Latest news with #restaurants
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Pubs and restaurants are ‘under threat' after Labour's tax hikes — with a third now running at a loss
PUBS and restaurants are being driven into the ground by Labour's tax hikes - with a THIRD now operating at a loss. A damning industry survey reveals the number of boozers at risk of closure has increased 11 per cent in the last three months. Landlords are now warning punters that putting up drink prices is the only way they can survive. The average price of a pint has already soared to £5.17 in Britain, and The Sun's Save Our Sups campaign is calling for more support for the countries' embattled locals. In a rare joint intervention, four trade bodies have come together today to warn hospitality is 'under threat' due to April's National Insurance rises and Business Rates whack. They are demanding urgent relief for the pub and restaurant sector which they claim was saddled with £3.4billion extra costs. As well as a third of bosses disclosing they are in the red, their survey also revealed six in 10 have been forced to cut staff to save money. Sounding the alarm are UK Hospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster. They said: 'Hospitality is vital to the UK economy but is under threat from ongoing costs rises, which the April increases have only exacerbated. 'Jobs are being lost, livelihoods under threat, communities set to lose precious assets, and consumers are experiencing price rises when wallets are already feeling the pinch.' Meanwhile, a separate report showed private sector activity is at its weakest since 2022. The Confederation of British Industry also blamed Rachel Reeves' £25billion NICs hikes for hurting businesses. Locals Heartbroken as Auchenmalg's Only Pub, The Cock Inn, Closes Down 1
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Puri Pimento Bites to biscuits ‘n' gravy. May's best eats from the TNT staff
The News Tribune staff was all over Pierce County in May, covering the news and eating out. Here's a rundown on some of things we liked as far as the food went. Reminder that this best eats column runs monthly. If you haven't already, please sign up for the TNT Diner newsletter by staff writer Kristine Sherred. She's got the weekly skinny on the Pierce County dining and food scene. I grew up in the southeastern part of our great nation, where football, fishing and biscuits 'n' gravy are a holy trinity of sorts. I've been on the prowl for a decent plate of B&G since moving to Washington nearly 35 years ago. The version served at the Windmill Bistro in Sumner ain't Mama's, but it's a solid rendition. The biscuits were just about right, crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside. The gravy was nicely seasoned with a decent ratio of crumbled sausage crumbled. It comes with eggs, potatoes, your choice of side meat and the Windmill's signature scone. I didn't much care for the potatoes, but the housemade link sausage was tasty. The place is busy on weekends, so a reservation is recommended. — Adam Lynn, local news editor My problem with Sorci's Italian Cafe in Sumner is that everything I try there is so good that I have trouble branching out to try different dishes. The sausage and mussels appetizer is a showstopper. I don't think I even like mussels, but I love that dish. Their lasagna is one of my top comfort foods. For a lighter dish, I like their chopped Greek salad, which has a generous chunk of salmon on top. I have every reason to believe the rest of the menu is delicious, too. Just be careful. Whatever you try first might turn into your regular order. Tip: The patio is really nice this time of year, but if you want a quiet atmosphere, ask to sit inside. — Alexis Krell, communities editor I've been on the lookout for good coffee or lunch spots on the Key Peninsula whenever I make the drive across the Narrows Bridge. Not quite a cafe or a restaurant, but SERVE Nutrition is now my go-to spot when I need to get some work done or meet a source for an interview. A cozy little spot with white curtains and a sofa with a few throw pillows in the back, SERVE Nutrition calls itself 'The KP's healthy hangout' on its website and offers a tidy array of protein shakes, acai bowls, 'oatein' bowls and iced coffee. I skipped lunch to enjoy their peanut butter chocolate acai bowl recently and was greeted with a delightful coconut shell bowl containing subtly sweet acai puree topped with sliced bananas, granola, coconut shavings and peanut butter. Who needs lunch? - Julia Park, Gig Harbor reporter When my mom came to town for a visit, I was so excited to take her to Grann, the new Southern BBQ, Indian and Creole fusion restaurant on 6th Avenue. Food writer Kristine Sherred called it 'one of Tacoma's most anticipated new restaurants,' and, after snagging a couple seats at the bar, I can attest that she's right. Pictured are our starters: Puri Pimento Bites with sweet onion jam and a curry kale Caesar with paneer, lemon pickle and cornbread croutons. Not pictured was the BBQ grilled fish we shared, which was to die for. I tried the Love Jones mango lassi cocktail, and my mom had the Beyhive (with bourbon, toasted curry syrup, lemon and honey). The use of curry syrup in a cocktail was so unexpected and incredible. I'll have to be back to check out more of the menu soon. - Becca Most, Pierce County reporter With protein reaching a cultural singularity — showing up in everything from Pop-Tarts to potato chips to toothpaste — it's time to reject modernity and embrace tradition: a simple bag of meat and cheese. Blue Max Meats' 'trail mix' isn't trail mix in the usual sense. There are no maligned raisins, no dusty peanuts, no generic M&Ms. What you get instead is a glorious mishmash of their various house-made beef jerkies, cured meats, and thick, satisfying cubes of cheese. Each bite is a surprise. Tangy pineapple from their teriyaki jerky, the caraway pop of landjäger, the spicy kick of pepper jack. It comes in hot or regular, and somehow, it all works together. The quarter-pound I bought didn't even make it home. I liked it so much I went back the next day, zero shame, for another round. - Brian Hayes, Visual journalist
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Puri Pimento Bites to biscuits ‘n' gravy. May's best eats from the TNT staff
The News Tribune staff was all over Pierce County in May, covering the news and eating out. Here's a rundown on some of things we liked as far as the food went. Reminder that this best eats column runs monthly. If you haven't already, please sign up for the TNT Diner newsletter by staff writer Kristine Sherred. She's got the weekly skinny on the Pierce County dining and food scene. I grew up in the southeastern part of our great nation, where football, fishing and biscuits 'n' gravy are a holy trinity of sorts. I've been on the prowl for a decent plate of B&G since moving to Washington nearly 35 years ago. The version served at the Windmill Bistro in Sumner ain't Mama's, but it's a solid rendition. The biscuits were just about right, crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside. The gravy was nicely seasoned with a decent ratio of crumbled sausage crumbled. It comes with eggs, potatoes, your choice of side meat and the Windmill's signature scone. I didn't much care for the potatoes, but the housemade link sausage was tasty. The place is busy on weekends, so a reservation is recommended. — Adam Lynn, local news editor My problem with Sorci's Italian Cafe in Sumner is that everything I try there is so good that I have trouble branching out to try different dishes. The sausage and mussels appetizer is a showstopper. I don't think I even like mussels, but I love that dish. Their lasagna is one of my top comfort foods. For a lighter dish, I like their chopped Greek salad, which has a generous chunk of salmon on top. I have every reason to believe the rest of the menu is delicious, too. Just be careful. Whatever you try first might turn into your regular order. Tip: The patio is really nice this time of year, but if you want a quiet atmosphere, ask to sit inside. — Alexis Krell, communities editor I've been on the lookout for good coffee or lunch spots on the Key Peninsula whenever I make the drive across the Narrows Bridge. Not quite a cafe or a restaurant, but SERVE Nutrition is now my go-to spot when I need to get some work done or meet a source for an interview. A cozy little spot with white curtains and a sofa with a few throw pillows in the back, SERVE Nutrition calls itself 'The KP's healthy hangout' on its website and offers a tidy array of protein shakes, acai bowls, 'oatein' bowls and iced coffee. I skipped lunch to enjoy their peanut butter chocolate acai bowl recently and was greeted with a delightful coconut shell bowl containing subtly sweet acai puree topped with sliced bananas, granola, coconut shavings and peanut butter. Who needs lunch? - Julia Park, Gig Harbor reporter When my mom came to town for a visit, I was so excited to take her to Grann, the new Southern BBQ, Indian and Creole fusion restaurant on 6th Avenue. Food writer Kristine Sherred called it 'one of Tacoma's most anticipated new restaurants,' and, after snagging a couple seats at the bar, I can attest that she's right. Pictured are our starters: Puri Pimento Bites with sweet onion jam and a curry kale Caesar with paneer, lemon pickle and cornbread croutons. Not pictured was the BBQ grilled fish we shared, which was to die for. I tried the Love Jones mango lassi cocktail, and my mom had the Beyhive (with bourbon, toasted curry syrup, lemon and honey). The use of curry syrup in a cocktail was so unexpected and incredible. I'll have to be back to check out more of the menu soon. - Becca Most, Pierce County reporter With protein reaching a cultural singularity — showing up in everything from Pop-Tarts to potato chips to toothpaste — it's time to reject modernity and embrace tradition: a simple bag of meat and cheese. Blue Max Meats' 'trail mix' isn't trail mix in the usual sense. There are no maligned raisins, no dusty peanuts, no generic M&Ms. What you get instead is a glorious mishmash of their various house-made beef jerkies, cured meats, and thick, satisfying cubes of cheese. Each bite is a surprise. Tangy pineapple from their teriyaki jerky, the caraway pop of landjäger, the spicy kick of pepper jack. It comes in hot or regular, and somehow, it all works together. The quarter-pound I bought didn't even make it home. I liked it so much I went back the next day, zero shame, for another round. - Brian Hayes, Visual journalist
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
French venues are in hot water for banning kids. Is adult-only a luxury or a necessity?
Hospitality venues in France such as hotels, restaurants and campsites that do not admit children could face prosecution under proposals for a crackdown that emerged this week. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, plans to introduce a private member's bill to make it illegal to ban children from such establishments, the Times reported, while the French high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, said government lawyers were looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against places that exclude families. She told the French international radio station RFI that the move would address the 'no kids trend', which amounted to 'violence against children', adding: 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury.' Here, four people from across Europe share their thoughts on the idea. Emilie, who is a stay-at-home mother, thinks it's 'healthy' that French politicians want to stop the trend that 'turns children into pariahs' but does not think a ban would deal with the root cause. 'I think it's more about the French relationship with children,' says the 39-year-old, who is French but lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. 'There is a popular saying in France about children: Les enfants doivent être vus, et non entendus, which means children should be seen, not heard.' From her experience, family life is important in France and children are taught manners when they are young and become used to eating in restaurants from an early age. There is, therefore, an expectation that children are well-behaved in public. Emilie is in two minds about a ban. One one hand she feels that people who do not want to be around children 'are not suddenly going to show patience because they are forced to cohabit with them'. However, she also believes children are part of everyday life and that 'adults can't build a parallel society that is free of children'. 'It's difficult but it's one of the reasons I want to stay in the UK. I think my son would be much happier growing up here than in France.' After each one of Jo's six IVF attempts were unsuccessful, she and her husband took a break to an adult-only hotel for a few days. 'We didn't want to constantly be faced with children and the reminder of what we wanted but couldn't achieve,' says the 40-year-old project manager from Lancashire. For Jo, the French proposals do not consider those who are childless not by choice. 'It's been five years since our final attempt at IVF, but my husband and I still get a bit upset sometimes thinking about how we couldn't have the children we thought we would have. 'It's not that we don't like them – we have five nephews – but when we're on holiday it's nice to know that we've got a somewhat safe space. It's about protecting yourself a bit.' Since being diagnosed with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, Jo is also more sensitive to noise than she used to be. 'Being out somewhere with loud children is not enjoyable for me at all – something I know other people with health issues or neurodivergence also struggle with.' Franz Peter Weeren, a retired hotelier and chef, thinks a ban would be 'absolutely ludicrous'. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry since the 1980s, he says most of the problems he has faced with children were caused by parents who were unwilling or, more frequently, incapable of controlling their offspring when they misbehaved. 'One time a 12-year-old tripped over a waitress who was serving a tray full of cocktails and the parents just said: 'Oh well, they're children.' They kicked up a fuss when I upped their bill for damages,' recalls the 68-year-old from Paderborn, Germany. At the time, when Weeren was running an inn in Austria, he considered not allowing children under-14 in but realised he couldn't if his business was to be successful. Attracting more than 100 million visitors in 2024, France is the world's top tourist destination. However, Weeren thinks a proposed ban on adult-focused venues might cause a dip in its popularity. 'Some businesses will adapt but others will close rather than make any changes, and others just won't go to France because they want to enjoy a child-free environment.' Sara Lewis thinks a ban would be a 'totally unreasonable deprivation of people's liberty' and that the plan is too extreme. 'It amounts to forcing people to accept others' kids, of which there's more than enough of already,' says the retired copyeditor from Brussels. She believes it's time to end the stigmatisation of people who prefer to avoid children, and instead of adult-only venues she thinks 'specific child-tolerated places' might be better. For Lewis, the problem is not from children themselves but parents letting them do what they like and expecting others to put up with their behaviour. She feels parents should 'teach their children to be unobtrusive in public'. 'If I go to a restaurant, cafe or hotel I would expect other people, adults or children, to respect me as I would respect them,' Lewis says. 'Children by nature want to be lively and run around but that's not always appropriate, depending on the environment. In the same way that I wouldn't play opera music very loudly in public, as much as I like it.'
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Tariffs Have US Eateries Rethinking That Dutch Gouda
For decades, American restaurants have largely taken for granted that imported foods would be readily available at reasonable prices, thanks to decades of globalization and free trade. Toasts topped with Mexican avocados have crept into nearly every brunch menu and saffron from Spain is used in rice at popular counter-serve eateries such as Mediterranean-focused Cava. Sushi featuring Asian fish is ubiquitous.
