Trade bodies representing the hospitality industry have referred to the post-lockdown restrictions in England as a “straitjacket” which will “destroy the sector”.

Restaurants, pubs and bars in 11 council areas in Scotland, including Glasgow, will be required to close from 6pm on Friday, the Scottish government has announced. 

The number of licensed premises currently trading across Britain is 25,000 down on pre-Covid levels, according to stark findings from the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners.

UK drinks trade charity The Drinks Trust has released branded face masks to support on-trade workers heading back to their posts during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hong Kong government has announced a two-week closure of all bars and pubs starting from 6pm on 3 April, after reports that over 52% of recent Covid-19 cases have been linked to the on-trade.

Hong Kong has banned the sale of alcohol in the city’s on-trade and is considering closing 8,600 bars, restaurants and clubs to reduce mass gatherings and contain the further spread of a fresh Covid-19 outbreak.

Wine sales in the UK on-trade have continued to decline in the last year, but UK consumers are increasingly open to spending more on wine, new data from CGA suggests.

Restaurant booking site OpenTable could ban users who repeatedly fail to turn up to their restaurant reservations without notice, as it launches a campaign to help reduce no-show rates.