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.

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we sit down with the team behind Slow Burn to explore how they’ve built a restaurant in an unconventional setting—operating from a shared space alongside a working jean factory. This honest conversation looks at how constraints can shape a concept, from menu development to day-to-day operations.

What We Cover:

• The story behind Slow Burn and how the restaurant operates within a shared industrial space.

• How the setup has influenced the business model, including a smaller capacity and the role of takeaway within the operation.

• Early menu development and the shift towards a more vegetable-led offering.

• Why the menu evolves gradually rather than changing completely, using a “one in, one out” approach.

• The challenges of balancing creativity with practical limitations like space, equipment and workflow.

• How customer feedback shapes the menu and helps refine the concept over time.

Tune in for a practical look at building a food business in a unique environment, and how thoughtful decisions can lead to a more focused and sustainable operation.

Enjoy and follow us on social media if you like what you hear! Instagram: @simply_hospitality_the_podcast.

In this episode of Simply Hospitality, we visit Hampshire Market Garden to speak with Chris about regenerative farming, soil health and the future of how we grow food. Chris shares how a passion for growing vegetables turned into a mission to demonstrate how healthy soil can address some of the biggest challenges facing our food system today.

What We Cover:

• The story behind Hampshire Market Garden and how Chris went from growing vegetables in a back garden to supplying chefs, restaurants and a weekly veg box scheme across Hampshire.

• Why soil health is at the heart of food security, climate resilience and nutrient-rich food production.

• How regenerative and organic growing methods can improve soil biodiversity while reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

• The connection between farming, community and local food systems, and why rebuilding those relationships matters.

• Practical advice for chefs interested in sourcing locally grown produce and the benefits of working directly with small-scale growers.

• Simple ways hospitality businesses can start growing their own herbs, vegetables or edible plants.

Tune in for an insightful conversation about soil, sustainability and how reconnecting with the land could help shape a healthier future for hospitality and food.

Enjoy and follow us on social media if you like what you hear! Instagram: @simply_hospitality_the_podcast. These are all bios for Simply Hospitality podcast.