The State of Hospitality

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we sit down with Kate Nicholls OBE, Chair of UKHospitality, to discuss the realities of running a hospitality business in today’s climate. From rising costs to workforce challenges, Kate shares insight from across the industry and explains how UKHospitality is supporting operators on the ground.

What We Cover:

• What UKHospitality does and how it supports businesses, from independent cafés to national chains.
• The role of a trade body in influencing government, reducing red tape and providing practical guidance to operators.
• The concept of Primary Authority and how it helps businesses navigate inconsistent enforcement from regulators.
• The current state of the industry, with rising costs, shrinking margins and many businesses operating at or below break-even.
• Why resilience in hospitality is being pushed to its limits following COVID and ongoing economic pressures.
• The reality behind closures and openings, and what the data tells us about the sector right now.
• Hospitality as a career: tackling the “stopgap job” perception and the need for clearer training pathways.
• Plans for a digital skills passport and how it could transform training, recruitment and career progression across the industry.
• Practical advice for operators, including smarter pricing strategies and using technology to manage labour more effectively.

Tune in for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about the challenges facing hospitality today—and what needs to change to support the businesses and people at its heart.