Food, Drink and Hospitality

November 2020

Premium

Brexit: Protocol could force sandwich price increase, warns Northern Ireland food boss

A Co Down food boss has warned prices of pre-packed sandwiches could go up due to the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol on the cost of ingredients when the Brexit transition period ends in 45 days time.

---

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Nine deaths and 472 new cases as Swann warns further restrictions likely before Christmas

A further nine people in Northern Ireland have died after testing positive for Covid-19 and 472 new cases of the virus have been reported.

---

Gallery

Premium

Coronavirus: Get your act together on support cash, hospitality sector tells Executive

Hospitality leaders are calling on the Executive to pay up, and quickly, after it slapped an extension onto the closure of bars, restaurants and hotels for at least another week.

---

Video

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Swann highlights 'dangerous' transmission rate and hospital admissions rise

Health Minister Robin Swann has said the Northern Ireland public deserves better than the leadership shown by the Executive this week amid worries about an increase in cases and hospital admissions.

---

Video

Coronavirus: Hospitality industry fumes at Executive's last minute decision

A restaurant who accepts the need to remain closed for another two weeks has criticised politicians for keeping the hospitality industry waiting.

---

Video

Hospitality sector set to reopen from next week despite doctor's stark warning

Stormont has voted to reopen hospitality next week - despite the warning from its top medical adviser that Covid restrictions must stay in place for another fortnight to save lives.

---

Premium

Hospitality sector 'made scapegoats' during pandemic

Leading members of Northern Ireland's hospitality industry have accused the Executive of making them the scapegoats of the pandemic.

---

Premium

EU demands over Irish Sea border will mean food shortages in Northern Ireland, suppliers warn

Major suppliers and distributors for supermarkets have told the Government that Northern Ireland faces food shortages after the Brexit transition at the end of the year.

---

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Stormont meeting on whether to relax or extend restrictions adjourned without agreement

Stormont ministers have failed to reach a decision for the second night in a row amid efforts to agree new coronavirus restrictions for Northern Ireland.

---

Stormont Executive split over Covid restrictions: What position each party has taken

Discussions on relaxing Northern Ireland's Covid-19 restrictions are set to continue on Tuesday as the Executive struggles to reach agreement on the way forward.

---

Stormont warns EU that food supply at risk without decision over NI protocol

Stormont’s leaders have warned the European Commission of the urgency of striking a deal to maintain continuity of food supplies into Northern Ireland from Britain.

---

Gallery

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Stormont ministers fail to reach agreement on relaxing of lockdown restrictions

Stormont ministers have failed to reach agreement on a potential extension of circuit-break coronavirus restrictions in Northern Ireland.

---

Plan your Eske-ape: Take time to relax in one of Ireland’s most sought-after and captivating luxury resorts

IN these Covid-19 restricted times, plans are impossible to make. The R number currently denies society's movement under the second serious lockdown of this pandemic, but there will come a time again when relaxation, recreation and a romantic retreat are the relevant R words of choice.

---

Business activity in NI stagnates as employers reduce staff levels

Output and new orders continued to fall last month with Northern Ireland's economy tipped to see economic decline of 15% over the year as a whole, a report said today .

---

Premium

Workers 'must be looked after' if Northern Ireland's Covid restrictions are extended, insists union boss

More must be done for Northern Ireland's lowest paid workers if the current restrictions are going to be extended, a union leader has warned.

---

Premium

Northern Ireland hotels may get green light to reopen but bars and restaurants could be kept closed to save Christmas

PLANS to reopen bars and restaurants on Friday look set to be pushed back two weeks amid fears of a coronavirus resurgence that would cancel Christmas.

---

Premium

Day the music died at The Coach nightclub... Covid calls time on an institution in Northern Ireland's nightlife scene

Top local DJs are among the thousands to share their memories of The Coach nightclub which has been forced to close permanently because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

---

Northern Ireland hotels facing a nightmare Friday 13th over closures

Hotels say they face "a nightmare Friday the 13th" on top of closure costs of £7m as the Executive waits until after the weekend to confirm if they can reopen.

---

Premium

DUP's Jim Wells faces outcry after hailing end of Banbridge's Coach Nightclub

A DUP Assemblyman has faced a backlash for welcoming the permanent closure of a well-known nightclub.

---

Video

Coronavirus: Executive hopes to make decision on hospitality restrictions next week

The First and Deputy First Ministers are hoping to make an announcement at the beginning of next week on whether or not further restrictions will be imposed on the hospitality sector.

---

Gallery

Tributes after Belfast’s La Taqueria restaurant founder Adam Lynas dies aged 39

Heartfelt tributes have been expressed to one of the founders of Belfast’s La Taqueria restaurant following his death.

---

Banbridge's Coach Nightclub pulls down shutters for good

It's the end of an era in Banbridge after the directors of the Coach Nightclub announced it would permanently close due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

---

Galgorm Manor owner sees revenue rises despite hotel trade uncertainty

The group company behind Co Antrim's Galgorm Resort and Spa has reported an increase in revenue to £26.8m.

---

Premium

Coronavirus vaccine no silver bullet, warns QUB virologist

As the Executive prepares to debate the effectiveness of Northern Ireland's Covid restrictions on Thursday, a leading virologist has warned that even a vaccine will not be the instant "silver bullet" that many were hoping for and that changes to our lives will be in place for some time.

---

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: PE to be allowed in school with no legal cap and more testing announced for care home staff

Northern Ireland schools will be allowed deliver physical education indoors or outdoors and with no legal limit on student numbers.

---

Northern Ireland hotels set to open when coronavirus restrictions are lifted

Hotels across Northern Ireland are insisting they are gearing up to reopen on November 13 when coronavirus restrictions on the opening of hospitality venues are due to expire.

---

Video

Schools versus pubs: Education Minister Peter Weir at odds with medical chief

Education Minister Peter Weir has said it is not a "battle" between keeping schools open and the hospitality industry closed in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

---

October 2020

Half-price turkeys 'flying' off the shelves for Co Antrim butcher

A Co Antrim butcher is selling Christmas turkeys at almost half price in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

---

Northern Ireland hotels giant Hastings had its 'best year for revenue' before Covid-19 pandemic struck

Hotels group Hastings had enjoyed its best trading year with revenues of nearly £50m before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, its company report shows.

---

Huge rise in firms facing difficulties

Around 8,500 firms in Northern Ireland are in distress - an increase of 24% over the last year, a report said today.