Long Weekend of Culinary Jingoism Will Be Worth Its Weight in Platinum to UK Restaurants and Pubs

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday and ensuing long weekend of pints and puddings is set to be worth nearly £3 billion to UK restaurants and pubs, according to new research. It claims that restaurants will see revenue of £1 billion, with just under that going to both pubs and takeaways.

It’s a welcome boost to businesses still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have recently recovered to nearly match revenues from the same week (that of 21 May) in 2019.

The British weather might have something to say about it, with rain dampening analyst’s moods, but it’s unlikely that some grey clouds will entirely prevent a flag-waving, pudding-plating, pint-pouring bonanza of good old culinary jingoism on this very normal island.

But one promotion fell foul of her Maj’s own laws

Greene King really, really wanted to sell pints for 6p (their price in 1952, when the nation coronated Queen Elizabeth II) but the Licensing Act, which like all laws required royal assent, said no.

Mega-landlord continues reshaping Chinatown

Shaftesbury has signed Hong Kong restaurant The Eight and confirmed the earlier mooted arrival of Sichuan hot pot chain Zhang Liang Malatang. The latter will open next to Nusa Dua, with the former next to Sakurado patisserie.

The Stafford Hotel gets all nominatively determined with its American Bar food

Lisa Goodwin-Allen, best known for Michelin-starred Northcote, has overhauled the menu at the bar to focus on U.S. diner classics.