Hospitality Sales Up 0.9% in November
The latest figures from S4labour reveal a steady performance for UK hospitality in November 2025, with overall like-for-like sales up 0.9% year-on-year. London continued to lead the way, posting a 6.7% uplift compared to...
12 Operational Habits for Operational Excellence and Sales Growth in Hospitality
Operational excellence isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of successful hospitality businesses. From managing peak-season chaos to driving sales and creating memorable guest experiences, strong operational habits make...
Butcombe Pubs & Inns
CASE STUDY - BUTCOMBE PUBS & INNSDriving Guest Experience with Operational ExcellenceUsing S4labour, Butcombe Pubs & Inns are boosting sales and improving the guest experience by deploying teams more effectively and...
Creating Amazing Management Performance
Sometimes we pin business performance all on the manager. Of course, the manager is the leader of their business unit - they set the tone, hire the people, and drive the business forward. They decide on all the activities...
Deployment
Deployment is a word that has been bandied around the hospitality industry for a long time. At S4, we invented it. But what does it really mean, what are we trying to achieve, and how do we become great at it? In essence,...
October Delivers Strong Sales Growth for Hospitality
The latest sales figures from S4labour reveal a strong rebound for UK hospitality in October 2025, with overall sales up 5.4% year-on-year. London once again led the way, recording an impressive 11.1% uplift compared to the...
Clarkson’s Farm
I have recently, and somewhat belatedly, finished watching Clarkson’s Farm 4, where Jeremy buys his pub. It was an interesting experience for me. Where I have previously found all of his farming shenanigans funny, I was a...
Debt Repayment
Our restaurant business had a big moment this year – we finally paid off our covid debt. We borrowed £300,000 for our business during covid, which, for a business doing a little under £3m in turnover, is 10%. Not huge, but...
Little Door Case Study
CASE STUDY - LITTLE DOOR Run Tighter Margins and Empower GrowthUsing S4labour, Little Door & Co are increasing productivity and maximising revenue across their five London sites. Find out how you can do the same by...
Summer Momentum Slows for Hospitality Sector in September
The latest sales figures from S4labour reveal a mixed picture for UK hospitality in September 2025, with overall sales down just 0.1% year-on-year. London continues to lead the way, with a 7.9% increase in like-for-like...
Goldilocks – Writing the Perfect Rota
A few years ago, we introduced our Goldilocks programme, “writing the perfect rota, that’s not too hot and not too cold”. This always gets a giggle (or a little groan), but in essence, it’s a name that sticks, and our...
Thorley Taverns
CASE STUDY - THORLEY TAVERNS Empower Your Managers and Boost Profit Marginswith Strategic Labour ManagementUsing S4labour, Thorley Taverns are driving up profits by making proactive, sales-driven decisions that improve...
London Continues to Lead Hospitality Sales Growth in August
The latest figures from S4labour show a 2.9% increase in hospitality sales in August 2025 compared to the same period last year, with London once again driving the uplift. The capital saw a standout 10.5% rise in...
The Benefits of Central Kitchens
Central kitchens have, I think, become a dark (no pun intended) secret of our industry. We somehow believe that it reduces our credibility if we admit that we use a central kitchen to produce some of the items for our menu....
London Drives Hospitality Sales Growth in July
The latest data from S4labour reveals hospitality sales across the UK rose by 2.2% in July 2025 compared to the same period last year, with London significantly outperforming the rest of the country. The capital saw a 9.8%...
Make Your Pub More Profitable
INCREASE SALES & PROFITSMake Your Pub More Profitable Without Increasing Wage CostControlling your labour and making sure you are profitable at the end of each week is not an easy task, especially when you’re busy...
Growing Hospitality Sales Without Spending More On Labour
Spending big on your labour, but not seeing your sales increase? Your labour budget is decided, and you aren’t cutting corners when it comes to spending it; you’re ensuring every shift is fully staffed and your team are...
Workforce Management Systems: Surprising Survey Results
Only 33% of Hospitality Operators Have a Workforce Management System That Works A recent industry survey from S4labour reveals that only 1 in 3 operators report having a workforce management system that truly works for...
Hospitality hit by 8.7% decline in wet-led venue sales
In June, overall sales were down 2.6% compared to the same period last year, the latest data from S4labour has revealed. There was a significant 8.7% drop in sales for wet-led sites, while food-led venues edged up by 0.2%...
Minimum Wage Investigation
We have just concluded an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) into minimum wage compliance at our small group of restaurants. The investigation has taken nine months, with HMRC conducting a very thorough and...
Our Antiquated Rules on Young Workers
I am sure many of us feel very proud of doing the paper round. We got up early, worked for a couple of hours and then went to school. I remember always helping to milk the cows on Christmas Day. I think working when you are...
One Shifters
We are a diverse industry in every way. With a licensed trade market of around 100,000 sites, and a licensed market of another at least 100,000 outlets, we are massive. We have sites in every town, many villages, and in...
Hospitality Sales See Solid Growth in April
Hospitality sales were up 5.1% in April compared to the same month last year, data from S4labour has revealed. The overall increase was driven by sales outside of the capital, with non-London seeing an uptick of 7.2%....
Now is the Time to Get Better at Labour Planning
This week, I had quite a disappointing conversation with an operator. He didn’t make that much money and lived above the pub, taking out around £200 a week. We sat down together and went through his numbers after April’s...
Driving Kitchen Efficiency Further with Multiskilled Managers
A few weeks ago, I visited the Prince Regent in Marylebone, and the experience sparked a fresh focus on kitchen efficiency. I began chatting to the manager, who was perfectly suited to the pub, being a superbly energetic...
Grosvenor Pubs & Inns – Case Study
Case Study - Operational Excellence Grosvenor Pubs & Inns Grosvenor Pubs Overview In 2024, we partnered with Grosvenor Pubs and Inns, rolling out the S4labour system and Operational Excellence Programme across the...
Hospitality Sales in Decline in March, Wet Led Sites Slump
Data from S4labour has revealed that March saw an overall decrease in sales of 0.7% when compared to the same month last year. Sales show contrasting trends, with dry-led sites up by 2.1% and wet-led sites down 6.1%...
Small habits, big impact
Last year, I wrote an article on a few of the habits I wanted to embed in our two village Gastro pubs. I believe my focus at the time was on trying to implement three specific practices: hellos and goodbyes, never using the...
Top-down labour management and training
As we all know, hospitality is a people business and people have emotions, views and habits which they may be resistant to changing. This means decision-making can be an emotive subject, and labour costs and targets are...
Survey Reveals Half of Operators Do Not know Their Post-April Costs
As the National Living Wage hike looms on the horizon, a recent survey has unveiled that half of operators are not adequately prepared for the changes. The survey, conducted by labour management experts, S4labour, reveals...
February Sales Flatline Year-on-Year
The hospitality industry experienced relatively flat sales in February compared to the same month last year, with a modest increase of 0.3%, the latest sales data form S4labour reveals. London saw sales increasing by a...
Getting Ready for Labour Cost Increases in April
April’s wage increases will soon hit in full force, leaving operators in need of smarter operational strategies to offset costs and maintain profitability. It will be no easy feat, with labour costs expected to increase by...
The Benefits of Time and Attendance Systems in the UK Hospitality Sector
As one of the largest employers in the UK, managing labour effectively is no easy feat for the hospitality industry. Accurate time and attendance tracking is hugely important to reduce fraud, ensure fair pay and...
Hospitality Sales See Modest Growth in January
The latest data from S4labour shows a slight increase in overall sales for January, with a year-on-year growth of 1.9%. Sales in London experienced a significant rise, jumping by 8.6%, while non-London regions saw a...
Kitchen Efficiency – The key to better run restaurant kitchens
We’ve certainly had a tough journey in kitchens over the past five years. During lockdown, many of our chefs left the industry, with a significant number of them becoming delivery drivers. I even ended up in a taxi once,...
Setting off in January
I suspect we are entering January 2025 with a slightly different mindset than usual. The cost pressures we’re facing in April mean we need an approach that differs from the norm. We need to be braver, more determined and...
December sales remain level with last year, with only 0.1% increase, according to the latest data from S4labour.
Overall, like-for-like sales data show minimal difference when compared to the same month in 2023. In London, sales were up 5.5%, whereas areas outside of the capital saw a drop of 1.4%. Food-focused businesses fared...
Kitchen Planning to Increase Restaurant Productivity
We have recently had cause to plan a complete re-lay of one of our kitchens. For those who are interested, it all comes down to the extraction flow rates. We have some of the most crucial equipment, like the chargrill,...
Hospitality sales up 8.5% in November.
Inflation beating like-for-like sales growth for hospitality industry, but profit under pressure. The latest data from S4labour reveals that sales were up 8.5% in November 2024, compared to the same month last year. London...
October like-for-like sales show modest growth, driven by strong performance in London
Hospitality sales were up 1.7% in October compared to the same month last year, the latest report from S4labour reveals. In London, like-for-like sales rose by 7.4%. This growth was largely driven by a 12.6% year-on-year...
The True Cost of Stress in Hospitality
One of my team members recently asked for an article I wrote a few years ago on labour and sales growth. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it, which means it’s time for a new—and hopefully better—version about the true...
9 Habits for Successful Hospitality Teams
I always believed it took just four weeks to change a habit, but it turns out I was wrong. A few weeks ago, we had a training session in our office on the "lies we tell ourselves”, otherwise known as personal bias, led by...
How to make hospitality teams more productive
Starting teams strong and ensuring they stay engaged is key to delivering the perfect shift. Productivity is boosted, team communication is improved, and most importantly, customers get a top-notch service day in, day out....
The Ops Manager Labour Process
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, if you are an ops manager, how do you organise yourself to deliver on labour in the most effective way, and in the least amount of time? The flippant answer is that it...
Mastering September for Post-Summer Success
For many of us who benefit from increased trade through the summer months, the beginning of September is a tough time. The kids go back to school, the summer holidays are over, and trade takes a dip. I have been reading...
Coping
I’ve been thinking about the word ‘coping’ recently. It is a word I dislike because it is used far too often, without thinking about its actual implications. Whenever I have watched service in my own restaurants at times...
The Challenge of Youth
A few rather dangerous things seem to be coming together at the moment. Not long ago, I wrote about the challenges faced by the younger generation. As a result of Covid, educational attainment has fallen behind across the...
iPad Tills
We have recently introduced iPad tills into our pubs at long last. Many of you are probably, and rightly, laughing because you did this ages ago. In fact, I have many unhappy memories of trialling mobile tills fifteen years...
Dinner for five
I recently had the most marvellous dinner debate with a few senior restaurant owners. There were five of us at the table, which allowed for a single, engaging conversation that covered a vast array of topics. We started...
Kitchens and tech
In my view, the future of hospitality hinges on how we evolve our kitchens. As ready meals get better, and delivery from dark kitchens improves, we need to make sure the food from our kitchen team is up to scratch. For...