Latest news with #TheWolseley
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Restaurant tipping rules are quietly changing — with new charge for drinks
Name something more British than the awkward moment when one person wants to contest the service charge at dinner and the other just wants to pay the bill and skedaddle The whole situation becomes ten times more uncomfortable when it happens on a first date… This point of contention isn't going to get any easier any time soon, in fact, it might end up causing even more tension. That's because the UK's unwritten restaurant rules around service charges and tipping seem to be changing across the nation. Service charges are being added to bills just about everywhere these days – from your local pub to the tiny cafe on the corner. And honestly, with the struggles the hospitality industry has been facing amid the cost of living crisis, it's not much of a surprise. But what might come as a shock to some is that it's becoming the norm to see service charges of 15% these days on bills, instead of the 10 or 12.5% we'd all become accustomed to. When it comes to the purpose of these charges, Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, previously told Metro: 'Service charge policies are set and determined by individual businesses, so it is up to them to determine the level of charge. 'Service charges serve a variety of functions, but primarily reward staff and provide a boost to employees' earnings, ensuring that venues can continue to provide the highest standard of service possible.' Experts have claimed that 15% is going to become the new industry standard when it comes to restaurant service charges, while some suggest we could see this moving more in-line with the 20 to 25% tipping rate that's standard across America in the future. A number of popular restaurants have already started adding a 15% charge to bills so it's not difficult to see how this could quickly increase. In London, European restaurant The Wolseley has a discretionary 15% service charge as well as a mandatory £2.50 cover charge. Similarly, Fallow in St James's Market, a popular brunch spot, adds a 15% service charge to bills and a £1 charge to be donated to support the UN Women UK. The story is also the same at Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat restaurants in Mayfair and Bishopsgate, plus Bob Bob Ricard and Bebe Bob in Soho. Some believe the fees have been driven up by new government legislation that made it mandatory for all tips to be passed on to workers without any deductions. Corin Camenisch, marketing and growth Lead at SumUp, tells Metro: 'The current economic climate presents challenges for consumers, hospitality workers and employers. Part of the reason for the rise in service charges is the Allocation of Tips Act, which dictated that all tips and service charges must be given to hospitality staff. The act aimed to to create a fairer playing field for those in the service industry, meaning employees get a fair slice of their well earned gratuity, while also giving consumers peace of mind that when they tip, their money is going to the right place. 'Cash tips are already protected by law, but the new legislation goes further to cover tips added to a card payment which are more and more becoming the norm. Many hospitality workers are on the national or living wage and rely on tips, so making sure they get their fair share of the pie is the right thing to do both for businesses and the wider economy.' A London pub has recently added a new 'optional' service charge to any items ordered from the bar, be it food or drinks. The new 4% fee is automatically added to bills at The Well and Boot in Waterloo Station, a pub owned by hospitality firm Glendola Leisure. A sign on the bar top alerts punters to the charge, reading: 'We are cashless (debit and credit cards only). 'An optional 4% service charge will be automatically applied to all food and drinks. 100% of our tips go to our staff.' One customer was left baffled by the charge, telling the Daily Mail: 'You can understand it if you're sitting down and it's table service, but you're ordering it from the bar. Where's the service in that?' The charge is, as stated, optional, so you can refuse to pay it, but many people might miss the small print when paying, or perhaps just feel too British to say no. Metro has contacted The Well and Boot and Glendola Leisure for comment. And while these charges might be a positive for hospitality employees, not all diners are happy about the changes. Metro journalist Gergana Krasteva branded London's tipping culture 'out of control' after being charged a 12.5% service fee for just one glass of wine at a bar in High Street Kensington. She said: 'I'm happy to tip if I sit down and have dinner at a restaurant, but not if the wine is poured in front of me at the actual bar and then I carry it to my table. Plus, they didn't give me an option. It was only after that I realised, which is the more annoying part. In general, I think tipping is out of control in London.' And Tom Bourlet had strong feelings about the idea of 25% charges like in the US. He told us: 'I've not seen any charge higher than 10% but it would be a shock to suddenly see 25% put on. Without wanting to sound harsh, I wouldn't exactly be happy, that's a huge amount to add. 10% being added to each drink in bars is bad.' And it's clear from new research by SumUp, that people in the UK aren't keen to leave bigger tips. Despite the number of businesses that have been applying suggested tips to digital payments increasing by 78% between 2022 and 2024, Brits haven't got on board with digital prompts to pay more. Instead, we've been sticking firmly at the familiar 10% rate. The average tip given by customers over the last three years remained between 10.2% and 10.6% according to the data. Corin comments: 'Unlike the US, where tipping is ingrained as the norm, British customers have historically been more reserved about tipping. Even as digital tipping simplifies the process, it seems this cultural reticence persists. 'To British punters' credit, they will go out and support venues and they'll tip the same 10% regardless of how bad the economy and inflation may hit them.' Don't worry – if you're not happy with the idea of paying an extra 15% or 20% on top of your bill, we checked with an expert and, yes, you can ask for it to be removed without sounding like a dreadful person. Etiquette coach John-Paul Stuthridge told Metro: 'The hospitality industry is often too turbulent at the best of times. It rarely has healthy cash flow or reserves other industries can depend on, not least the high turnover of staff and cost of recruitment. Throw in an extensive lockdown and a world cost of living crisis, restaurants have added service charges to help recoup their losses. Increasing the charge further helps them combat the crisis that is hard for some to say no to. 'You can much more easily not go to a restaurant that's upped its prices by 15%, but how many people will just accept a 15% service charge and politely say nothing? Many.' He continues: 'Whether you should ask to remove it may depend on how charitable you feel, or if the service genuinely deserved it. It is your call.' More Trending If you truly don't feel like the service is worthy of the charge on the bill, don't get mean about it, just be, as John-Paul recommends, 'direct and honest'. 'No reason needs to be given, however, if you are asked, then give your polite feedback in an honest, but short to-the-point manner,' he adds. 'The higher the figure for service charge, the less likely customers will oblige, but having it removed altogether, so guests can tip the individual server the amount they want to give remains a legitimate and more proper compromise.' View More » This article was first published on May 18, 2025. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Everything I ate in a weekend of pintxos hopping in San Sebastián MORE: What's Cooking? I worked in cabin crew for 12 years — avoid these five foods on planes MORE: Five people stabbed at late-night party in London are all arrested Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
The Independent
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The Wolseley's global takeover is thriving. Investors and Keir Starmer should take note
There was consternation among London restaurant -goers when their favourite venue, owned by their favourite restaurateur, was acquired three years ago by a Thai-based group. It was feared The Wolseley, adored by many, including Lucian Freud (whose regular corner table was covered with a black cloth and a single candle following his death) and AA Gill, would be no more. It would not be the same without Jeremy King, its co-founder, greeting regulars and attending to every last detail. But fears The Wolseley would lose its cachet have proved groundless. The restaurant and its siblings, including The Delaunay, Colbert and Brasserie Zedel, plus a new Wolseley in the City, are thriving. The Wolseley remains as it was, known far beyond London for its 'Parisian cafe meets Viennese dining room' menu, spectacular but intimate room, and warm ambience. The numbers speak for themselves. Last year, the original Wolseley sold 21,803 schnitzels, 7,542 pancakes, 45,750 afternoon teas and 29,837 oysters. As a group, the restaurants managed 18,358 champagne bottles and 91,306 glasses, 99,013 schnitzels, 15,755 pancakes and 49,104 afternoon teas. Wolseley parent company, Minor International, turned in thumping annual results, including record net profits. Now Minor is taking the business international, and going further still, by opening The Wolseley Hotels. Proof that no single person is bigger than the brand, and evidence that what they created is capable of developing and expanding into a money-making machine Minor is so-called because it was founded by entrepreneur Bill Heinecke when he was underage. American-born Heinecke started in business in Bangkok at the age of just 14, in 1963, while he was still in high school. He persuaded the editor of the Bangkok World newspaper to let him write a column on go-karting, securing advertising space alongside it. This initiative was so successful that he took over the paper's advertising manager position. When Heinecke left school at 17, he decided he wanted to set up on his own. He borrowed $1,200 from a backstreet moneylender to register his first two companies: Inter-Asian Enterprise, which provided office cleaning services, and Inter-Asian Publicity, an advertising company. The holding company was Minor Holdings – for the first year, his mother had to sign the paychecks on his behalf. Over nearly six decades, he grew Minor into a major powerhouse, encompassing hospitality (Minor Hotels), food (Minor Food) and lifestyle retail. Pivotal was the 2018 acquisition of Spain's NH Hotel Group, tripling Minor's hotel portfolio and propelling it to leading world hospitality player. Today, Minor owns 560 properties with 85,000 rooms across 57 countries. They will be joined by four new brands – The Wolseley Hotels, Colbert Collection, Minor Reserve Collection and iStay Hotels – to help Minor achieve its aim of reaching 850 hotels and 4,000 restaurants by the end of 2027. It's all part of Heinecke's bold vision. When asked which was his best decade, he is quick to answer: 'My best decade has yet to come.' Ian Di Tullio, chief commercial officer of Minor Hotels, said the Wolseley Hotels will 'take multiple cues' from the restaurant in Piccadilly. 'Like the restaurant, the hotel will be a place where formality melts away, replaced by friendly familiarity and glamour without pretension. Rituality and attentiveness are at the heart of the guest experience, where every guest will be treated to our effortless balance of class and etiquette, from their welcome by The Wolseley Hotel's door person to the stay rituals delivered by a team passionate about the craft of hospitality.' Minor is looking to open Wolseley Hotels in New York, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai and other key centres. London is also earmarked as 'a fantastic location and a natural fit'. Di Tullio said: 'We will be very particular and deliberate about where we open The Wolseley Hotels properties, growing its footprint slowly with partners who share our vision for the brand experience. This will be a carefully curated rollout, with each new location thoughtfully chosen to be a perfect match for the brand's character and values.' He added: 'Brands are a brilliant way to endorse existing customers and find new ones.' He makes the point, though, that it does not apply to all. 'The Wolseley is an iconic brand with soul and character, and an individual creativity – there are very few of them, which is why we want to start a new hotel portfolio with our existing brands.' Nevertheless, he has a product – Britain has a product – that is internationally transferable, provided standards are maintained. 'There is pure theatre, pleasurable impact for anyone entering The Wolseley and we want to celebrate and to share that special sense of luxury with a new global audience. We will do that respectfully and carefully and with passion.' So, The Wolseley brand sustains and is expanding. Rather than the world taking over a uniquely British label, that British label is taking over the world. It shows what Britain is capable of, with an injection of self-belief and commercial strength and savvy. What began as a car showroom was, through imagination and flair, transformed into an exceptional restaurant, then widened. Now it's to be raised to another level, across the globe, in hotels. Credit to Minor and Heinecke for having the idea and for going where others have not. You realise that a Paris or Brussels restaurant could not make the leap, they just don't have that same internationally-admired British style. We could make so much more out of this as a country, as an economy. It does make you wonder what other loved and homegrown brands could achieve with the application of similar faith and a fair wind. Investors, brand proprietors and Keir Starmer and his teams devoted to exporting British soft power, please note.
Travel Weekly
10-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Minor Hotels introduces four new brands
Bangkok-based Minor Hotels has created four more brands, including its first soft brands. Two of the new concepts play in the luxury space: The Wolseley Hotels and Minor Reserve Collection. Drawing inspiration from London's The Wolseley restaurant, Wolseley Hotels aims to blend "British elegance with European flair and global influence." Minor Hotels owns the restaurant. Minor Reserve Collection will operate as a soft brand, showcasing luxury properties that promise "to offer something singular that guests cannot find elsewhere." The Wolseley Hotels and Minor Reserve Collection will be in Minor's luxury category, along with Anantara, Elewana and Tivoli. Checking In: Major names with minor beginnings Minor also has introduced a premium soft brand: Colbert Collection. It will focus on independent hotels that emphasize culinary programming and social connection. It joins NH Collection, Nhow and Avani in the company's lineup of premium brands. A new select-service urban brand, iStay, targets budget-conscious travelers with technology-forward accommodations. iStay is Minor's third select-service concept, joining the NH and Oaks flags. The company expects to announce initial property locations for all four brands in the coming months. Minor has set a target of reaching 850 properties globally by 2027. The group currently has 560-plus hotels.
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Steaks could cost more on weekend if dynamic pricing becomes normal practice, restaurant chief says
Steaks could cost more expensive on weekends if dynamic pricing becomes normal practice, a top restauranteur has warned. Jeremy King, whose establishments have included Le Caprice and The Wolseley, said that while he was personally 'really uncomfortable' with the practice, he admitted it was 'fair' for restaurants to sell tables to customers willing to spend a certain amount of money. Dynamic pricing is the practice of changing the cost of a product or service depending on demand. It came under fire after Oasis tickets were sold under the practice, leading to a slew of complaints from customers who felt they were overcharged. King, 71, told the Go To Food podcast: 'I don't begrudge the restaurants, for instance, which are using the apps to sell tables in advance because they've got fed up with people who book months in advance and then spend the entire meal taking photographs of themselves and of the food, ordering the absolute minimum they can just so they can put it on social media. 'So hold the tables back and those restaurants that say if you're willing to pay £200 we have a table for you on a Saturday, I think that's fair. 'I don't like the encroaching dynamic pricing whereby your steak is going to cost more on a Saturday night than it is on a Monday night, that makes me really uncomfortable but that's coming through. We've already seen it in the theatre.' Earlier this year, King gave diners who went to two of his restaurants, Arlington and The Park, a 25 per cent discount if they ate after 9pm in order to encourage later dining times. In February, Disney came under fire after it said that tickets to its American theme parks would jump with demand under a new dynamic pricing plan. Currently, entry to Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland near LA is priced based on pre-set peak and off-peak dates. Under the expected plan—already rolled out at Disneyland Paris—ticket prices at the US parks will fluctuate in real-time based on demand. The new scheme —which would cause huge variations in price —could be introduced by the the end of March, Richard Greenfield of closely-watched Wall Street researchers Lightshed Partners said on Friday. Disney fan Jasmin Guevara, who lives in LA and regularly visits Disneyland in nearby Anaheim, said: 'Does Disney have no shame? 'It has jacked up prices time and time again in the past few years. This will just be another way to squeeze even more money out of me and my family.' Greenfield, respected investor and analyst, explained the timing. He wrote: 'Given the early success of Disneyland Paris' pricing strategy shift, we expect Disney to announce it is moving to a similar airline-style, dynamic pricing plan in the US later in Q1 2025.'
Telegraph
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘Dynamic pricing' is coming to top tables, says leading restaurateur
'Dynamic pricing' is coming to British restaurants, Jeremy King has warned. The renowned restaurateur, whose establishments have included Le Caprice and The Wolseley, said he was 'really uncomfortable' with the idea of charging more for a steak on a Saturday than a Monday. However, he did say it was 'fair' for restaurants to sell tables to customers willing to spend a certain amount to stop people ordering the 'absolute minimum' and spending the entire time taking pictures for social media. Dynamic pricing, commonly used for concerts and theatre shows, means the cost of something changes according to demand, with tickets for popular events shooting up the moment as go on sale and the public rushes to buy one. The practice came under fire when it was applied to fans trying to get tickets for the upcoming Oasis reunion. Speaking on the Go To Food podcast, Mr King, 71, said: 'I don't begrudge the restaurants, for instance, which are using the apps to sell tables in advance because they've got fed up with people who book months in advance and then spend the entire meal taking photographs of themselves and of the food, ordering the absolute minimum they can just so they can put it on social media. 'So hold the tables back and those restaurants that say if you're willing to pay £200 we have a table for you on a Saturday, I think that's fair. 'I don't like the encroaching dynamic pricing whereby your steak is going to cost more on a Saturday night than it is on a Monday night, that makes me really uncomfortable but that's coming through. 'We've already seen it in the theatre, it widens the rich prosper and the poor are deprived.' Earlier this year, King himself introduced a 25 per cent discount at his two restaurants, Arlington and The Park, for diners eating after 9pm to encourage the public to 're-acquaint' themselves with eating late.
