Blog - Ceres Shop

Leon seeks CVA as tax and footfall strains hit fast casual sector

Posted by Emma on 10th Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Leon, the fast food chain known for its “naturally fast food” positioning, has entered administration and is preparing to close a significant number of restaurants, placing hundreds of job … read more

£1.25m Pret compensation renews focus on allergen controls

Posted by Emma on 10th Dec 2025 Reading Time:

A £1.25m out-of-court settlement involving Pret A Manger and a supplier has reopened debate about allergen controls and “free-from” labelling in UK hospitality, underscoring how a si … read more

Crackdown on illegal delivery work puts gig economy under more scrutiny

Posted by Emma on 10th Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Dozens of food delivery riders are facing removal from the UK after a nationwide Home Office operation found widespread illegal working in app-based delivery. The enforcement blitz, carried out over s … read more

Labour’s NEET crackdown offers subsidised staff to hospitality, but sector warns of fragility

Posted by Emma on 9th Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Labour has announced an £820 million “Plan for Change” package aimed at reducing youth unemployment and lowering welfare spending, with hospitality named alongside construction and h … read more

#235: The truth about value, ownership and building a business that lasts with Andrew Markou from Businessesforsale.com

Posted by Emma on 6th Dec 2025 Reading Time:

What does a business owner actually sell when they put a fish and chip shop, café, or takeaway on the market? And what are buyers really paying for behind the headline price? Episode 235 of The … read more

Gail’s expands nationwide after sales surge, but losses widen

Posted by Emily on 2nd Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Gail’s, the premium bakery and café chain, is planning a further wave of openings across England after recording another year of rapid sales growth, underscoring both the resilience of de … read more

Leon’s co-founder reclaims the brand and promises a sharper, simpler menu

Posted by Emma on 2nd Dec 2025 Reading Time:

John Vincent, the co-founder of Leon, has bought back the healthy fast-food chain from Asda, four years after selling it in a £100 million deal to EG Group. He is now planning a wide-ranging tur … read more

Six-month unfair dismissal right to replace Labour’s day-one pledge

Posted by Emma on 2nd Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Britain’s government has dropped plans to give workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from the first day of a job, opting instead for protection after six months. The change follows weeks o … read more

Businesses accuse ministers of “smoke and mirrors” over rates overhaul

Posted by Emma on 1st Dec 2025 Reading Time:

Hospitality businesses across the UK are warning that they face significant increases in business rates from next April, despite government claims that reforms will deliver the lowest effective rates … read more

#234: The News Review takes on jobs, planning pitfalls and a new fryers’ venture

Posted by Emily on 30th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Episode 234 of The Ceres Podcast, The News Review brings host Stelios Theocharous and co-host David Nicolaou back to their familiar format: pick the stories that matter to the trade, then pull them ap … read more

Is hoping for government help holding your business back?

Posted by Stelios on 29th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

I started this article differently. I opened with my gut reaction to the autumn budget, but after a proper night’s sleep and a nudge from my editor, I realised I was drifting away from a belief … read more

Budget 2025 tightens the squeeze on hospitality as tax drag bites

Posted by Emma on 26th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The hospitality sector has warned that the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget could intensify pressure on venues already trading on narrow margins. Industry leaders point to a likely squeeze on consumer … read more

Hospitality warns of price rises as National Living Wage climbs again

Posted by Emma on 26th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The National Living Wage is due to increase again in April 2026, with the government setting out higher statutory pay floors ahead of the Autumn Budget. The headline change is a 50p-an-hour rise for w … read more

#233: How Yan’s Fish Bar survived generations of change, with Steven Muscat

Posted by Emma on 25th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The Ceres Podcast returns with an episode that is as much about people as it is about fish and chips. In Episode 233, host Mark Petrou sits down with Cardiff fryer and community builder Steven Muscat … read more

#232: Robert Furey on value, efficiency and moving the trade forward

Posted by Emily on 25th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Fish and chip shops are operating in a world that feels noisier and more uncertain than ever. Rising costs, shaky headlines and constant talk of decline can make even solid businesses hesitate. Episod … read more

How the rise of ultra-processed foods could reshape customer expectations

Posted by Stelios on 21st Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Ultra-processed foods are now firmly on the agenda for scientists, governments and the wider food industry. For businesses in hospitality and the fish and chip sector, understanding the conversation i … read more

Watchdog criticises “unacceptable” conduct of directors who sought Audi and Lamborghini leases

Posted by Emma on 21st Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Two directors behind a pair of Brazilian steakhouses in North Yorkshire have been banned from running companies after attempting to lease luxury cars while their business was heavily in debt, accordin … read more

Haven expands Wetherspoon partnership with £9m investment

Posted by Emily on 21st Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Haven is set to expand its partnership with JD Wetherspoon by opening four new pubs across its holiday parks in spring 2026, strengthening the operator’s push to modernise food and beverage prov … read more

Dairy drinks could lose tax exemption as government eyes expansion of sugar levy

Posted by Emma on 19th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The government is considering removing the long-standing exemption for milk-based drinks under the UK’s sugar tax, a move that could have significant implications for the foodservice, hospitalit … read more

Popeyes reaches 100 UK restaurants as competition intensifies in fast-food chicken sector

Posted by Emma on 19th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Popeyes has reached its 100th UK restaurant just four years after entering the market, underscoring the rapid growth of American fried chicken brands across Britain and heightening competition for ope … read more

Stonegate weighs £1bn sale of 1,000 pubs as debt pressures deepen

Posted by Emma on 19th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Britain’s largest pub operator is examining the potential sale of more than 1,000 venues in a move that could reshape the country’s pub landscape. Stonegate Group, owner of Slug & Lett … read more

Wheat prices hold steady as record global harvest reshapes the market

Posted by Emma on 19th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The latest wheat market update paints a picture of abundant global supply, shifting trade dynamics and a UK market cushioned by currency movements. For businesses in hospitality and the fish and chip … read more

QBTEC welcomes Florigo, Hegro and De Kuiper into its equipment family

Posted by Emma on 15th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

QBTEC, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of professional frying and cooking equipment, has expanded its frying-range portfolio with the addition of the Florigo, De Kuiper and Hegro brands. T … read more

Coconut Tree restaurants sold out of administration, safeguarding over 150 jobs

Posted by Emily on 14th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

More than 150 jobs have been secured after Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree was sold out of administration to a company linked to two of its founders, in a development closely watched acro … read more

#231: The Voice of Business - Andrew Griffith MP Joins Stelios on The Ceres Podcast

Posted by Emma on 13th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

In one of the most engaging episodes of The Ceres Podcast to date, host Stelios sits down with Andrew Griffith MP, the Conservative Party’s Shadow Business Secretary, for a refreshingly candid c … read more

Pub giant Fuller's urges chancellor to rethink budget amid soaring costs

Posted by Emily on 12th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

In a stark warning to the government, the executive chairman of Fuller Smith & Turner has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver "fresh ideas" on stimulating growth in the pub sector, arguing t … read more

The Coconut Tree falls into administration amid mounting tax debt

Posted by Emma on 12th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The Coconut Tree restaurant group, known for bringing Sri Lankan street food to the British high street, has entered administration after defaulting on a £1.6 million tax bill owed to HM Revenue … read more

Thirteen months of decline: Hospitality’s struggle intensifies ahead of the Budget

Posted by Emma on 12th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The UK’s hospitality sector faces one of its toughest periods in recent memory, with new data revealing a sustained collapse in employment that industry leaders blame squarely on last year&rsquo … read more

Liberal Democrats call for 5% VAT cut to revive the UK’s hospitality industry

Posted by Emma on 12th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The Liberal Democrats have urged the Chancellor to implement a 5% cut in VAT in this month’s Budget to revitalise the UK’s hospitality industry, a sector described as “struggling&rdq … read more

Why more Fish & Chip Awards might be a good thing

Posted by Mark Petrou on 12th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

I’ve just returned from my third visit to the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards Gala in Glasgow. Now in its third year, this event could easily be dismissed by the uninitiated as “still in its … read more

The Great Burger Split: What Fast Food’s Shake-Up Tells Us About Survival

Posted by Stelios on 11th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

The fast-food industry is quietly splitting in two — those who make customers feel heard, and those who don’t. Three stories have caught my attention recently. McDonald’s has made a … read more

345 hospitality firms call on Treasury to rescue a sector ‘taxed out of existence’

Posted by Emma on 10th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

More than 340 hospitality businesses, from household names such as Greene King and IHG Hotels & Resorts to independent operators, have joined forces in a powerful open letter to Chancellor Rachel … read more

Azzurri Group’s bold bet: Dave’s Hot Chicken fuels growth amid rising costs

Posted by Emily on 10th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

Azzurri Group, the company behind well-known hospitality brands such as Zizzi, ASK Italian, Coco di Mama, and Boojum, has undergone what chief executive Steve Holmes called a “transformative yea … read more

Takeaway director banned for VAT failings after £170,000 HMRC debt

Posted by Emma on 9th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

A Burnley takeaway boss has been disqualified from serving as a company director for five years after failing to register his business for VAT, leaving HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) owed nearly &pou … read more

The long road to profit: How Papa Johns UK’s painful reset paid off

Posted by Stelios on 8th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

I’ve followed Papa Johns UK’s restructuring journey closely over the past two years. Now, as the pizza brand finally returns to profit, its story offers valuable lessons for any operator f … read more

McDonald’s under pressure as equality watchdog demands tougher action on workplace harassment

Posted by Emma on 7th Nov 2025 Reading Time:

McDonald’s is facing renewed pressure from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after the regulator extended and toughened its legally binding agreement with the fast-food chain to co … read more