisis will provide a baseline against which all future claims of corporate responsibility will be judged, argues Nick Hughes. Corporate social responsibility has always been a difficult discipline to assess. Almost every… Read More
UK eyes larger slice of US trade pie

Before Covid-19 shunted Brexit into the background the UK government revealed its priorities for a trade deal with the United States. Nick Hughes looks at the detail and the implications for the food sector. What does the UK want from… Read More
The week that broke Wetherspoon?

Competition is stiff, but we may as well start etching Tim Martin’s name on the inaugural “Boss you don’t want in a covid-19 crisis” trophy, says David Burrows. At the beginning of March, Edelman asked 10,000 people whether they trusted… Read More
Coronavirus: the week ahead

The government offered foodservice a lifeline on Friday. Now it must get to grips with the huge shift in demand from on-the-go to grocery. By David Burrows Across the UK, hospitality businesses pulled the shutters down on Friday night as… Read More
Coronavirus: What we know so far

Government measures to put the UK into effective lockdown have thrown the foodservice sector into a state of turmoil. Nick Hughes looks at the short-term implications. UKHospitality describes it as “catastrophic”. The British Beer and Pub Association says the sector… Read More
The last straw?

Bans on plastic are simply sucking businesses towards alternatives. Whether these are recycled doesn’t seem to matter to ministers or brands. But it certainly should, says David Burrows. In three weeks’ time a ban on plastic straws (and drinks stirrers)… Read More
Confusion over coronavirus catering contingency plans

Ministers have had frequent meetings with supermarket bosses to discuss their response to any food supply threats posed by coronavirus. So why haven’t the public sector catering chiefs been called in too? By David Burrows. George Eustice has made no… Read More
Bioplastics at a crossroads

Questions surrounding the taxation and regulation – as well as the very definition – of bioplastics have to be resolved before we can know what the future holds for a still nascent sector, writes Nick Hughes. Amid the ongoing assault… Read More
Scotland ‘ditches disposables’

From the elimination of single-use sachets to deposit return schemes for coffee cups, Scotland’s hospitality businesses are taking part in a £1m reusable revolution. By David Burrows. “Too much time, energy and money is being spent searching for alternatives to… Read More
With poultry production and standards on the up, will emissions follow suit?

Foodservice companies have committed to higher chicken welfare standards, but there could be a carbon cost in doing so, asks David Burrows. UK consumption of chicken needs to be dramatically reduced, according to a new report, which outlines the environmental… Read More