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Hospitality Life

Hospitality Life

The business of hospitality, from gross profit and recipe costing to allergens, staffing and the pressures the trade does not talk about often enough. Written from thirty five years in kitchens and front of house.
02
Feb
Spread of prepared food with overlay text reading unnecessary ingredients, ingredients that are not needed to make the food taste good.

Unnecessary Ingredients In Our Food, can you spot them ?

The unnecessary extras hiding in everyday catering products, how to read a label properly, and why it matters when you cook for other people.
6 min read
13
Jan
A chef plating a dish at the pass under copper heat lamps while two others work the range behind.

From Startup to Scaling Your Catering Business

Seven principles for building a commercial kitchen that grows with the business, rather than one you outgrow in eighteen months.
7 min read
06
Jan
Dark sign showing a crossed knife and fork above the letters AI.

The Benefits of Using AI in the Catering Industry in 2026

Where AI earns its place in a catering business, from automating the admin to cutting energy use, judged against 35+ years in hospitality.
4 min read
01
Jan
A plated white fish dish with green herbs and a yellow sauce on a wooden pass, more plates waiting behind.

Trends in the Catering Industry for 2026 in the UK

Hyper-local sourcing, waste reduction and functional food. The 2026 trends worth acting on, and the ones that will not survive a real kitchen.
5 min read
29
Dec
Piper in full highland dress playing the bagpipes beside a chef in whites carrying a haggis on a platter.

Make Profits from Burns Night, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day

Burns Night, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day in one run. The dates, the menu thinking and the prep that protects margin on the night.
5 min read
18
Dec
Roast beef with a Yorkshire pudding, carrots and asparagus on a plate with gravy being poured over.

Exploring the Vibrant Food Scene in the South West of England UK

The food scene across the South West and South Wales, the producers worth knowing, and what it means for operators buying closer to home.
4 min read
27
Nov
A school kitchen assistant serving mashed potato and gravy from the hot counter onto a plate at a school servery

Do You Know What Your Children Are Eating at School?

What UK school meals actually look like, the gap between state and private school catering, and how universal free school meals changed the tray.
5 min read
11
Nov
Illustration of a card payment terminal reading payment approved, with a contactless phone and two small figures either side.

The Pros & Cons of Automated Order / Pay Systems in Hospitality

Automated order and pay systems change service in ways the sales pitch skips. The genuine benefits, and where they cost more than they save.
6 min read
10
Nov
Four kitchen staff in caps and aprons watching a colleague demonstrate with tongs at the stove.

The Importance of Staff Training in Hospitality

Training is what turns a job into a career and keeps good people in the building. Where to start, and what it costs to skip it.
7 min read
23
Oct
Heat lamps over the pass in a small independent kitchen during service

The Importance Of Utilising Independent Bars and Restaurants

Independent bars and restaurants keep money in the local economy and take risks the chains will not. Why they are worth seeking out.
6 min read